Daily Answers

1-across – Before little one emerg­es, an aquatic bird shelters brown back : ANTENATAL

6-across – Nation for sale? : TOGO

8-across – Landlord has to declare in retrieval of payment : TAVERNER

9-across – Strange being inside baby animal, as it is unborn : FOETAL

10-across – Casually named work of Michelangelo in an inverted state : NEVADA

11-across – Bacon not entirely accepts one freaky artist! : LEONARDO

12-across – A Cuban leader retired, revolutionary sort? : CASTRO

15-across – City team doesn’t have to reveal supporter : SKELETON

16-across – Calvary became hot in recollection of a diary : GOLGOTHA

19-across – See 2 : SUPPER

21-across – Stick outside as window frame : CASEMENT

22-across – See 6 down : MUTANT

24-across – Capital of the country, capital of Albania : TIRANA

25-across – 11’s nation holds on while in recession : MONALISA

26-across – Head scalped in days gone by : ONCE

27-across – Where international cricketers play fast, having lost opener: no will here : INTESTACY

1-down – Saw the era of Saatchi & Saatchi? : ADAGE

2-down – 11’s wasted less with that part of a shoe : THELAST

3-down – See 6 : NINJA

4-down – See 6 : TURTLES

5-down – Romeo and Juliet gobbling newt — what remains? : LEFTOVERS

6-down – 11 was one of those extraordinary men, just genuine talent at art : TEENAGE

7-down – August goes with rain, Scotland ultimately stormy : GRANDIOSE

13-down – 11’s delivery theirs in short movement : ADORATION

14-down – See 13 : OFTHEMAGI

17-down – Potential danger with pineapple, pin being pulled and fruit going off? : GRENADE

18-down – Go towards and lead astray : ATTEMPT

20-down – Bone specialist finally placed in dish : PATELLA

22-down – Sign in sum dashed? : MINUS

23-down – Mean to get some protection as tyrant : NASTY

9-across – See 22 : ANDHEARTY

10-across – Inspirer of poetry by lecturer at Oxford : ERATO

11-across – Firm on fire is causing bellyache : COLITIS

12-across – Brutus, it was said, made good return in case : NOBLEST

13-across – A team’s centre of revolution : AXIS

14-across – Wee woolly with springy harness : BABYJUMPER

16-across – Runner to behold setter in body cavity : COELOME

17-across – Wizard with standard return outside : GANDALF

19-across – Alfresco eateries are a bore, regressing into adolescence : TEAGARDENS

22-across – Fit as a fiddle though heat had nearly killed me : HALE

24-across – Plant and lay out from varied 22 9 : HEATHER

25-across – Religion about half priced? It’s my fault : CULPRIT

26-across – Like men we won : ASHES

27-across – Home Christian keeping pet as a sign : INDICATOR

1-down – No holds barred in casual approach to fielding? : CATCHASCATCHCAN

2-down – Scenes for 26: : ADELAIDE

3-down – … : PERTH

4-down – … : BRISBANE

5-down – … : SYDNEY

6-down – … : MELBOURNE

7-down – Call to puke regrettably after state of 3 : WAKEUP

8-down – Fish turned to bull in Spain when Keith, correspondent of the Queen, gets appropriate degree : DOCTOROFLETTERS

15-down – Religious life is belief in royalty without the royal : MONACHISM

17-down – Lack of detectives probing horse is disastrous to race : GENOCIDE

18-down – Promptness, city style, arresting redhead : ALACRITY

20-down – Bisyllabic hooligan meets trisyllabic American : APACHE

21-down – Scientist additional to 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6? : DARWIN

23-down – Girl coming under the foregoing? : ALICE

7-across – Northerner’s age — or diet — has no bounds : GEORDIE

8-across – Say Evelyn said Hank : WARLOCK

9-across – Having no master from the start, pro swallows back drink at far edge of green : FREE

10-across – Small sketch of Tom and Spike? : THUMBNAIL

12-across – See 15 : BRAIN

13-across – Lean right and put out bust : BANKRUPT

15-across – Charlie, 1960s-style girl: underwear accepted : BIRD

16-across – Miss going east of eastern tip of Shandong : GLASS

17-across – See 9 : BORN

18-across – Gave credit for publicity about writer : ASCRIBED

20-across – Familiar state, yet un­familiar : MATEY

21-across – Dog hides tail after phosphorous feed : PROVENDER

22-across – Say Bill is rejected : CAGE

24-across – Flanks of inferior antelope : IRELAND

25-across – Performing is welcomed by the Bee Gees, family-wise : GIBBONS

1-down – Strange date ditched : WEIR

2-down – A friend he lost : FREEHAND

3-down – No time to drink up : PISTON

4-down – Doctor Richard Leakey’s fossil hunters famously did in 1984 : SAWBONES

5-down – Broadcast about sports body star : ALTAIR

6-down – As carboxylic acid is lacy, top to bottom : ACYL

11-down – Out of bed, possibly dreadlocked, so dressed down : UPBRAIDED

12-down – Chablis ousts tea on Sunday! : BLISS

14-down – Catherine the Sixth : PARRY

16-down – Side Wall has old Hollywood heartthrob teamed with Close : GABLEEND

17-down – But beach bum is a water softener : BATHCUBE

19-down – Act like a pig, covering flipping lot with eggs : ROOTLE

20-down – Big fish — both sides consumed by chief : MARLIN

21-down – Gin tipped over? : PART

23-down – Kelly, one of many passed on? : GENE

1-across – Anticipatory point, I see, said to follow one of the people : PROLEPTIC

6-across – It provides food in the wild but has me worried : BUSH

8-across – Be aware of non-western Japanese invader : KNOTWEED

9-across – East German fairy to lose breath … and power of movement? : OSSIFY

10-across – Initial offer a good way round? : GAMBIT

11-across – Old hat to be crushed? Only put inside : OBSOLETE

12-across – So free not to vote for police department : PAIRED

15-across – Universal among goals is the clearance of river beds : SCOURING

16-across – Xerophyte is king : TAMARISK

19-across – Scrambled up tree seeking fame : REPUTE

21-across – Letters on a stake : ALPHABET

22-across – Bird heard noise of old train : CHOUGH

24-across – Compel to do a favour : OBLIGE

25-across – Doctor’s sovereign article : HOUSEMAN

26-across – See 6 : MEAT

27-across – Only one in a suit wearing a vest : SINGLETON

1-down – Peninsular and Albert? A beast! : PANDA

2-down – When to start on Christmassy things — or be extremely reluctant? : OCTOBER

3-down – Apply energetically to the right : EXERT

4-down – Boy finding bills boring : TEDIOUS

5-down – General inspection in the 18? : COOKSTOUR

6-down – I want to get on with sculptured portrait on the French river : BUSTLER

7-down – Peter the leader gives protection to the fallen : SAFETYNET

13-down – Balaclava that is of no account may be there if needed : AVAILABLE

14-down – Doctors, footballers or babies : DRIBBLERS

17-down – First time crime for Dawkins? : ATHEIST

18-down – £1,000 hot spot : KITCHEN

20-down – Demo expert : PROTEST

22-down – Putting herb in chlorine is unkind : CRUEL

23-down – Lie of the wood in salt or sand : GRAIN

8-across – Lawrence told people about Henry’s fundraiser : TELETHON

9-across – Shell out for primitive deal? : COWRIE

10-across – Old writer, one working as decorator in firm : CICERO

11-across – Ranger’s friend turns into the opposite, making low comment : FOOTNOTE

12-across – Ex’s allowance not providing for any car : LIMO

13-across – Contradiction — Georgia, proverbially? : GAINSAYING

15-across – This spare tyre would be one! : LETDOWN

16-across – Clearer of conscience, Shed pens of himself : CASUIST

18-across – Make Violet put back ginger biscuit : BRANDYSNAP

19-across – August following in short tribal division : SEPT

20-across – Inspirational work almost cutting supplies : FINEARTS

22-across – One fled French regime after Revolution : EMIGRE

23-across – Bordeaux’s patron saint with her object of patronage? Not half : CLARET

24-across – Threesome accepted by topless goddess produces a great time! : ETERNITY

1-down – The Times, Le Monde, Die Welt, El Pais and La Stampa will be sure to include it : DEFINITEARTICLE

2-down – Pioneer of space travel making messenger stick with study — swell! : GENERODDENBERRY

3-down – Route to maltreatment? No energy : THROUGHWAY

4-down – The game’s over — ready to meet one’s maker : SNUFFIT

5-down – The chorusmaster’s response from the choir : ECHO

6-down – Many left search in Year One — cracking game! : TWENTYQUESTIONS

7-down – Supporter does, as fan letter paid off : LIFTANDSEPARATE

14-down – With current female covered by separate condition : SWAMPFEVER

17-down – Liqueur that is understood to infuse information-bearer upwards : ANISEED

21-down – Hotel announced legal documentation : RITZ