Daily Answers

1-across – Poet, to right of centre, founder of cult : HUBBARD

5-across – Demanding university hospital admit prince in poor health : UPHILL

9-across – Plod round Luton with one of the underworld : PLUTONIC

10-across – Charlie recollecting words of hippo­potamus? : DUMDUM

12-across – A number of marriages? : WEDDINGMARCH

15-across – Gee, Sinatra excited these Republicans! : REAGANITES

17-across – Twitch regularly observed : TIC

19-across – Female in the nude : HEN

20-across – Methuselah, perhaps, voiced misgiving and lost nerve : BOTTLEDOUT

22-across – Head waiter tolerated him behaving badly : MAITREDHOTEL

26-across – Random old people in megalithic tomb : DOLMEN

27-across – Groups of cyclists pootle around Nova Scotia : PELOTONS

28-across – Son heard audible step : STRIDE

29-across – I used to be stupid and boring : TEDIOUS

1-down – Hard work, energy and optimism : HOPE

2-down – Melancholy, rude Conservative sportsman : BLUE

3-down – Better than expected, though not on course : ABOVEPAR

4-down – Airdrie district nurses like prunes? : DRIED

6-down – Posh, like Victoria? : PLUMMY

7-down – Becoming callous and cool over time : INDURATION

8-down – They comply, duffed up in cell : LYMPHOCYTE

11-down – Sexually excited male inhibited by nagging : ONHEAT

13-down – Principled Greek, close to Syriza, agreed to be bound by resolution : ARCHIMEDES

14-down – It lessens suffering of old man held by assassin : PAINKILLER

16-down – Arachne broke drugs law — she took love potion : ISOLDE

18-down – Lower limits removed, therefore start to dawdle : HEREFORD

21-down – Greasy sandwiches start to nauseate mate : FRIEND

23-down – Public poverty after banks fail : OVERT

24-down – Ma clipping lout twice : YOYO

25-down – Employs European aboard American naval vessel : USES

1-across – Motive in man of letters, an anticipatory act : FORESTALMENT

8-across – Where Britain and China are as one, in a way backward as France would have it? : EURASIA

9-across – Inland instrument not half listless : LANGUID

11-across – Rail taking popular figure briefly beyond Venezuelan capital : INVEIGH

12-across – Metal bolts ingested for starters by the Queen, entering stomach : TERBIUM

13-across – March off then ___ , to get protective garment : APRON

14-across – Gripping device holds stream : THRILLING

16-across – Rise in New York building, dropping right : INFLATION

19-across – Beak of gannet’s opening in book : JUDGE

21-across – Seen during sunset in Gibraltar, westward lights : IGNITES

23-across – A short story about country detailed in language : AFGHANI

24-across – One having a yen for money ultimately, someone bringing in cash : YEARNER

25-across – Where a stud may be noble, having love to endure : EARLOBE

26-across – Adulterating plastic, it’s adapted to a particular form : TRIANGULATED

1-down – Temperature outside over limits always : FOREVER

2-down – Putin perhaps hurried to embrace America — certainly requiring translation? : RUSSIAN

3-down – That woman has hole to fill up, one after dry pasta : SPAGHETTI

4-down – A fee going up to get parcel out : ALLOT

5-down – Possibly, rock goddess not very ladylike at first : MINERAL

6-down – Molluscs caught in marina utilised : NAUTILI

7-down – Capacity to be described as identifiably toxic : DEFINABILITY

10-down – Device removing the attraction from contentious disagreement : DEMAGNETISER

15-down – Calls to pen article sound familiar : RINGABELL

17-down – Foolish primarily and a bit thick, where one’s been taken for a ride? : FUNFAIR

18-down – One picks up signals as an amount of cash mentioned : ANTENNA

19-down – One pace — or two? : JOGTROT

20-down – Having to tidy one’s own hotel room up before beginning of day, one sparkles : DIAMOND

22-down – Shoot gun in rather packed saloon, every head looking up : SPRIG

9-across – Dunce may have this one castrated : CAPON

10-across – Overseas ruler making figure of 8s : BRITANNIA

11-across – K-Y stain unfortunately left after game with hookers : RUSTYNAIL

12-across – Become registered company in US once name changed to Lambert : ENROL

13-across – Hand over!, said one primarily into money : OVATION

15-across – Backing group into rock’n’roll is Busted, apparently : TOPLESS

17-across – Fish no 18 worries : FRETS

18-across – See 16 : DOG

20-across – Pants, if just 15 : AWFUL

22-across – Standard stop signal in song : REDFLAG

25-across – Funny reaction in left ear, when raving about Fifty Shades of Grey? : ALLERGY

26-across – Caught one fish that’s smoked : CIGAR

27-across – KFC business, not half struggling, must take in a thousand before ends meet : BUCKSFIZZ

30-across – Works in a store sadly after college : CREATIONS

31-across – Cavalryman backed in National Hunt : UHLAN

1-down – Bit of caviare cat’s taken up a tree : ACER

2-down – Rat-a-tat in advance : APOSTATE

3-down – Sweet 15 guy : ANDY

4-down – Got a bit done at work : OBTAINED

5-down – KLM and I flipping get around! : GIMLET

6-down – Hotel option when you’ve come to visit : WAKEUPCALL

7-down – Wrong ’un gets tortured now and then : UNTRUE

8-down – See 26 : TAIL

13-down – Show 15 chest : OFFER

14-down – Setter has 11, drunk in isolation : INSULARITY

16-down – KD Lang’s unnamed toy boy’s half crazy : SALTY

19-down – Doctor agrees I can initially get fit to Olympic standards? : GRAECISE

21-down – Convincing Catholic to wear odd habit : FORCIBLE

23-down – Determined to find horse in dictionary under D : DOGGED

24-down – KGB captures one relative : GIBSON

26-down – The definitive K9 18 : COCK

28-down – KO certain, without reaching last round : SOUR

29-down – Mad as the last one, the one before last : ZANY

9-across – Spooner’s rejection of dog snack? : POTNOODLE

10-across – Wander past Tate’s first valuable collection : TROVE

11-across – Hostile moves elected colonialist in Africa, reportedly? : INROADS

12-across – One on girl’s head in woven plait? : PIGTAIL

13-across – Leaden protagonist in erotic novel : GREY

14-across – Fool to admit stupid, a wise character : JEDIMASTER

16-across – Rovers team : RANGERS

17-across – Walls of cement ideal for building fortress : CITADEL

19-across – Pompous official heading for presidency, a month in and needing a drink : PANJANDRUM

22-across – Rejection of plans as probable junk : SPAM

24-across – Caught breaking into it, keen criminal — one collared? : NECKTIE

25-across – Shakespearean bagging the hide : LEATHER

26-across – Powder keg’s contents knocked over in style : ECLAT

27-across – Stir beyond two thirds of Russian sugar : MUSCOVADO

1-down – Talk about those calling god a dog : SPRINGERSPANIEL

2-down – See 20 : STURGEON

3-down – Pink river entering the black stuff : CORAL

4-down – Greek hero in old journey’s ending with ship consumed by god : ODYSSEUS

5-down – Old Greek city seeking power in new capital : DELPHI

6-down – Where women aren’t invited, politicians in a rut? : STAGPARTY

7-down – Metal key found under horse : COBALT

8-down – Setter on pitch with Scottish team player of the past : JELLYROLLMORTON

15-down – Lay waste to old Chester, say : DEVASTATE

17-down – Not being prompted to assimilate learning, initially stupid : CLUELESS

18-down – 9 across? : DOPEHEAD

20-down – A Scot, one ruling for a change? : NICOLA

21-down – Wonderful paper in doily that doesn’t need painting : DREAMY

23-down – Artist, a sizzler? : BACON

1-across – Charged boundary with pick and staple to secure cold bog : ELECTRICFENCE

10-across – Scholar spooks patriarch hidden in nut tree : MACADAMIA

11-across – Young man with it, turning, ebbing and flowing : TIDAL

12-across – Assistant catching second stage whisper : ASIDE

13-across – Instrument welcoming holy man to US city : KALAMAZOO

14-across – Degrade pile penetrating scent’s centre : CHEAPEN

16-across – Hot spot for Puritans dropping one off : SUNTRAP

18-across – Mother hedgehog belonging to boys only club? : MASONIC

20-across – Unruly teen absorbing reflux in African town : ENTEBBE

21-across – First bit of evening paper let loose by fruit-bearer : APPLETREE

23-across – Expression of regret about time range : ATLAS

24-across – What’s to be ground by King George I? : GRIST

25-across – Officer finding one sort of fly in pipe : BRIGADIER

26-across – Part of speech with which to make firm declaration : PRONOUNCEMENT

2-down – French evangelist with cattle on ship making fortune : LUCKINESS

3-down – Bum finds penny in prison : CADGE

4-down – Gods of victory and war mostly overturned dish : RAMEKIN

5-down – Drink tea with endless delight : CHABLIS

6-down – Bomb in with a will : ESTAMINET

7-down – Jessica dizzily drinking port : CADIZ

8-down – Magic Parmesan recipe for political skulduggery : SMEARCAMPAIGN

9-down – Blue door curiously concealing crush — stress may increase it : BLOODPRESSURE

15-down – Butterfly catcher with clipper gaining weight? : PINKERTON

17-down – Boxer, maybe, with electronic phone featured in retrograde film genre : REBELLION

19-down – Animals getting a bone circle copper-plated : CARIBOU

20-down – Doleful, the Spanish setter interrupts rising composer : ELEGIAC

22-down – Allegedly nosey sort of churchman : PRIOR

23-down – Startle, Madagascar-style? : ALARM