Daily Answers

1-across – Very tailored cut-offs, a means of improving film star’s look? : SOFTFOCUS

6-across – Made contact material : FELT

8-across – Red Star was consumed with passion : SUNBURNT

9-across – Soft buttocks alongside? Ignore : PASSBY

10-across – Noel possibly involved in extremely fishy crime : FELONY

11-across – They will bother runners? : HARRIERS

12-across – Secret police’s unchanging state : STASIS

15-across – Elected to wear fancy stripes — not quite original : PRISTINE

16-across – Diamonds, together with collar, falling from the top : DANDRUFF

19-across – Hard time of day is the most intense part : HEIGHT

21-across – Brothels in kingdom’s housing capital : HELSINKI

22-across – Good looking but very absent, taking name instead — ‘Forsaken’ : LONELY

24-across – Prudence, the Nazi organisation’s pet : CARESS

25-across – Scoffing oriental king is tucking into fish : DERISORY

26-across – Go downhill and start to turn for take-off? : SKIT

27-across – ‘Duck includes some hot and cold starters’ : DISHCLOTH

1-down – Bird turned up covered with special foam : SPUME

2-down – Possibly, as a root system lies around our ground : FIBROUS

3-down – Boat makes blunder entering fishery boundaries : FERRY

4-down – Draw level with Nick on horseback : CATCHUP

5-down – Police officer amusing billionaires : SUPERRICH

6-down – Rocky acts as if one’s out to be a political authoritarian : FASCIST

7-down – Any birth mishandled after onset of labour is a perplexity : LABYRINTH

13-down – Brand new dart-maker : TRADEMARK

14-down – Turned up, had a look round, rather puggish : SNUBNOSED

17-down – Show contempt for party that’s split : DISSECT

18-down – An appeal for honesty just before affairs : FAIRDOS

20-down – Station escort guarding dramatist : IONESCO

22-down – Fifty-one clubs accepting your texted words : LYRIC

23-down – Right to replace meal centre’s list : LURCH

1-across – Attendant put on petticoat or an unwanted shift : SLIPPAGE

5-across – Reclining, take a pew and mug for aperitif : PASTIS

9-across – Rickety chair upset with jerk : RACHITIC

10-across – Invader has trouble crossing dry area : ATTILA

12-across – Crowd united in high spirits for band with no B-side? : MOBIUSSTRIP

15-across – Excluding top royal commentator : NOTER

17-across – Following the party line, singles wise to drink last of rum : ONMESSAGE

18-across – Spanish port I’m leaving without tatty garment on : TARRAGONA

19-across – Place to drink nothing in current circumstances : OASIS

20-across – Guitarists and a rock star group : SAGITTARIUS

24-across – Mark bringing flower back? This is sweet : BRANDY

25-across – Forming a habit to ignore cold food ingredient : ADDITIVE

26-across – See 7 : SWITCH

27-across – Out loud, I refer to what the Observer must use : EYESIGHT

1-down – In the main, they catch personnel interrupting new temps in seconds : SHRIMPNETS

2-down – Where Marxists govern, right-winger’s brooding has such an effect : INCUBATORY

3-down – Nancy’s old serving man turned up to frame painting : POILU

4-down – Artist acquires a bit of English capital : GAINSBOROUGH

6-down – Opt against playing, leaving golf course : ANTIPASTO

7-down – One cuts current outings with enchanting lady : TRIP

8-down – See 24 : SNAP

11-down – Not anticipating much, like Robin’s correspondence with Doris? : FROMDAYTODAY

13-down – Return of cutter riding the waves on the drink : WASSAILING

14-down – Nicely trim dressing nurse cut on new patient : PERSISTENT

16-down – Stealing hearts, music genre’s poetic and lyrical : RHAPSODIC

21-down – Sign of decay but not the first : ARIES

22-down – Leader deposed by Jeb Bush oddly loses power : EBBS

23-down – Country bringing down current queen : RANI

9-across – Brendan, say, is prone to break bed, incurring maximum damage : COSTLIEST

10-across – Invalidate second article taken out of yearbook : ANNUL

11-across – Starr initially is not what Lennon, McCartney, or Harrison nominally is : SAINT

12-across – European uniform in range of colours, or part of one : EPAULETTE

13-across – Letter its writer shortened put in English post : EPISTLE

14-across – Artist reckonin’ to include kind of turn : GAUGUIN

17-across – Some wine I had carried out again : REDID

19-across – Five, four or three — or two, but not one : PAR

20-across – Victim of crime benefitting another apostle : PETER

21-across – American singer including extra text for cartoon character : SIMPSON

22-across – Opening part of travel permit that’s sound : TENABLE

24-across – Suggest anagram for 6 to set? : POSTULATE

26-across – Record number : TRACK

28-across – Physicist or 24 down, first of six : PAULI

29-across – Put black coat on setter wearing old sailor’s hat : TARPAULIN

1-down – Book followed by 6’s writings, primarily about crosswords to solve : ACTS

2-down – Losing little time, help one place in Italy : ASSISI

3-down – Oft-used words from end of crossword — 6 set it, possibly : PLATITUDES

4-down – Think highly of some setter, ever enjoyable : REVERE

5-down – Road rage — runs into that unknown person : STRANGER

6-down – 4, 8, 14, or part of three others : PAUL

7-down – Coach — partners on lorry cut inside it : INSTRUCT

8-down – It sounds like material for craftsperson, or painter : KLEE

13-down – What John, George and Ringo share in odd ruse to make money : EUROS

15-down – 10 cut up badly, missing good time? : UNPUNCTUAL

16-down – Courage seen in never moving king, queen, or rook : NERVE

18-down – Capital goal reached after conversion : DAMASCUS

19-down – Finish in undergarment and neckwear? : PENDANTS

22-down – Speculation in gold concealed by people in general : THEORY

23-down – Attend 25% of lectures, ie one in four : BEATLE

24-down – One writer including second page and another : POPE

25-down – Ammunition centre for some soldiers : UNIT

27-down – Good supporting people, as 6 was for Corinthians and others : KING

1-across – Unable to perform in Cath’s bedroom, when nervous : HORSDECOMBAT

8-across – Kiss man touring Peru, reluctantly engaged : ROPEDIN

9-across – Expected trouble arose between fellow and wife : FORESAW

11-across – Occasionally heard in museum gallery : VERANDA

12-across – Sign of overconfidence from Surrey opener with tail : SWAGGER

13-across – Sailors winning hearts : TAHRS

14-across – Knives are out for such dishonest practices : KNAVERIES

16-across – Those not wanting friends coming round put on EastEnders? : LONDONERS

19-across – That is wrong about Japanese immigrants’ child : NISEI

21-across – Exciting but set to backfire? I make 80% being involved : VIBRANT

23-across – Corresponding measure to keep criminal out : INTOUCH

24-across – Help victim of trick, for crying out loud : SUCCOUR

25-across – Maybe Post Office really apologising : AVIATOR

26-across – One responsible for crime wave at store : HOUSEBREAKER

1-down – Hotels round Dover maybe making a small contribution : HAPORTH

2-down – In tears over dead squirrels etc : RODENTS

3-down – New job in the O2? Couldn’t say : DONTASKME

4-down – See females in America showing restraint : CUFFS

5-down – Spread around one-time resort : MARGATE

6-down – Something thrown from carriages safely picked up : ASSEGAI

7-down – Drama is rank at the start : PRIVATELIVES

10-down – Rowdy hermits — ridiculous! That’s clever writing? : WORDSMITHERY

15-down – Spend the summer, when retired, sailing round the Virgin Islands with a lot of drink : AESTIVATE

17-down – Firm support for return of National Opera : NABUCCO

18-down – Speakers bang to rights, so are locked up : ORATORS

19-down – Be too fussy in jail — it’s punishment, principally : NITPICK

20-down – Stroll on terrace — setter’s taken one earlier : SAUNTER

22-down – Player ultimately both managed to beat : THROB

1-across – Blonde with a Yankee, not rough : FAIRWAY

5-across – Best expenses cover parking : OUTPLAY

10-across – American’s crisp approach to green : CHIP

11-across – A timeless fable by a party devotee : AFICIONADO

12-across – Recent changes back at Twickenham : CENTRE

13-across – A Scottish singer, laid back, oddly trendy, wailed : ULULATED

14-across – Wool supplier hiding blemish books clothing course : NEWMARKET

16-across – Hibernian flag on hotel : IRISH

17-across – Race swimmer the Spanish introduced : RELAY

19-across – Munro snubs a top high-flyer in the Alps? : SKIJUMPER

23-across – Permit what posh diners do after meal? : PASSPORT

24-across – What succeeds uniform winner : VICTOR

26-across – I’m stealing nuts and pips for one : TIMESIGNAL

27-across – Settled boxer beginning to tire : ALIT

28-across – Hide article penned by humorous writer : LEATHER

29-across – Mark avoids ruining Bankside pursuit : ANGLING

2-down – Sporty type allowed to spike articles : ATHLETE

3-down – Upset boozer? It’s what nursery workers do : REPOT

4-down – Dilettante couple enter a university run : AMATEUR

6-down – College that in Paris is without a match : UNIQUE

7-down – Star to write quotation on pack : PENTAGRAM

8-down – Plug smooth lecture : ADDRESS

9-down – Kate’s dithered in depicting sport : FIGURESKATING

15-down – Wealth check signifies big game : MEANSTEST

18-down – Quartet aboard eastern vessel’s hard to catch : EVASIVE

20-down – Launching event broadcast live during month : JAVELIN

21-down – Online topic for debate generating strong feeling? : EMOTION

22-down – Order student what she claims to possess? : NOVICE

25-down – Stroke stomach close to navel : CRAWL