Daily Answers

1-across – A helpful shipping line? : TOWROPE

5-across – Aggressive action taken by those insulted : OFFENCE

10-across – A mother and father to all : ADAM

11-across – Some turned out great : TREMENDOUS

12-across – Pluck shown in American kidnapping : SNATCH

13-across – When to have a drink and eat? : TEABREAK

14-across – Where to find a paid informer? : CLASSROOM

16-across – They’re up for the celebration : KNEES

17-across – Mountains in some volume : ATLAS

19-across – Blockhead! Our little boy is in the middle class : BOURGEOIS

23-across – Is it operated by the ring finger? : BELLPUSH

24-across – Motorway place setting : MILIEU

26-across – Sailor on an oil rig turning native : ABORIGINAL

27-across – They may be nibbled or bolted : NUTS

28-across – Hawaiian offering certainly enjoyed by holidaymakers : LEISURE

29-across – Roguish manner to make an entrance : ARCHWAY

2-down – No cardinal has spoken about the noise : ORDINAL

3-down – Put off mounting watch : REMIT

4-down – Vessel without stabilisers? : PITCHER

6-down – Describing an unborn baby of late development : FOETAL

7-down – Continuing power of the Creed, a nun found out : ENDURANCE

8-down – Bottle company prompt, coming about midday : COURAGE

9-down – An almost negligible amount, like one in ten : NEXTTONOTHING

15-down – Weapons that don’t reach very far? : SMALLARMS

18-down – Shudder at music’s opening in a high pitched voice : TREMBLE

20-down – Rose and disconnected speaker : RAMBLER

21-down – Strangely, I earn it in doing nothing : INERTIA

22-down – Sounds like a tugboat, but isn’t : LUGGER

25-down – Such law implies a suspended sentence : LYNCH

1-across – Ploughman’s enquiry having sowed his seed? : DIDTHE

4-across – Abstinent church admitted to wine consumption at first : ASCETIC

9-across – Toilet rolls, about a thousand, providing theme : LEITMOTIF

10-across – Prepared to act? Start : ONSET

11-across – See 14 : MAYBE

12-across – Control, say, put back : REINSTATE

13-across – Rat or rat — it could be? : TRAITOR

15-across – Sow seed, hoeing extensively, planting in gaps at each opening : SHEPIG

17-across – Drive home, referring to signs at the borders on the way : STRESS

19-across – Soldier back at the front — tasteless pretension matters overseas : FOREIGN

22-across – French singer, singer keeping alive, surprisingly : CHEVALIER

24-across – Brave attempt in the end to get lost : HOPIT

26-across – Chase fraudulent online buyer : ECASH

27-across – Copy letters capturing passionate heart of relative : PHOTOSTAT

28-across – Furniture item, one in theatre? : DRESSER

29-across – The way builder’s helper joins police : METHOD

1-down – Mark out shop, then university : DELIMIT

2-down – Rare delivery is among one of seven on ship : DAISY

3-down – Meat misspelt meet or an abnormality in the extreme : HAMMERTOE

4-down – See 19 across : AFFAIRS

5-down – Pass out after injection into sensitive area, as one moaning : CROSS

6-down – Compound contains iodine for conductor : TOSCANINI

7-down – See 2 : CUTTER

8-down – Most are rough to some extent, one looking hard : STARER

14-down – Open or closed, perhaps : ASTHECASE

16-down – See 1 across : EARTHMOVE

18-down – Run, as one jumping : SKIPPER

19-down – See 1 across : FORYOU

20-down – No place for art, direct header scored : NOTATED

21-down – Belief under leadership of Salmond in diatribe : SCREED

23-down – Result of fire, bum full of gas : ASHES

25-down – See 5 : PATCH

8-across – Matter thrown up at union conference — only half start talking it over : CONFETTI

9-across – Going round to the club : ROTARY

10-across – One expecting to hear broadcast : HEIR

11-across – He finishes off period at school in a history module : TERMINATOR

12-across – Loses control of fair elements : STALLS

14-across – Gave up as fashion designer : RESIGNED

15-across – Game and potato dish left unfinished : CROQUET

17-across – Act to get figure with a modicum of truth in it : STATUTE

20-across – Driven mad by half-hearted performance getting cooker installed : DERANGED

22-across – Princess has limits to awful temper : ANNEAL

23-across – Sticks with wave power : MAGICWANDS

24-across – It enables travellers to overtake on the left : PASS

25-across – Weather forecast could change by the end of the day : CLOUDY

26-across – Recollections Otterden takes a little while to state without evasiveness : MEMORIES

1-down – Guide said a great deal about art : LODESTAR

2-down – Core of expedition is a long way off : AFAR

3-down – The position of most of 17 ends up precarious : STATUS

4-down – Copies editions of a tabloid newspaper : MIRRORS

5-down – Model usually having points to teach class : TRAINSET

6-down – Tidy up after shattering into pieces : STRAIGHTEN

7-down – Poet gives small flower to sweetheart : BROOKE

13-down – Gabby to see dodgy doctor shortly to get recovery notes : LOQUACIOUS

16-down – Side first means to follow advantage : EDGEWAYS

18-down – Ian treks out to part of the Eastern Cape : TRANSKEI

19-down – A study starts off making assumptions for growth : ADENOMA

21-down – Return to island after directions make it possible : ENABLE

22-down – Take on an amount in rough sea : ASSUME

24-down – See 24 across : PORT

1-across – Byzantine plainsong scales are vital to them : PANGOLINS

6-across – Sunday in spring with hour moving forward : WHIT

8-across – Redolent of a half-hearted sentimentalist : AROMATIC

9-across – Half of me pretentiously starts to expect thank yous : MOIETY

10-across – Ugly duckling catching small seal : CYGNET

11-across – Canine neighbour has vitamin and mineral drops in turn : BICUSPID

12-across – Minister pursuing sailor in Belgian port : OSTEND

15-across – Bully ashamedly kicking dead dog : SEALYHAM

16-across – Unruffled, Mr O’Leary runs an airline like this : NOFRILLS

19-across – A case for sentimentality? : LOCKET

21-across – I haven’t finished writing to great English poisoner of old : PTOMAINE

22-across – Hawk seizing tail of mynah bird : CHOUGH

24-across – Have first birthday shortly, cause of excitement! : TURNON

25-across – Postpone punishment of immature Puritan in ruff : REPRIEVE

26-across – Now in the red : HERE

27-across – In retirement I try kebabs, certain to be easily excited : EROGENOUS

1-down – Chilly, like Hyde? : PARKY

2-down – I’m no Machiavellian, born to be contender : NOMINEE

3-down – G8 leaders to end talks after 31 days? : OCTET

4-down – Nightmare of expecting bear to crush me and you : INCUBUS

5-down – Alchemist rebuilt old high street brand : STMICHAEL

6-down – Question about Arachne’s extremely strange, fanciful behaviour : WHIMSEY

7-down – Tantric cavorting that is superficially complicated : INTRICATE

13-down – Mel’s quick temper : SHORTFUSE

14-down – Trifling with daughter before marriage : DALLIANCE

17-down – Cameron broadcast lie : ROMANCE

18-down – Guarantee people in general a right to occupy in this way : SWEARTO

20-down – BBC Horizon series making Granada scoff : CHORIZO

22-down – Policemen said to be dense, wooden lot : COPSE

23-down – Permits G4S to restrain anyone, ultimately : GIVES

7-across – One hoping trick will work, actually being taken in by French : FINESSER

9-across – Handsome youth holding hand down bids in oddly deficient way : ADONIS

10-across – After top honour, duke worsted in court, in a way : ACED

11-across – Hard to handle, like a pointless holding? : UNBIDDABLE

12-across – Positive indicators about right requirements for contract : TRICKS

14-across – Difficult partner no longer playing : EXACTING

15-across – Claim about line with ace and queen that’s made by professional : SALARY

17-across – Don’t follow suit — change to green energy : RENEGE

20-across – Complaint I had rejected — more upset about diamonds : DISORDER

22-across – Defend against South, in another test for learner : RESIST

23-across – Made first bid, holding cards tight? Just the opposite : OPENHANDED

24-across – Reports from one couple at table about another : NEWS

25-across – Didn’t bid spades, oddly : PASSED

26-across – Turn of partner to err — for example, about passing : ELAPSING

1-down – For instance, gets rid of diamond, being heartless? : DISCARDS

2-down – Start putting one’s cards on the table in corrupt deal : LEAD

3-down – Concerns — lots of little ones raised by partners, normally : ISSUES

4-down – Patience, for example, as funny fellow hunted animals : CARDGAME

5-down – People managing without skill name business associates : COPARTNERS

6-down – Nothing old foursome raised for player taking bow : VIOLIN

8-down – Some 19 that’s extractable from tropical plants or shrubbery : RUBBER

13-down – Bid one’s spades over West, showing immaturity : CALLOWNESS

16-down – Penalties for players, not clubs : REDCARDS

18-down – Blow to West coming from unwise bid, ultimately, since double goes in : EASTWIND

19-down – Part of 6 or 24 down for English composer : BRIDGE

21-down – Way to dramatically expose king not ruled out : INPLAY

22-down – Leader’s odd new arrangement of pack : REDEAL

24-down – Advance cautiously, finishing in two hearts, vulnerable : NOSE