Daily Answers

1-across – Don’t talk about the assembly and it will be free from problems : SMOOTH

5-across – Well bound? : SPRING

8-across – Girl coming to higher education late in the day? : COLLEEN

9-across – Funny sort … funny sort of soapbox? : ROSTRUM

11-across – British race largely in turmoil in 20 : NATIONALGALLERY

12-across – Long run winding setter before respirator appears : IRON

13-across – People undertaking vocal request for extension of the 11’s 5 across 17? : MORTICIANS

17-across – Display of scholarship? : EXHIBITION

18-across – See 12 : LUNG

20-across – Fliers find seaweed in new quarters of high admiral? : TRAFALGARSQUARE

23-across – Demand for freedom for Scottish highlands backed by calming agent : LIBRIUM

24-across – Pound, say, at 1/3 Kingsway? : IMAGIST

25-across – Queen at home to boy … : ERNEST

26-across – … otherwise called Laurence : STERNE

2-down – Flier going around, kind to one of one’s first set : MILKTOOTH

3-down – Cat in love with church group : OCELOT

4-down – Don’t go and suspend a fight : HANGABOUT

5-down – Shoot 5 across – point taken : SPRIG

6-down – Give your MP another chance, right, without upsetting Cleese : RESELECT

7-down – I feel for the keener veterans : NERVE

8-down – Drift onto shelf with little breakfast? : CONTINENTAL

10-down – Words introducing idea showing game is gutsy : MAYISUGGEST

14-down – Nickname for Mr Willetts’s twins keeping wild boar : TWOBRAINS

15-down – Mature individual’s absorbing article on flattery : ADULATION

16-down – Cad’s magical attendants setter’s found roughly making 1 : ABRASIVE

19-down – Identify English that’s just so refained : EQUATE

21-down – Traffic light on the beam – turn right : AMBER

22-down – Morning in the canal goes all the way : GAMUT

9-across – Lehar composition, one of five for him, On With The Motley! : COLUMBINE

10-across – Fire the clergy with the stuff of remorse [8] : ASHES

11-across – Bank’s route to the deposits : INCLINE

12-across – No time to undress in strip joints [5] : LAZARUS

13-across – Running water can corrode : EATIN

14-across – What makes Burgundy religious? No! Not frenzied Irish! : PINOTNOIR

16-across – He had a profitable opening spell [3,4] : THEFORTYTHIEVES

19-across – Extended school term in Derbyshire : LONGEATON

21-across – Chambers abbreviating hard word for spice [4] : BECKS

22-across – Car’s way to get into accident : HARDTOP

23-across – Noted role-player, say? : PIANOLA

24-across – One element in conflict with another : FLOUR

25-across – No kipper in masonic cookery : INSOMNIAC

1-down – Note I’d stress without a line : ACCIDENTAL

2-down – What’s with the DJ? Flip side tackle, I gather : BLACKTIE

3-down – Condemn not the daughter! No! I rise as protector of her unborn child : AMNION

4-down – Sprinklers and what they sprinkle? [5] : WINE

5-down – Dogfish packaged by pallet weight : BEDLINGTON

6-down – Occasional rejection of some executed agitator [5] : VANZETTI

7-down – Ben’s into Scottish port : THURSO

8-down – Circuit teacher is underworld boss [6] : ISIS

14-down – Shelled helping its loveless opposite, perhaps : PETITSPOIS

15-down – Bearing canisters to explode first underground : RESISTANCE

17-down – Lucky novitiates? [9] : OVERTURE

18-down – All there is surrounding British lion’s victim [6] : VICTORIA

20-down – Unlaced heterosexual [8] : NARROW

21-down – Composer unknown in catalogue [5] : BRAHMS

22-down – Tobacco advertisement? : HUFF

23-down – Hand over here! [7] : PAST

1-across – A sticker was successful outwardly : WOBURN

4-across – Attack the small quantity of flood protection : SANDBAG

9-across – Left at start of jubilee for a month in US city : LJUBLJANA

10-across – Corruption, alternative for agent of revolution : ROTOR

11-across – Example of capital growth in Hardy novel : HYDRA

12-across – A relay to set people on fire? : TORCHRACE

13-across – A honey flower : MELROSE

15-across – A little bit close : WHITBY

17-across – A good girl with a gun – hard article : AGATHA

19-across – A little portico a la princess? : DISTYLE

22-across – A fast union causing waters to rise : FOUNTAINS

24-across – See 5 : ANGER

26-across – A heartless date on packaging : SELBY

27-across – A : NIGHTMARE

28-across – American plant : TARWEED

29-across – Soldiers detain a deserter for nothing : GRATIS

1-down – A bad actor under Disney? : WALTHAM

2-down – Spring is certain : BOUND

3-down – Podgy lot, Labour’s progeny : ROLLABOUT

4-down – Fights with a bird : SPARROW

5-down – A : NORTH

6-down – Spa building where bachelor concealed the baby? : BATHABBEY

7-down – Place for The Flowers of the Forest with good overture : GARDEN

8-down – A teetotaller in some hay near Hastings : BATTLE

14-down – Off-cutter’s antithesis? Don’t believe me! : LEGPULLER

16-down – Transient effect within 24 hours : INSTANTER

18-down – Dressed on one side? : ALIGNED

19-down – How much to take to perform the wise man? : DOSAGE

20-down – Deaf, it might be supposed by a noblewoman? : EARLESS

21-down – Compensated for by printing? : OFFSET

23-down – Herb that sounds unfriendly? : THYME

25-down – General permission : GRANT

1-across – Henman’s outgrown his favourite surface… : TIMOTHY

5-across – … overheads sorted by one who’s charming : SMASHER

9-across – Character excluded by committee? : CARDBOARDCUTOUT

10-across – Stan’s mate’s happier when Junior’s not around : OLLIE

11-across – Keeping it dry, badly lose patience : SOLITAIRE

12-across – I’m seen on the Lagoon far too pickled with gin : FRIGATOON

14-across – Nobody kept one! : DIARY

15-across – It’s yellow or red and right in the line of fire : OCHRE

16-across – Take best 9 variations from this composer : BERNSTEIN

18-across – One such as yourself left cracking The Listener : EARTHLING

21-across – Vulgar fellow inhaling drug : CHEAP

22-across – Unplanned jet carries their sign : SPUROFTHEMOMENT

23-across – Few survivors on board now the battle’s nearly done : ENDGAME

24-across – Sage Derby, say, Mum’s swallowing : MAHATMA

1-down – Check and dress down : TICKOFF

2-down – The view is not so good from up here : MORALHIGHGROUND

3-down – Grade and transitive rating put over it are set at meal times : TABLEWARE

4-down – I’m certain arrival will be in 730 days, minimum : YEARS

5-down – Inverted danger sign is taking in African runner – this man withdraws competitor : SIDELINER

6-down – 18, generally, had ultimatum spelled out : ADULT

7-down – Vanadium and aluminium would not individually be so called : HOOLIGANELEMENT

8-down – Pre-piper Hamelin defection? : RATTERY

13-down – Here when one’s imprisoned, be let out with difficulty : OUBLIETTE

14-down – Is hospital in Washington reluctant to get cleaner? : DISHCLOTH

15-down – Presumably some work by Spenser, say, to superintend : OVERSEE

17-down – Thleepth thoundly, having taken a distillate : NAPHTHA

19-down – Fuss caused when one surprised expression interrupts another : HOOHA

20-down – Flash Gordon’s top male operative : GLEAM

1-across – Rabbit eating stew reportedly turns pink : ANGOSTURA

6-across – 3 heard in 5 : WOOL

10-across – Permission to go : LEAVE

11-across – Beast finds coin opening with hard black spike : SLOTHBEAR

12-across – Where cadets learn to get some help, returning many times : OCTUPLE

13-across – Spirit-backed races on brick : FLETTON

14-across – Crown in Chelsea endlessly in trouble: title lapsed in 1960 : NEWSCHRONICLE

17-across – Royal establishment keeps right to own public relations company vessel : CROWNPRINCESS

21-across – Conductor using buzzer at church before 12 : BEECHAM

22-across – Deprived of intelligence : WITHOUT

24-across – Duke John swallows a fish : ELLINGTON

25-across – Flier : BATHE

26-across – Makes no real attempt to eat oysters – not the lot : TOYS

27-across – King’s held a fool and queen a dish : CASSEROLE

1-down – Drinks ____ – pegs as well as holes? : ALLROUND

2-down – Outsize specimen of soldier insect : GIANT

3-down – See 5 : SHEEPSCLOTHING

4-down – Abjure blue berets? : UNSWEAR

5-down – Disguised villain goes 20 22 10 with flippers for Uriah, namely – see article : AWOLFIN

7-down – Obvious where we are? Far from it : OVERTHERE

8-down – Cat grasping a rabbit’s head needs a breather : LARYNX

9-down – Force runner to be main painter : CHIEFCONSTABLE

15-down – Playwright hesitating between tree and meadow? : WYCHERLEY

16-down – A job the Guardian’s producing, so to speak : ASITWERE

18-down – Neither wet nor dry, which stirs the cat in me : NEMATIC

19-down – Success among revolutionaries gets you back to the start : REWINDS

20-down – Jack told to go away : ABSENT

23-down – XL, to utter an unfashionable note : OUTDO