Daily Answers

1-across – Curious way to row : STRANGE

5-across – Compartment in 16 where birds fight : COCKPIT

9-across – Loud isn’t very soft : FAINT

10-across – Say a word such as “it” at church : PRONOUNCE

11-across – Ruthless traders like places with tourists : ASSETSTRIPPERS

13-across – God’s sign of the end of winter,reportedly : THOR

14-across – Intellectual bookworm initially gripped by Le Carré novel : CEREBRAL

17-across – Non-metric standard for beard and paper : IMPERIAL

18-across – Area of land when returning from Dover-Calais : ACRE

21-across – Ethical procedure affecting cod-piece factor : CODEOFPRACTICE

23-across – It may ‘elp to seal : SELLOTAPE

24-across – Wine temperature fine : TOKAY

25-across – Plastic cups material from messy home at the heart of the Pyrenees : STYRENE

26-across – Introduction of policy agreements suits everyone : PLEASES

1-down – Very loud,but ultimately quiet : SOFT

2-down – Appleyard points out reason for interruption to match : RAINSTOPPEDPLAY

3-down – Spice Girls’ foremost fan – me,at first : NUTMEG

4-down – Scandalous revelation from former model : EXPOSE

5-down – Singing fellows from Switzerland in more trouble : CHOIRMEN

6-down – Dealer,one shedding tears about publisher : CROUPIER

7-down – Liquorice sweets obtained from spacecraft token : PONTEFRACTCAKES

8-down – Article and manuscript on the little people for those very folk : THEMSELVES

12-down – Domestic flights : STAIRCASES

15-down – Houston regularly invested in island wood tar : CREOSOTE

16-down – Bomber will distort route : WARPLANE

19-down – Settle differences – or is it cosmetic? : MAKEUP

20-down – Law suit finally disposed of – for a figure : STATUE

22-down – Where to see toned bodies? Covers of glossy magazines! : GYMS

8-across – Cut flowers arranged around it over in shop : BOUTIQUE

9-across – Almost mate,having backed capture : ENTRAP

10-across – Man on board eclipsing second most powerful Russian once : TSAR

11-across – Penalties for pupils getting one plus six wrong : EXPULSIONS

12-across – Decorate sides of bridge and what it overlooks : BEDECK

14-across – Close bonds providing coverage for retirement : NIGHTIES

15-across – Noble and outstanding saints protecting church : DUCHESS

17-across – Expert in fix put at risk : MENACED

20-across – Express sorrow about large error so unlike good worker : SLOBBISH

22-across – Can eye present case,any part of which can be this : OPENED

23-across – Began after I confused student about it : INSTITUTED

24-across – Contemptuously react – gratuitous advice sent back? : SPIT

25-across – Tolerate European poet,quintessentially English : BROOKE

26-across – Eastern family with disease barely surviving : EKINGOUT

1-down – Philosopher’s wedding preparation initially cancelled : ROUSSEAU

2-down – Member of famous quartet proclaimed as celebrity : STAR

3-down – Narrow escape from destruction of quakes : SQUEAK

4-down – From bunch of letters in squares,ponder answer : RESPOND

5-down – Female garment,for instance,both down and up in new fiction : NEGLIGEE

6-down – Script with typo? Calm performance barely finished : STRIPTEASE

7-down – Part of Labrador first named in indigenous language : PAWNEE

13-down – Jumble in the box I twice show : EXHIBITION

16-down – It’ll transform us into superpower – some work essential : SHIFTKEY

18-down – Honoured in retirement Aussie sprinters,holding flag up : EMERITUS

19-down – Demolish or rebuild the 2 or 10 : SHATTER

21-down – Extra material tailors put inside vessels : LINERS

22-down – Decree from old king or queen followed by uproar about article : ORDAIN

24-down – Little good to be found in evil omen : SIGN

9-across – Beautiful tree: feel bad with any being cut down in such a manner : AILANTHUS

10-across – Wide gap,though with nothing removed : WHOLE

11-across – Trendy to inject heroin after a litre drink : ALCOHOL

12-across – The American author eliminating last hero from Greece : THESEUS

13-across – I’m a Bishop,tucking into meagre vegetarian food : LIMA

14-across – Uncooked meat? Experts brutally cut it open at first : PROSCIUTTO

15-across – Is ‘zero’ accepted by English logician? Meaty stuff : VENISON

17-across – Publication I term running short regarding glamour : MAGICAL

19-across – Offering easy growth in computing? Clear hype’s misplaced : HYPERSCALE

22-across – See 13 : BEAN

23-across – Something described as metallic burning smell surrounding one … : LITHIUM

24-across – … largely swamping one with some water? : MOISTLY

26-across – Keen to abandon Right,adopting Left as standard : EAGLE

27-across – Roux perhaps about to backtrack after redesign of kitchen : THICKENER

1-down – Artefact of old battle? Bet Valhalla came alive : BALACLAVAHELMET

2-down – Government official,large,appearing in bowler? : PLACEMAN

3-down – Easy thing to miss top edge : INCH

4-down – Drive through South American country with Northern seed : CHILDREN

5-down – Position occupying excellent section in the current circumstances : ASITIS

6-down – Top of sluice losing liquid on a big scale : SWEEPING

7-down – Convincing information secured in crib : COGENT

8-down – Police operation – dastardly con,apparently : NEWSCOTLANDYARD

16-down – Showed precipitation without precipitation? That’s twisted : SPRAINED

17-down – Exploit making no sense,kidnapping one farmworker : MILKMAID

18-down – Beguiling warmth after cold : CHEATING

20-down – Servant carrying some Londoner’s scalding soup : POTAGE

21-down – Refined behaviour inclined to take a back seat around Cambridge University : COMITY

25-down – Dark and perverted,though not at first : INKY

1-across – Ford Capri starts making constant power – it’s hot : PAPRIKA

5-across – Guide a Dutch cap’s sticky-out bit : ADVISOR

10-across – Quickly stop cycling around on … : PRESTO

11-across – … high gears – satisfied punctures must be what accounts for energy consumption : GASMETER

12-across – Sailor’s objective? Get lost : TAR

13-across – Maybe comic books I reordered will be undamaged : INTACT

14-across – Old Italian curate’s travelling north : ETRUSCAN

15-across – Coat brand Mark is wearing : SMEAR

16-across – Does he tend to hack Yahoo after turning on firm? : STABLEBOY

19-across – Problem with locks and rent stops : SPLITENDS

21-across – Bitter’s free on account : ACRID

24-across – Perhaps Violet Beauregarde’s second to go back after Wonka’s introduction – monstrous creature! : WEREWOLF

26-across – Charm of drug smuggler passing through airport on vacation : AMULET

27-across – Drive in motorsport – getting cross : FIX

28-across – Identify problem in San Diego unfortunately : DIAGNOSE

29-across – Bring out psychedelic Italian trousers : ELICIT

30-across – Good lord – Mary’s swimming in river : DEARYME

31-across – Small tent’s not finished before daughter gets soaked : STEEPED

2-down – A classic Doctor Who fan may finally start to manufacture Tardis for one : ACRONYM

3-down – They have faith in Gunners – with group of footballers blocking big shot and Isak’s header : RASTAFARI

4-down – Sticky chicken ultimately overdone in Kentucky : KNOTTY

6-down – After demolition derbies,carbon is present : DESCRIBE

7-down – Plans from 15th of March,say to host 1st of April : IDEAS

8-down – By all conclusions two or three turn over a new leaf? : OREGANO

9-down – Discovered both deer and giraffe somehow accept not seeing eye to eye : AGREETODIFFER

17-down – Private is last to solve 10 and possibly 11 across assuming 5 is reversed : EXCLUSIVE

18-down – Jack and chairman stood on the counter to get bottle : JEROBOAM

20-down – Fed up – framed by force making assumption : PREMISE

22-down – Record if the amp is occasionally set virtually : ITEMISE

23-down – Airport in France is most lenient : LAXEST

25-down – 9’s keen : EAGER

1-across – Newspaper seller in survey wanting youth back : SCANDAL

5-across – <span>On the rise,she finally featured in </span><i>City of Angels</i><span> and </span><i>You’ve Got Mail</i> : LEAPING

10-across – See 22 Down : LINE

11-across – Who’s for arena? : SHOWGROUND

12-across – Come down in city in 29 after landing,originally : LESSEN

13-across – Relic back in bag in city in 29 : HANGOVER

14-across – Fish placed by entrance for chick : HATCHLING

16-across – Charming – as a city in 29? : BONNY

17-across – Champ in city in 29,one knocked out : MUNCH

19-across – My band,set to play classic song : STANDBYME

23-across – Settler,swimmer from city in 29,could you say? : COLONIAL

24-across – Dog trouble securing a lead : MANAGE

26-across – Deponent wearing fluttering sari in catchment area : RIVERBASIN

27-across – Possible opener further up by one’s ear? : HIYA

28-across – Catch partners in North America gatecrashing earlier : ENSNARE

29-across – Country,origin unspecified : GERMANY

2-down – Striker of note,a fantasy : CHIMERA

3-down – Doctor leaving Dresden for surgery – must partner? : NEEDS

4-down – Strikers in reserve team : ARSENAL

6-down – Three points and incarceration of drink driver? : ENGINE

7-down – Hoot when swerving a lot passing leader in panic – crash still? : PHOTOBOMB

8-down – Cotton has old lady itching : NANKEEN

9-down – English not too shabby,might as well enter test? : NOTHINGTOLOSE

15-down – In rotation,work on an epic : CYCLOPEAN

18-down – Fairy-tale ending for you and I in panto after transformation : UTOPIAN

20-down – Agent called before,one day turning up earlier : NOMINEE

21-down – Player from 29 : MEGRYAN

22-down – Sentence about city in 29’s growth limit : TIMBER

25-down – Somewhat benign,a humane prophet : NAHUM