Daily Answers

7-across – Girl has an unusual idea of earthly paradise : SHANGRILA

8-across – Agree the score : TALLY

9-across – University takes two scholars in exchange : ALMAMATER

10-across – Go round twice at speed : OOMPH

12-across – Darwin’s crafty dog : BEAGLE

13-across – Gathering round about a friend : RALLYING

14-across – A burnt-out pantomime character? : CINDERS

17-across – A course in writing may bring fortune : MASCOTS

20-across – Criticise article about Rome’s Hall of Fame : PANTHEON

22-across – Complete exposure of corruption in Dundee : DENUDE

24-across – A picking-up point : PRONG

25-across – Allowing real distress : SUFFERING

26-across – Pushing forwards gets all-round credit : SCRUM

27-across – Carried by lawyer for a short trial? : BRIEFCASE

1-down – Gradually descend to procrastination? : SHELVE

2-down – Big finish about to be made bigger : ENLARGED

3-down – Talk about kitchen finally being decorated : ORNATE

4-down – Fast scoring rate : ALLEGRO

5-down – Flier eating chop and banger : JALOPY

6-down – Granny, say, has problem on undergarment : SLIPKNOT

11-down – Call for energy in mountain climb : PLEA

15-down – One certain to be replaced immediately : INATRICE

16-down – Grass blown in the wind? : REED

18-down – Close agreement : CONTRACT

19-down – Wreck aground, des­pite exercising caution : ONGUARD

21-down – Mouth organ held in silence : TONGUE

22-down – It’s challenged, if raised in a legal document : DEFIED

23-down – Describing Hamlet and his difficulty : DANISH

1-across – Juggling trick, extremely skilful 8 : SLEIGHT

5-across – Two women refused to grow up and wed as ordered : GROUPED

9-across – Time loosely constituting something incomplete : TORSO

10-across – It’s used in building 8 : TWOBYFOUR

11-across – Urge parent to circulate exciting book : PAGETURNER

12-across – Seconds of pie and onions in pub : INN

14-across – Colour of cat pee, formerly : PRUSSIANBLUE

18-across – It’s treated by gastroenterologists, strangely, not opticians : CONSTIPATION

21-across – Be indebted to nameless Welshman : OWE

22-across – Travel round African country, northeastern gem : TOURMALINE

25-across – To show pain is hard and a bit cowardly : YELLOWISH

26-across – Still upset : INERT

27-across – Told police about male meeting bishop for affair : SHEBANG

28-across – Female entering, cause of misery : BANSHEE

1-down – Starts to surprise indol­ent mates with exercises : SITUPS

2-down – Spray a green bug on a large scale : ENRAGE

3-down – Give up crime in Oz, reportedly, and wield pen anonymously : GHOSTWRITE

4-down – Coach knocking back rough alcohol half-heartedly : TUTOR

5-down – Surveyor finally finding excuse to stop : GEODESIST

6-down – Stone axes one cut in advance : ONYX

7-down – Professional lady accepting kiss with a lot of tongue : PROLIXLY

8-down – Ditheringly dredge — and mostly in the wrong place : DERANGED

13-down – Keen on people chanting : INTONATION

15-down – What if drinking carries no risks, ultimately? : SUPPOSING

16-down – Malcontent may scorn Oxfam, Unicef etc : ACRONYMS

17-down – Be behind subordinate’s false statement : UNDERLIE

19-down – Couple adopting European design style : HITECH

20-down – Livingstone perhaps keeping newt in lounge : LEFTIE

23-down – It’s essential to cure habit : REHAB

24-down – Letter to Socrates written up in patois : IOTA

1-across – Desert city to discourage housing : DECAMP

4-across – Duke leaving country in Greek liner might cross it : ATLANTIC

9-across – Like some beaches where husband goes separately : SINGLY

10-across – Bank — rely — extremists fly: worse verse! : DOGGEREL

11-across – 24’s sway over black cat rising in Far East : BOXERREBELLION

13-across – Unfortunate 24s heard predators at sea : PORBEAGLES

14-across – River of top quality? It’s in the water : UREA

16-across – Fleet unable to move : FAST

18-across – Excessive noise in spout adjoining home : INORDINATE

21-across – They’re not keen on Brussels playing streaker in team : ANTIMARKETEERS

23-across – First to fill cavities? : DENTISTS

24-across – Just under 10 roughly treated by 23, or 26, say : CANINE

25-across – Studying what’s driven up temperature in part of garden : ROCKETRY

26-across – Son’s less resolute, wife having left me : SETTER

1-down – Only half of hit on record : DISC

2-down – Conservative dashing around — not something MPs are noted for : CANDOUR

3-down – Chocolate treat an islander’s 7 runs after : MALTESER

5-down – Easy money : TROUBLEFREE

6-down – Country cat : ANGOLA

7-down – No good cat bites stray 24 : TERRIER

8-down – Peristyle showing sign of listing disturbed Dean : COLONNADE

12-down – Reformer’s golden age described by viceroy in North : REGENERATOR

13-down – One arranging publicity in the reptile world? : PUFFADDER

15-down – 7 let out by porter, perhaps : AIREDALE

17-down – Iniquitous acts in a novel : SATANIC

19-down – Companion leaving mountain transport to provide help from above : AIRLIFT

20-down – Aussie runner’s enthralling cleavage upset judge : UMPIRE

22-down – Stand for don : WEAR

9-across – Old verse penned by some rulers in parts of Ireland : PROVINCES

10-across – Bird’s nest found in country area put back : AERIE

11-across – Duke, libertine, sailor, MP and knight : DRAKE

12-across – Rascals taking naps sleep badly : SPALPEENS

13-across – Left thrown in fight — Paddy’s harmless nonsense : BLARNEY

14-across – Appointed as agent, as expressed in legal document : DEPUTED

17-across – Legendary snake handler, in past, contrived a deception : SAINT

19-across – So-called teacher of Irish trimmed back : SIR

20-across – Piece of jewellery one found in ancient site near Dublin : TIARA

21-across – Queen preserved, in a way — turned into mythological heroine : DEIRDRE

22-across – See 17 : PATRICK

24-across – Emerging forcefully from hot Irish capital in fall : DEHISCENT

26-across – Limerick’s next for this English poet : CLARE

28-across – Incensed as Irish scoffed : IRATE

29-across – Poverty observed, going west — has food taken in : NEEDINESS

1-down – Staple food in second and last course reduced : SPUD

2-down – Boy present for a musical performance : SONATA

3-down – Remained dormant in Ireland after one’s left with Edward : HIBERNATED

4-down – Indication of agreement a company set up for playwright : OCASEY

5-down – 18, for example, I malign : ISLANDER

6-down – Cheer up with piano that’s traditionally played in Ireland : HARP

7-down – Teenager’s drunk nonalcoholic drink suitable for today? : GREENTEA

8-down – Irish tax that’s somewhat excessive : CESS

13-down – Attached to foundation since being retired? : BASED

15-down – Piece of 1 in container — cooked it with a chop : POTATOCHIP

16-down – Row after daughter had a Guinness, say : DRANK

18-down – For instance, Shaw creating non-U flower person : IRISHMAN

19-down – Irish pubs feeling incomplete without barmaid : SHEBEENS

22-down – Illicit stuff has power over young person : POTEEN

23-down – Statement Dorian Gray didn’t make put in picture : IMAGED

24-down – Guardian, for example, hasn’t finished making house in Ireland : DAIL

25-down – Traditional Irish dish in Wild West : STEW

27-down – Conversed in old language? Just the opposite : ERSE

1-across – Devastating grouse: Orlando is ghastly : GRUESOME

5-across – A second test dismissing one of the stars : ASTRAL

9-across – Plea to songwriter? Heavens above! : OPENAIR

10-across – Support stockings at first carried by runaway : BOLSTER

11-across – Leave tongue but finish off fruit : GOURD

12-across – Popular judge restrains European power very well : INTHEPINK

13-across – It’s easily done in Madeira, perhaps : APIECEOFCAKE

17-across – Change of heart about bumpy road : THOROUGHFARE

20-across – Petty officer stole two shillings taken aboard : BOATSWAIN

22-across – Guy on shed from town in Somerset : TAUNT

23-across – Arctic shrew’s confession is heard : ICECOLD

24-across – Stand back before entrance : ETAGERE

25-across – Picked up by the ears, fancy rodent? : GOPHER

26-across – Flock sees lamb stew : ASSEMBLE

1-down – Best flight controller? : GEORGE

2-down – Lead in unleaded fuel’s oddly effective : USEFUL

3-down – Resist entertainer, turning our heads : STANDUPTO

4-down – Manlier gender bender making German work : MERRIEENGLAND

6-down – Healer hailing from Rome? : SALVE

7-down – Dramatist with cane holding soldier up : RATTIGAN

8-down – Kilometre not mile? Sick as a parrot! : LORIKEET

10-down – Goat, perhaps, identifies missing person : BUTTERFINGERS

14-down – Excellent pastries going up in flames : FIRSTRATE

15-down – Police trap a couple of bishops engaged in crime : STABBING

16-down – No cassette and vinyl recording, no sound at all : NOTAPEEP

18-down – Exquisite European clothes at university : SUPERB

19-down – Helping to make Gaia the New Age goddess : ATHENE

21-down – One out of three at the table sound asleep? : SNORE