Daily Answers

9-across – They’re paid for services rendered : CLERGYMEN

10-across – Shown to be unfit during a gym session : INAPT

11-across – Games period : INNINGS

12-across – Undisclosed military rank : PRIVATE

13-across – Three points go to my opponent : ENEMY

14-across – Good ones can always grow better : GARDENERS

16-across – Sporting event one’s bound to compete in : THREELEGGEDRACE

19-across – Cricket finalist? : LASTMANIN

21-across – Guide back to border : PILOT

22-across – It reminds chaps to give me priority : MEMENTO

23-across – Gift for the poor — a welcome gesture : HANDOUT

24-across – A student on board having a dance : SALSA

25-across – Haricot bean, for example, not a starter : NONRUNNER

1-down – Fortuitous bit of scoring? : ACCIDENTAL

2-down – Noel’s tower of strength : REINDEER

3-down – It won’t play a principal part : AGENCY

4-down – Novelist makes friends across the Channel : AMIS

5-down – Photograph monster that’s seen in the garden : SNAPDRAGON

6-down – Benefit from investment is cut about a quarter : DIVIDEND

7-down – Site includes a splendid residence : PALACE

8-down – Something troubling your eye, initially : STYE

14-down – Young and inexperienced musicians? : GREENHORNS

15-down – They watch sport etc as recreation : SPECTATORS

17-down – Set me up with intellectual? Hard cheese! : EMMENTAL

18-down – Nothing lost, having everything provided : ALLFOUND

20-down – Naive politician caught in a web of lies : SIMPLE

21-down – Enclosure sheep is held in : PENTUP

22-down – Just think, she may inspire you : MUSE

23-down – Animal quarters? : HIND

1-across – Circulatory system forces one to walk to work : TREADMILL

6-across – Belt as part of a shirt : CUFF

8-across – King whose wife went to Paris, causing strife : MENELAUS

9-across – Works with potential spouse : OPUSES

10-across – Found note in packing case : CREATE

11-across – Subdued, having arrived after it’s finished : OVERCAME

12-across – Capital for a ship holding company : ASSETS

15-across – A singular spectacle? : EYEGLASS

16-across – Revolutionary comrade at last becomes a politician : DEMOCRAT

19-across – City investment is about to be productive : FECUND

21-across – Cricket side and ground not in harmony : OFFPITCH

22-across – Possibly shoots ducks with graduate doctor : BAMBOO

24-across – Inferior school to get equipment first : KITSCH

25-across – Study, entering further exam for junior hospital doctor : RESIDENT

26-across – Saline drip? : TEAR

27-across – Fast food outlet? : DININGCAR

1-down – The one on the right of them : THEIR

2-down – Leave scribbled note offering lift : ELEVATE

3-down – A duck for this celebrated bowler? : DRAKE

4-down – Not far out in marine navigation : INSHORE

5-down – Extensively used sort of folder, found abandoned on table extension? : LOOSELEAF

6-down – Local authority, giving sound advice : COUNCIL

7-down – Forenames out of place for member of a secret order : FREEMASON

13-down – Extent of usefulness on board : SHELFLIFE

14-down – Slightly damaged, so withdrawn : SCRATCHED

17-down – One who is against work has a problem : OPPOSER

18-down – Moves near the capital : TEHERAN

20-down – Company doctor is amusing : COMEDIC

22-down – Sailor came up to wrong dock : BASIN

23-down – Man of property, three quarters in gold : OWNER

1-across – Buffet snack served with wicked lunch : KNUCKLESANDWICH

9-across – Branch where motor mechanics change body parts : ARMPITS

10-across – Good behaviour last month, no booze : DECORUM

11-across – Know Clarke : KEN

12-across – Low flyer’s landing spot to limit helicopter? Not initially : HEDGEHOPPER

13-across – Grand with wealthy player’s unbeatable hand? : ROYALFLUSH

15-across – Exploited the Guardian journalist : USED

18-across – Doctor with tablet turning head of Michael Barrymore? : DREW

20-across – Something blown well: blower gets behind America : SOUSAPHONE

23-across – See 6 : LIVINGSTONE

25-across – Short, firm president : IKE

26-across – Starts to get excited — Ronnie’s back, eyeing reds and making plant : GERBERA

27-across – Fish nets close to whales mark one disturbance at sea : TSUNAMI

28-across – Sweet products in set, refine Coco Pops : CONFECTIONERIES

1-down – Sex symbol of 10 — can king arise, tired? : KNACKERED

2-down – Feminine new piece’s ugly, not good on the exterior : UNMANLY

3-down – Atonement had her sounding gallant : KNIGHTLY

4-down – Softened exams: education department primarily welcomes top grades : EASED

5-down – A don, not working, prepares lectures : ADDRESSES

6-down – Introductory line for explorer in TV guide: Mostly old Inspector Morse reruns : DOCTOR

7-down – Breaks in Irish rugby union squad’s first tackling exercise : IRRUPTS

8-down – Cartoon character is a big hit in America : HOMER

14-down – Hurry! Ladies getting trade round back of park : LOOKSMART

16-down – Pass on time — no hospital to standards for nutritional study : DIETETICS

17-down – See 6 : IPRESUME

19-down – Ring banks of Everton, mid-range club? : ENVIRON

21-down – Independent and i hold up small supplement — men at the top make paper work : ORIGAMI

22-down – Partners and opponent, three times holding unknown hand, might catch this? : SNEEZE

23-down – Cut down one chapter to make deduction : LOGIC

24-down – Top three characters for United in scoreless draw : OUTDO

9-across – Generally where the seas are high : INTHEMAIN

10-across – Bohemian girl seen around a US resort : MIAMI

11-across – Be ready to give support : STANDBY

12-across – Listeners burning to get within hearing distance : EARSHOT

13-across – A huge sprawling city : HAGUE

14-across – Case for building-up, ready for the maiden flight : CHRYSALIS

16-across – Roughly disturb canaries’ nests that should be protected : BIRDSANCTUARIES

19-across – Playing around with males, she’s quite brazen : SHAMELESS

21-across – Weapon in sack : RIFLE

22-across – Terribly grieved, draw apart : DIVERGE

23-across – A race — or the end of of a race, say : FINNISH

24-across – Breakfast food firm breaks an embargo : BACON

25-across – Dismissing someone and discussing the matter no further : LETTINGGO

1-down – See girl on coach but fail to take opportunity : MISSTHEBUS

2-down – Less familiar route followed by park official : STRANGER

3-down – Jabber and annoy : NEEDLE

4-down – A large number — doesn’t matter which large number : MANY

5-down – Makes whole — or gets near it, perhaps : INTEGRATES

6-down – First-class fare to Jupiter and Mars : AMBROSIA

7-down – She has pain from one side to another : RACHEL

8-down – A great deal of money not yet used : MINT

14-down – She may be recalled in pantomime : CINDERELLA

15-down – One of the family takes the veil in religious order : SISTERHOOD

17-down – Cutting off lady on telephone call : SHEARING

18-down – Break popular with those on edge : INFRINGE

20-down – Publicity wrong for counsel : ADVICE

21-down – It’s to do with wrought-iron artist : RENOIR

22-down – Experts in digitally-recorded evidence : DABS

23-down – Lot of grease going on bearing : FATE

1-across – Eccentric bathes in spirit! : ABSINTHE

5-across – United said to be finished a while ago : WELDED

9-across – Small gardens here a little bit out of place : SKEWWHIFF

11-across – Almost every other component follows past tests : EXAMS

12-across – Rogue hurries along with cheap way to pay : HIREPURCHASE

15-across – It gets heated when weird group ousts leader : OVEN

16-across – Killers hated working on the side : DEATHSQUAD

18-across – Press invitation to meeting for young man after public image : PERSONALAD

19-across – Chapter head in Pride and Prejudice : DEAN

21-across – Privileged place freely available to card players : PUBLICSCHOOL

24-across – Board agreement expressed in two languages : OUIJA

25-across – Points to lack of showy jewellery as dignifying : ENNOBLING

26-across – Dreads becoming even more unhappy : SADDER

27-across – Small character part for someone on the way up : ASCENDER

1-down – Too much of pals to finish off with round of golf : ALSO

2-down – Hinder the continuity of one’s main ancestral line : STEM

3-down – Could wine be drunk by new arrival? : NEWBIE

4-down – Emperor replaced his allies with ease : HAILESELASSIE

6-down – Put in practice a duty involving Her Majesty : EXERCISE

7-down – She goes over the top to get role of Titania : DRAMAQUEEN

8-down – Dances tend to be moved one further down the line : DESCENDANT

10-down – Product mechanisms often in place in pubs : FRUITMACHINES

13-down – Pittance provided initially to get spies back can be laid on the table : SOUPSPOONS

14-down – Pot reported to be advertised put up cheaply : JERRYBUILD

17-down – Test one against a note prompt : MOTIVATE

20-down – Spitting Image repeat : DOUBLE

22-down – Said to have passed time in the jungle, perhaps : WILD

23-down – A garden not a place where one might study a culture medium : AGAR