Daily Answers

1-across – Difficulty taking in stuff about a pig — aah! : APHAGIA

5-across – Joanna’s centre, ill-defined, rounded, gets large within a month : MIDDLEC

9-across – The unfinished roll over drum : THROB

10-across – Peak time, after noon, to infiltrate Mafia clan organisation : MONTBLANC

11-across – Mum is earth-shattering persistent pain! : RHEUMATISM

12-across – Element of 14 20, useless audio-wise : VEIN

14-across – After crucial operation, politician’s making the rounds : CIRCULATORY

18-across – Stars would be too clever for me : ABOVEMYHEAD

21-across – Pole’s opportunity turned over : ROOD

22-across – Drink the stuff of 14 20 — wreck in two years : BLOODYMARY

25-across – Grant to hold a small ball? Just a small contribution to 14 20 : CAPILLARY

26-across – Sick set about to hide love note : VOMIT

27-across – Mould is loosening part of the pedestal : SOLIDUM

28-across – Prostitute back in problem level of society : STRATUM

1-down – Creative hosting US TV series that contributes to 14 20 : ARTERY

2-down – Rabbit seen by few as discoverer of 14 20 : HARVEY

3-down – Live Without Heroin in the Care of the Lord, rocked : GOBSMACKED

4-down – Sing Welcome : ADMIT

5-down – In case tum requires surgery dressing : MINTSAUCE

6-down – Outstanding item, chamber piece, lifted temperature : DEBT

7-down – Sparse, ultimately incapable Mafia guy intimidated : LEANEDON

8-down – Tip: currency’s raised by second capital types : COCKNEYS

13-down – Seldom is a bible translation seen in unorthodox heraldry : HARDLYEVER

15-down – Moral play about tropical tree : ROYALPALM

16-down – Army building a component of music stands : BARRACKS

17-down – Intimate report about southern China : BOSOMPAL

19-down – Cat with sheep brought up as a rodent : MARMOT

20-down – US sports team, almost the last characters to overturn routine : SYSTEM

23-down – Introductions to Olympic hopefuls by band, no doubt? : OHYES

24-down – Covered, so wings off for Cyclades : CLAD

7-across – Moderation, yet Boris might achieve it : SOBRIETY

9-across – Maybe a group of bankers all at sea? : ABOARD

10-across – It’s like baking without gas : AKIN

11-across – Boy hugs girl in Essex : BILLERICAY

12-across – Wed without children? Nits! : SPLICE

14-across – How Rees becomes the foreman? : OVERSEER

15-across – Hide endless Mediterranean island : SECRETE

17-across – With apprehension of little boys at arm’s length : ALARMED

20-across – Break up with plunge over reflected failure : DISSOLVE

22-across – Well this is a bit rich! : HEELED

23-across – Where to get off colour in cloth : GILLINGHAM

24-across – Ineffectual character died with a short prayer : DRIP

25-across – Insect let out another : BEETLE

26-across – Encounter that’s not just pettish? : DOGFIGHT

1-down – You can’t Adam and Eve it! : PORKYPIE

2-down – Architect seen to be right in new erection : WREN

3-down – College accommodates a large number here in Gloucestershire : KEMBLE

4-down – Spring flower Spooner calls unadorned misery : HAREBELL

5-down – Tories rise to be sprayed with spit : ROTISSERIE

6-down – Something quite clear can easily become mysterious : ARCANE

8-down – Shout with painful cry and colour : YELLOW

13-down – Tories’ rule broken, lacking purpose … : IRRESOLUTE

16-down – … thanks to fast party leader with ability : TALENTED

18-down – Military order : EYESIGHT

19-down – It helps to do them wrong : METHOD

21-down – One grows up and blooms : IRISES

22-down – Where one lives without a good reverence for one’s superior? : HOMAGE

24-down – Something raised short of a bloomer : DAIS

1-across – Maddened by exploding grenade : ANGERED

5-across – Opportunist finds heroin in house : CHANCER

9-across – Curtains some made at home : DEATH

10-across – Restaurant for staff officers by a lake : BRASSERIE

11-across – Haulier returned and settled back with sweetheart : RETRACTILE

12-across – Old Bob illuminated the opening : SLIT

14-across – Cheat suddenly to reform : SHORTCHANGE

18-across – Detachment resident? It’s off! : DISINTEREST

21-across – Fellow leaves one instrument for another : LUTE

22-across – Famous craft worker in the old country : SANTAMARIA

25-across – Worker met Sandra dancing : TRADESMAN

26-across – Creature of the English countryside : ELAND

27-across – Ring for stout when touring eastern Sweden : RESOUND

28-across – Strange dialect in fort­ress : CITADEL

1-down – Snakes and their associates decapitated : ADDERS

2-down – Girl has craft and works hard : GRAFTS

3-down – Egghead pays attention in group when running through : REHEARSING

4-down – Charge journalist raised contribution : DEBIT

5-down – Woman caught strumpet with note : CHARLOTTE

6-down – Drop in standards scratching head in church : APSE

7-down – Girl in a state : CAROLINA

8-down – Tenor collated information for physicist : ROENTGEN

13-down – Male stand-in in audition for play : THETEMPEST

15-down – Welcoming lovebird’s wild dream : OPENARMED

16-down – Grown-up is without artifice, initially, or is a sycophant : ADULATOR

17-down – One wanders round hospital for waste containers : ASHTRAYS

19-down – Make a mistake with commission : ERRAND

20-down – Help the Spanish composer : HANDEL

23-down – Official wear for Unionists touring Ulster : TUNIC

24-down – Lover said to be a violin player : BEAU

1-across – Pop singers reformed, giving up gin fizz for crush : OPPRESS

5-across – Computer baron attends the controversial Verdi opera : MACBETH

10-across – Leading girl in musical doesn’t start solo : ARIA

11-across – Laughter tracks swamp Iago’s intro in Tbilisi complex : RISIBILITY

12-across – Succeeded in match played at the same pitch : UNISON

13-across – A Byrd composition in governor’s race meeting : DERBYDAY

14-across – She’s nervous in court among odd Scottish players : ORCHESTRA

16-across – Britten’s friend valued being regularly selected : AUDEN

17-across – 20 film music in a lot of bars : SCORE

19-across – Delius’ debut in E minor in a broadcast of the early 20th century : EDWARDIAN

23-across – Christmas opus, a new revolutionary early 19th-century piece : NAPOLEON

24-across – Son chops lutes in bits for scrap : TUSSLE

26-across – Erase a libretto rewritten by egghead : OBLITERATE

27-across – Perfect haircut for Verdi opera : AIDA

28-across – No ornate coda in revised Mikado score? That’s annoying : IRKSOME

29-across – What lark does musically when cycle finishes? : ASCENDS

2-down – Standard tuner ignores second and better half : PARTNER

3-down – Cuts short recapitulations, except for cello’s opening : REAPS

4-down – Complications in section of 14 : STRINGS

6-down – Sharp bass impressed Queen’s 2 : ALBERT

7-down – Britten opera poster put up by posh churchman : BILLYBUDD

8-down – Measure songster’s tempo? : TITRATE

9-down – RADA duos stumbled into old Peruvian dancer : ISADORADUNCAN

15-down – Hotel hosts old and new boring music : HARMONIES

18-down – Smaller version of 14’s wee container : CHAMBER

20-down – Songs of Praise hasn’t managed to retain big space : ANTHEMS

21-down – Hinted Jones the singer’s bordering on loud nonetheless : ALLUDED

22-down – 28 quality needs vocalic change for hymn : TEDEUM

25-down – Pears played extra version of 3 : SPARE

1-across – Exact money : BLACKMAIL

6-across – Unfinished aircraft design : PLAN

8-across – Don’t cheat in two forms of leisure activity : PLAYFAIR

9-across – Think in depth : FATHOM

10-across – Aim ambitiously for praise, being wretched : ASPIRE

11-across – Gets more than one’s share of froth with this measure of alcohol : HOGSHEAD

12-across – Saucy antics? : CAPERS

15-across – Worker in the prairie producing fruit : PLANTAIN

16-across – Censorious to a dangerous degree? : CRITICAL

19-across – Runaway affairs? : DRAINS

21-across – Star of the Magic Circle? : PENTACLE

22-across – One takes no end of cash in, finishing with nothing : CASINO

24-across – Show preference for old penthouse : LEANTO

25-across – Said to be celebrated : OBSERVED

26-across – Ring starts nervous reaction in the ear : OTIC

27-across – Workers given fish — a gesture of goodwill : HANDSHAKE

1-down – Bottle opener and drinks in packs : BALES

2-down – Amenity switched to an unspecified date : ANYTIME

3-down – A card cheat may be so described : KNAVE

4-down – It goes up with inflation : AIRSHIP

5-down – Soldier’s an expert swimmer : LIFEGUARD

6-down – Saucepan’s ready for cooking what this has killed : POTSHOT

7-down – Commercial address brings high esteem : ADORATION

13-down – Enter game play, making contract : AGREEMENT

14-down – Dismiss ministers, a sign of contrition : SACKCLOTH

17-down – Enormous disaster struck it : TITANIC

18-down – It makes one wild what people do when they retire : LIEDOWN

20-down – American detained by courts in European country : AUSTRIA

22-down – Expenses legally incurred : COSTS

23-down – Relative found somewhere in the south of France, we hear : NIECE