Daily Answers

9-across – Every bit of checked cotton fabric topped by creator of 17 : ALLINGHAM

10-across – Manage return getting hard time : EPOCH

11-across – Black mood of the French couple : DESPAIR

12-across – Fliers’ ‘aircut? : AIRCREW

13-across – Name of someone I love : NEIL

14-across – Letters to me, Mister? Possibly, like most of our creators’ work : POSTMORTEM

15-across – Motion of member : LEGWORK

17-across – Wild flower for winner out of hospital : CAMPION

19-across – I turn early out of ordinary language : UNLITERARY

22-across – 13’s given right of possession : LIEN

23-across – It’s on the road for a while, d’you hear, you chaps? : BITUMEN

24-across – God is within – don’t speak the language : SPANISH

26-across – Make another journey with a pictorial puzzle? : REBUS

27-across – Journeying by train moving round point : ITINERANT

1-down – Churchman’s book begun by one : CARDINALNUMBERS

2-down – Red port? : FLUSHING

3-down – Irish saint from 25 : ENDA

4-down – Homes pronounced without hesitation to be of inferior quality : SHERLOCK

5-down – Mark left by bit of monkey business? : IMPART

6-down – Home organised to keep royal oil available – that’s where it should stay : HEIRLOOM

7-down – 4 to order one tripe : POIROT

8-down – Novel with name one with novel : THEWOMANINWHITE

16-down – ? No, I choose good visibility : OPTIMISM

17-down – About time – is Bond creator of 7? : CHRISTIE

18-down – Little object going back to one state when hostile : INIMICAL

20-down – Leaves alone, having you to follow? : LETSBE

21-down – Graded home for creator of 26 : RANKIN

25-down – A retreat into port : ADEN

9-across – Two animals in 1 miss point of herb : HOREHOUND

10-across – Turn both ways and turn to rock : ULURU

11-across – Writer on French river : SURTEES

12-across – River encircling gold rush : TORRENT

13-across – Bess’s partner losing head in rave : ORGY

14-across – Attorney gives drink to one that’s stoned : PERRYMASON

16-across – It raises the right that’s wrong to start with : THERMAL

17-across – Mob observed blades working together : GANGSAW

19-across – Guise in which I came to earth at ease : FACILITATE

22-across – See 23 : SCOT

24-across – Being processed while travelling? : INTRAIN

25-across – Spotted one American writer regressing into fat : LEOPARD

26-across – Prepare for marriage? : GROOM

27-across – Inferior language with note causing expansion : INFLATING

1-down – A lot of actors’ organisations hold to f-family 8, according to 11 : THESPORTOFKINGS

2-down – Conclude sittings supporting villain : PROROGUE

3-down – Man in group could be 20 : SHEET

4-down – Summary: loonies get damnation : NUTSHELL

5-down – Person in charge of 3 used it originally for piece : EDITOR

6-down – Ask about one day’s complaint : QUERIMONY

7-down – Venue for 21 in New York, often 1? : QUEENS

8-down – Night wind to stir during embraces now banned : HUNTINGWITHDOGS

15-down – Rifles ship carrying poet : SMALLARMS

17-down – Story with no ending provided: horse around and cease to be a nerd : GETALIFE

18-down – Type of dialogue in acrostic form : SOCRATIC

20-down – Plant for spinner and golfer : COTTON

21-down – 1, perhaps, hence court? : TENNIS

23-down – Meeting for 1, perhaps, without a train : ROYAL

1-across – Expected level has to burst, in a manner of speaking : PARLANCE

5-across – Flock to see Rex wearing skimpy underwear : THRONG

9-across – Crowing British like Kent, perhaps? : BOASTFUL

10-across – Nothing to tease if receding for hairdresser : FIGARO

12-across – 8s, Spooner’s drawing paper : ROWINGTEAMS

15-across – 8s exist among bridge opponents : WARES

17-across – First of athletes stepped into some sports arena : ASTRODOME

18-across – One’s shown vaccine after getting old : EXHIBITOR

19-across – Alien man left woman : ETHEL

20-across – Old blue tit protects one brooding close to rattlesnake : THATCHERITE

24-across – Acrophobia – suggesting 8s? : NOHEAD

25-across – Black reptile travelling west through Slough : SCORCHED

26-across – 8s packed in hairy thing, bum : BEGGAR

27-across – I wound soldier one greatly admires : IDOLISER

1-down – Itinerant drinker turning up, caught punching aggressive type : PUBCRAWLER

2-down – Tory Howard drunk, but fit to drive : ROADWORTHY

3-down – London district’s current fashion : ACTON

4-down – Hearing having apprehended officer – here? : COURTMARTIAL

6-down – Weird alien shot something from the sky : HAILSTONE

7-down – Country dipsomaniac’s drunk : OMAN

8-down – Virtuous Creator filled with love : GOOD

11-down – Chemical having treated cataract, iris almost beginning to discolour : TARTARICACID

13-down – See 24 across : FORHEIGHTS

14-down – Salamander’s agony over drinking session : HELLBENDER

16-down – Lower levels from which a prostitute’s transport pulled up : SUBSTRATA

21-down – Brought up learning to enter name – do just that : ENROL

22-down – Stud hit from below : KNOB

23-down – Bird leaves, if fuming : SHAG

9-across – Find one’s way east with eastern queen : ORIENTEER

10-across – Get information in king’s name : LEARN

11-across – Biblical character’s holding a quarter of a quarter : TWOBITS

12-across – It takes initiation into cunning with humour : WITTILY

13-across – Royal beasts in 16 : PRIDE

14-across – Did for setter – died on return of agent : PERFORMED

16-across – Sensed any devils about? : SEVENDEADLYSINS

19-across – Provide some French birds with balance : EQUIPOISE

21-across – Singular French city in 16 : ANGER

22-across – French film, work of Calderon, non-starter : LARONDE

23-across – Hungry-looking Roman fool, one in copper’s grasp : CASSIUS

24-across – Arboreal edentate in 16 : SLOTH

25-across – Wine laced with intoxicant in procession : CAVALCADE

1-down – Overly over in the set cleaner : TOOTHPASTE

2-down – Supposed letter-writer put last first, that is during bonfire day : ZINOVIEV

3-down – Engrave corollary to Ltd is US : INCISE

4-down – Headwater : NESS

5-down – Game without winner may help defence : DRAWBRIDGE

6-down – Too much Blair in 16 : GLUTTONY

7-down – Produce of Umbria for meal : BARIUM

8-down – New version reported in 16 : ENVY

14-down – Live quietly with no charge, unknown in the White House : PRESIDENCY

15-down – Shorn and sad : DISTRESSED

17-down – One man without love and confined inside needs cure for grief : NEPENTHE

18-down – Rare version of Antarctic bird with no head and a plate between legs : INGUINAL

20-down – Be radical when it’s your turn to pour : UPROOT

21-down – Divine articles on tree : ANSELM

22-down – Some years without spirit in 16 : LUST

23-down – Fellow taking to us 4 in 16 : COVE

8-across – Old man’s port, a US city : PASADENA

9-across – Note victory in short race : BREVE

10-across – Miss trip : SKIP

11-across – kcul? : REVERSALOF

12-across – ylper? : ANSWER

14-across – Vertical position : STANDING

15-across – See 11 : FORTUNE

17-across – One doesn’t believe two articles at first : ATHEIST

20-across – Postpone dance after some weeks, name withdrawn : MOTHBALL

22-across – Ultimate strategy, seeking holiday destination : RESORT

23-across – ytud? : TAXRETURNS

24-across – See 12 : BACK

25-across – Fellow in nude unfortunately short of a nibble : UNFED

26-across – Problem in The Listener can fool us : TINNITUS

1-down – Meet western singer entertaining relations : WALKINTO

2-down – See 22 : DAMP

3-down – Slip under front of truck in panic : TERROR

4-down – Gather not entirely stiff underwear : HARVEST

5-down – Wandering king managed to access help : ABERRANT

6-down – Ridiculously large dress, anyhow : REGARDLESS

7-down – Horse – one bitten by bird : HEROIN

13-down – Spelling withholding C, cunning : WITCHCRAFT

16-down – Wave painted with energy, though little movement of water : NEAPTIDE

18-down – eert? : SPRUCEUP

19-down – God housed in conurbation seeks unimpeded view : CLARITY

21-down – Essential to stop a question appearing dull : OPAQUE

22-down – tew? : RISING

24-down – Bowled, needing edge – and getting one! : BRIM