Daily Answers

4-across – Bumble, before and after the box, to abandon abstaining from skating : JACKIN

6-across – Note worried Sikhs in problem with scales : FISHSKIN

9-across – See 4 : OFFICE

10-across – Calculate spin given to ball and have new ideas with the box : THINKOUT

11-across – Twisting of a choir’s tail that didn’t really happen : AHISTORICAL

15-across – River birds that work with music : DEEJAYS

17-across – Land-based American at sea honours English : ONSHORE

18-across – Write a line with thanks about river for the box : PENALTYAREA

22-across – Book about paints requiring hard work : TOILSOME

23-across – Fragile opener should be boxed : FOUGHT

24-across – Excuse a little colour without energy, maybe, on box : PLEATING

25-across – See 7 : GARDEN

1-down – Performed to a small house near Oxford : DIDCOT

2-down – Secondary establishment for stinking fish? : HIGHSCHOOL

3-down – Nasty problem with roofing tiles : SHINGLES

4-down – Danger of substituting topless cat for love in joy : JEOPARDY

5-down – Number of those made to pay money put in box : COFFINED

7-down – Speed possible danger, demarcated by box : KNOT

8-down – Must be A, B, C, D, F, or G then? : NOTE

12-down – Ordered people to go back to junction with grudge : RESENTMENT

13-down – Floppy disc initially needs ironing but stays floppy : NONRIGID

14-down – Repeat fix for one with a whistle and a gun : REFASTEN

16-down – Relevant order to take chair when primate’s about : APPOSITE

19-down – One doing good service to solvers at sultanate : YEOMAN

20-down – Slight progress — bird all gone by Boxing Day commemoration : STEP

21-down – See 10 : SIDE

1-across – They may be jolly good in crew not heading for Wolverhampton : ROGERS

4-across – Respected entertainer starts off, needs lots of paper : QUIRES

9-across – Two records rest with singular, amazing puzzler : CROSSWORDSETTER

10-across – Take note of a disappearing card or three — magic! : FORTHE

11-across – During a break, tackling Crispa’s last — and Custos? : GUARDIAN

12-across – A great occasion for 1 across 4 : HAPPYDAY

14-across – One of Squires’ d___ French team went ahead, after sacking editor : DONZEL

15-across – Man, say, appearing on Monday — many beguiled : MISLED

18-across – Group do something for this splendid fellow : CLASSACT

21-across – Pretty girl in crimson rose : REBELLED

22-across – Point out momentous number! : EIGHTY

24-across – Tap it twice, said Roger — not a bad magician! : PRESTIDIGITATOR

25-across – See 10 : RECORD

26-across – He occupies hearts, getting more mature : HOLDER

1-down – Men in Fleet Air Arm mostly valuable? They’re uncommonly so : RARIORA

2-down – Regularly pulled out of glossy hat, it’s destined for curry! : GOSHT

3-down – Hardware ordered right away to provide clue for R? That’s frightening! : RAWHEAD

5-down – Far from dull setter Stephenson initially demoted — it ’ad to be a joke : UNSTAID

6-down – Flying machines — ten or so — failing to impress lady sawn in half : ROTODYNES

7-down – Escape from sea with minimum of panic — gee, amazing! : SEEPAGE

8-down – Sailor’s spirit and extremes of gallantry are staggering : GROGGY

13-down – Individual approaches entertainment group, getting first part in Crossroads, male part : POLLENSAC

16-down – Having kittens, lacking time to get out : INERROR

17-down – Everyone that’s in Dr Who is a playful type? : DALLIER

18-down – Future flier, no gentleman to treat with disrespect : CADDIS

19-down – An adventurous chap like Vespucci, I become trapped under a foreign sea : AMERIGO

20-down – Awful to-do — sailor leaving Oscar in a flap : CATDOOR

23-down – Excellent setter appearing finally in Attenborough film : GRAND

1-across – Where the 17 takes his money? : CAYMAN

4-across – 15 made of 25, 26 and 27 : COUGAR

9-across – Outstanding repeat for singer : LULU

10-across – Literary entertainment for the day : LIGHTVERSE

11-across – The 17 that takes your money? : MUGGER

12-across – Later to be followed by 17 : INAWHILE

13-across – Part of book including queen with prince as character : PERSONAGE

15-across – Cat where it sat : PUMA

16-across – Row in drawer? : TIER

17-across – Walking girls pretending to cry? : CROCODILE

21-across – Making play with small Scotch and loud Greek : DRAMATIC

22-across – The Sun, champion of comfort : SOLACE

24-across – Premier pianist indulging in weird speak : PADEREWSKI

25-across – First virtuous, then venerable … : GOLD

26-across – … then pirate … : SILVER

27-across – … then policeman : COPPER

1-down – Priest keeps out fashionable business : COUTURE

2-down – Solver no good? Won’t be so forever : YOUNG

3-down – Suffer headless flier to flap : AILERON

5-down – Song people don’t listen to any more means expense : OUTLAY

6-down – Spooner’s fodder put through the mill for dog : GREYHOUND

7-down – Cage bird rebelled and upset everything : ROSELLA

8-down – It’s from 2 onwards, scrambled eggs : AGEINGPROCESS

14-down – Second wave hits little room that has reproductive function : SPERMCELL

16-down – 8 sees 26 among the 25 that may be trashed : THREADS

18-down – Monastic mountain society found among gamblers? : CASSINO

19-down – Pupil : LOCULAR

20-down – Spectator leader supplied energy in tablet : STEELE

23-down – Help, say, in bloomer, in short : LEGUP

1-across – Conserve flower left behind from romance : PICKLE

4-across – Foolish people shunned by Elizabeth’s royal consort : WALLIS

9-across – Couple emerging from exit seem half-cut : ITEM

10-across – Lapse in control as 100 slashed from Scotsman’s timber quota? : ABERRATION

11-across – Love in Florida limited by death’s embrace : ENFOLD

12-across – Chew gum; annoy boyfriend : YOUNGMAN

13-across – Poor Mary, seduced by Lachlan, shedding a number of tears : LACHRYMAL

15-across – Including hand and part of foot : INCH

16-across – Affectionate airman with no date : FOND

17-across – Hard lass forewent mushy sentimentality : HEARTSAND

21-across – They say all Western artists regularly alluded to the Bible : HOLYWRIT

22-across – Removes clothes, initially shedding torrid tears : STRIPS

24-across – Gave ring, then eloped abroad : TELEPHONED

25-across – Courting of female hearts? : SUIT

26-across – Froissart recounting imprisonment of French intellectual : SARTRE

27-across – Poetry about lost love finally makes me nauseous : VERSES

1-down – Flower quietly presented to Auntie Dotty : PETUNIA

2-down – Savanna flowers : CAMPO

3-down – Forthcoming opportunity for propositioning females? : LEAPDAY

5-down – Akhmatova triumphantly captured part of one’s heart : ATRIUM

6-down – They go to court, employing good Latinist : LITIGANTS

7-down – Mouth kisses companion, provoking desire : STOMACH

8-down – Anonymous plea, having lost heart to radiant girl teen in Barking? : BEMYVALENTINE

14-down – Spooner’s kinkajou has rabbit fur : HONEYBEAR

16-down – See 17 : FLOWERS

18-down – Writer’s regret, having embraced quiet girl : RUSHDIE

19-down – Sleep and food are what babies need : NAPPIES

20-down – Pointlessly he goes looking for Cupid, perhaps : ARCHER

23-down – They have reproductive hips and pink cheeks : ROSES

1-across – Chicken and port : LEGHORN

5-across – A couple of beasts to be sorted out? : ANAGRAM

10-across – About finished : OVER

11-across – Being indecisive sure to rile jockey : IRRESOLUTE

12-across – Milan university turning out graduates : ALUMNI

13-across – Popular batting order : INDEMAND

14-across – Make a sorry speech : APOLOGISE

16-across – I do it when playing the fool : IDIOT

17-across – It bubbles forth, somehow : FROTH

19-across – Arrive with fresh request for admission : COMECLEAN

23-across – Getting on top of the players is not very bright : OVERCAST

24-across – In a guinea pig it results in tooth loss : CAVITY

26-across – Today’s most popular writers? : BALLPOINTS

27-across – Occasion for the landlord to call : TIME

28-across – Discovering English work of intelligence : ESPYING

29-across – Lavish praise : ADULATE

2-down – Cover of new novel breaks record : ENVELOP

3-down – A pound of sultanas? : HAREM

4-down – Taking the offensive is some help in boxing arena : RAIDING

6-down – The game’s finished without a team : NOSIDE

7-down – Olympic award note to ancient, badly made by novice : GOLDMEDAL

8-down – He owed a pound of flesh? A strange notion : ANTONIO

9-down – Possible starting point for the railway enthusiast : TRAINSPOTTING

15-down – Recovery in the closing stages by the side : LATERALLY

18-down – Announces several changes : REVEALS

20-down – Pardoned and released : EXCUSED

21-down – Trial at court : ATTEMPT

22-down – Dark red strand : MAROON

25-down – It is essential to turn up at 06:50 at the outside : VITAL