Daily Answers

1-across – Slid on heel, can’t repair the weak spot : BRHILLES

5-across – See 1 across : TENDON

9-across – Ireland is cleaving Bremner for mocking : IRRISORY

10-across – Theologian has turned to embrace holy man, refined : SADDHU

11-across – Cracked basin the Degas drinkers put down : ABSINTHE

12-across – Councillor to augment outdated nursery provision : CRECHE

14-across – Well done, the solver! That was Erin’s stout assertion! : GOODFORYOU

18-across – Odd! The Guardian’s economist here with unconfirmed reports : RUMOURMILL

22-across – As insincere as a smile from Cheshire? : CHEESY

23-across – A tricky problem: with ie not one calorie in Madame Butterfly’s cuisine : TERIYAKI

24-across – Lamb devotees beginning to eat escargot over here! : ELIANS

25-across – Had I had trouble with Liberal revolutionary, would be affected : LAHDIDAH

26-across – Ascetic wobbling ’til on ‘is stem? Yes! : SIMEON

27-across – See 26 : STYLITES

1-down – Mad dog for one transferred from the Marx oeuvre : BNIMAL

2-down – Elsewhere synods embracing auto-da-fé for this : HERESY

3-down – Not netting around big fish : LOSING

4-down – Mother’s raw material for chicken feed : EARTHWORMS

6-down – Fruit with an evening in Paris: eat English and throw up! : ETAERIOS

7-down – Did Bunthorne shy stone at first travelling folk? : DIDICOYS

8-down – Upstarts? Excuse our havin’ blundered : NOUVEAUX

13-down – Mature tirade about oriental contaminant : ADULTERANT

15-down – See 1 down : CRACKERS

16-down – By what authority? I’m umpire! Out! : IMPERIUM

17-down – How a marathon competitor comes across and collides? : RUNSINTO

19-down – Petty officer can raise a child : TINDAL

20-down – Marianne personified as fantastic broad: a model! : BARDOT

21-down – See 8 : RICHES

1-across – Birds at coves, moving around : AVOCETS

5-across – Even a new boy might be so addressed : OLDCHAP

9-across – Man gets profit at the track – that’s novel : HEREWARDTHEWAKE

10-across – Libertine imbibing good French red : ROUGE

11-across – Publication – one that stands out in a crowd? : SPECTATOR

12-across – Craft to go after love, in short? : COURTSHIP

14-across – Suit to keep in good shape : BEFIT

15-across – Bring forth new arrivals from Jersey or Guernsey, say : CALVE

16-across – Holding back sailor interrupting Communist worker : RETARDANT

18-across – What elder aunt might be? Yes and no! : UNRELATED

21-across – Religious ascetic just takes king in : FAKIR

22-across – Book, as entitled: men ref checks ran off : FRENCHMANSCREEK

23-across – Lots of child’s play in damned odd lessons : DODDLES

24-across – Simplicity of style with pen : MODESTY

1-down – African language chairman mostly translated : AMHARIC

2-down – Book you and I personally like : OURMUTUALFRIEND

3-down – Put inside floral tribute we are then changing : ENWREATHE

4-down – It’s unhealthy to be out of these classes : SORTS

5-down – Immediately in a predicament : ONTHESPOT

6-down – Lived a short time after vulgar uprising : DWELT

7-down – Book depicting male black magic? : HEARTOFDARKNESS

8-down – In theatrical part, blunder over old pantomime role : PIERROT

13-down – Stiff paper used for book : HARDTIMES

14-down – So shameless after a close shave? : BAREFACED

15-down – Audibly let off steam, elated : CHUFFED

17-down – Old jailer in country imprisoning knight : TURNKEY

19-down – Pub that won’t get one stout? : LOCAL

20-down – Tough material dug up : DENIM

5-across – Show reluctance to take drug, being shy : DEMURE

6-across – * Shed a group of stars : LEANTO

9-across – Girl portrayed by artist on the beach : SANDRA

10-across – * Crystals matter to ancient Romans : RAPHIDES

11-across – The sound of one that’s avoided 13 here making escape : FLEE

12-across – Hey, sophist may offer possible explanation : HYPOTHESIS

13-across – Sort of killer in group that is taking the detectives in : INSECTICIDE

18-across – * Around South Africa it’s terribly rainy and dirty : INSANITARY

21-across – In the audience is aware there’s an organ : NOSE

22-across – * French city trip cut short : TOULOUSE

23-across – * Obvious blemish : MARKED

24-across – * The woman’s a nuisance : BOTHER

25-across – * Given food, grumbled : BEEFED

1-down – * Just a little boy : SMIDGEON

2-down – * Draw off first of beer : BROACH

3-down – Ruthless little man in charge grabbing trophy : DESPOTIC

4-down – Spirit provided when a Parisian gets to eat : UNDINE

5-down – * Notion I put out without listening : DEAFLY

7-down – Single drink for someone loved by Tatyana : ONEGIN

8-down – Appeases troubled spirit, a poet : PROPITIATES

14-down – Those who enjoy food available from US recipe : EPICURES

15-down – Boy has bit of dust on frill round neck – or is it this? : DANDRUFF

16-down – Bury silly note doctor provided : ENTOMB

17-down – A broadcast over the radio from tower : ASCEND

19-down – Former cricket commentator capturing crowd with skill : ARLOTT

20-down – Whine when girl’s thrown up on foreign sea : YAMMER

1-across – : JENESAIAQUOI

8-across – : LORELEI

9-across – : VIATICA

11-across – : YASHMAK

12-across – : RATTISH

13-across – : HASTO

14-across – : BIGSCREEN

16-across – : FOURKINGS

19-across – : ZAXIS

21-across – : ECTOPIC

23-across – : MYFANWY

24-across – : DRAGOON

25-across – : TEACHIE

26-across – : WHATACARRYON

1-down – : JURISTS

2-down – : NELUMBO

3-down – : STICKYBUN

4-down – : INVAR

5-down – : QUARTIC

6-down – : ORIFICE

7-down – : PLAYTHEFIELD

10-down – : ATHENESEYLER

15-down – : GASOMETER

17-down – : UNTEACH

18-down – : KEPTOUT

19-down – : ZOFFANY

20-down – : XANTHIN

22-down – : CYNIC

1-across – A nod or a sign and, classically, our victim appears : BECKET

5-across – Notes come in to my study regarding place names : TOPONYMY

9-across – The youngster is Peg Lear’s backward daughter : TEENAGER

10-across – Hammer’s cracked element with no opposition : NEMCON

11-across – See 2 : HUMOUREDNESS

13-across – Candid writer of love letter? : OPEN

14-across – Goodbye to ex-PM’s toothless lot! : EDENTATA

17-across – By the narrowest of margins, but right : ONLYJUST

18-across – Eagle secured by Goosen, returning round : ERNE

20-across – Sweet start to seduction: naughty try to get her arm around : SHERRYTRIFLE

23-across – God’s less down : BALDER

24-across – I hope it can develop a country : ETHIOPIA

25-across – No more fleeting Franco-German cheese celebration? : BRIEFEST

26-across – First of slats almost off seat : SADDLE

2-down – Placidity, indeed – numerous Shed puzzles : EVEN

3-down – Good egg! One lays it on the line : KINGHENRY

4-down – Hobbling after cross-dressing fun with tube? : TVGAME

5-down – See 22 : TURBULENTPRIEST

6-down – Change from half of nine pence for variable glasses : PINCENEZ

7-down – See 22 : NOMAN

8-down – Atom-splitting group ‘anged the old chairman : MAOTSETUNG

12-down – Top-class drink one comes in to try – undecided : UPINTHEAIR

15-down – See 3 : THESECOND

16-down – Goods thus seen in airport shop at leisure? : DUTYFREE

19-down – See 22 : OFTHIS

21-down – See 22 : RIDME

22-down – Result of this full-blown misinterpretation – murder most foul : WILL