Daily Answers

9-across – Refusal to accept our menu turned out for the best : NUMEROUNO

10-across – Edgy psychodrama about free spirit : GYPSY

11-across – Perverse desire harboured by fragrant, funny Fleet Street fiend : SWEENEY

12-across – Strong feeling I don’t know nothing, stopping at home : PASSION

13-across – Extremely habitable address for Maria and Chuck : HEAVE

14-across – Leaves limits, l-l-l-leaving husband : TREELINES

16-across – Girl on stage reinterpreting hedonism for musical 9 : STEPHENSONDHEIM

19-across – Two idiots stripped Mini’s bumpers off : ASSASSINS

21-across – Flashback to accident provided that recurrent theme : MOTIF

22-across – Old female from West Side Story beginning to sing in revue : FOLLIES

23-across – Monkey taunting Martian : TAMARIN

24-across – Side by side in central Ongar : ALONG

25-across – Conservative getting on train : OLDSCHOOL

1-down – 16’s response to theatre administration? : ANESTHESIA

2-down – Current strength of a member, eager to perform : AMPERAGE

3-down – Record, including A Little Night Music, for clubbers : TRANCE

4-down – Garland head of Johanna : JUDY

5-down – Success seldom condem­ned in United States : COUPLEDOMS

6-down – Regularly engages fat ladies, half-cut, for lunch? : EGGSALAD

7-down – Italian way of acclaiming Pacific Overtures — not entirely quietly! : APPIAN

8-down – Fourth letter leaving Maidenhead for Jerusalem? : HYMN

14-down – Protector of the legend of Venus? : TENNISSHOE

15-down – Round, short granny in tattered flimsies : SEMIFINALS

17-down – Plan hit snags in town by the sea : HASTINGS

18-down – Superficial and needing no introduction, next queen tours city : EXTERIOR

20-down – Now finally bolting down pasty : SALLOW

21-down – Musical Bohemian knocking stuffing out of colourless imitators : MIMICS

22-down – Fight ever after for absent love : FRAY

23-down – See 11 : TODD

1-across – Dope — or another drug? : CHARLIE

5-across – Busy valley recalled, funny cutting through it : ENGAGED

9-across – Minor prophet seen by a drone on the far side of Afghanistan : NAHUM

10-across – Retired proofreader on the phone in the Treasury : EXCHEQUER

11-across – Those studying a particular book praised her novel : READERSHIP

12-across – Public school stomached, by the sound of it? : ETON

14-across – Competitive computer gamer in battle with cheery misfits? : CYBERATHLETE

18-across – Stealing kiss, mean rotter, I suspect, a Dalek? : EXTERMINATOR

21-across – Two terms on course for payment method : CHIP

22-across – A number of horses head for vegetable : STRINGBEAN

25-across – Member in container with catch in drawer : BARMAGNET

26-across – Round fruit, first to peel : PLUMP

27-across – Back edge, or middle of itself : ENDORSE

28-across – Carry along retrospective pictures in a square : ENTRAIN

1-down – Club, perhaps, filing an inaccurate report : CANARD

2-down – A fake about right for secluded building : ASHRAM

3-down – Trudge over a distance to find boarding house in America? : LUMBERYARD

4-down – Decent chance in game to wipe out lead : EVENS

5-down – Top fish ending in blini, Russian wheels in filled pancake : ENCHILADA

6-down – Butter added to pudding he eats : GHEE

7-down – Pacified sound from farmyard went first : GRUNTLED

8-down – Like a madman called into action : DERANGED

13-down – Place under 50% of this with approximate amount of processed data : THROUGHPUT

15-down – Sixteen converts to join the Church for life : EXISTENCE

16-down – Muscle on transmitter liable to error : PECCABLE

17-down – Feature on a flight as torrid when turbulent? : STAIRROD

19-down – Drag in a little princess, a whale : BELUGA

20-down – See 21 : ANDPIN

23-down – Man, perhaps, binding last of resilient fibre : ISTLE

24-down – Salmon pink roof on a posh car : PARR

7-across – To have a different view is a sin when the last shall be first : DISAGREE

9-across – Get a real return pushing the envelope to let in some air : AERATE

10-across – A sweetheart embraced by sweetheart, a soother : ALOE

11-across – Starts to know arse from elbow, gets interrupted by awful squeak, it’s like a nightmare : KAFKAESQUE

12-across – Tense and hungry? Lights out : HIGHLY

14-across – A hundred too old? That’s news! : COVERAGE

15-across – Tree can be picturesque : SPRUCE

17-across – Couple of jobs dismissed as I disapprove : TSKTSK

20-across – The palace is what’s back in nimble form : BLENHEIM

22-across – Sea states in which one finds jellyfish : MEDUSA

23-across – Make poor kind of stew to begin with mutton, potatoes, onions, vegetables easily thrown in : IMPOVERISH

24-across – See 10 : VERA

25-across – Satisfied with Richard the Fourth onwards being ignored as not imperial : METRIC

26-across – Tom’s problem is essentially the way big girls dance : HAIRBALL

1-down – Holiday home in Spain not suffering criminals : VILLAINS

2-down – Prison 14 : CAGE

3-down – My call to accommodate ex-president : CRIKEY

4-down – Skirt as worn by 6 that’s no chicken! : RARAAVIS

5-down – Some blonde tart surfer turns up disappointed : FRUSTRATED

6-down – See 12 : STRUNG

8-down – Remove all traces of caffeine — not in fashion : EFFACE

13-down – She governed with iron rod : HERINDOORS

16-down – Extremes of cultural elitism: Etonian courtesy and forgiveness : CLEMENCY

18-down – Lesser kite regularly seen flying with other birds of prey : KESTRELS

19-down – Naughty 23 : IMPISH

21-down – Muslim petition’s sticker : LIMPET

22-down – Material from second and first part of 26 : MOHAIR

24-down – Feeling brave, start to compete outside : VIBE

8-across – Bloody PC, 15 22 across : BRIGHTON

9-across – XX 15 22 across : TENBY

10-across – Arrogant fool beyond witless, ultimately : SMUG

11-across – Two 15 22 acrosses, one less 3, requiring English singer : BARRYWHITE

12-across – Cheat on XX : DOUBLE

14-across – 22 across as Minehead, Southend and Cork for growth in Ireland : SHAMROCK

15-across – Disease — that flourishes in the summer? : SEASIDE

17-across – Stick around island that’s sweet : GLUCOSE

20-across – Established in fashion, this industry? : RAGTRADE

22-across – See 15 : RESORT

23-across – Study, can he? That’s possible : CONTINGENT

24-across – Paintings, works initially wiped : OILS

25-across – See 12 : CROSS

26-across – Punishment imprisoning unknown character in 15 22 across : PENZANCE

1-down – Yellow border, dull stuff around it : PRIMROSE

2-down – Very excited? Past caring in the end : AGOG

3-down – Racehorses unlikely to fall? : STABLE

4-down – French artist heading for stage door : INGRESS

5-down – Salt, I say, desperate for a flapper at sea : STAYSAIL

6-down – So cooler to be destitute? : ONTHEROCKS

7-down – Wand in Paul’s hands not quite delivering magic : MYSTIC

13-down – Boat isn’t about to tour America — this the end of the journey? : BUSSTATION

16-down – Identify the problem — gain ground feeding prescribed medicine : DIAGNOSE

18-down – Improperly placed relics up a clergyman’s vestment : SURPLICE

19-down – Part in middle of contract written up as proof of transaction : RECEIPT

21-down – Now divide one by a hundred : ATONCE

22-down – Heavy barrel secured by cane : ROTUND

24-down – 15 22 across ends up in Latin America, superb archipelago : OBAN

1-across – Felicity warbles for Spooner’s babies : SUCKLINGS

6-across – Man whose welfare I don’t care about, one up the pole? : JACK

8-across – Great obscurity about a person leading a double life? : BIGAMIST

9-across – Romantic involvement not excellent, always fighting : AFFRAY

10-across – Doctor attached to huge hospital — not necessarily a big noise : WHOOSH

11-across – Individual who has consumed for inner energy : PATERSON

12-across – Report of illegal bowler in a period of play : CHUKKA

15-across – Formal attire that might bother the violinist : DICKYBOW

16-across – Support for writers not often seen these days? : INKSTAND

19-across – Headline in slant across page : SPLASH

21-across – Hurried, being guided after injury in street : SCUTTLED

22-across – Fulfil the function of college : BEETON

24-across – Disciple following body of divine commandments : LAWSON

25-across – One admiring the statement from char not on early duty : IDOLATER

26-across – Pretty bunch with ace standing out : SPRY

27-across – Furious females making chaps at Brussels face day of reckoning : EUMENIDES

1-down – Outside American university keep quiet : SMITH

2-down – Act to seal fracture : CRADOCK

3-down – Not totally agile, having injected drug : LEITH

4-down – Office employee that carries around important item of stationery : NOTEPAD

5-down – Fight has beast rising over American slave : SPARTACUS

6-down – Bird circling very loudly about : JAFFREY

7-down – Sri Lanka, passionate and noisy : CLAMOROUS

13-down – Chap lands abroad, offering something to seal the deal? : HANDCLASP

14-down – A label to get cut immediately : ATAGLANCE

17-down – Discharge rising female model wanting external influence : SATISFY

18-down – Movement of the absurd mother crossing platform : DADAISM

20-down – Laurie? Child looked after and sheltered : LEEWARD

22-down – Ex-PM has changed sides, is sent flying : BLOWN

23-down – Begins as map-maker holding drawing implement : OPENS