Daily Answers

1-across – Dessert country, say, with considerable dosage of sugar : SWEETCHAMPAGNE

9-across – Maybe prepare to roast, having bipolar disorder : PARBOIL

10-across – Credit more frequently given to smallholder : CROFTER

11-across – It’s not nice to be harsh : ROUGH

12-across – Tails twisted in marker between land and sea : COASTLINE

13-across – I believe about 80% of confrontation is getting louder : CRESCENDO

14-across – How Brer Fox lay? Leave after him? : DOGGO

15-across – Is a girl a boy or a girl? : ISSUE

17-across – A lot of money made as evidence of being well protected : BOMBPROOF

20-across – Killer’s mistake is to interrupt races : TERRORIST

22-across – Fashionable firm appearing finally disguised : INCOG

23-across – One in charge of unfinished new picture may be laid on pillow : OCCIPUT

24-across – These days a French lover is very hard : ADAMANT

25-across – Mutton dressed as lamb? That’s Prince Charles : YOUNGPRETENDER

1-down – Byline pictures prison riots : SUPERSCRIPTION

2-down – 10 euro demand on the way : ENROUTE

3-down – Trouble ahead — also hot during growth ahead : TOOTHACHE

4-down – Man left picture on mount for inspiration : HELICON

5-down – Turn African country into old Palestinian one — not hot during excursion in play : MUCHADO

6-down – See 5 : ABOUT

7-down – See 5 : NOTHING

8-down – One man’s 20 is another man’s style raised loudly in cargo carrier : FREEDOMFIGHTER

14-down – Copy cat in romance after afters return : DUPLICATE

16-down – Wind nothing like this before capturing leg­endary bird : SIROCCO

17-down – Report of beak on beast with horns where speed limit is likely : BUILTUP

18-down – Gas found by setter around Frome : METHANE

19-down – Picking scene where killer gets tough? : ORCHARD

21-down – Some portraits by writer, an artist : ORPEN

9-across – Drink order? Just one shot : ROUND

10-across – See 31 : EMOTIONAL

11-across – Drink blue? Then dilute : WATERDOWN

12-across – Drink noisily, plus raging about bar’s closure : SLURP

13-across – You don’t have to pay for drinks, Matt — rye is free : MYTREAT

15-across – Drink container, say, has date drink to be returned : CANDELA

17-across – Dark not drunk : UNLIT

18-across – See 31 : AND

20-across – Fast drinks record once held by Holst according to his mates? : GULPS

22-across – Drink-making ingredient and drink material : HOPSACK

25-across – Holder of drink effective, so qualifying for duty : VATABLE

26-across – Pacific republic drink tipped to get gold : PALAU

27-across – Drink from island boater, possibly Brown : MANHATTAN

30-across – Freebooter puts copper-backed tin into drink : BUCCANEER

31-across – Drunk tried to lie with Madonna — gross : TIRED

1-down – To make drink better, empty over setters : BREW

2-down – Not the grand sum of drink in vessel : SUBTOTAL

3-down – What goes into the drink at Szczecin? Nothing — drink up : ODER

4-down – Drink contributing to problem on team : LEMONTEA

5-down – Drink can forced under tooth : COGNAC

6-down – Play’s opening: in the lead, having knocked back drink, Herbert Tree starts : FIRSTNIGHT

7-down – EU involved with, firstly, shark fin soup to prepare a drink : INFUSE

8-down – Mistake over drink : SLIP

13-down – Hum to upset personal drink taster : MOUTH

14-down – Real tax changes covering drink upset outside the walls : EXTRAMURAL

16-down – Drink crushes lives and possible way to union : AISLE

19-down – One opening in alcoholic drink-free town : DAVENTRY

21-down – Nippers taken from the drink — throws rest off : LOBSTERS

23-down – Versailles possibly rejected drink expert? : PALACE

24-down – Males entertained by Luke spilling drink : KUMMEL

26-down – Locals dunking bishop in flipping drink : PUBS

28-down – Drink when it’s up : ASTI

29-down – Never offer drunk eggnog starters, bud! : NODE

1-across – See 14 : HILLMOB

5-across – Cheers erupting at first in rejection of loud music, so lifted : TAKENUP

9-across – Upper chamber dry, stopping perfect circulation, primarily : ATTIC

10-across – Skulls fall quietly in bars : BRAINPANS

11-across – Food server still laid back, about to have some bread : TEATROLLEY

12-across – Put foot down, knocking over parrots and budgies? : STEP

14-across – Lord in Bethlehem’s desecrated outside toilet in 19 20 : THELAVENDER

18-across – See 6 : ANDCORONETS

21-across – Scottish vegetable born before pea, say : NEEP

22-across – Bay here brown, a mare initially covered in droppings : GUANTANAMO

25-across – See 8 : TOPIMLICO

26-across – Cool attitude, one maintained : POISE

27-across – Stuff in blue cube that’s fried : CROUTON

28-across – Beginning to sleep rough, becoming underweight : SCRAGGY

1-down – See 6 : HEARTS

2-down – Very dangerous obstacle, half incomplete : LETHAL

3-down – Process of breaking up staff allowance : MACERATION

4-down – Cacophony from infant, school’s ending : BABEL

5-down – Pride of lions hurry up taking Pride’s Tail for working title : TRADENAME

6-down – 19 20 character, suit on, nerd’s coat ragged : KIND

7-down – Little movement at sea, waves painted white, ultimately : NEAPTIDE

8-down – 19 20 throughout screening left first coil to be fixed : PASSPORT

13-down – Bloody paparazzo finds swimmer : REDSNAPPER

15-down – Speech in clue too complicated : ELOCUTION

16-down – Able to draw clear in spelling : MAGNETIC

17-down – Slowly approach rear of aggressive dog, put out having swallowed ecstasy : EDGEUPTO

19-down – Picture a fish overcoming poison through cure, heading off : EALING

20-down – See 19 : COMEDY

23-down – Niches getting a lack of endorsements? : NOOKS

24-down – Corporations up for filth : SMUT

8-across – Powerful current economist leading nation : MILLRACE

9-across – Supported ringleader surrounded by leading characters : BRACED

10-across – Weapon used in event held by life peers : EPEE

11-across – Calm disposition never disturbed around beauty spot : EVENTEMPER

12-across – Express amusement about one form of comparison : SIMILE

14-across – Where eventers keep their gear and food secure after returning : TACKROOM

15-across – In the event of the utmost calamity a couple are reportedly stumped : ATWORST

17-across – Contributing to innings — even, typically, a score above 50 : SEVENTY

20-across – Like a kind of floral cluster, one with mass inside flower : RACEMOSE

22-across – No longer sleeping and exhausted, as a result : UPSHOT

23-across – Person taking part in talks written off as nuts on record : DISCUSSANT

24-across – Short American event in Florida show : DASH

25-across – Kind of cable used in piece of knitwear : JUMPER

26-across – Memorable description of this puzzle? : EVENTFUL

1-down – Being awfully prim isn’t a character fault : MISPRINT

2-down – Unhappy participant in events at university : BLUE

3-down – Confine, in a way, holding me in kind of cell : GAMETE

4-down – Part of this event happens after six : SEVENTH

5-down – Unnamed constable arranged barrier for running event : OBSTACLE

6-down – Team from London importing the French kind of firearm : HAMMERLESS

7-down – Event that’s revolutionised old part of Italy : VENETO

13-down – How personal success in events may be shown as high : INONESCUPS

16-down – Backers for event putting poles in middle of tracks : SPONSORS

18-down – Enters for equestrian event, perhaps, in shows repeatedly : TROTSOUT

19-down – University shown up in left-wing broadcast : RELAYED

21-down – Problem within area after rising, result of contentious events? : ANIMUS

22-down – Having no strings attached, not even in competitive event? : UNTIED

24-down – Romantic event, such as 14 February : DATE

7-across – Producer of 24 when the Guardian’s in difficulties : FOURSIXES

8-across – Precocious young girl, whichever way you look at it : MADAM

9-across – Having short dip, first of blue tits saw worm wriggling in novel way : ATSWIMTWO

10-across – See 9 : BIRDS

12-across – See 26 : OBRIEN

13-across – Sort out crime : THETHIRD

14-across – See 25 : ARCHIVE

17-across – Contents of spoon and cup each put in flathk in a bad story about the 20 : THEPOOR

20-across – Riley endlessly had fun, initially having suffered just the opposite? : HARDLIFE

22-across – Washing facilities bedsit surprisingly offers : BIDETS

24-across – See 17 : MOUTH

25-across – Tip-off: bike part involved in thievery : THEDALKEY

26-across – Said tart to old boy: Nowt French for an Irishman : FLANN

27-across – See 13 : POLICEMAN

1-down – Bum on the up, after house in Bath : HOTTUB

2-down – Somewhat like ex-PM that’s kind of shady? : BROWNISH

3-down – City team has the last word : XIAMEN

4-down – 10 in pie doled out with stew : PEEWITS

5-down – District with church and city hospital : PARISH

6-down – Indulge Asian creature reportedly extremely 2 : PANDERTO

11-down – One lewdly desiring some bicycle chains : LECH

15-down – Nearly broken, holding the same sort of memory : READONLY

16-down – Cover story 5 raised : VEIL

18-down – Old 27 having surrealist briefly replace second English cyclist? : PEDALLER

19-down – Crazy Horse converted to film again : RESHOOT

21-down – Indulgently affectionate element in man’s best friend : DOTING

22-down – Off day? That is criminal : BADDIE

23-down – Great love reformed despicable chap : TOERAG