Daily Answers

1-across – In a word, very long joke is in a sense laid out : SESQUIPEDALIAN

8-across – Happy with goal, flip : UPEND

9-across – Meeting place has unconvincing charm, meeting Jack : JUNCTION

11-across – Indian city in stupid drawing : DIAGRAM

12-across – Unsuitable intro erased from funny peculiar copy : REPLICA

13-across – Into drink, relatives cut down — as should he? : ALKIE

15-across – Primitive weapon used to catch snake is cheating : SWINDLING

17-across – Provocative material including first of data on a monster flagged up? : REDDRAGON

20-across – Author returns to pen good, classical letter : SIGMA

21-across – Model is old enough : EXAMPLE

23-across – Pussy warmer in bed? A wonderful thing! : THECATS

25-across – A treetop — make short work of it : OPERETTA

26-across – An elderly lady, Ms Widdecombe denied, pissed off : ANGRY

27-across – See 26 : CROSSREFERENCE

1-down – Gait that’s broken at high speed? : SOUNDBARRIER

2-down – Going up in aeroplane, I see an Italian city : SIENA

3-down – As opposed to the upon Tyne of Newcastle, might Durham be pants? : UNDERWEAR

4-down – See 23 : PYJAMAS

5-down – Roman coins red, an odd couple : DENARII

6-down – Abatement in partner of la ewe? : LETUP

7-down – I commit a crime wearing a medal — it’s painful : AGONISING

10-down – Many get disease primarily from glands, unfortunately, in noted epidemic : GANGNAMSTYLE

14-down – One snatching another fish and eaten up : KIDNAPPER

16-down – Decay beginning to show in hideous couple : DISREPAIR

18-down – Bigger kitchen utensil, by the sound of it : GREATER

19-down – Less than my fair share? I couldn’t agree more! : NOTHALF

22-down – On course, what’s expected is a romantic location : PARIS

24-down – Element into pornography, but not going down : ARGON

1-across – Noble order whereby may hang a jewel : EARLOBE

5-across – Struggle when article is gone without : AGONISE

10-across – Naturalist has ladies’ club in stitches : DARWIN

11-across – Hourglass likely to be pensioned off : OLDTIMER

12-across – Mostly wrong as High Willhays : TOR

13-across – Thwart the unknown in confused times : STYMIE

14-across – A thousand and 7 over, eh? Not far off the ground : KNEEHIGH

15-across – Coaxed to start rising in early morning : DRAWN

16-across – Dressed in a tie, man found dead : INANIMATE

19-across – Exaggerate Putin’s position? : OVERSTATE

21-across – Photograph collection nearly all posterior : ALBUM

24-across – Leave poor 12 to give you a lift : ELEVATOR

26-across – Dig up one-time philosopher : EXHUME

27-across – Vessel in which to pour noggins : URN

28-across – Hard nail bent to offer support : HANDRAIL

29-across – Not quite straight soldier failing to report for duty : TRUANT

30-across – Man upset about Blair having contrary term : ANTONYM

31-across – Kiwi more fitting with unknowns? : APTERYX

2-down – A plimsoll 12 that helps establish connections : ADAPTOR

3-down – Mad women go to law over right to garden equipment : LAWNMOWER

4-down – Raillery : BANTER

6-down – Sound egg curdled fish : GUDGEONS

7-down – Cry from mount in Near East : NEIGH

8-down – Cunning with minimal sound : SLEIGHT

9-down – Like party leaders before an election? : WORKINGTORULE

17-down – Old economist keeping nothing at English distillery : MALTHOUSE

18-down – Sculpture has to remain over sailor’s about turn : STATUARY

20-down – House in which is a rogue : VILLAIN

22-down – Association of states, lots about 50, which is gutless : UNMANLY

23-down – Writer set about being confined : PENTUP

25-down – Film of culture almost devoid : VIDEO

1-across – Conduct oneself in original duets from Beethoven, Handel, and Verdi : BEHAVE

4-across – Famous Bohemian wanting vodka, shaken or stirred? That’s about right : DVORAK

9-across – Peers inside a box : JURY

10-across – Excelling with toy piano in middle of trip : OUTTOPPING

11-across – Sultanate finally independent, earlier administered by British : BRUNEI

12-across – Codes I repeatedly broke, resulting in crazy actions : IDIOCIES

13-across – Presentation of news about wine years : REPORTAGE

15-across – Term of endearment among Welsh musical family : BACH

16-across – Combination of notes that has bars he composed randomly : CAGE

17-across – Group of musicians one over 8, say? : QUINTETTE

21-across – Continuous ringing reduced what’s spoken in legal setting, mostly : CLANGOUR

22-across – Another composer using Monsieur Lehar’s variation : MAHLER

24-across – Mean types taking in chief player — they are not to be trusted : MISLEADERS

25-across – Bread and butter, possibly : LOAF

26-across – Score stored in closet went yellow : TWENTY

27-across – Time in musical piece fine for Hungarian folklorist : BARTOK

1-down – French dance, having drunk our beer : BOURREE

2-down – It’s unusually handy for father of 8 : HAYDN

3-down – Combination of sex, love and desire for player : VIOLIST

5-down – Product of Cremona — some ravioli, namely : VIOLIN

6-down – Again present in theatre, a king imprisoned? : REPACKAGE

7-down – In archaic style, knows Scottish monarch : KENNETH

8-down – 3, 16 down and two 5’s compose it, as have 4, 20 and others here : STRINGQUARTET

14-down – Corrupt gaoler holding down one criminal, ultimately, in part of cell : ORGANELLE

16-down – Irishman, perhaps, crossing line is player taking a bow : CELLIST

18-down – South African plant’s name is originally entered by European : NEMESIA

19-down – High-flier that sings in 8 by 2 : THELARK

20-down – Child prodigy reduced weight in minutes with magic : MOZART

23-down – He produced astronomic score in first of tests after break : HOLST

1-across – Delivery man at the door : BOUNCER

5-across – Demonic spirit in political opponents, one detailed : INCUBUS

9-across – Old component for modern works : OPART

10-across – Second question for old newspaper : BACKISSUE

11-across – Add an embarrassing mid-life performance? : DADDANCING

12-across – Fifty boards to stick down : GLUM

14-across – Putting off green, child has us beaten : RESCHEDULING

18-across – A pop sensation, no two ways about it! : ONEDIRECTION

21-across – One joining the bank : TIER

22-across – Where atheists might look to steal love, as mischievous : UPTONOGOOD

25-across – Crooked letters in long title misplaced : ILLGOTTEN

26-across – Start due, no middle though : DEBUT

27-across – Beast who’s thuggish or evil in silverback? : GORILLA

28-across – Left back, mean : PORTEND

1-down – Flaming, as red : BLOODY

2-down – Headless cockroach, say, with a place in Africa : UGANDA

3-down – Fare traditionally served as ticket held in kind of poetic justice, ultimately : COTTAGEPIE

4-down – Something to restore, because it’s an old instrument : REBEC

5-down – Performing as one : INCONCERT

6-down – See 19 : CHIN

7-down – Rocky, as in sea : BASALTIC

8-down – Wise to buttonhole crew for long-gone train times : STEAMAGE

13-down – Letters in an anagram are so not working! : OUTOFORDER

15-down – Needlewoman sees Manx cat biting Manx cat biting cat’s tail : CLEOPATRA

16-down – Quiet thus, vacuum won’t start : SOOTHING

17-down – Eating heartily, scoff as setter, perhaps? : JEWELLER

19-down – Facial feature two inches out? : DOUBLE

20-down – Probing of Milibands by computers, censored : EDITED

23-down – Confess that was painful joke : OWNUP

24-down – Sweet ass : FOOL

1-across – Stir and sip mixed drinks : SPIRITS

5-across – Penny’s husband breaks a ton on motorway with Rolls-Royce : PHANTOM

9-across – Perhaps Michael Vaughan’s foot follows a leg break : ANGEL

10-across – Before a nut develops, lots of fruit, which may hang from trees : ORANGUTAN

11-across – Passing old, green, family silver around : OVERTAKING

12-across – Oblivious to four notes? : DEAF

14-across – Blowing air: most reed instruments : RADIOMETERS

18-across – Banger car, with wrecked interior, crashed into tree : FIRECRACKER

21-across – In France a syllable is unforced : EASY

22-across – Perhaps Berkeley’s after a Liberal from one side : UNILATERAL

25-across – Solving uses minor part of the brain : SENSORIUM

26-across – Level playing field : PITCH

27-across – Fleming’s criminal organisation has secret design to seize power : SPECTRE

28-across – Storm brews over ball game’s lofty stage : ROSTRUM

1-down – Dog had been bitten by pig : SHADOW

2-down – Fires one head over heels : INGLES

3-down – Inability to grasp a pound? Conservative cuts tragic reality : ILLITERACY

4-down – Leader of Kremlin admits mistake turning secret agent : SPOOK

5-down – Palin’s touring production, which involves no embroidery : PLAINWORK

6-down – Retailer loses small ship : ARGO

7-down – Edward wraps square present, tied with strong string? : TETHERED

8-down – Soldier is holding iron bar out in the open : MANIFEST

13-down – Old photographs and toys prefer recycling : FERROTYPES

15-down – One dapper in fancy style of trouser? : DRAINPIPE

16-down – US crimes: very loud, seen abroad, wearing XXXL? : OFFENSES

17-down – Company submits reports : PRESENCE

19-down – Author becomes cleaner with HR trade : WRITER

20-down – Town where the meat’s off? : OLDHAM

23-down – Luminously eyed Madagascan, usually ringed at the extremities : LEMUR

24-down – It’s buoyant, oddly : BOAT