Daily Answers

1-across – Make out fabulous stores close to retail chain : NECKLACE

5-across – Hang on! It’s a very subdued finale : APPEND

9-across – Grand confession from show-off : IMPOSING

10-across – Notice skirts twirling in opener from Lady Gaga : SENILE

12-across – Winning back Liberals, virtuous type calls to exert influence : PULLSTRINGS

15-across – Free toy? About time! : LETGO

17-across – For this, seek knave? King or queen included, too : COURTCARD

18-across – Anti-capitalist movement thus is ousting North America from Asian country : SOVIETISM

19-across – Way of speaking Latin pupil rejected : DRAWL

20-across – Crazy family’s slippers seen on these? : BANANASKINS

24-across – Boozer gaining weight around middle — such a product could help! : LOWCAL

25-across – One’s tied in second till leader drops out of position : SHOELACE

26-across – Woman’s rear clad in lingerie : BRENDA

27-across – It has a laxative effect in repeat runs : APERIENT

1-down – Trouble in new language? You should have it at your fingertips : NAILPOLISH

2-down – Like a joiner’s debut in carpentry work — value it poorly : COPULATIVE

3-down – Throwing up portion of crisps ill-advisedly makes sinner less fat? : LISPS

4-down – Sign of Labour and Tory battles about heads of Treasury : CONTRACTIONS

6-down – Fleet Street heart-throb gets closer : PRESSSTUD

7-down – Pencil case, mirror, pens, ruler : EMIR

8-down – Action in 2-D : DEED

11-down – Reformed human sin with Pope Victor’s tactics : ONEUPMANSHIP

13-down – Father becoming pater in old German territory? : PALATINATE

14-down – Troubled developer requires a financial hand-out to be on track : ADOLESCENT

16-down – Nothing’s stopping complete poet getting beyond the limits of his craft? : OVERBOARD

21-down – Unqualified, drunken fortune-teller : SHEER

22-down – Turned up source of light whimper : BLUB

23-down – Terribly sweet with no end of mawkishness : TWEE

9-across – Aggressive, fiery smash takes point with winner : INYERFACE

10-across – A coalition party’s current excuse for failure : ALIBI

11-across – Henry is entering bike race? The French might be prickly : THISTLE

12-across – Bill enters rambling races and walks : ARCADES

13-across – Romney’s upset to squander Republican capital : MONEY

14-across – A tiny bit sweet, hard to swallow: alternately a lollipop? : MILLIONTH

16-across – It pays to be ill : SICKNESSBENEFIT

19-across – Birds, we sense, get excited about love and little weight : SNOWGEESE

21-across – Seaside town not fashionable, nor good value : WORTH

22-across – Make a noise with this awfully long note : WHISTLE

23-across – Might he use claw to grab wench’s bottom? : PINCHER

24-across – Sullen from a vitamin deficiency? : BLACK

25-across – Smell of deer and cologne? Go away to freshen up! : REDOLENCE

1-down – ITV screens 101 Turning Twisting Messi Tricks : VICTIMISES

2-down – Armstrong’s conclusion after cyclist loses halo: I cycle nice and clean : HYGIENIC

3-down – Fairly fair? : PRETTY

4-down – Computer network: electronic pathway : LANE

5-down – Clear foul: Luxembourg tripped Bale! That one could remember : RECALLABLE

6-down – Maybe Boycott is in, so can’t bowl over : SANCTION

7-down – Ambassador carries identification with duke’s name concealed : HIDDEN

8-down – Long for fabulous story to be narrated without a lisp? : MISS

14-down – Soldiers must seek order without hesitation : MUSKETEERS

15-down – Early birds found here at Cheshire mill : HATCHERIES

17-down – What’s up after the Sun’s daily circulation dips? : NIGHTSKY

18-down – Old 13’s distant object : FARTHING

20-down – Scots say low gravities, they might raise the spirits : OUIJAS

21-down – Gastropod with half a shoe? : WINKLE

22-down – Flies beware being caught up in these : WEBS

23-down – Policeman gives up port and finally solves cases : PODS

1-across – One eating turkey : GOBBLER

5-across – Go on a trip round Venezuelan capital : ADVANCE

10-across – Drop a story : SAGA

11-across – Old houses terribly dry east of Edinburgh’s outskirts — so dry : DEHYDRATED

12-across – Carefully move rubbish site to back of house : TIPTOE

13-across – Australian boxer fighting to take in everything, two rounds later : WALLAROO

14-across – Pen cryptic clues, one about right : ENCLOSURE

16-across – Nation, say : STATE

17-across – Grand royal bird meeting king : SWANK

19-across – Deputy getting business done : NUMBERTWO

23-across – Most recommended to contain ever loud drinking party : BEERFEST

24-across – Lack of leadership in Scottish politician, a nut : ALMOND

26-across – Irritating intellectual taking nothing from notice about English composer : CLEVERDICK

27-across – Some papers are amusing, to some extent : REAM

28-across – Staggering boredom in upper chamber : BEDROOM

29-across – Vampire man biting rear of virgin beauty : STONKER

2-down – Old papal state and papal law wanting cancan to get round of applause : OVATION

3-down – Explosion in knickers! : BLAST

4-down – Constant detailed? : ENDLESS

6-down – Funny Ken Livingstone dismissing all but the fringes — that’s easy to do : DODDLE

7-down – Welsh lake coming up over flower, smooth and white : ALABASTER

8-down – Red bottom producing smoke : CHEROOT

9-down – Guard against splashes from two hurricanes in a storm : SHOWERCURTAIN

15-down – Vehicle with rubbish starter, flame engulfs : LANDROVER

18-down – Little story about hard balancing act : WHEELIE

20-down – Comprehensive ____ education, only first and sixth : BLANKET

21-down – Nick’s in decline, but hopeful : WANNABE

22-down – Eccentric widower removing top before swimming : WEIRDO

25-down – Fool’s appearing busier, we hear? : MORON

9-across – As dueller, perhaps, withdraw from sun’s heat here : UNSHEATHE

10-across – One of the relative gains acquired through union negotiations : INLAW

11-across – Son was visibly moved, did some housework : SWEPT

12-across – Deals with crowds holding pacifist back : PROCESSES

13-across – Everything we hear is ideal, but endlessly complicated : AUDIBLE

14-across – Detachment of soldiers holding clubs in card game : PICQUET

17-across – Role in Shakespearean comedy that’s played by musician : VIOLA

19-across – What are the odds of Ulster creating employment? : USE

20-across – Rib other leading player with no end of humour : COSTA

21-across – Parts of all answers, some 13 across in some answers singularly found in 14 and 22 across : LETTERS

22-across – Group of similar creatures silly boy and I pet : BIOTYPE

24-across – Declining to have the electrical connexions put outside : WITHERING

26-across – Pressure moderate in old person’s pulse : PEASE

28-across – Measure covering energy capture : SEIZE

29-across – Snares fish in cod nets : ENTANGLES

1-down – Signals left out of things like this : CUES

2-down – Be upwardly mobile, since Conservative, on purpose : ASCEND

3-down – Extremely short child in part of course, like some classes in biology : VERTEBRATE

4-down – Main way to keep leaves from getting scattered : STAPLE

5-down – Disengage from seizure of power, with external order to get out : DECOUPLE

6-down – Members of colony, we hear, wind up in the Alps : BISE

7-down – Shots from short distance fail in sporting competitions : CLOSEUPS

8-down – Old hand mostly has an outstanding score : OWES

13-down – Forging equipment villain dismantled after disposing of duplicates : ANVIL

15-down – Plant producing insane amount of beer : CUCKOOPINT

16-down – Guy taking drug after drinks : TEASE

18-down – Excel in running, having ways to escape stumble : OUTSTRIP

19-down – One’s holding us up — that’s inappropriate : UNSUITED

22-down – Capital got constricted? : BOGOTA

23-down – Birthday’s ending soon, as it happens : YEARLY

24-down – Royal I spotted around is showing good judgment : WISE

25-down – Keeps watch on stern of frigate? That’s right : EYES

27-down – No difficulty completing puzzle, kinda obvious and simple : EASE

7-across – Place for watching TV? It’s a matter of opinion : VIEWPOINT

8-across – Instruction book? : ORDER

9-across – Quickly get past those dithering : POSTHASTE

10-across – Shoots game : DARTS

12-across – Basic security for sailors : ANCHOR

13-across – Brazil’s outer defence? : NUTSHELL

14-across – Lead on? : LEASHED

17-across – X-ray pet, perhaps — a kiwi? : APTERYX

20-across – Pop article in French newspaper : LEMONADE

22-across – Shortage put right in the end : DEARTH

24-across – She appears in an ensemble that’s rather colourless : ASHEN

25-across – Discovering jewellery rightly leads to conviction : RINGSTRUE

26-across – Silly girl that is going out : INANE

27-across – Such a suit might make Ian pretty upset : PATERNITY

1-down – Refuse to acknowledge down is out : DISOWN

2-down – Changes locks : SWITCHES

3-down – Doctor goes to hospital bearing material : MOHAIR

4-down – This month worker’s dependent on tick : INSTANT

5-down – Rift created by a broken promise? : BREACH

6-down – People correspond, but not physically : MENTALLY

11-down – Stage favourite’s elevation : STEP

15-down – Nevertheless netting first and last service : EVENSONG

16-down – Hawk always returns south : EYAS

18-down – Demanding much in either effort or money : EXACTING

19-down – Group studying ruined remains : SEMINAR

21-down – The earth’s five main features : OCEANS

22-down – Graduate’s graduation? : DEGREE

23-down – Convict getting privileges can be relied on : TRUSTY