Daily Answers

8-across – Whitehall edifice once rigged to bug Leader of House : CENOTAPH

9-across – Theatrical monarch right to delay appearance in dress with no back : OBERON

10-across – An unknown number on transport that’s crowded : BUSY

11-across – Kind of 24 down’s producer phones girl, speaking like Spooner : MILESDAVIS

12-across – One writing in 24 down note in jazzy score : CENSOR

14-across – Dumped sport journalist outside court — it’s not out of the 24 down : EXPECTED

15-across – Grimy English accommodated by a foreign family : UNCLEAN

17-across – Forest and city gutted in fire : ARDENCY

20-across – Special pair of queens in 24 down : SQUANDER

22-across – Teacher going over French that’s 24 down : RISQUE

23-across – Spirit imbues leader of ceremonies with sacred 24 down : MELANCHOLY

24-across – Party in retreat — Liberal Party : BALL

25-across – Agree there’s no damage done by the postal service? : ASSENT

26-across – Setters wearing old headgear could be saps : EXHAUSTS

1-down – Church canon with article that’s kind of 24 down : CERULEAN

2-down – A tip for trickery from one 24 down, politically : TORY

3-down – Criticise novel rejected inside 60 minutes : HAMMER

4-down – Argentinian red on sale drunk in 24 down club : CHELSEA

5-down – A chatterbox, salesman is therefore good for promotion : GOSSIPER

6-down – Rakes used with energy — beach churned up : DEBAUCHEES

7-down – 24 down force cut up rocks : POLICE

13-down – Latin America’s revolutionary reserves behind Muslim nations : SULTANATES

16-down – Two leading characters given heartless command to step down : ABDICATE

18-down – Such lines of verse as here are found Allow great deeds to go around : COUPLETS

19-down – Uplifting narrative about love, one using 24 down language : TROOPER

21-down – Inclined to chuck wandering herd out of Hardyesque novel : QUEASY

22-down – Partner of 24 downs spinning coats for modish, trendy hipster : RHYTHM

24-down – 22 across or down : BLUE

1-across – Tongue spoken, cause of the slurring? : LIQUOR

4-across – Solid figure hard, during various periods : SPHEROID

9-across – See 21 : BRIDE

10-across – European conversion of Gaul accepted by reluctant Messiah : BULGARIAN

11-across – Hundreds initially stuck in toilet and half of them drunk, completely : TOTHEHILT

12-across – Bird black in colour, tail invisible : GREBE

13-across – Young lady was a German viniculturist, I gathered : MADEMOISELLE

17-across – Photographer’s subject so informed? : INTHEPICTURE

20-across – Explode, putting head in furnace by mistake : GOOFF

21-across – Female in the postal union? : MAILORDER

23-across – Model like her, in secret, a contributor to the affairs of government? : CHRISTINE

24-across – Crackhead invested in European trip : DANCE

25-across – Yellowish fluid gets to float in breeze : PUSHOVER

26-across – See 23 : KEELER

1-down – Doctor by tool, holding second the wrong way for surgical procedure : LOBOTOMY

2-down – Calm study under which person at the Sorbonne? : QUIETUDE

3-down – Very large topless garments embarrassing, initially : OBESE

5-down – Shock of a chicken, say, getting award in America : PULITZERPRIZE

6-down – Leaving disarray within the Church, standing as a gospeller : EVANGELIC

7-down – Musical gilt-edged, as it happens : OLIVER

8-down – See 19 : DANCER

10-down – A power no longer, in French produce ’tis going to pot, I fear, in the end : BRITISHEMPIRE

14-down – Chap I decorate, that’s not on as a declaration of intent : MANIFESTO

15-down – Wind unloaded from one’s guts : DUODENAL

16-down – I agree to try and try again : HEARHEAR

18-down – Filled with goods, up-ended dark red food container : EGGCUP

19-down – Santa’s reindeer attached to old motor, one with bells on? : MORRIS

22-down – Veteran during apartheid, locked up : OLDIE

1-across – What Scots eat is of poor quality, we hear : TATTIE

4-across – Fruit in two hands : PAWPAW

9-across – Cross about leading member of the Establishment : ZERO

10-across – Filthy talk male abandoned coming to the female domain : SUTHERLAND

11-across – Creator of Pluto — with money being spun! : DISNEY

12-across – Finish with nothing and grumble — you may have got the pip : ENDOCARP

13-across – Delight to be had for nothing in days gone by : PLEASENCE

15-across – The first person to settle in the West Country : SMEW

16-across – Wildly providing brief message that there’s nothing to worry about? : AMOK

17-across – Rate bacon bad on account of salt : CARBONATE

21-across – Sole clot messing about? He had a funny partner : COSTELLO

22-across – Don’t just nibble your food! : WOLFIT

24-across – A bit in the paper, one of about 2,000 Nelson was given? : COLUMNINCH

25-across – Huge agency makes a hospital suffer a setback : NASA

26-across – Evil place of illegal activity : SINDEN

27-across – Malodorous fluid in filthy place : STINKY

1-down – TV 6 : THEBILL

2-down – Ye began with this source of annoyance : THORN

3-down – Yeltsin getting drunk with no expense spared : INSTYLE

5-down – It’s continued with, after apologies have been given : AGENDA

6-down – Officers in prison keeping order with insects invading : POLICEMEN

7-down – Opportunity around end of summer for hay being left to dry? : WINDROW

8-down – It’s rotten chap that’s out to bend the rules : STRETCHAPOINT

14-down – A couple of brief illnesses bringing a complete change of mind : ABOUTTURN

16-down – Hot men embraced by a timid sort, inadequately : AMOROUS

18-down – Front feverish — foes finally within striking distance at Agincourt : BOWSHOT

19-down – Leaving party, dotty Irish drunk — not one needing a Guinness? : THIRSTY

20-down – Quiet organ before start of evensong : PLUNGE

23-down – Revolutionary leader gets churned up inside : LINEN

1-across – See 22 down : CROWFLIES

6-across – Bird magazine : TIME

8-across – Robin redbreast’s opening wings to accelerate, furiously flying : AIRBORNE

9-across – See 3 : EQUALS

10-across – Old publisher picks up on leader in Times : HEARST

11-across – Stone after May, the new birthstone for February : AMETHYST

12-across – Flower power, hugging resistance : STREAM

15-across – Star in girl here, you bet! : LASVEGAS

16-across – Prison bog aligned with one of 24’s characters, initially lacking : BELMARSH

19-across – Lib-Dem and Labour leaders arrested : NICKED

21-across – One’s bowled over by girl, a maiden in Madrid : SENORITA

22-across – Backplate for armadillo, perhaps? : ANIMAL

24-across – Author who’s more devious? : ARCHER

25-across – Straightening muscle enters ox with a bit jiggling : EXTENSOR

26-across – It is so amazing making egg noodles for starters : AMEN

27-across – Wet and naked, display rear in defiance and something on one’s finger : SHOWERING

1-down – Conservative potentate up for perjury, perhaps : CRIME

2-down – Tory author : OSBORNE

3-down – 24’s e-book? : FIRST

4-down – I ask to safeguard leaders in expedition, frozen in glacial collapse : ICEFALL

5-down – Some egoist, even so, notorious author : STEVENSON

6-down – Difficult problem for gangster : TOUGHIE

7-down – Drink uses fish : MILKSHAKE

13-down – Whistler constrained by impossible mother, leaving that place : THEREFROM

14-down – Planet going around like the sun, day approaching fast : MARDIGRAS

17-down – Bird — tailless bird in daydream : MOORHEN

18-down – Chuck contents of shoe, for the boot : HEAVEHO

20-down – Drink, one in tune with Italy : CHIANTI

22-down – 24’s going straight? : ASTHE

23-down – See 3 : AMONG

5-across – Mount watch in case : HUNTER

6-across – Assist business to mail packages : SECOND

9-across – Strong shock when heart’s bypassed in power cut : OUTAGE

10-across – Like bad jokes, limited supply left to crack : ILLTIMED

11-across – Current changeover : TIDE

12-across – English bird is circling moor for endless periods : ETERNITIES

13-across – 8, for instance, discussed vetoed editorials : BANDLEADERS

18-across – Teams got rid of injured wings, perhaps : SIDESWIPED

21-across – It’s touch and go : MOVE

22-across – John Gay’s overly evid­ent in Amazing Grace : COTTAGER

23-across – Peer into the unknown twice per annum : YEARLY

24-across – Jock’s cross, forgetting Latin work by Juvenal, say : SATIRE

25-across – Hurry to develop a proposal for it : COMEON

1-down – Old South American artist hosts writer privately : INCAMERA

2-down – Cut power escaping from exhaust : DELETE

3-down – Row during late duke’s set : DECLINED

4-down – He believes in one being sweaty around noon : MONIST

5-down – Mingling with these beauties, Ali could be hilarious : HOURIS

7-down – Rushdie’s eloquent about this source of power : DIESEL

8-down – [See preamble] : TIMEKEEPERS

14-down – Does regular income protect royal widows? : DOWAGERS

15-down – A politician is furious defending riots : RAMPAGES

16-down – Big shop stocks an assortment of iron keys : MINORS

17-down – Old gardener’s extremely lonely in flat : EVELYN

19-down – Assess writer’s lost property : ESTATE

20-down – Anybody swimming anonymously doesn’t board : DAYBOY