Daily Answers

1-across – Two honours — king and knave of hearts, for example : TENACE

4-across – Two problems with electricity providing quicker way : SHORTCUT

9-across – Two circular things for a drummer : RINGO

10-across – Two supports withdraw from action : STANDBACK

11-across – Two sorts of East European made to feel at home : SETATEASE

12-across – Two Greek characters producing religious work : PIETA

13-across – Two languages used in glossy cover : FRENCHPOLISH

17-across – Two kinds of cheese found in London : SWISSCOTTAGE

20-across – Two Tennessee neighbours in historic US mission : ALAMO

21-across – Two places in Ireland very cheap : KNOCKDOWN

23-across – Two friers going wrong, smelling worse : FROWSTIER

24-across – Two European rivers put in verse : POEMS

25-across – Two presidents behind American attacks : AMBUSHES

26-across – Two men named benefactor : PATRON

1-down – Stops working and leaves in vehicle : TURNSOFF

2-down – When Einstein was adolescent — and wayward? : NINETIES

3-down – Strike ruffian with clubs : CLOUT

5-down – Cast on, with richly varied angelic voices : HEAVENLYCHOIR

6-down – Again lay down sort of wine I got in English station : REDEPOSIT

7-down – Caught wild bird or chicken : CRAVEN

8-down – Stein’s companion talks wildly about nothing : TOKLAS

10-down – Fear a ship sank disastrously, like a cutter : SHARPASAKNIFE

14-down – Military leader that exploits farm buildings : COWHOUSES

15-down – Destroyer’s ruse at sea to protect stricken boat : SABOTEUR

16-down – Curious new computer facility set up for poet : TENNYSON

18-down – Basket-maker’s tempestuous affair : RAFFIA

19-down – Violent desert wind in middle of Sahara leading to blunder : HABOOB

22-down – Part of book, apparently, that’s between parts of 12 : KAPPA

1-across – Torpedo we had provided for Spitfire : FISHWIFE

5-across – Leave behind society, adopting new casual look : SQUINT

9-across – A potty poet’s morality tale : APOLOGUE

10-across – Writer stands outside street cafe : BISTRO

12-across – One early bit of jewellery in Belgium or in France : BIJOU

13-across – Put back dry run in works plane : TURBOPROP

14-across – Ancient Latvian nude gyrating? I’m impressed : ANTEDILUVIAN

18-across – H. Grant tries crudely to grab Roberts’s rear — and deep-felt love : HEARTSTRINGS

21-across – It’s about the dreadful hole in recession in Italian produce : SPAGHETTI

23-across – Hard Rock Cafe even has good atmosphere : AGATE

24-across – It’s idiotic to swallow square crackers : INSANE

25-across – Bumbling double agent stupidly ate out in club : BLUDGEON

26-across – Daughter’s in Hebridean isle briefly revealing all : NUDIST

27-across – School doctor stops money designed to reveal symptoms : SYNDROME

1-down – Fine Melba toast burnt : FLAMBE

2-down – Cracked jokes about parking in Balkan capital : SKOPJE

3-down – Work in which I hunt down criminal : WHODUNNIT

4-down – Press for taking posh articles to gallery : FOURTHESTATE

6-down – Strip metal oxide silicon initially off deadly transmitter in capital : QUITO

7-down – Current expression in Northern Ireland: Vote to amalgamate : INTERMIX

8-down – Genuine ricochet heard on parade? : TROOPING

11-down – Rail facility dismantled using mechanical means : ARTIFICIALLY

15-down – Vulnerable nervous undergraduates shed hysterical tears : UNGUARDED

16-down – Rada graduate loathes piano frames : THESPIAN

17-down – Numskull dashed about in a tizzy : HARASSED

19-down – Look! First signs of bee orchid in belvedere : GAZEBO

20-down – Notice a knock regularly interrupting this? : SEANCE

22-down – Labourers standing in middle of fuchsias : HANDS

5-across – Dressing right for part of the service : SAUCER

6-across – Played piano in capitals of Italy and Denmark : ROMPED

9-across – Develop and go round topless : EVOLVE

10-across – Goes without saying? : ABSCONDS

11-across – Sharing round in pub : INON

12-across – Return a faulty purchase, but apologise : TAKEITBACK

13-across – It’s informal — no fee or difficulty : FREEANDEASY

18-across – Exactly what is needed in employment : JUSTTHEJOB

21-across – When corruption is about, I show no respect for authority : RIOT

22-across – Corresponding but never meeting : PARALLEL

23-across – A kid feeling relaxed : ATEASE

24-across – So reverse and incline to port : OSTEND

25-across – The handsome youth said no, unfortunately : ADONIS

1-down – Name ship after European capitalist : DUBLINER

2-down – Desert fault : DEFECT

3-down – Closest I may come to a turning point : SOLSTICE

4-down – A quiet look by doctor showing confidence : APLOMB

5-down – Scholar took exam, securing first place : SAVANT

7-down – Conclude it’s a nasty deed, when copper admitted being upset : DEDUCE

8-down – Well-directed children : JACKANDJILL

14-down – Troops stepped out in these formations : ECHELONS

15-down – Nurses go off as doctors appear : SURGEONS

16-down – Flexitime in violin or tuba playing : RUBATO

17-down – Elevates one among many : HOISTS

19-down – Idiosyncrasies of surreal artist : TRAITS

20-down – Alcohol makes bishop lustful : BRANDY

4-across – Artist — one in European city : MUNICH

6-across – European city — not one cooking pasta : RIGATONI

9-across – Pasta recipe created for tyrant : SATRAP

10-across – Tyrant is held back by reputation, but gains first title : FORENAME

11-across – Title: Took offence … just : RIGHTMINDED

15-across – Just in Germany, clutching cocktail : STINGER

17-across – Cocktail of red and rosé mixed on screen : REREDOS

18-across – Screen actress, a prickly one to watch : HOLLYHUNTER

22-across – Watch hole, or go out? : HOROLOGE

23-across – Out with a woman : ABROAD

24-across – Woman supervising child, animal and man : CHAPERON

25-across – Man holding dipstick left with hound : HASSLE

1-down – It measures inclin­ation of worker after 31 days : OCTANT

2-down – Confused underground worker in hospital : DISORDERLY

3-down – Flower seller : LAVENDER

4-down – Suspect spray precedes decay : MISTRUST

5-down – Exasperated expression: A loss? : NOTAGAIN

7-down – Cream leaving castle in Scotland, it’s said : ORAL

8-down – Feature a couple : ITEM

12-down – I have rights!, priest groans — first one charged with atheism : IRRELIGION

13-down – Volumes of moving water raised by ten points : EDITIONS

14-down – Big bird once upon a time mixed grit with seed : ESTRIDGE

16-down – Rotten logs have split : GOHALVES

19-down – Cheerful if parts of mug exchanged : UPBEAT

20-down – Smart bird ditches bloke : CHIC

21-down – Far East takes in a quarter : AREA

1-across – Dutch uncle so inclined to offer it : COUNSEL

5-across – Where Constable switched off in ill-humour? : SUFFOLK

9-across – Conquered sin in love wagon : OVERRAN

10-across – Remove head of joint for lubrication : UNCTION

11-across – Held together with the Russian novel : POSSESSED

12-across – What Jock softly placed on his shoulder? : PLAID

13-across – Building worker returns and is fired again : RELIT

15-across – Many mugs one finds exercising here : GYMNASIUM

17-across – Prince notes a healthy colouring , not like McCoy : CHARLATAN

19-across – When abroad one may have dubious tax record : EXPAT

22-across – Bull called for a ring in its nose? : TORUS

23-across – Detective rules for voiceless communication : MORSECODE

25-across – What Dave and Nick are in, accountant warns : CAHOOTS

26-across – Blue sea can be made fit for purpose : USEABLE

27-across – Communicate with diplomacy between differing sexes : EXPRESS

28-across – Char : TRACHEA

1-down – Harvester seen in the fall? : CROPPER

2-down – Tool to turn with silent motion : UTENSIL

3-down – Cover for soldier, not worker : SERGE

4-down – Hypermetropia in Manchester? : LONGSIGHT

5-down – The first seven-pound Loligo : SQUID

6-down – Protective item Spooner said to position by inevitable necessity : FACEPLATE

7-down – Wise men turn up with gold, one oriental art form : ORIGAMI

8-down – State of doing badly in 1,000 metres : KINGDOM

14-down – Far-seeing invention cost Peel first election disaster : TELESCOPE

16-down – Clubs may be involved in petty action? : MINORSUIT

17-down – Short moment in cryptic clue for digital feature : CUTICLE

18-down – With-it songs before Blimp : AIRSHIP

20-down – Winnie finds degree hard for a multi-tasker : POOHBAH

21-down – Canonised lady? One does exist : THERESA

23-down – Time in service on board ship? : MASTS

24-down – Opponent fails to finish — a washout : ENEMA