Daily Answers

8-across – 414 causing disgust? : GROSSOUT

9-across – Becks has run out in reserves : BOOKS

10-across – Vlad’s constituents discussed award : EMMY

11-across – Cream cracker? Yes and no : SQUAREMEAL

12-across – Trick revealed by husband ‘disappearing’ : OUTWIT

14-across – Relocate – it’s good in Abu Dhabi? : EMIGRATE

15-across – After exercise one man climaxing : PEAKING

17-across – Nearly sleep with old flame inside : SEXIEST

20-across – Almost reaching accord over retirement drink : NIGHTCAP

22-across – Secured but ran away : BOLTED

23-across – Driving away American politician involved – it’s part of the clean-up : SHAMPOOING

24-across – Mate’s encouraging words : DOIT

25-across – Lawman whose sombre features repelled : MOSES

26-across – Hear a top’s unsuitable attire for seeing Lulu? : OPERAHAT

1-down – What in bar I’m due to order? : DRAMBUIE

2-down – See kind of intuitively, perhaps : ESPY

3-down – What you need to pay round Home Counties for nanny : COSSET

4-down – Rustled up some food : STRUDEL

5-down – About right for you? The setter has failed : ABORTIVE

6-down – Ad nauseam at the end – comic real sick : COMMERCIAL

7-down – Inclined to give literary lion time : ASLANT

13-down – Why mistake upset Sunak? Could be : WYKEHAMIST

16-down – Most of new whips unknown to PM : NECROPSY

18-down – Writer : SHERIDAN

19-down – Time to be foolish at function : APRICOT

21-down – Bury alive – nice! : INHUME

22-down – Annoyed getting the sack, Boots claimed : BUGGED

24-down – Very lacking in atmosphere : DEAD

1-across – New Orleans fury with Londoner : SLOANE

5-across – See 1 : RANGER

8-across – Selfish person remains so after losing heart : EGOTIST

9-across – Question old style chef, ultimately about cheese : DEBRIEF

11-across – USSR in a mess en route permitted a dangerous game : RUSSIANROULETTE

12-across – Somewhat disciplinarian regressive state : IRAN

13-across – Do what’s essential to infiltrate old-fashioned right : PASSMUSTER

17-across – Rioting prisoners free at last to expose feature of harsh regime : REPRESSION

18-across – Preacher’s type of animism is free of sin : IMAM

20-across – Bring in stuff with reversed charges, missing one serious issue : IMPORTANTMATTER

23-across – Giant pig with rear end held back : GOLIATH

24-across – Find adult content, say, to return and spoil : INDULGE

25-across – Boozer clerics to get treated in state-controlled facilities : PUBLIC

26-across – See 25 : SECTOR

2-down – Hurry up and be smartly dressed : LOOKSHARP

3-down – Current + current + current divided by current? That’s not basic! : ACIDIC

4-down – David Cameron and Boris Johnson maybe hosting leader of socialist Europeans : ESTONIANS

5-down – Extremely divisive to wear a jumper for horseplay : RODEO

6-down – Vague and murky blue adopted by us for Christian Dior : NEBULOUS

7-down – Be discriminating when going topless : EXIST

8-down – Loud bling : EARPIERCING

10-down – Rue le Frère: some need relocation : FEELREMORSE

14-down – Flings should include controversial drinks : SMOOTHIES

15-down – Setter is going to get introduced to one fruit or another : TOMATILLO

16-down – Change here to enter dance and drink venue … : BEERHALL

19-down – … and another 3 halved for poets : BARDIC

21-down – Rice pudding is lumpy and unsuitable for starters : PILAU

22-down – A medic touring hospital for a reason : ADHOC

1-across – So, taxis on rank outside pub; one sounding horn : SAXOPHONIST

9-across – Being in America fancy that new motor, retiring earlier : RACCOON

10-across – Swear whenever irritable drinking : TESTIFY

11-across – They order madras, not when drunk : MANDATORS

12-across – Heavy metal fan to leave gathering on bike at front : GREBO

13-across – Bend ruler with no metres on : ARCH

14-across – This has chromatic scales for harpist to play : PARROTFISH

16-across – They’re in fast car describing rubbish acceleration : GLITTERATI

19-across – Men in jazz show : CATS

20-across – Ring true legend, ultimately getting into a party : ADDUP

21-across – Old record label into rock’s musical intervals : SEMITONES

23-across – Hold swingers at either side to screw : STOWAGE

24-across – Hopeful? Initially getting off painkillers : ASPIRIN

25-across – Arrange band in part of theatre : DRESSCIRCLE

1-down – Support minor criminal in old age? : SECONDCHILDHOOD

2-down – People in south taken in by foolish hoax : XHOSA

3-down – First woman occasionally read letters for Post Office on top : PANDORA

4-down – Slower operator holding up old phone company : OBTUSER

5-down – Wearing spectacles to show wisdom : INSIGHTS

6-down – Regularly told migraine affected face: its connected with facial muscles : TRIGEMINALNERVE

7-down – Seeing caramel in order for custard : CREMEANGLAISE

8-down – Guessing John, finally is eighty: posh spread? : HYPOTHESISING

15-down – Break crockery over on side : STOPPAGE

17-down – Romeo escorts dashing people : RUSHERS

18-down – Part of victim panic-stricken: they’re beaten with sticks : TIMPANI

22-down – Item for discussion along with image : TOPIC

4-across – Beetle to raise the spirit of driver ultimately : ELATER

6-across – Dog given drink after broadcast : AIREDALE

9-across – Walk unsteadily with somewhat odd legs : TODDLE

10-across – Opposition of French chap preparing for the match? : DEFIANCE

11-across – Concept coming from intellectual, one getting on : ABSTRACTION

15-across – Rodent depositing droppings round old pile of rocks : POTOROO

17-across – Rush around and celebrate health professional’s job : NURSING

18-across – Hospital patients such as Rob Edwards and Phoebe Davis? : BEDBLOCKERS

22-across – Like dissenter, quarrelsome right away : FACTIOUS

23-across – Pass by please in proper order : ELAPSE

24-across – South American writers beginning to exploit what readers of thrillers want? : SUSPENSE

25-across – Type of cake made with lemon but no egg is unusual : SIMNEL

1-down – Man dropped to ground meeting monarch once : FELLER

2-down – Alert – ligament is torn! : TIMESIGNAL

3-down – One starting to ask for money, wicked type heading off : BEGINNER

4-down – Certain amount of energy? Then play around : ENTHALPY

5-down – Rock and rubble finally dumped on specified place : ANDESITE

7-down – Old people in Australia in uniform : AINU

8-down – Financial allowances for dumped lovers? : EXES

12-down – It could get you drenched? Could possibly! : CLOUDBURST

13-down – Being very delicate, punishes attempt to provide humour? : FINESPUN

14-down – Bombs descending on horrible place, making one pale of hue? : EGGSHELL

16-down – Jewish teacher and Irish father talked a lot : RABBITED

19-down – Reformer finding murderer full of love oddly : CALVIN

20-down – Amphibians with little energy – feet start to stumble : EFTS

21-down – Information female set out in book : ACTS

4-across – Pale-skinned king, Danish : PASTRY

6-across – Overly suspicious Canadian 19 given a tuneless song, repelled : PARANOID

9-across – Mean as a British 21 19? : STINGY

10-across – Male and female American 19s in the shade? : ROSEPINK

11-across – Spare male and female American 19s? : PRINCEHARRY

15-across – Live tours classy for D.Ross? : RESIDUE

17-across – Neutral vote you recorded in a mark of approval : ASEXUAL

18-across – Mould is on plant as standard feature? : LIONPASSANT

22-across – Faculty, place with character by the sound of it? : EYESIGHT

23-across – Gandhi country: that’s about right : INDIRA

24-across – Birds winged, so flying : WIDGEONS

25-across – British female 21 19, male if it weren’t for the tail! : LENNOX

1-down – Eccentricity about tease, wretched : TRAGIC

2-down – Party after party in place of hard work : LABOURCAMP

3-down – Novel with loveless donkey in winter? : JANEEYRE

4-down – Key left after move : PASSPORT

5-down – Slight adjustment of ties, most obsequious : SLIMIEST

7-down – Old writer in old film : OVID

8-down – Wellington with or without 21? : DUKE

12-down – Another hip novel for priest reading mysteries : HIEROPHANT

13-down – Proportion carried by horse all the time : DURATION

14-down – Brew guzzled by Paul after messing up times tables : PLATEAUX

16-down – I’m coming in sore after first of defeats – might I have been hammered? : DULCIMER

19-down – See 21 : SINGER

20-down – Rolled over, suffering mog’s initial cry : MEOW

21-down – Fish, say, sardine with leg after mutation? : LEAD