Daily Answers

1-across – Charlie blowing a horn for each vessel coming in … : PARKER

4-across – … for each vessel sounds get better : PERKUP

9-across – Mostly bisexual, including one tart : ACID

10-across – Some hair in food rejected by the Queen — somebody’s head rolls! : BURGERBUNS

11-across – One-dimensional adult aboard ship : LINEAR

12-across – See 17 : HIAWATHA

13-across – I’m 80% black and so hot, dancing all over the place : SHAMBOLIC

15-across – Some hitch a ride daily : CHAR

16-across – A function of envy, say, at its outset : SINE

17-across – Ghost, often losing heart, sorted out rent account — what a strange source of inspiration for 25 2 20 : THESONGOF

21-across – Locate river pollution at source? It’s all uphill from here : BASECAMP

22-across – Book by 25 2 20, or by 20 25 2? : SAMUEL

24-across – I’m left struggling over an exam until the very last moment! : FORALLTIME

25-across – Old king beheaded female that’s aroused royal musician : COLE

26-across – Cashier catches a cold in old carriage : FIACRE

27-across – Hot, sexy new mate replacing previous incumbent : STEAMY

1-down – I am at home being mischievous : PUCKISH

2-down – See 25 : RIDGE

3-down – Self-absorbed male lawyers authorised trade-off : EMBARGO

5-down – Ernie regularly has little 22 turning up for injections : ENEMAS

6-down – A black hunk caught out skipping work by 25 2 or 25 2 20? : KUBLAKHAN

7-down – Roast the right beast : PANTHER

8-down – Chief mistake — zero cut in fee for office overseas, say? : ARCHBISHOPRIC

14-down – 12’s love of men in floppy hats : MINNEHAHA

16-down – It helps to raise the water level if food has run out : SHADOOF

18-down – Dodgy American Pie covers penned by 22 25 2 20, initially : SUSPECT

19-down – Cover a superior song? : OVERLAY

20-down – See 25 : TAYLOR

23-down – Brown partial to a dram? Och aye! : MOCHA

1-across – Opening word of cryptic message not good : SESAME

4-across – Romany almost turns on girl with a telescope : SPYGLASS

9-across – Sheriff starts in pursuit — it’s a bit of a dance : CHASSE

10-across – The Spanish manage without Miss Spenlow, where wealth is thought to be had : ELDORADO

11-across – Limited resource feeds ten somehow before chucking out : DEFENESTRATION

13-across – A great deal of nothing? : HYPERSPACE

14-across – Character of Borodin and Stravinsky : IGOR

16-across – Go on endlessly about not being decent : LEWD

18-across – Mean euphemistically a lone comic turn : ECONOMICAL

21-across – Made bread turn into carbon perhaps? : BURNTTOACINDER

23-across – Weight of Kipling’s work about record with soldiers : KILOGRAM

24-across – Scot ill in African city : IBADAN

25-across – The Times displaying lack of enlightenment? : DARKAGES

26-across – Object of Bush’s war — a bit of tactical blunder : TERROR

1-down – Wine container : SACK

2-down – Dine without fish in the revolution : SHAKEUP

3-down – Deer English attempt to get with small arms fire : MUSKETRY

5-down – Old school gets Chico plenty confused! : POLYTECHNIC

6-down – Chuck takes young lady round in many countries : GLOBAL

7-down – A parent with vitality — that’s fabulous! : AMAZING

8-down – Old nurse caught naughty miscreant : SCOUNDREL

12-down – Cough up and look forward to speak : EXPECTORATE

13-down – Far from 21, like party policies? : HALFBAKED

15-down – In a walk, girl is willing to be led : AMENABLE

17-down – Following hostilities, rebel elements out east get bird : WARBLER

19-down – Shiny element surrounding Ibsen character in Somerset : CHEDDAR

20-down – Mark time in classic character : STIGMA

22-down – Knot turns foul : KNAR

8-across – Time in its entirety? : ETERNITY

9-across – Could be weeping at prospect of debt being endless : WILLOW

10-across – Prize for knocking top off crowbar : EMMY

11-across – 24 down’s 24 down — but what’s played sounds like 22 across : QUEENSCLUB

12-across – See 24 : ASPADE

14-across – Mimosa on river’s course : RAINTREE

15-across – Comrade rebel doing stuff : BROCADE

17-across – A reason for being a stick-in-the-mud? : AGROUND

20-across – Leave 24 down out for fish : SKIPJACK

22-across – Combination of 24 downs : TENACE

23-across – Spooky friend entertaining artist at opera : PARANORMAL

24-across – Bid one 24 down twice, to be honest : CALL

25-across – 2 of 16 gets sworn at : DEUCED

26-across – Receiving refusal, I admit not being aware : IGNORANT

1-down – A skinflint about to spray : ATOMISER

2-down – Playing 24 down starts upsetting solvers : TREY

3-down – Unglazed soup? Repeat part of question : BISQUE

4-down – Past 24 down for learning? : BYHEART

5-down – Bird with 24 down showing off : SWANKING

6-down – Be without god amid loads of money and I will supply fruit for gin : BLACKTHORN

7-down – Amount to be read? : VOLUME

13-down – Septic tank mostly mentioned in 24 down: no regrets then? : ACCEPTANCE

16-down – 24 downs intimate with young female? : DIAMONDS

18-down – Isthmian railway could take the plunge : NECKLINE

19-down – Remove surface of road with a shrub : SKIMMIA

21-down – Refained weapons for 24 downs? : KNAVES

22-down – Gift of old money? : TALENT

24-down – Character of pack member : CARD

1-across – Gore visible in explosion to give added weight : BALLAST

5-across – Book not telling you what’s what? : WHOSWHO

10-across – 27 23’s prop : LEAN

11-across – Note to drop back, discovering flammable substance : NATURALGAS

12-across – Fruit that’s red in story : LICHEE

13-across – Roman nation’s not finished with runner : POLANSKI

14-across – 27 23 with sailor and soldier in love : TARANTINO

16-across – 27 23’s gem : STONE

17-across – 27 23, top artist : CAPRA

19-across – 27 23 has problem getting raise : HITCHCOCK

23-across – See 27 : DIRECTOR

24-across – Farmer taking solvers to the country : YEOMAN

26-across – 27 23, great mind capturing extremes in scene : EISENSTEIN

27-across – Minister behind princess behind mist for 13, perhaps : FILM

28-across – Most fastidious to put away in home : NEATEST

29-across – 27 23 made a splash with Italy : FELLINI

2-down – Brave home has ’er housed in a rocky compound : AMERICA

3-down – 27 23 put to death without trial : LYNCH

4-down – 27 23 posted around the Web : SENNETT

6-down – A king in conduct is a king : HAROLD

7-down – Irritable client distraught about closure of trade, underlining price at the start : SPLENETIC

8-down – Try to know and listen : HEARKEN

9-down – It’s set up to make daily notes for paid magistrates : STIPENDIARIES

15-down – Bond, spy carrying on with English maiden : AGREEMENT

18-down – Silly, like one square : ASININE

20-down – Capital letters 11 and 14, say : CAYENNE

21-down – 27 23 upping record during series : CHAPLIN

22-down – Old police sergeant’s initial lack of activity : STASIS

25-down – Refuse old king over royal posterior : OFFAL

1-across – Concerned with teeth … : ODONTIC

5-across – … one dentally challenged : ANTBEAR

10-across – … Paradise Lost : EDEN

11-across – Coming back, but never coming back to unconsciousness : REENTRANCE

12-across – Record protection maybe for heart : SLEEVE

13-across – One of 10 27 gives a US university, topped and turned, £1000 : AARDVARK

14-across – One of 10 27, one right out of mind and sick with love : ARMADILLO

16-across – Wrong ideas concealed from rest of cast? : ASIDE

17-across – One of 10 27 is a sin : SLOTH

19-across – One politician, sound in record, falling suddenly towards the centre : IMPLODING

23-across – One of 10 27 from African country not complete in number : PANGOLIN

24-across – Subtle point for actor Tom to abandon extension : NUANCE

26-across – The last sin, journalists without money: we must try and save them : ENDANGERED

27-across – See 10 : TATA

28-across – Deprived people in favour of backing German : ORPHANS

29-across – See 26 : SPECIES

2-down – Cheat, full of holes with change of ends : DIDDLER

3-down – Chapel rather than church for the time being? : NONCE

4-down – Citizen is artist and priest : ISRAELI

6-down – Adverse decision of video referee without a lawyer : NOTARY

7-down – Take my tip: small ball’s against the other side : BEADVISED

8-down – Worm with most of a sidecar inside : ASCARID

9-down – Star of the bench takes part of course: the whole may ruin reform : LEGALLUMINARY

15-down – A tough problem assuming responsibility for signature : AUTOGRAPH

18-down – One making some money should have a plate put up : LEARNER

20-down – Speaker embracing nude characters one after another : LINEDUP

21-down – Ribbon development on isthmus needs link : NECKTIE

22-down – Continue to lose energy and bottle : FLAGON

25-down – Old American sleuth pursuing extremes : AZTEC