Daily Answers

1-across – State of Britain boosted with a victory song : BAVARIA

5-across – Chap needs a support of course – a ‘cow’ mainly! : MANATEE

9-across – Stew of sheep’s head and flounder : SWELTER

10-across – Career Oscar? Not finalised – go berserk! : RUNWILD

11-across – Silly novel ‘Four’ is at heart only half a book : FRIVOLOUS

12-across – Heading off for relative release : UNTIE

13-across – Dash off genuine short : LEGIT

15-across – Don’t be so appreciative – it’s unrewarding : THANKLESS

17-across – No star fouled a sporting opponent : BITPLAYER

19-across – Supplier, in quotes, ‘Corporation’ : TESCO

22-across – Apple disheartened by this device? : CORER

23-across – New, albeit fancy, consumers’ drink : TABLEWINE

25-across – Musical bag, lock container : HAIRNET

26-across – Hill in position above city : TORONTO

27-across – South, if not cloud-covered : SUNLESS

28-across – Supermarket workers disposing of small notebooks : CAHIERS

1-down – Retiring party, almost packed : BASHFUL

2-down – Contend with annexe inspection : VIEWING

3-down – Secret royal houses in a past style : RETRO

4-down – Rarity who is excited to be allowed to fly : AIRWORTHY

5-down – Anti-capitalist’s sound old currency : MARKS

6-down – College intrudes on UK tenant developing Massachusetts resort : NANTUCKET

7-down – What I have here: yarn – not a thing to prick you : THISTLE

8-down – Aims to keep the French Sabbath going for ever : ENDLESS

14-down – Dream about cry of encouragement abroad leading to resistance : TOLERANCE

16-down – Short book Croatia translated, about performing as a gymnast : ACROBATIC

17-down – ‘God’ misspelt as such, after carriage return : BACCHUS

18-down – Is turning up with nothing to cut rent twisting? : TORSION

20-down – See 24 : SCIENCE

21-down – Love, jumpy but not very demanding : ONEROUS

23-down – Stupid person, American, becomes an emperor : TITUS

24-down – Climatology possibly makes Chinese react badly : EARTH

1-across – Uncomplicated type, not altogether sensible, shoots back : SANSERIF

9-across – Recount including old clubs – transfer 5 or 14 across, say : RELOCATE

10-across – Repetitive phrase from ghost in a tomb : OSTINATO

11-across – Outside parties held back by force in extremely dark time : MIDNIGHT

12-across – Divert wagons I had ordered westward ahead of time : DISTRACT

13-across – Like ten to four on watch? Just the reverse : OPPOSITE

14-across – How to read how one-two generally proceeds : FROMLEFTTORIGHT

20-across – In testing situation, misrepresented grand larceny of a kind : LANDGRAB

21-across – Excel in ring, being absurdly tough and fit : OUTFIGHT

22-across – Pawn opening followed by a check, pieces captured – level drawing position : PAVEMENT

23-across – Records debates and leaves – they’re all this : TWOSIDED

24-across – It’s nothing trivial, for example, backing Indian leader : GERONIMO

25-across – Widespread European employment for spa worker : MASSEUSE

2-down – Jack counts up – he quickly passes 5 : ABSEILER

3-down – Serve in revised matins in elevated religious state : SAINTDOM

4-down – Novel instrument and music – each of them is this : READABLE

5-down – How this solution is put into place, fully : FROMTOPTOBOTTOM

6-down – Awfully proud about grant, leading to heavy fall : DOWNPOUR

7-down – Offering as bait from end of rod, fishing : DANGLING

8-down – Affected by rain around North, then South, got destroyed : WENTWEST

14-down – Following up legal changes, both 14 across and 5 : FULLPAGE

15-down – Moron I’ve converted who’ll swallow all kinds of things? : OMNIVORE

16-down – Tissue a body needs, crying about private upset : LIGAMENT

17-down – Eggs on a great deal, engulfing the speaker in lots of applause : OVATIONS

18-down – Out of bounds? Trendy form of punishment covers it : INFINITE

19-down – Royal title that diminishes 5 : HIGHNESS

1-across – Hornblower’s sweetheart eating cheese : GABRIEL

5-across – Heavyweight bear tush! : POOHBAH

9-across – 1930s actor and bandleader breaking wind : GABLE

10-across – Info on location of Bologna and Genova: they may be found under fig leaf : GENITALIA

11-across – Green bovine at core of catastrophic AI error : ECOWARRIOR

12-across – Cold one in dictator’s funerary stand : BEER

14-across – After outrageous cuts taken, drastic measures exercised to produce Emmy winner? : DRAMASERIES

18-across – Terrifying tales of beehive makers? : HAIRRAISERS

21-across – Greek characters Doctor Who companion picked up : RHOS

22-across – Across the pond, Mark’s a good-looker in rags, tattered and torn : DOLLARSIGN

25-across – Hippies: zeroes! They’re sure to fail : DEADDUCKS

26-across – Ship’s controller heading off to part of Jersey : UDDER

27-across – In retro pub game, you once went amiss : STRAYED

28-across – Tolkien beings pursuing punishment for porcupines? : RODENTS

1-down – Denied freedom of speech, yet made wisecracks : GAGGED

2-down – Degree, blessing for boor : BABOON

3-down – Claire Danes ripping off a riotous bunch of Cod Wars participants : ICELANDERS

4-down – Beverage for outspoken wagoners … : LAGER

5-down – … beverage from bean leaf’s fermentation : PINTOFALE

6-down – Pro athlete suppresses vulgar outburst : OATH

7-down – Report Slugà la Mode : BULLETIN

8-down – Restraint for revolting reds arrested by police : HEADREST

13-down – Goes hither and yon in park, drinking boozy teas : GETSAROUND

15-down – Monica and I dancing in promotion for body-builder : AMINOACID

16-down – It involves guesswork to crack hard case : CHARADES

17-down – Fuddy-duddy oddball is around : DINOSAUR

19-down – Cupboard contents including old copper tree : LINDEN

20-down – Shows contempt for tie-ups : SNARLS

23-down – Fiasco left unresolved to a degree : LOSER

24-down – Barbie greeting when out perhaps carrying daughter : GDAY

9-across – Hogwarts attendee with zero wit coming over : DRACO

10-across – Compilers, admitting pressure before a bloomer, getting encouragement after 25? : UPSADAISY

11-across – Edits with a pen, organising current changes : NEAPTIDES

12-across – Saw German by McDonald’s logo : MOTTO

13-across – Whistled stylish intros from Elgar and Debussy : SWISHED

15-across – North American blocking change in what sinners may do : PENANCE

17-across – Concerned with measurement of energy in Asian sea : AREAL

18-across – Tailback? Blimey! : GOD

20-across – Stripped off sexy postman, one who’s gone abroad : EXPAT

22-across – Went by 1, not half filled with sin : ELAPSED

25-across – British band thus shortened Autumn in New York : THEFALL

26-across – One of 14s modelled coat of astrakhan : SATAN

27-across – Will teams net shot before time? : TESTAMENT

30-across – Unofficially, hen do site gets in a mess : ONTHESIDE

31-across – What 6 feel, extremely sensitive about Old 27 figure : SHAME

1-down – Etonian who led Britain in terrible denial : EDEN

2-down – Nirvana’s kind of music turned up on odd A-side : PARADISE

3-down – Special group gathers, like 7’s 2 : LOST

4-down – Reporter’s teased Democrat over error when defending barking leader : GUIDEDOG

5-down – Consumes a portion of steakhouse supper : USESUP

6-down – Believe 1980s pop star hasn’t finished covers of Dickie Valentine : ADAMANDEVE

7-down – Cambridge University working to protect Latin poet : MILTON

8-down – After a reshuffle, Tory is one with little experience : TYRO

13-down – Senate’s leader almost uncovered treacherous person : SNAKE

14-down – Biker and great thinker penning lines and small article : HELLSANGEL

16-down – Earl with enormous clothing to praise : EXTOL

19-down – Hugely unpopular detective’s case tried : DETESTED

21-down – Starmer draping frilly material on an undeserving official : PLACEMAN

23-down – Accordionists, not content, disapprove over E sharp : ASTUTE

24-down – Item foremost of dealers trade online : DETAIL

26-down – Present husband, boring pig! : SHOW

28-down – Too advanced, therefore overwhelming learner : ALSO

29-down – Rogue has to leave floundering Theresa May, say : TREE

5-across – Hollywood director left bigger screens : WILDER

6-across – Lush exterior of diaphanous resins : ALKYDS

9-across – Accessories – boring items put on that woman shortened : SHAWLS

10-across – Assistant returning in a flash if you’re prepared to fork out : ATAPRICE

11-across – Motown star is good? Indeed! : GAYE

12-across – Has a craving to eat 1501 peaches : HUMDINGERS

13-across – Wary jockeys in difficulties – a dozen of them are in this grid : PLAYWRIGHTS

18-across – I wasted coins engaging agent to show some attractions of chemistry : IONICBONDS

21-across – Buff host with no clothing is what could alarm Sky viewer : UFOS

22-across – Erotic quality in caress that’s out of control : RACINESS

23-across – Steer car? One may go on foot : OXFORD

24-across – Back from hols – bit of a laugh and wine in Split : SHARED

25-across – Cooks a kind of bread in fires, now and again : FRYERS

1-down – Pilot, with excited cry, getting large bit of machinery : FLYWHEEL

2-down – Son, breaking pieces, taps good egg : MENSCH

3-down – Appealing face of police chief : PLEADING

4-down – Knocked over Scottish port and syrup – it’s on a Swede’s floor : RYARUG

5-down – Musical sound effect radio collaborator brought up : WAHWAH

7-down – Safe spot to catch dog : SECURE

8-down – Reasonable to protect soldiers from small country : SANMARINESE

14-down – What chatterbox did ruined Baby Reindeer’s second half : YABBERED

15-down – Chocolates or last portion of fruit ripples : TRUFFLES

16-down – Model catching painter in confused situation : MORASS

17-down – Tough lioness ultimately keeping old squirrels away : HOARDS

19-down – During 11/05, fellow makes polite request : IFIMAY

20-down – Awful, boring cover of Smiths tracks : SPOORS