Daily Answers

1-across – Perhaps Freud regularly haggled for a reduction : SHRINKAGE

6-across – Tweet of little value, we hear : CHEEP

9-across – Having debts, now criminal receives one grand : OWING

10-across – Mess up in skirmish and leave : MISHANDLE

11-across – Make conversation as Mrs Sprat did : CHEWTHEFAT

12-across – Complimentary about iron covers : FREE

14-across – It’s a bright colour, little bit of skin damage? : SCARLET

15-across – Wished company finally made money : YEARNED

17-across – Excellent beer emptied and knocked back – one cold bitter : ACERBIC

19-across – Charm heartless girl with love for the French : GLAMOUR

20-across – Commanding officer with case for detective Morse? : CODE

22-across – Groups of soldiers cricketer cheers with pride? : BATTALIONS

25-across – City coach, one carrying Evita’s spicy food : PEPPERONI

26-across – Sound made by hooter drawing one in : NOISE

27-across – Fib from Sunak originally, and one from his party : STORY

28-across – Worker who’s on track maligns rewritten article : SIGNALMAN

1-down – Philosopher somewhat impervious to iconoclasm : STOIC

2-down – Repeat of complex rite before the queen dined : REITERATE

3-down – Wild Thing and hits in discos : NIGHTCLUBS

4-down – Part of a chair Starmer’s broken : ARMREST

5-down – Illegal drug simple to swallow around street : ECSTASY

6-down – Tea time discussion : CHAT

7-down – Duck of a crimson colour that is from the south : EIDER

8-down – E.g. Bonnie Prince Charlie in power, concerned with money : PRETENDER

13-down – Ignoring endings, cast able and can film : CASABLANCA

14-down – Ocean views, for instance within south-eastern headlands : SEASCAPES

16-down – Designed logos? Mine shows new word : NEOLOGISM

18-down – Colouring materials beginning to colour synthetic fabrics : CRAYONS

19-down – Skimpy underwear item is a bit of a fiddle : GSTRING

21-down – E.g. hummus and salsa on bagel for toper : DIPSO

23-down – Actor Charlie, son of Martin, spotted astride horse : SHEEN

24-down – Bank really giving away a pound : RELY

1-across – Recent turmoil round college – its chancellor heads for way out : ECCENTRIC

6-across – Volcanic landslide elicits cry of surprise in two ways : LAHAR

9-across – Faculty is right to welcome latitude : FLAIR

10-across – Relatively indulgent : AVUNCULAR

11-across – State of USA, say Idaho, not prepared to entertain negative rejection : NATIONHOOD

12-across – Nick’s on leave to become engaged : TAKE

14-across – Symbols denoting items : BULLETS

15-across – Boron insulator for bum : BLAGGER

17-across – Grant the ex-President less laxity to crush democracy finally in America? : ULYSSES

19-across – Spiteful as a privileged class of Americans? : WASPISH

20-across – See 12 : PART

22-across – TNT exploded outside ruin in ‘Encore’ area of Paris : MONTMARTRE

25-across – Rogue cries out ‘English not nice!’ : IMPRECISE

26-across – See 24 Down : KNEES

27-across – South Pacific country’s short of one wave-making instrument : TONGS

28-across – Spreading of legs on vacation mixed with despair : DISPERSAL

1-down – As Legolas, basking in self-indulgence? : ELFIN

2-down – Fancy material – city hall clean out : CHANTILLY

3-down – Sleep problem : NARCOLEPSY

4-down – Stretches and ruptures, having dropped head : REACHES

5-down – Electrical unit Lou turned into locks’ maintenance device : COULOMB

6-down – See 2 : LACE

7-down – Neanderthal man trapping game : HALMA

8-down – Breathe in rather strange sort of element : RAREEARTH

13-down – Neglected to drive home with hamper : RAMSHACKLE

14-down – Scheme gets navy, say, to run off : BLUEPRINT

16-down – Innocent conjecture about it’ll spread : GUILTLESS

18-down – Like a US high-rise building celebrated in fiction? : STORIED

19-down – Behold drinks retaining temperature with sun : WITNESS

21-down – Grave message by Englishman, extremely mature : RIPEN

23-down – Sly type shunning wife’s support : EASEL

24-down – Assembled sewers’ joints? Outstanding stuff : BEES

1-across – First of garments confined to waste, put something with a jumper on top : POGOSTICK

6-across – Shrink lowerer? : COWER

9-across – See 26 : NOSTONEUNTURNED

10-across – Topping items in fare for broadcast : CHAT

11-across – Tirade I gathered filled with bitterness, primarily? : DIATRIBE

14-across – ‘e called after blast, returning weapon : BOOMERANG

15-across – Easy clue : LIGHT

16-across – Suggest viewing Cervantes’ vampire in the mirror? : TABLE

18-across – Lovely bearing a newspaper in mind : LOOKAFTER

20-across – Warwickshire town where plate left untouched by auditor? : NUNEATON

21-across – See 5 Down : GORE

25-across – Criminal evidence of no cooking! : CONVENIENCEFOOD

26-across – Move mountains, Everest one, undulant on moving : LEAVE

27-across – Record of extra time after taking circuitous route? : TAXIMETER

1-down – Carthaginian related to wordplay? : PUNIC

2-down – Try holding head up having embraced Satanism initially – force of evil? : GESTAPO

3-down – See 10 Across : SHOW

4-down – Yours truly, Labour leader voiced concern for home buyers? : IKEA

5-down – Twitter in county referring to US politician – bloody cheat? : KENSINGTON

6-down – Le Pen, a leader in France after source of French wine – and baguette? : CRUSTYLOAF

7-down – I went in with opener for Gloucestershire, man playing for the first XI? : WINNING

8-down – Marking joyous day, landlord on the left? : REDLETTER

12-down – African winds from the north-east coming into view : SENEGALESE

13-down – Flier, bird is in cold sea shaking off one cold tail! : BALLOONIST

14-down – Obtain bum cream and lotions originally for nursery : BOTANICAL

17-down – Good antipodean soldier misses the last mine : BONANZA

19-down – Reasonable Oscar discovered in market, removed : TOOKOUT

22-down – Sage plant? : ELDER

23-down – Stone deepest of all, also in empty box : ONYX

24-down – See 7 : TEAM

1-across – A lot of eggs in such a bag? : CLUTCH

4-across – Is rude about area transport : ABUSES

9-across – Grumble – this apple is sour : CRAB

10-across – One doesn’t want to sit through a whole concert? : PROMENADER

11-across – As one of three subjects, writing in pink pen : CORRAL

12-across – Car’s first off, about to take advantage of high road : CAUSEWAY

13-across – Pressure on freedom of action is commonplace : PLATITUDE

15-across – Make one’s way with purpose : WEND

16-across – Move about in confusion in factory : MILL

17-across – A refund from the government, after you submit this? : TAXRETURN

21-across – Stunning, rude dismissal : DROPDEAD

22-across – Regularly sick, chafes in prison : SCRUBS

24-across – One’s voluntary contribution to the NHS may be of various types : BLOODDONOR

25-across – Returning ship, poetically, is a national symbol : LEEK

26-across – Tool in small shed : SHOVEL

27-across – Top cow? : JERSEY

1-down – Vehicle, battered Polo, that is eco-friendly for commuting : CARPOOL

2-down – Mineral found in quantity, but unnamed : UMBER

3-down – Cabin colleague has care of chart I submitted : COPILOT

5-down – Filled with air, became very angry : BLEWUP

6-down – Bank account details the police may take : STATEMENT

7-down – Attendant chucked waste on road : STEWARD

8-down – Need to go to ground in England, for CID are circling : FORCEDLANDING

14-down – The pothole not hard to snap with this lens? : TELEPHOTO

16-down – Children’s game lost by the witless : MARBLES

18-down – See further military action, but not the front line : RESERVE

19-down – Overcharging done in the daylight? : ROBBERY

20-down – Stick nose in, announcing award : MEDDLE

23-down – Goes round in luxury car : ROLLS

1-across – Fashion short garment – it’s retro but it inspires apathy : BOREDOM

5-across – Champion providing support when overwhelmed by alcohol : APOSTLE

9-across – Clears this country earl to get decoration from Japan : NETSUKE

10-across – Weather unsettled in part due to these constant movements : THERUNS

11-across – We had this out – I want an end to it : DEATHWISH

12-across – They kept tabs on everybody in almost moribund condition : STASI

13-across – Media make claim of being ignored : PRESS

15-across – Enrage VIP carved up by news network? : GRAPEVINE

17-across – Leftie gets reprimand, being where celebs parade : REDCARPET

19-across – Type of charger essential to future large robots : TURBO

22-across – Sachet occasionally filled with gold relish : SAUCE

23-across – Pressurise group to make sportswear : SWEATBAND

25-across – Cultivated place for money holder generation : TILLAGE

26-across – Device storing large amount of data – and a game! : TOMBOLA

27-across – Work university advanced is magnificent : OPULENT

28-across – Beware occupants of packed vehicle carrying drug : CAREFUL

1-down – Researched leading basis for agent that stores energy : BONEDUP

2-down – Go back over note on evidence : RETRACE

3-down – Money finally paid to you following crash : DOUGH

4-down – Gathering where nutmeg pie is shared out : MEETINGUP

5-down – A longing for what’s being dropped by EastEnders : AITCH

6-down – Finished exhausted having broken the budget : OVERSPENT

7-down – Am I nuts travelling around in large roller? : TSUNAMI

8-down – Happen to keep it in private closet : ENSUITE

14-down – Spooner said condition of man is at an impasse : STALEMATE

16-down – Faithful groom hit Canute : AUTHENTIC

17-down – Knight turns up with extravagant oval dish : RISOTTO

18-down – Starts to use up and finish off coleslaw? : DOUBLEU

20-down – Call out cancelled after study : READOFF

21-down – It’s curious how uneven book has everything : ODDBALL

23-down – Page ambassador to join group : SHEET

24-down – Send up instructions to make part of explosive : TIMER