Daily Answers

1-across – Standard pain not entirely ideal : PARAGON

5-across – Hugging skill backfiring, kiss — this kept up one’s sleeve? : SNOTRAG

9-across – What is able to keep children fit? A nut! : PECAN

10-across – Painful thing seeing a couple almost knocked over by relative : CARBUNCLE

11-across – Permit banning it, we go in clumsily — that’s providing authorisation : EMPOWERING

12-across – In chlorine, one finds a gas : NEON

14-across – Might one recognise a story that is by man who talks backwards embraced by reader? : LIEDETECTOR

18-across – Mountaineer out for the count : ENUMERATION

21-across – Sweet — or not? : TART

22-across – Two locos — make sure the little one’s going in the right place : POTTYTRAIN

25-across – Short suit in the bag : BRIEFCASE

26-across – Little time in the King and I for musical instruction : TUTTI

27-across – Course ahead initially among the branches? : AINTREE

28-across – Little support for pond life : TADPOLE

1-down – Riddle, corny stuff? : PEPPER

2-down – Method majestic sovereign set up : RECIPE

3-down – Actor, part of one’s make-up less restrained : GENEWILDER

4-down – King released from pound, more agreeable : NICER

5-down – Plain figure in the end dividing complex integers : SERENGETI

6-down – Load of extra money skimmed : ONUS

7-down – People eating European cheese dish : RACLETTE

8-down – Author Ray after centre parting, leaves : GREENERY

13-down – Control said to be brought back : REINSTATED

15-down – Fancy getting flesh out : ELABORATE

16-down – Green initiative’s ultimate supporter getting item in a column : VERTEBRA

17-down – 1 Aug and solver finally cracking this puzzle here : GUARDIAN

19-down – Shabby stuff besides, beating performance? : TATTOO

20-down – Half the field in one sport, legal in another? : ONSIDE

23-down – Illegal practice that’s much studied in the City : THEFT

24-down – A force flying up in the distance : AFAR

4-across – M pursuing police officers in upset state : DISMAY

6-across – M that is with new : JULIENNE

9-across – Sculptor’s M to wear cravat, oddly : CANOVA

10-across – M round America aboard illuminated vessel : LIFEBOAT

11-across – Marshal or others checking M for stratagem : TROJANHORSE

15-across – M in site renovated for Turkish hostels : IMARETS

17-across – Group with M to take clothing from punter : OCTETTE

18-across – M in tailored gear isn’t something performers put on : GREASEPAINT

22-across – Fancies M tucking into cold desserts : CAPRICES

23-across – Lad has M with cout­urier losing face : JUNIOR

24-across – Ruined theatre with appeal after M : DECREPIT

25-across – Measures M in borders of Greece and Sweden : GAUGES

1-down – Country where a cross-dresser’s in trouble, turning back : LATVIA

2-down – Thus little marsupial’s protected by parents in places to play : MUSICROOMS

3-down – It might save you from prison sentence when on smack : LIFEBELT

4-down – 1950s’ hairstyle is nothing to follow : DUCKTAIL

5-down – Reasons to get excited, embracing hot ladies abroad : SENHORAS

7-down – Congress cut corner : NOOK

8-down – Cooks throwing away hot food : EATS

12-down – Lag gets stir? Yes, he’s in need of reform : HYSTERESIS

13-down – Without piano, band leader is impressive : STRIKING

14-down – Crossworders getting back parts in movies : WESTERNS

16-down – It helps one who’s boiling mad, initially interrupting to incite row : EGGTIMER

19-down – Many left old city in China : PLURAL

20-down – Suffered discomfort leaving hotel that’s provided a good service? : ACED

21-down – Perhaps its work leads to energy consumption : OPEC

1-across – I, possibly, poke chicken with a piece of wood : HALOGEN

5-across – Idiot finding ludicrous flaw in success : HALFWIT

9-across – President Thingamabob, partially recalled : OBAMA

10-across – Saw worker with president embracing writer : CARPENTER

11-across – President no wiser, he stumbles past close of tenure : EISENHOWER

12-across – Country where I was a candidate : IRAN

14-across – Gerald’s guards in that position with company, private : OFFTHERECORD

18-across – Cheat knocking back a drop, happy to put on weight : PULLAFASTONE

21-across – President back in combat fatigues : TAFT

22-across – Good bandages nicer after treatment that’s harmful : PERNICIOUS

25-across – First in geophysics confirmed, so pleased : GRATIFIED

26-across – Forget to secure ring that’s likely to come off : LOOSE

27-across – Perhaps one’s kid gloves made from this? : DOESKIN

28-across – Serious attention given to tree house : EARNEST

1-down – President, one gathering dust? : HOOVER

2-down – Something to set up, holding information primarily on enemy leader, cooperate : LIAISE

3-down – Annexe where president maintains standard, not entirely beneath the state : GRANNYFLAT

4-down – Hot container lifted over bottom of potato chip : NACHO

5-down – A rest home prepared to offer beef substitute? : HORSEMEAT

6-down – Symbol of a nation, some ship capsizing : LEEK

7-down – Vital thing, having little room for big defeat : WATERLOO

8-down – Kebab served up during your old dirge : THRENODY

13-down – Very mysterious lord in bloody uprising, appearing common : VERNACULAR

15-down – Dopey leader in Reagan, it being laughable for an actor : TRAGEDIAN

16-down – Model put with Degas stole the show : UPSTAGED

17-down – Love left tainted if ends, unsatisfactory relationship now extinguished? : OLDFLAME

19-down – Monroe unfortunately is as she is : NOMORE

20-down – A trail, an upward slope : ASCENT

23-down – Coax Nixon to admit lying in the end? : NUDGE

24-down – Second one sucks : TICK

7-across – Kennedy famously meeting Castro in crisis — no sign of thaw? : JACKFROST

8-across – President opening Gettysburg Address with passion : GRANT

9-across – Gods here reflect the head of state on high, my fate, my beginning : MTOLYMPUS

10-across – Perhaps Bush shredded his letters about the end of the USSR : SHRUB

12-across – Constituents of Adams once produced fruit : DAMSON

13-across – Perhaps Reagan lost his head in office? : RESIDENT

16-across – Sails hauled tight on boat of Florida president : FLATAFT

19-across – President losing his cool but triumphed without getting the bird : WIDGEON

22-across – Clinton reputedly with wanton harlot says: I have to pay? : LOTHARIO

25-across – President: no hesitation getting on the box : CARTON

27-across – President laid bare? : NIXON

28-across – Boatman caught in delicate illumination : STARLIGHT

29-across – Lack of clarity in speech by president : HAYES

30-across – Start to salivate about bun : SCROLLBAR

1-down – I keep saying this femme fatale has no power : MANTRA

2-down – My abilities sell tragic content in satire : SKILLSET

3-down – Boatman’s spirit seen in colour of president : TRUMAN

4-down – Revolution in USA! Try supporting last to give mouth : ESTUARY

5-down – Alternatively, dressed down with a flower : ORCHID

6-down – Clue for Northern Ireland, taking its place : INTURN

11-down – Bottoms up! It’s a reason to fill your glass : ASTI

14-down – It’s important to maintain trust, Eisenhower said on diplomacy : EYE

15-down – One in temporary accommodation : TEN

16-down – Flower seen in autumn in US, with leaf’s first drop : FAL

17-down – See 15 : ANT

18-down – President might introduce ads to create trends or reach family men? : FORD

20-down – Unexpectedly agile FDR becomes president : GARFIELD

21-down – See 14 : CONTACT

23-down – President, one in role of a nation’s leader: he does magic? : OBIMAN

24-down – Not wholly macho, overworked president : HOOVER

25-down – Perhaps Lincoln led servant from the bottle : CARBOY

26-down – Fool, foolishly hoaxed : OXHEAD

1-across – See 19 : SUDOKUS

5-across – On the phone to purchase no-frills aircraft : BIPLANE

9-across – In short, I’m disgusted by most fruity type of language : UGRIC

10-across – Agonised shout, if family fails to finish puzzle : FUTOSHIKI

11-across – Once again swallowed up British group, an aerospace one back in debt : REABSORBED

12-across – Puzzle only half completed by a footballer : KAKA

14-across – An interjection, perhaps by EEC? : PARTOFSPEECH

18-across – Being completely wiped out by dodgy rite during sacrifice : OBLITERATION

21-across – Friend has yen for sexually attractive American : FOXY

22-across – Sinking of vessel Nemo managed without undue risk, largely : SUBMERSION

25-across – Nude dancing entertains bar, that’s clear : UNBLOCKED

26-across – Prison camp body regulating prisoners? : OFLAG

27-across – Debtor desperately needs capital in eastern Germany : DRESDEN

28-across – State : AUSTRIA

1-down – See 24 : SQUARE

2-down – See doctor had rum : DURHAM

3-down – Gives up before back-up guitar gets going : KICKSTARTS

4-down – Return of service great up to this point : SOFAR

5-down – Some milk to express? Nothing at all in emptied breast : BUTTERFAT

6-down – Set puzzle ordinary solver easily finishes? Just the opposite : POSE

7-down – Setter’s dined in joiner’s chipper : ANIMATED

8-down – This paper briefly abandoned deadlines? They might be stoned : EPITAPHS

13-down – Pour out port down under, getting rollicking : UPROARIOUS

15-down – Nought for English in dish that’s Thanksgiving grub : TURDUCKEN

16-down – Trick discovered in puzzle : CONFOUND

17-down – Book in store contains law that’s easily bent : FLEXIBLE

19-down – Surprisingly sulks, having liked our puzzles : KILLER

20-down – Megan’s wrong about inner piece of jigsaw puzzle : ENIGMA

23-down – Play in game, sat next to dealer : MEDEA

24-down – Puzzle 14,225? : WORD