Daily Answers

9-across – Seeing a short-term operation blown, working under cover : ESPIONAGE

10-across – Entertain exploitation after morning session : AMUSE

11-across – Stick out for long-term study programme : PROJECT

12-across – Firm management’s beginning to look equal : COMPEER

13-across – Snaffle-bit may be unacceptable : NAFF

14-across – Digital enhancement of colouring process : NAILPOLISH

15-across – Second Guardian setter in a bit of a mess? : SPLODGE

17-across – Eccentric Aussie, sound as a bell, given an innings? : DINGBAT

19-across – Re-used cover of previous issue? : HANDMEDOWN

22-across – Somewhat vitriolic, categorising some musicians : TRIO

23-across – Cousins, perhaps, initially insisted aunt should be given a shrub : ROBINIA

24-across – So is Green Party possibly committing a cardinal sin? : ENVIOUS

26-across – One young winger of two struggling to contain the French : OWLET

27-across – Finished neat analysis of vehicle’s handling problem? : OVERSTEER

1-down – Continue risking all assets to 6 : KEEPONESSHIRTON

2-down – Amount of sweetener given golf club not quite lacking vacancy : SPOONFUL

3-down – Water down last of 8’s cover-ups? : HOSE

4-down – Way forward for careerist in public transport? : FASTLANE

5-down – Writer with lead part in sketch : PENCIL

6-down – Smooth ruffled feathers? : CALMDOWN

7-down – Given a buzz, getting dander up, they’re up in arms! : HUMERI

8-down – Adopt alternative to kilt for 16 : WEARTHETROUSERS

16-down – Wildly anti, getting into 13 millennium 11? That’s 8 : DOMINATE

17-down – Marry up two of the old documents, at first naively sentimental : DEWYEYED

18-down – Library patron in dispute, with drill outside? : BORROWER

20-down – Doubled bait originally put in river, getting a bite? : NIBBLE

21-down – What did George put down and become boring? : DRAGON

25-down – US suit over this? 1’s third to cover it in UK : VEST

1-across – Don’t continue if scared : WINDUP

5-across – Complete section of boxing match cancelled : ROUNDOFF

9-across – Underwater explorer to cause commotion at university : COUSTEAU

10-across – A poet not out after a frolic : LARKIN

11-across – It’s eaten at an age-old celebration : BIRTHDAYCAKE

13-across – Order a gin for Swedish girl : INGA

14-across – Submissive bearing : YIELDING

17-across – An iron-clad reason for not buying luxuries? : HARDSHIP

18-across – Pastry promotion : PUFF

20-across – They may be running the moment race is organised : COMMENTARIES

23-across – Boatman returns to old address : SIRRAH

24-across – The converse of indolence? : IDLETALK

25-across – Giving speech, don’t start being inaudible : UTTERING

26-across – Heavenly sight delightful to shepherds : REDSKY

2-down – Smooth metal : IRON

3-down – Rush to get on the panel : DASHBOARD

4-down – Author to have a shot at verse : POETRY

5-down – Using coarse expressions, more or less : ROUGHLYSPEAKING

6-down – Took off some weight? : UNLOADED

7-down – Cord I twisted into a sort of column : DORIC

8-down – It springs to hand in attack : FLICKKNIFE

12-down – Not against upsetting an opponent : ANTAGONIST

15-down – Banked left : DEPOSITED

16-down – Press men in China : SHANGHAI

19-down – He turns up in the country : TILLER

21-down – Means of communication for a TV detective : MORSE

22-down – Brickbats aimed at military aircraft? : FLAK

1-across – Where some learn with weight planet loses temperature, retaining only a little heat : GRAOOAR

5-across – See 1 : SCHMMLS

10-across – Novel girl free, say, to sweep round Union man : EOOA

11-across – See 10 : BRIDEGRMMM

12-across – 10 returns in time to depress viewer, including fine drama series in cut : HAOOER

13-across – See 12 : LMMKERIN

14-across – Emotional expression from pair with zero love following first sign of Holy Spirit : STRUOOING

16-across – See 14 : HOMMO

17-across – Fellow’s own confirmation in Jordan plant, having convulsive fits with brood : AOOAN

19-across – See 17 : BIRDSFMMT

23-across – Radical’s missiles discovered by Ulster Union member, silly agent having nothing active : AOOONIUM

24-across – See 23 : SPMMNY

26-across – Unapproved recess order by girl admitted to smoke joint : COOOISSURE

27-across – See 26 : NMMK

28-across – In London, sounding off TV award given to the sound of John Harris, the singer : EOOYLOU

29-across – See 28 : TMMTING

2-down – Brazilian diplomacy used in dispersal order : RIOTACT

3-down – One has got to go out in New Zealand : OTAGO

4-down – This foreign fellow’s watchful without British round : ALBERTO

6-down – Care about setter’s rising to the top? : CREAMY

7-down – Do raise cap – cycling scholar finally graduated : MARKEDOFF

8-down – But Continental hit contains Tibetan religion! : LAMAISM

9-down – Did PC find a cure for me in time? : MILLENNIUMBUG

15-down – Looking up along your puzzle : URANOLOGY

18-down – In Spain this is drunk holding head pathetically at the bar : OLOROSO

20-down – Remove protective covering from vessel : DISHELM

21-down – Douglas might be – or Douglas squared? : MANXMAN

22-down – Bottle that may be lost in such a performance : FIASCO

25-down – Impressionist details ready on time : MONET

1-across – A hit in the financial district, or a disaster : CALAMITY

5-across – Take a double role in part of play : ACTTWO

9-across – Constantly varying complaint by badly cut worker : FLUCTUANT

11-across – For high-rise accommodation look around the Royal Institution : EYRIE

12-across – Rough notes on army’s type of manual labour : STONEMASONRY

15-across – Hostelries popular with Poles : INNS

16-across – Liberal with nothing to hide? : OPENHANDED

18-across – Does an environmentalist gorge on cabbages? : GREENSTUFF

19-across – One’s back among the motorists from the Continent : ASIA

21-across – Trippers’ coin can be changed according to written direction : PRESCRIPTION

24-across – Terry’s predecessor, the Spanish student, is taking the French in : ELLEN

25-across – Valley with stream and fish on line – cap that! : GLENGARRY

26-across – In old Amsterdam, self-contained old-fashioned girl : DAMSEL

27-across – Grantees required to be set apart : ESTRANGE

1-down – Four notes tendered by diner : CAFE

2-down – Behold the old city glare : LOUR

3-down – Space traveller with a stomach upset will undergo change : MUTATE

4-down – Indulging a collector’s hobby with Spooner’s Iberian running : TRAINSPOTTING

6-down – A piece McShane’s arranged : CHESSMAN

7-down – Sad song writer has detailed trio to incline the head one way : THRENODIST

8-down – Which adventure book character wore the monocle? : ONEEYEDMAN

10-down – A month is often attributed to this Shakespearean : TIMONOFATHENS

13-down – The breadth of a footballer at the feast! : WINGSPREAD

14-down – Advance payment, a measure hobo circumvented before the war : ANTEBELLUM

17-down – Three quarters against taking Common Entrance settle comfortably : ENSCONCE

20-down – Short man, the doctor: about to become an old eccentric, perhaps : CODGER

22-down – You find this smoother coming up? Me neither! : IRON

23-down – Live to claim your little cowshed : BYRE

1-across – Might one get into a lather in traffic? : BUBBLECAR

6-across – Forever sinful there: level zero possible? : UNTIL

9-across – : HELLFREEZESOVER

10-across – A right shower! : RAIN

11-across – Apprentice pirate following Red Queen, I see : FREDERIC

14-across – Steps taken by Mao to achieve extended boundary : LUNGMARCH

15-across – Tough lawman could stand nothing eccentric : DRACO

16-across – Disapproval shown for tumbling down : FROWN

18-across – Auden, a singular talent outside the game : SOLOWHIST

20-across – Highland route with free entry? Get away! No thanks! : RIDGEWAY

21-across – Quarrel and turn lights out! : SPAT

25-across – One cooks with aid of vents and North Sea’s combustible : FANASSISTEDOVEN

26-across – Mariner dropped one in fixing sails : SILAS

27-across – One can’t wait to reach the finishing line : ENDREADER

1-down – Indian state brings in half Asia’s rice initially : BIHAR

2-down – So Simenon was enabling numberless characters : BELGIAN

3-down – Free trip winning the thumbs up? On the contrary! : LIFT

4-down – School of fish out East : COED

5-down – Neptune’s beard trimmer? : RAZORSHELL

6-down – Head over heels in love, we’d sup with many another : UPSIDEDOWN

7-down – Where Shirley Valentine worked for the Greek state in a National Trust building : TAVERNA

8-down – Polite cry emanating from one such as Catullus : LYRICPOET

12-down – As Fenby to Delius, a servant diverse in uses : AMANUENSIS

13-down – Disdain? That’s absurd – is he crazy? : BRUSHASIDE

14-down – Delivery vehicles dispelling fear in 3s : LIFERAFTS

17-down – It describes first word in a letter containing it : ORDINAL

19-down – I’m paid to swallow a few – and I’m not scared : IMPAVID

22-down – Take one-time opera singer making a comeback… : TENOR

23-down – …as Don Giovanni? That’s neglecting his duties, perhaps : STUD

24-down – On which tense? : EDGE