Daily Answers

9-across – Agency to make something happen when a country lass : CAUSALITY

10-across – Satisfactory note about money obtained from property on street : STOKE

11-across – Only half competent, you, not finishing, may offer excuse : ABSOLVE

12-across – See 10 : ONTRENT

13-across – Cautious, making love without sex? : CHARY

14-across – Queen in bind in mad area associated with 4 21 across : POTTERIES

16-across – Nice coppers to lie, almost fooling their senior officer : POLICEINSPECTOR

19-across – Turns into barren areas of deserts, possibly : DEFORESTS

21-across – More than one place has to be found after road junction : TOWNS

22-across – Fielder in the deep catches Kent’s tail-ender : LONGTON

23-across – Slumber is disturbed : BURSLEM

24-across – Size of paper hat : CROWN

25-across – Promoter of product making one’s lager fantastic : SLOGANEER

1-down – Damage home computer memory : SCRATCHPAD

2-down – Lots of wine on bench at market? : TUNSTALL

3-down – River, one flowing out into dried grass : HANLEY

4-down – Cardinal’s expression of disgust about Vatican City : FIVE

5-down – Philosophical reality that could excite sophist, say : HYPOSTASIS

6-down – Line on map in this other empire : ISOTHERE

7-down – At foot of tree trunk note fungi : BOLETI

8-down – Church officer not operating in ecclesiastical office : SEXT

14-down – Is wrongdoing admitted by newspapers being goody-goody? : PRISSINESS

15-down – Man under pressure to make contribution to phonetic dictionary : STRESSMARK

17-down – What may be converted to vitamin A, one trace dissolving : CAROTENE

18-down – Kicked around a watery hole, maybe — must get dried : TOWELLED

20-down – Heartless criminal takes in holy books : FENTON

21-down – Someone feared two strike-breakers turning up : TARTAR

22-down – Jam in cupboard, a third gone : LOCK

23-down – What may be furrowed, like soil mostly? : BROW

1-across – A difficult crossword book : HARDTIMES

6-across – Heroines — pursued without energy : DASH

8-across – Raise pincers back to front: where does one get those from? : SUPPLIER

9-across – Instruction to players in northern team when one short : PRESTO

10-across – Criminal kidnaps extremely naive heroine : BENNET

11-across – Maybe pet, having got dry, needs drink : AIREDALE

12-across – Did a little jogging, almost free : RANSOM

15-across – One said to be dead cross about love receiving answer : DOORNAIL

16-across – Gave news of my divorce? : IMPARTED

19-across – Author brings a number to the Guardian : AUSTEN

21-across – A possibility of acquiring a daughter? : ADOPTION

22-across – Man judge hopes will swing : JOSEPH

24-across – Poet has extra line for heroine : ELLIOT

25-across – Dwarf’s back home wearing shortened swimming costume : MANNIKIN

26-across – Heroine wanted to speak to Parliament : WOOD

27-across – Drink bowl of soup noisily; this 1 of 5 a day? : NECTARINE

1-down – See 26 : HOUSE

2-down – Welshman holding cask does not reveal content : REPINES

3-down – Plot development in second part of novel : TWIST

4-down – Heroine loses a ring in wild country : MORLAND

5-down – Wonderful month goes with a big bang : SUPERNOVA

6-down – Not all clothes end in tatters, coming from China : DRESDEN

7-down – Was judge burning to talk to underling? : SATELLITE

13-down – One plated up, giving off aroma including herb : ARMADILLO

14-down – Woman heartily contrite, suffering a lot of weight : METRICTON

17-down – Not being pure, program gave false answer : APPLIED

18-down – Such a worker dealing with admin extremely crisply? : DYNAMIC

20-down – As welcome to elite force, I’m passed up raw flesh to eat : SASHIMI

22-down – Military rulers some days need appreciation : JUNTA

23-down – Heroine’s parking on the grass : PRICE

1-across – Supplements for the dead and injured : ADDENDA

5-across – Not being there and not drinking out of can : ABSENCE

10-across – Strasbourg out of order? On the contrary! : ASBO

11-across – Possible damage to vehicle : ACHIEVABLE

12-across – Before 9, delight in being generous : LAVISH

13-across – Brazil may be nothing to France, having the ultimate in restaurant food : NUTRIENT

14-across – Tiny vase differed, as halved and returned in statement : AFFIDAVIT

16-across – Tucker’s partner joins the French in a book : BIBLE

17-across – Before 9, get to ooze : LEACH

19-across – It’s a total wreck: get garage : AGGREGATE

23-across – Really ravenous readers? — that’s some alliteration! : LITERATI

24-across – Epidemic in the city before 9 : PLAGUE

26-across – Leaves shocking war secrets : WATERCRESS

27-across – Vitality prevalent before 9 : LIFE

28-across – Send a message to Maurice, perhaps, for material : TEXTILE

29-across – City accommodation in some anonymity : NEWYORK

2-down – Pertaining to females — awfully staid females : DISTAFF

3-down – What contributes to both ulcerative colitis and gastroenteritis? : ECOLI

4-down – Money for church in play : DRACHMA

6-down – Inspiration note filed where Archimedes found his : BREATH

7-down – Considering cutback on excavation : EXAMINING

8-down – Officer who called an inquest before 9 : COLONEL

9-down – Defection is suspended in gas on the 15th? : CHANGINGSIDES

15-down – Rise before 9 — that’s harsh : INCLEMENT

18-down – Pluck and energy needed by someone washing hands : EPILATE

20-down – Rather intriguing puzzle — online solvers’ thoughtful effort leads to the answer : RIPOSTE

21-down – To date, one needs a variety of fur hats : THUSFAR

22-down – Wipe out tropical disease before 9 : CANCEL

25-down – Calm arrangement before 9 : ALLAY

1-across – See instructions : BEIRUTOSLOSEOUL

9-across – Soft digital covers Boy George adores : KIDGLOVES

10-across – Emblem of a form of betting — the first of many : TOTEM

11-across – Comes across critic after opening of show : SPANNER

12-across – Recall miracle play : RECLAIM

13-across – Resources show very little money : SOU

14-across – Anticipate front view : FORESEE

17-across – Avoid one on delegation : MISSION

19-across – Credential unfortun­ately leaving out end item : ARTICLE

22-across – Continually criticise bird’s capacity : HENPECK

24-across – Say no to old marshal : NEY

25-across – A need is to provide liquid flavouring : ANISEED

26-across – Choose to dispense with tool : PICKAXE

28-across – Hungrily devour bird : RAVEN

29-across – Come on in —coffee perhaps? : SWEETENER

30-across – See instructions : BERNPARISBERLIN

1-down – See instructions : BAKUSOFIAZAGREB

2-down – Country favoured aid redistribution : INDIA

3-down – Good periods getting to secure higher areas : UPLANDS

4-down – Heads face up to old boy’s poetry : OBVERSE

5-down – Crave spirit after five years : LUSTRUM

6-down – Supports include hospital attention-seeking devices : SHTICKS

7-down – Review riot cases ban : OSTRACISE

8-down – See instructions : LIMAMINSKTEHRAN

15-down – Trier somehow always one to get things back : RETRIEVER

16-down – Devious one up to be a general : EEL

18-down – Reserve kitchen regularly : ICE

20-down – Reduce mess list in vessel : CLEANUP

21-down – Final recipient endures being out of order : ENDUSER

22-down – They join up with egg producers who are after detailed promotional material : HYPHENS

23-down – Cheek to marry in formal wear : NECKTIE

27-down – Cancel annual outing away : ANNUL

9-across – Primarily horticultural border : HEDGE

10-across – Rock group standing round without question : STATUSQUO

11-across – Musician from Thailand with funny Biblical rock : TRUMPETER

12-across – You may get a lift from this van in Rome — stick around! : CRANE

13-across – Undesirable correspondent in rock group plans for comeback : SPAMMER

15-across – Bad food queen swallows right for dog? : TRACKER

17-across – Up to no good, luting merrily : UNTIL

18-across – Jazz fan chants unevenly : CAT

20-across – Bowie, say, printing material backing heavy metal : KNIFE

22-across – Streamers in Cork to welcome loon back : BUNTING

25-across – Fleshy part of nobleman with honour : EARLOBE

26-across – What knockers do, given pinch in tops of satiny elastic : SNIPE

27-across – Two ducks with nice leg cooked in ancient period : OLIGOCENE

30-across – Sent more compasses about ship : ADDRESSED

31-across – Newton follows star Greek mathematician : HERON

1-down – Teatime conversation : CHAT

2-down – Officer in a tuxedo heartlessly upset worker : ADJUTANT

3-down – Gander to make noise like a chick : PEEP

4-down – Mysterious coteries in disguise : ESOTERIC

5-down – Unoriginal commenter’s standard twaddle : PARROT

6-down – One cuckoo — tailless cuckoo — finds way into Brazil? : NUTCRACKER

7-down – Queen observed king must eat crow : SQUAWK

8-down – Opponent of conflict runs out of English port : DOVE

13-down – Short, fat person bowled instead of tail-ender in team : SQUAB

14-down – Philosopher espied larks about to get insects : MILLIPEDES

16-down – Old magistrate to turn up with heart of steel : REEVE

19-down – What performer doesn’t want to get lead in Scorsese film? : THEBIRDS

21-down – My! Tories messing up a form of equality : ISOMETRY

23-down – Scot from the South notices Greek maidens : NAIADS

24-down – Government to incite complaint : GROUSE

26-down – Aussie runner’s small and pale : SWAN

28-down – WWI enemy destroying British missile launch site : OCHE

29-down – Irish flower found through the internet : ERNE