Daily Answers

9-across – Working score to capture hearts — skill around this? : ORCHESTRA

10-across – Dance and drink: pub closing early : RUMBA

11-across – Unusually par the first: golf club detailed round without experience : APRIORI

12-across – Toy Story character with a way one can fly : BUZZARD

13-across – Couple from website match.com : ITEM

14-across – Cycling gear’s allure: ride when excited : DERAILLEUR

16-across – Stopped unknown American that’s gutted — beat badly boxing : ABEYANT

17-across – Comic hero is about ordinary one rowing : BOATMAN

19-across – Unchanged by Times? Papers tempt one, surprisingly? : IDEMPOTENT

22-across – Goddess lives on island : ISIS

24-across – Get rid of old joke, perhaps, for a comeback? : EXPUNGE

25-across – Men with single publication recalled one model in paper : ORIGAMI

26-across – Problem children : ISSUE

27-across – Chat in party, taking number from nurse : DISCOURSE

1-down – A serving icon playing — fourth ace in set? : GORANIVANISEVIC

2-down – Film man and leading couples in scene originally seeing set : SCORSESE

3-down – Do wrong to take drug on start of this? : DETOX

4-down – Urgent, filth is back on hospital department : STRIDENT

5-down – Disney film with king ultimately replacing leader over a nation : GAMBIA

6-down – Creepy-crawly dead at the bottom: saw bizarre _________ in reduced Aldi ripening bananas : BRAZILIAN

7-down – Spike prankster’s drink : IMPALE

8-down – See 6 : WANDERINGSPIDER

15-down – One carrying writer on board — one working on plane? : CARPENTER

17-down – Player in bar with supporter : BANJOIST

18-down – Service expert welcoming Queen’s total defeat : MASSACRE

20-down – Model after topless sex show : EXPOSE

21-down – Tip: go over with it : TRENDY

23-down – Important part of bible for homophobe? : BIGOT

5-across – Position of bishop and cardinal making one become angry : SEERED

6-across – Act the wrong way, cutting precious tree : DEODAR

9-across – Leaders in White House the reverse of smart in Washington — what’s the downside? : WHYNOT

10-across – Weapon in novel Pale Fire : PEARIFLE

11-across – Heads off tippler’s excessive alco­holic tendency, attachment to bottle : TEAT

12-across – Something sailor needs at that point covered by one side of bridge always : WEATHEREYE

13-across – Set piece — it’s spelt out, as you can hear, in the other across solutions : CRYPTICCLUE

18-across – Leaderless, is deaf — his thing is what’ll diminish schools? : SEAFISHING

21-across – Quick removal of initial no-no for doctors from pharmacy : PACY

22-across – Notice changes after English left democratic process : ELECTION

23-across – Exactly 50% of disease in one area, part of Europe : IBERIA

24-across – Live in endless childhood? Certainly! : YOUBET

25-across – Anxious, having no time to get Chinese manual : ICHING

1-down – Tranche of boodle in sterling for Irish quarter? : LEINSTER

2-down – Give in first place with pained expression : BESTOW

3-down – Harpies gallivanting about, like other mythical creatures : SERAPHIC

4-down – Less composed editor fighting American over royalty : EDGIER

5-down – That is to say, arranged help for arduous trek : SCHLEP

7-down – Races one can’t complete : RELAYS

8-down – Entering a quiet city, changed into shades : APPARITIONS

14-down – Old man’s daily crosswords etc : PASTIMES

15-down – Refer to work Greek character turned up that’s prosaic : UNPOETIC

16-down – In fact, join a new league? : REALLY

17-down – Playing in position as substitute : ACTING

19-down – If upset, put on such varied neckwear : FICHUS

20-down – Problem with equipment, needing good fruit pruned : GLITCH

8-across – Lily, girl accommodating retired soak : MARIPOSA

9-across – State where I invested in cereal crop, wasting capital : OREGON

10-across – Considered some communist, leftie revolutionary : FELT

11-across – Upset mind originally entertained by stance adopted by John Travolta? : DISCOMPOSE

12-across – Tank ending in ditch surrounded by rubbish : THRASH

14-across – Fixation on facial organ as going down, currently? : EARTHING

15-across – A sticker brought into play, nice one! : ATTABOY

17-across – Classic music genre rejected by Roosevelt, briefly : THEOAKS

20-across – Asian rarely seen collecting post : NEPALESE

22-across – School punishment element observed in silence : GATING

23-across – Artist reportedly removed a wheel clamp close to the ground? : FRIDAKAHLO

24-across – Day book’s last prayer : MONK

25-across – Splitting trousers from behind, weapon ultimately exposing blubber : SNIVEL

26-across – Meeting relations : CONGRESS

1-down – Christmas attire: appear with this when half-cut : PAPERHAT

2-down – Possession of Scotsman in fact likely to be lifted : KILT

3-down – Gadget with bidirectional functions, I see! : DOODAH

4-down – Acquire layer of coal to haul up in Welsh town : MAESTEG

5-down – Plain city where tailless school cat raised : GOMORRAH

6-down – 24 down 10, doctor operated to save skin on thigh : DEEPTHROAT

7-down – Alcoholic drink is cradled by server, uncorked? : POISON

13-down – Sinners supposedly recollecting dead man in prayer : ADAMANDEVE

16-down – Too much fine drinking upset minister, getting sick : OVERKILL

18-down – Generosity in affectionate act inspiring promotion of close relation, finally : KINDNESS

19-down – Look again, as wreck uncovered hell! : RECHECK

21-down – Wicked queen on phone : ERRING

22-down – Mole in crotch, by the sound of it? : GROYNE

24-down – Indicate evangelist : MARK

7-across – Comical likeness of one mad curate : CARICATURE

12-across – Setter is constant, nude? : PICAROON

13-across – The same Scottish maltreatment : ABUSE

14-across – Mysteriously left one humble abode : VANISHED

15-across – Old inn for Eastern travellers, with fresh sea air : CARAVANSERAI

16-across – Those below stairs sit around with dreams : MAIDSERVANTS

17-across – Active girl : CARA

18-across – Somewhat dim fool I left on board : TWILIT

19-across – Keeps tight grips : STRONGHOLDS

22-across – Army mount having polluted air in messy stuff : GUNCARRIAGE

26-across – Desert lynx — a Manx cat by lake : CARACAL

28-across – Taking cocaine, disparagingly? : SNORTING

30-across – Secretary opposing players in dances : PAVANES

33-across – Rum, playful talk? Not half! : BACARDI

34-across – The German with smell of South African liqueur : VANDERHUM

35-across – British sprinter’s Japanese keyboard : AKABUSI

36-across – Frames for skirts are tailpieces now and again : BUSTLES

38-across – Precipitation from a Jersey sewer : ACIDRAIN

41-across – Falklands War defence secretary’s cover? No, this one! : NOTTHAT

45-across – Independent entry into bulk as influential commercial activity : BIGBUSINESS

46-across – Frightening off from evil act at illiberal city in Ireland : SCARINGAWAY

48-across – Admiral or magazine editor getting hold on 111 : NELSON

50-across – House for half the wine : SEMI

51-across – Great stone-faced film star demolished oak tree : BUSTERKEATON

54-across – Works team included in thanks for performance at La Scala? : OPERATICARIA

55-across – Passed away, holding book in place to sleep : DIVANBED

56-across – Mites and sloth : ACARI

57-across – Some of the three scents fade away : EVANESCE

58-across – One holding up the train? : BRIDESMAID

1-down – Central American coming from northern Guiana : NICARAGUAN

2-down – Crazed commander’s island : MADAGASCAR

3-down – Frost oddly seen in village near Salisbury : FOVANT

4-down – Wielded gun, swallowing drug, having no ambition : UNASPIRING

5-down – Tracing back ancestry finally and call round : CARRYINGUP

6-down – Turn up with band for festival : PURIM

7-down – Small room is at first too small for players : CELLISTS

8-down – Preparation for an exam? That will make a change! : REVISION

9-down – Irish boy working inside — good gracious! : CONOR

10-down – Native American mentioned in Tacitus or Aristophanes : TUSCARORA

11-down – Welshman — young lad — was not co-operative : REESTED

20-down – A signature about undertakings to be responsible : GUARANTIES

21-down – Spoke of dirty man of note : SULLIVAN

23-down – Promotes the second man and causes trouble : RAISESCAIN

24-down – Regularly praise Ms Fisher’s horror film : CARRIE

25-down – Monkeys in church : CEBUS

27-down – The heart of luminance reveals the location of Canopus : CARINA

28-down – Father Christmas has dropped off first of toys in parts of tropical Africa : SAVANNAS

29-down – Lumbering vehicle in Toxteth : OXCART

31-down – Ford’s early model involved in another car manufacturer’s inspections : AUDITS

32-down – Degree for Indian office workers : BABUS

37-down – Siege ruins ground that is unique : SUIGENERIS

38-down – More than one surprise attack on ruined academies that is forgotten : AMBUSCADES

39-down – Scores but Roman is frightened : RUNSSCARED

40-down – Woolly jumper counters : INSOMNIACS

42-down – The Pope, say, volunteers to corrupt God : TAROTCARD

43-down – Modi in cottage room in Scottish isle, upset : NARENDRA

44-down – Collection of monkeys and amphibian left inside : CARTLOAD

47-down – Travel guide found by font : COURIER

49-down – Money from thin air — a surprise! : NAIRAS

52-down – Lesson for detective : REBUS

53-down – Drifter certainly not without reason : NOMAD

8-across – Name-dropping singer covers half of aria he scored manually : MARADONA

9-across – It’s used to cook proper cuts evenly : PRIMUS

10-across – A bit dirty, caught in some light : RACY

11-across – Enjoy following sweet scent : AFTERSHAVE

12-across – Amazing score Tchaikovsky’s beginning — it may take your breath away! : CORSET

14-across – Computing bores rarely represented in books : LITERARY

15-across – Welcomed in dugout, a venerable English scorer : TAVENER

17-across – Score that’s zero for golfer : SCRATCH

20-across – What sewer did in street caused irritation : STITCHED

22-across – Score from one of the 19 backing officer : RESULT

23-across – What could make us calmer is a worldly notion : SECULARISM

24-across – Top scorer : BEST

25-across – What 8 and 24 put on vessel about to set off : STRIPS

26-across – Spooner’s to stuff seamen in transport : TRAMCARS

1-down – He often scored century, like a star : CASANOVA

2-down – Scores piece, finale from Debussy : MANY

3-down – He rapidly scored a second, with variable skill : MOZART

4-down – Wearing old hat, perform material : TACTILE

5-down – Theatrical love movie set around eastern desert : OPERATIC

6-down – Shows impatience, admitting tramp doesn’t know the score? : SIGHTREADS

7-down – Create a vibrato effect as part of a score : QUAVER

13-down – Score synthetic meth and use thus : SHEETMUSIC

16-down – Tries to cut peonies periodically put in black vehicle : ENHEARSE

18-down – Composed score without previous blemish : COLDSORE

19-down – They try to score total: it’s divided by a hundred : ADDICTS

21-down – Score which is doubled in cricket : TWENTY

22-down – French scorer has butter and drink at home : RAMEAU

24-down – Set of loaves? With no time, he produced scores : BACH