Daily Answers

1-across – Generous loan requested by Antony for Noddy’s friend? : BIGEARS

5-across – Belt for cunning planner when king is deposed : BALDRIC

9-across – Rook takes heart from others — because these birds won’t fly : RHEAS

10-across – Wait to toss fan out : NOTSOFAST

11-across – Bird, insect, mammal? One that sings : FLYCATCHER

12-across – Motor manufacturer held back by unfavourable position : OPEL

14-across – Occasionally win after turning on fish? : NOWANDAGAIN

18-across – Shrub in bed with a single flower : COTONEASTER

21-across – A French officer is remarkable north of the border : UNCO

22-across – Upset with shaven head? : DISTRESSED

25-across – Bear with short pole catches the eye : STANDSOUT

26-across – Due opinion? : OWING

27-across – See seed knocked out — sports officials intervene : DIOCESE

28-across – Old Communist leader accepts fair odds — like this gangster : MAFIOSO

1-down – Forlorn French leader in Basque cap : BEREFT

2-down – Girl from Conwy’s last seen in the valleys : GLENYS

3-down – Santa in big buggy not letting anyone get cross? : ABSTAINING

4-down – Family member in charge of sound : SONIC

5-down – Squash and spread fruitcake : BUTTERNUT

6-down – John’s given time to produce ill-gotten gains : LOOT

7-down – Again be seen to harvest fruit : REAPPEAR

8-down – Chop a pine and leave quickly : CUTALONG

13-down – Hopeless admirer of female found a spouse : MARRIEDOFF

15-down – I see a worm turn — it’s so boring! : WEARISOME

16-down – Damned ringleader framed by one on trial : ACCURSED

17-down – Way to play in musical rejected by Roman statesman : STACCATO

19-down – Mike’s novel? Love in a Cold Climate, one’s found : ESKIMO

20-down – Movement uniting female soldier with second-in-command : ADAGIO

23-down – Figure worshipped by child upset me : TOTEM

24-down – Doing nothing — taking some unpaid leave : IDLE

8-across – Drink problem reversed, one training for the police : MUSCADET

9-across – New order in yet? Ten of these : NINETY

10-across – Head of Operations in the Mossad going walkabout with 24 across : THOMAS

12-across – She’s breaking rule with dodgy plan : PRUNELLA

13-across – I say nothing I see : OOH

14-across – Worn out — almost shattered — by the local community : OUROWN

16-across – See 28 : EINSTEIN

17-across – Harsh half of 15 confused with Ulster Unionist : RAUCOUS

20-across – Sums involving grand, or halves thereof : MONKEYS

23-across – QE1 struggling along, negotiating water-filled valley : GLORIANA

24-across – Foremost of intellects in class : GENIUS

26-across – Greenback from Mars? : WAR

27-across – An imposing character — one of Kafka’s — producing type of missile : ANTITANK

28-across – Blare out 2 x : ALBERT

31-across – Pervade conundrum : RIDDLE

32-across – A horse tender? Strangely not! : NEATHERD

1-down – A lot to eat, but no stomach for it : MUCH

2-down – Swindle detected in Cameron’s campaign : SCAM

3-down – See 10 : EDISON

4-down – Author bearing fruit as 24 across : STEPHEN

5-down – Funny nun done one : INNUENDO

6-down – Still available to accommodate the German, as promised : UNDERTAKEN

7-down – Lusty swings describing attack over dull mind : STULTIFY

11-down – Alternative resistance from the Guardian columnist : ORR

14-down – Blade slicing head off pig : OAR

15-down – 24 across Mark Twain’s odd characters ignored line in composition : OSCARWILDE

18-down – Objectors adopting URL, say, of Fantasy Island : ATLANTIS

19-down – Using mobile you arrest an unruly adolescent with no subsidence : UNABATED

21-down – Possible message from holed ship? : SOS

22-down – See 4 : HAWKING

24-down – Eureka! Cracked sources of Great Reverend Master! : GRAHAM

25-down – Diamonds, that is, capturing clubs : ICE

29-down – Danish physicist locating pong on time : BOHR

30-down – Bloody right — time to get up! : RARE

1-across – US rep met VIP abroad, as expected : PRESUMPTIVE

9-across – Conquerors of history : NORMANS

10-across – Stir too violently for this dish … : RISOTTO

11-across – … which is not asked for and not arranged : UNORDERED

12-across – Remains in supporting garment : STAYS

13-across – Trading centre returns vehicle : TRAM

14-across – Instrument for beating found in a kitchen? : KETTLEDRUM

16-across – Old roof bar replaced to provide support from below : FLOORBOARD

19-across – Trees not quite in the front : FIRS

20-across – No new gang or criminal guilty of violent behaviour : AGGRO

21-across – Removed from the song and not being broadcast : OFFTHEAIR

23-across – Everyone turned up to meet the emperor, a plain cowboy : LLANERO

24-across – A problem : SUMMITS

25-across – A good time for the larks? : ALLFOOLSDAY

1-down – Reason NT paragon’s upset? He’s unwelcome : PERSONANONGRATA

2-down – Animal’s no good when removed from the country : ELAND

3-down – Pure sugar : UPSURGE

4-down – Dior design in favourite gemstone : PERIDOT

5-down – The answer is positively demanded! : INSISTED

6-down – Cricket score? Rory left India confused in an unusual way : EXTRAORDINARILY

7-down – Can’t be defended, having no grounds : UNJUSTIFIABLE

8-down – One who controls the charges : HOUSEMISTRESS

15-down – A round barrel manufactured from trees : ARBOREAL

17-down – Performed sorrowfully without leader getting a drink : OLOROSO

18-down – Judge — typical, though not posh — producing a rejection : REFUSAL

22-down – Returned like a pigeon to house by the sea : HOMED

1-across – See 12 : SAISPAS

5-across – Dog coats black and shine, given local food : PUBGRUB

9-across – Where would teenagers go at night? The con­clusion to mind one’s business : DISCO

10-across – A hospital with a few recovered, feeding three times, no more : ATTHEMOST

11-across – A poet at a stretch? : LONGFELLOW

12-across – 28’s shrug of the shoulders is Japanese when fishy sushi’s starter : JENE

14-across – Car needing service, investing Iranian money, I treat with liquid metal : MERCURIALISE

18-across – 28’s stroke of genius, I produce team that’s extraordinary : COUPDEMAITRE

21-across – Wander to state capital : ROAM

22-across – A lovely lying back with a partner come together : AMALGAMATE

25-across – 28’s dish for his members, being derogatory? : FROGSLEGS

26-across – 28’s oath securable after negotiation : SACRE

27-across – Large number touring capital almost miss the boat : LOSEOUT

28-across – Leader of republic bringing two islands close to monarchy : SARKOZY

1-down – Last of theatregoers go off to find a seat : SADDLE

2-down – Nuts, 28’s local dip, roughly speaking? : INSANE

3-down – Corrects paperwork, putting top of house on in flats : PROOFREADS

4-down – 28’s food item taking seconds to secure : SNAIL

5-down – Mixed bag having to serve in pit, or otherwise : POTPOURRI

6-down – See 26 : BLEU

7-down – Old country that is so hard to recollect : RHODESIA

8-down – Might cod be assaulted? : BATTERED

13-down – Brylcreem’s horror story? : HAIRRAISER

15-down – 28’s food arrived, beginning to melt over Vicky’s consort? : CAMEMBERT

16-down – Something painful in spreading of flu’s contemptuous : SCORNFUL

17-down – 28’s oath, the last, potentially our last : ZUTALORS

19-down – South American cowboy awkward, replacing seat : GAUCHO

20-down – Just yours truly on top of bank : MERELY

23-down – Breakdown of sisterly sisterhood : LYSIS

24-down – European city, not seldom but regularly visited : OSLO

1-across – Play another simple game : LEMISANTHROPE

10-across – Embarrassed by bisex­uality of the Italian guy : ILLATEASE

11-across – African 14 for World Cup winning captain : MOORE

12-across – Drink lower-class female knocked back, showing a bit of leg : FEMUR

13-across – Swimming pool without running water — Cameron’s controlled environment : CLEANROOM

14-across – First of actors leaving company in simple form of transport : ECSTASY

16-across – Info hidden in girl’s to-do lists : AGENDAS

18-across – Passes through part of church in the Spanish quarter : ELAPSES

20-across – Wrongly surmise one’s made a poor application : MISUSER

21-across – Errors of the type seen in road runs : MISPRINTS

23-across – An Eastern European said to be bitter : ACERB

24-across – Somewhat reflecting desire: tumescent organs : UTERI

25-across – Give absolution to former copper with 50p to broadcast 8 : EXCULPATE

26-across – Great work setting for which bugger all returns : UNDERMILKWOOD

2-down – Misplace a treatment for antenatal condition : ECLAMPSIA

3-down – Dramatist heading off to place underground : INTER

4-down – Leaderless demo in some leaderless state? : ANARCHY

5-down – Article about country girl : THERESA

6-down – Liars Cameron’s right about : ROMANCERS

7-down – Show love for English militant : PROVO

8-down – Noted drama as Princess Elizabeth initially escaped with the Queen Mother : DIEFLEDERMAUS

9-down – Show off bare legs? I’m no good wearing not so much : LESMISERABLES

15-down – Strongly confident Hair topped in 20 down on the rise : ASSERTIVE

17-down – Ruffian of the French party, carrying out rape : DESPERADO

19-down – Ray means business — ultimately starts reconditioned old car : SUNBEAM

20-down – First of 21 exactly as written in standard non-American description of 9 : MUSICAL

22-down – Mug a German at end of short road : STEIN

23-down – Emitting light from silver base : AGLOW