Daily Answers

7-across – Goods transporter in Basingstoke – every now and then he pops out : SHOPPING

9-across – See 7 : BASKET

10-across – A singer’s up to something dodgy : ATIT

11-across – Picasso had one hot,tense,fleeting encounter with secretary at the outset : PAINTBRUSH

12-across – Epidemic and surgeon’s focus turns to a little quinine tablet : PLAQUE

14-across – Dock where tide originally has King Canute unsettled : TRUNCATE

15-across – Bible’s clue to get over sin : REVISED

17-across – See 15 : VERSION

20-across – Perhaps jumbo’s assuming animal sanctuary is somewhere near Mayfair? : PARKLANE

22-across – Drunk drilling on the outside hides power tool : TODGER

23-across – Perfect copy with small shed to keep computer : IMMACULATE

24-across – Spouse briefly taking in a stray : WAIF

25-across – Hear Clinique supply round gold dish : QUICHE

26-across – See 25 : LORRAINE

1-down – <span>European wine lake – </span><i>Independent</i><span> starts story with good intentions</span> : WHITELIE

2-down – Notice jam setting : SPOT

3-down – Son,2 having cut top off a piece of cake : SIMPLE

4-down – Subtle satire occasionally stops oppression : ABSTRUSE

5-down – Southern racist moving back to front through dictionary to arrive at ‘rejected’ : OSTRACISED

6-down – Small county with unlimited accommodation : BEDSIT

8-down – Enter squad and fully explain : GOINTO

13-down – 25 – 31 days and finally work is replacing the man’s order : QUICKMARCH

16-down – <span>Certain </span><i>Times</i><span> is holding evidence of censorship?</span> : ERASURES

18-down – Ready to follow plot that is found in old books : OBEDIENT

19-down – See 8 : DETAIL

21-down – Mail say Labour’s half-cut member is leading : ARMOUR

22-down – What’s up with Conservative housing proposition? : THEORY

24-down – River Don : WEAR

8-across – Prime number heard fighting with indefinite number : FOREWARN

9-across – Clamour from attention seeker,case of someone beyond redemption,ultimately : NOISE

10-across – Fellah in deer? Not entirely! : HIND

11-across – Our etching,though sketchy,improving : RETOUCHING

12-across – Stuff lying around flat interminably,one hasn’t quite grown up : KIDULT

14-across – Surrender,wobbling one run short of century,ending on ninety-nine : RENOUNCE

15-across – See 24 Across : CANDLES

17-across – Procedure on defining both possibilities for batter? : ROUTINE

20-across – Sin ends in tragedy,prophetic in month of Aquarius,say – the Water Carrier? : JERRYCAN

22-across – Name associated with lectures announced award : WREATH

23-across – Cold Scottish island toured by a dog expert : AFICIONADO

24-across – Cryptic clues for gags with sketch : FOUR

25-across – See 22 Down : FIRST

26-across – Liquid starter from waitress,so doubled up,put in sketch? : TWOSOUPS

1-down – Wee collected by clinician north of a Caribbean country : DOMINICA

2-down – Sketch very average,rubbish : DEAD

3-down – See 2 : PARROT

4-down – Base 17 yet to be delivered? : INUTERO

5-down – Popular as might be spanking bottom,oh I say? Nudge,nudge,wink,wink! : INNUENDO

6-down – Use toilet humour at first comedically in basic sketch? : SILHOUETTE

7-down – Fox News in charge,toxic in the extreme : FENNEC

13-down – Highlight when still a teenager? : UNDERSCORE

16-down – Coming or going round top of creek – as salmon might be? : ENCROUTE

18-down – Possible call from male in rush,on getting up : NOTRUMPS

19-down – Find intimate in book without cover : UNEARTH

21-down – Heading for Exmoor,oxygen-fuelled females take a hike : EFFOFF

22-down – Western entertainer gets a grip of issue,something wooden in sketch? : WHOSON

24-down – Sweet clown : FOOL

5-across – Marsupial’s origin? Australian territory,principally : WOMBAT

6-across – Walk round hospital to get suture : THREAD

9-across – What’s in this shoe? I don’t believe it! : MYFOOT

10-across – Rare event in field that may involve a couple of ducks : HATTRICK

11-across – The country of Somalia? : MALI

12-across – The port of Salerno? : NEWORLEANS

13-across – Fierce cat: it chewed an official document : CERTIFICATE

18-across – Deny island is to be converted into theme park : DISNEYLAND

21-across – A sign to leave the auditorium : EXIT

22-across – A fool and an unruly youth become troubled : AGITATED

23-across – Intelligent means of applying pressure to Conservative : CLEVER

24-across – Uniform not recorded by railway : LIVERY

25-across – After time children’s author is cheap : TAWDRY

1-down – I’m at Alabama city and I’m not moving : IMMOBILE

2-down – Dolly’s role,performing : PARTON

3-down – After riot her moving,initially calm,speech : RHETORIC

4-down – For this study several years,or sixty minutes : DEGREE

5-down – Two rhymes for say ‘ambush’ : WAYLAY

7-down – Daughter putting topping on cake and cutting it up? : DICING

8-down – Workers’ appearance for informal vote : SHOWOFHANDS

14-down – Film,plays,and a party : TOYSTORY

15-down – Sickness noted away from centre in Egyptian city once : THEBENDS

16-down – Mendelssohn’s caveman? : FINGAL

17-down – Better years for glad rags : FINERY

19-down – Time to drop into unpretentious local : NATIVE

20-down – Rule at Christmas? Stop scratching! : DECLAW

8-across – Regret nothing after short time,sweetheart : TRUELOVE

9-across – Expert solver of clues needs extra,consuming seconds : MORSE

10-across – Take part in taste test,etc. sooner or later? Don’t touch it : STET

11-across – King and I protected by partners in terms of wealth : MATERIALLY

12-across – Far from sweet superpower,onetime ally turned deadly foe : BRUTUS

14-across – Chapter penned by a competitor relating to record collection : ARCHIVAL

15-across – Bad men I see? : ENEMIES

17-across – Run into fanatics,members of religious society : FRIENDS

20-across – Striker’s corrupt power ensnaring everyone : WALLOPER

22-across – Wild dog you almost trapped in sheep pen : COYOTE

23-across – Central American native reportedly went on racehorse : ROADRUNNER

24-across – Length once more uncompleted in part of pool : LANE

25-across – Oxford writer in North Island : LEWIS

26-across – Master criminal orchestrated army riot : MORIARTY

1-down – Comrades almost chucked in firearm : BRETHREN

2-down – Part of England Scots understood : KENT

3-down – Detective returns to familiar territory in hearing : HOLMES

4-down – Otherwise learnt outside University,unlike 15 or 17 : NEUTRAL

5-down – Affectionate type picking me up with Dutch courage : EMBRACER

6-down – Reveal city must be reconstructed in original way : CREATIVELY

7-down – Concrete help for teaching about others : REALIA

13-down – Corporation showed sign of cut – admit it’s in very bad shape : TUMBLEDOWN

16-down – Stylized language I use with umph,bizarrely : EUPHUISM

18-down – Set off with girlfriend outside boys’ school : DETONATE

19-down – Hiding name,discharge Brendan’s buddy? Not always : FRENEMY

21-down – Learner in a sport becoming top Olympian : APOLLO

22-down – A doctor finally got in antidote for poison : CURARE

24-down – King Edward the humorist : LEAR

8-across – Heaven is found in March : PARADISE

9-across – Oscar for each adult musical drama : OPERA

10-across – Deftly remove odd pieces of jambalaya : ABLY

11-across – Finds extra strangely spellbound : TRANSFIXED

12-across – Supports couples : BRACES

14-across – Grannie’s distributed profits : EARNINGS

15-across – Driller of hollow is finally spent? : DENTIST

17-across – Easy to read stage direction involving one boy leaving initially : LEGIBLE

20-across – Complete halt for period in US : FULLSTOP

22-across – Limited penalty limiting appeal : FINITE

23-across – Favourite Prince quotation : PREFERENCE

24-across – Repress expression of surprise by king : CORK

25-across – Love unaltered in Spring : OASIS

26-across – Charms enclosed by hotel workers : ENCHANTS

1-down – Pack carried drug to festival : JAMBOREE

2-down – Reluctant to exert oneself putting axis in place : LAZY

3-down – Opening greeting by you and I : HIATUS

4-down – Out of date book excited : BELATED

5-down – Keep prisoner present : CONSERVE

6-down – Sense clarity : DEFINITION

7-down – Pat returning,say,grand to scoundrel : BADEGG

13-down – Mollusc lifts cute waving horns at first : CUTTLEFISH

16-down – Ridicule – it arises unexpectedly : SATIRISE

18-down – On fire and irate about women of letters? : LITERATI

19-down – Critics pan nerd clutching tool : SPANNER

21-down – Displace happy Aussie native over time : UPROOT

22-down – Rob’s coat : FLEECE

24-down – Nail Conservative principle : CLAW