Daily Answers

1-across – Mature Conservative entering State Department : AGENCY

4-across – Offender’s partner dismissed by primate in sect : CULPRIT

9-across – It’s plain — setter’s bloody exhausted! : OVERTIRED

10-across – Reaches port where 4 acrosses may be seen? : DOCKS

11-across – Bore made to talk about bottles : TOTED

12-across – Hereditary earls can’t, unfortunately : ANCESTRAL

13-across – Intermittent rain penetrating blind not a trickle : DRIZZLE

15-across – Public room that is welcomed by young men? Hardly! : LADIES

17-across – Almost 20 — central heating’s become too hot : SCORCH

19-across – Critical old celeb reviewed short story : PIVOTAL

22-across – Leaders ultimately booed off in rubbish game : PHEASANTS

24-across – Stunner from the East tried to get through again : RESAT

26-across – Children’s network doesn’t get started : ISSUE

27-across – Bard’s son stops one checking authenticity : VERSIFIER

28-across – Short drink relative knocked back, just a little one : TODDLER

29-across – Set up wartime leader in assuming new position : INSTAL

1-down – Took on bill covering party : ADOPTED

2-down – Wield authority dismissing parliamentary leader : EXERT

3-down – Nice region dour Aztec trashed : COTEDAZUR

4-down – Will’s rider upset detectives, breaking wind : CODICIL

5-down – Where to find swimmers showing promise in class on regular basis : LIDOS

6-down – Habitual sounds from cat out of bounds, coming in late : RECURRENT

7-down – Organisation of workers produced less conflict : TUSSLE

8-down – Gunmen backing rebel covered walk : ARCADE

14-down – Extended home’s finished, builder finally admitted : INCREASED

16-down – Nutmeg had taken up translation as hobby : DIVERSION

18-down – Evidence of overindulgence not good for royal house : HANOVER

19-down – Eg turnover from discontinued lines : PASTRY

20-down – It all gets broadcast, including Queen’s typo … : LITERAL

21-down – … typo Military Intelligence overlooked — dash! : SPRINT

23-down – Get wind of deception involving money : SMELL

25-down – Fleet Street accepts Dutch, not English : SWIFT

7-across – A course people follow : RACETRACK

8-across – Anything that sounds obligatory : AUGHT

9-across – Seaman yachting, say, or coming down rope : ABSEILING

10-across – Quick — it’s cold! : NIPPY

12-across – Call attention to 24-hour period of prosperity : HEYDAY

13-across – Around noon, top fighter pilots attempt descent : ANCESTRY

14-across – Appeal when vehicle has to retire in a race : ATTRACT

17-across – A following letter employing harsh language : ABUSING

20-across – A woman’s resignation : PATIENCE

22-across – Make provision for volumes put aside : SHELVE

24-across – Expect a hold-up : AWAIT

25-across – They go hunting and shooting among the rich and famous : PAPARAZZI

26-across – Welcome cry up North : GREET

27-across – Is to alter arrangement — for the better? : TOTALISER

1-down – A pretty useless object : BAUBLE

2-down – Challenged champion’s delay about the final : DEFENDER

3-down – Surprise expressed to mass meeting in words : ORALLY

4-down – Shocking subject for play school? : SCANDAL

5-down – Blunder upset students : PUPILS

6-down – Broken car phone in Escort : CHAPERON

11-down – He continues to work for Southern Transport : SCAB

15-down – Sideline co-operation : TEAMWORK

16-down – Once set it may hold ice-cream : CONE

18-down – Involved in a score or film story : SCENARIO

19-down – It’s not a stone to be lifted — it’s a heavy weight : MEGATON

21-down – Is about to revolt, but flags : IRISES

22-down – Way a convict adapted in a German prison once : STALAG

23-down – Old court official — namely one standing over the Queen : VIZIER

1-across – Vehicle condition needs attention, back to front : ESTATECAR

6-across – Relict without name to be seen through? : WIDOW

9-across – Where to find soft material : PLACE

10-across – Tennis player who takes unfair advantage? : RACKETEER

11-across – It makes one fall, endlessly : SIN

12-across – People go down with hard complaints in Somerset : MENDIPHILLS

14-across – Shipmates upset on the Queen Elizabeth? : STEAMER

15-across – See about student turning colour when getting on : ELDERLY

16-across – Foreign copper gets doctor free : MOUNTIE

19-across – High point frequently in inferior backing : ROOFTOP

22-across – Natural dwarfishness? : UNDERGROWTH

23-across – Disordered, having been created short : MAD

24-across – Spill the beans twice, when there’s only one … : SINGLETON

26-across – … or none, which is comic : BEANO

27-across – Possibly loitering with intent — that’s the girl! : SUSIE

28-across – Rhubarb thrown away? : CASTASIDE

1-down – Shows up former attitudes : EXPOSES

2-down – Student without one might be neater : TRAINEE

3-down – Mother accidentally encountered royalty with some measure of warmth : THERMOMETER

4-down – Nothing in difficult situation can hold court : CORONER

5-down – Admit always rising over broken ice : RECEIVE

6-down – Questionable sound of a river? : WYE

7-down – Dickens beginning with character of resident : DWELLER

8-down – Lazy output by heartless Harry : WORKSHY

13-down – It can stop you from drinking : HYDROPHOBIA

16-down – Old Jew keeps us in desserts : MOUSSES

17-down – International body consumes water spirits : UNDINES

18-down – Unreliable boy catches rodent : ERRATIC

19-down – Left wing, about to conquer, turns back : REWINDS

20-down – Percussion gives boy awful pain : TIMPANI

21-down – Priest carries on as innkeeper : PADRONE

25-down – General shelter : LEE

4-across – Move aimlessly and pick up something useful : GADGET

6-across – Image of record artist-in-residence curtailed : HOLOGRAM

9-across – Fabled compiler’s not entirely stupid : MYTHIC

10-across – Outside left looking hard at bird : STARLING

11-across – Cooking implement getting first-rate cooker’s first-rate backing, inducing non-specific neurosis : PANTOPHOBIA

15-across – Misguidedly train as practitioner of 12 : ARTISAN

17-across – Sideways, subsequently, on a plate : LATERAL

18-across – Split a horny model’s nose job : RHINOPLASTY

22-across – Blade’s about to become increasingly promiscuous? : CLAYMORE

23-across – Film: Daddy’s Girl : PATINA

24-across – Dater’s compromise? : TRADEOFF

25-across – Never, ever, ever restricting worship : REVERE

1-down – Countryside interrupting outcome? : MEXICO

2-down – Drink rings bell in Market Road : PORTOBELLO

3-down – Party-giver accepting clipped old coin for feast : HOGROAST

4-down – Strategy requiring instrument to keep quiet : GAMEPLAN

5-down – Let off school during engagement : DETONATE

7-down – Purveyor of pork pies raised by bird : RAIL

8-down – Thatcher dispatching soldier’s fount of wisdom : MAGE

12-down – Art of Chinese sleuths raised aquatic transport : HANDICRAFT

13-down – Renown of big eater eating what’s left to eat, initially : PRESTIGE

14-down – Misconstrued Fay’s plea to hedge bets : PLAYSAFE

16-down – Shady lady’s second instrument : STRUMPET

19-down – Quit application, finally causing ferment : LEAVEN

20-down – Improvised performance in musical, back to front : SCAT

21-down – Island’s translation of Bible into German? Yes! : JAVA

1-across – Give tick to author over the telephone : CHECKOFF

5-across – Large group of classes speaking of what ya should do wiv yer damaged nails? : PHYLUM

9-across – Flight security device said to reassure, regrettably starts malfunctioning : STAIRROD

10-across – A noted wobble? : QUAVER

12-across – While 18 13, it’s beyond a dream! : ASTONISHING

15-across – One taking part in runs : RACER

17-across – Riotous promenade welcomed so enthusiastically? : OPENARMED

18-across – Optimistic assertion disproved by a vacuum? : NOTHINGIS

19-across – Leader of stout heart to achieve goal : SCORE

20-across – Letter saying something sharp : CIRCULARSAW

24-across – Hollywood’s Essex girl? : HARLOW

25-across – Real monster, gorgon finally repelled in legend : TANGIBLE

26-across – Disunity is not out of order, messy : UNTIDY

27-across – Retired Frenchman into young flesh of the nether regions : VENEREAL

1-down – Lettuce with something sticky, a doughnut perhaps also appearing : COSTARRING

2-down – Give short pixie a place in Piedmont, a big one? : ELASTICITY

3-down – With punchy ending, published good book : KORAN

4-down – Marchers, those wielding an axe on behalf of an old Labour leader? : FOOTSLOGGERS

6-down – Sort of rough woman describing a desirable figure : HOURGLASS

7-down – Together, a more European affection? : LOVE

8-down – 19, as the second of four booked? : MARK

11-down – Resident superpower stuffing herb in meat product : LIVERSAUSAGE

13-down – See 18 : IMPOSSIBLE

14-down – Wretch after wilder kind of transmission mechanism : IDLERWHEEL

16-down – Source of water in car, terribly noisy : RAINCLOUD

21-down – Fish’s perspective : ANGLE

22-down – You 500? : THOU

23-down – Abrasive particles in backbone : GRIT