Daily Answers

1-across – Outspoken person desiring brilliance : LUSTRE

5-across – Plane’s nose sparkling white and red in take-off : PASTICHE

9-across – Travelling performances of Puccini, say, not for everyone? That could be a plus : OPERATOR

10-across – Delicately woven clothing a French folly : LUNACY

11-across – Bank of Scotland’s audacious, but not very : BRAE

12-across – Swindler set up online financial service : MOUNTEBANK

13-across – Chat up line is cutting in Paris? : HILTON

14-across – In passing through on vacation, I’m off outside : BYTHEBYE

16-across – The writer’s online chatter, maybe, is a sham : IMPOSTER

19-across – Author’s loose ladies inspiring human race : SALMAN

21-across – An idiot is stifling man’s opposition : ANTITHESIS

23-across – Wrong choice that is no choice at all? : TORT

24-across – Victory sign can be different : VARIES

25-across – Pass on a boring old man’s song of worship : DIESIRAE

26-across – Kind fellow, one showing a character’s style : TYPEFACE

27-across – Numbers of Germans were dishonest on retreats : LIEDER

2-down – Unfit for the house party, a urinal men trashed : UNPARLIAMENTARY

3-down – Right plugs for hire in deluge : TORRENT

4-down – In Paris, is buddy by Web cafe? : ESTAMINET

5-down – Kind of wine seller’s rising trouble : PERTURB

6-down – Separate clues about to be cracked by learner : SPLIT

7-down – Soldier lifted head outside of Lebanese base : IGNOBLE

8-down – Taxi, one involved in East London drivers’ spat? : HACKNEYCARRIAGE

15-down – Mollusc crushed husks swallowed by folk hero : TUSKSHELL

17-down – Providing gold and diamond rings in opening : ORIFICE

18-down – See 19 : RUSHDIE

20-down – Alert in manoeuvres, soldiers go here : LATRINE

22-down – I’m surprised about the main biblical figure : HOSEA

1-across – Non-standard spare parts adapted during print-run : ATPRESS

5-across – One’s after spy leader — Bill Foot, not Smiley : SADFACE

9-across – Needing a marker to speak out of turn? : FORGETONESPLACE

10-across – Steps taken to make cake half the graduates omitted : RUMBA

11-across – What spaces left I filled with dry food : SPAGHETTI

12-across – No sleeping partners here? : SINGLEBED

14-across – Youngster, crack shot of note : SPRIG

15-across – Having notions one passed on : IDEAD

16-across – Provided for youngster incredibly fast in race : BREASTFED

18-across – Two will keep on cutting water plant : AQUILEGIA

21-across – Pronghorn dodging soldier’s bolt : ELOPE

22-across – Holdings of business family — passing time — runs : STOCKSANDSHARES

23-across – Equipped outside of river bore : ENDURED

24-across – Does without iron, ultimately his own : CONFESS

1-down – That’s the horizon, to the best of my understanding : ASFARAS

2-down – Water-carrying duo entering arena for Ipswich Town telethon? : PORTMANTEAUWORD

3-down – Confronted writer cried noisily : EYEBALLED

4-down – This is sentimental issue for sailors : SLOPS

5-down – Not the first put off flight : SKEDADDLE

6-down – To which sank Section G even lower? : DEPTH

7-down – Stewards’ enquiry, is it? That’s routine : AMATTEROFCOURSE

8-down – Entrances 2,4,6 … admitting degree gowns? : EVENING

13-down – In evil times, old woman’s instrument : BABYGRAND

14-down – Shilling rung through again for one enjoying Boxing Day feast : STSTEPHEN

15-down – See 1 : ICANSEE

17-down – See 8 : DRESSES

19-down – Superior craft? Superior spinner! : LAKER

20-down – Location finder, like the Even Shorter OED? : ASDIC

9-across – Hearts, say, fit: officer leads : MAJORSUIT

10-across – See 22 : AHOPE

11-across – Band that’s tough is flipping fresh : SINEW

12-across – Secretly at home, soldier : INPRIVATE

13-across – Top revolver : SPINNER

14-across – Relative aboard vessel, drifter : VAGRANT

17-across – One with endless despair in White House : IGLOO

19-across – Lament, from this day even, bearing loss : FOR

20-across – Compare similar types caught by mine, killed when thrown back : LIKEN

21-across – Might one be posted to cover defensive walls amidst rifle shot? : FIELDER

22-across – Character on 28 in band, one ultimately doomed : WITHOUT

24-across – See 19 : THEFALLEN

26-across – Recollection of first of explosions sounding intolerable, over Normandy? : NOISE

28-across – Noted German advance finally stops — here? : BEACH

29-across – This sign marking 24 across partially coinciding with 28 : CROSSWORD

1-down – He prophesied awesome men of steel, leaders all : AMOS

2-down – Starts to delight Jack in drinking local spirit : DJINNI

3-down – Line entering trap on 28 — experience missed 19 24 : GROWINGOLD

4-down – One overwhelmed by 28 horror ultimately — one so young : JUNIOR

5-down – Die: finished in resting place : STOPOVER

6-down – Mark fighter for country : MALI

7-down – Weapon ending in dirt on 28, work for evacuation? : TOMAHAWK

8-down – Where D-Day remembered in the requiem : HERE

13-down – Runner, very strong little boat : SKIFF

15-down – Character standing upright in battered line: stage set : GELATINISE

16-down – Belief: it could go either way : TENET

18-down – Main elegy almost unnatural for loyal old chap : LIEGEMAN

19-down – Army getting to grips with something raw — that’s hairy : FORELOCK

22-down – Pale fashion abandoned : WANTON

23-down – Supporting other ranks, I issue prayer : ORISON

24-down – Brass shown by neighbour emerging from the depths? : TUBA

25-down – Hurt in store, heading off : ACHE

27-down – Objectives in decisive operation achieved, heroes every one in conclusion : ENDS

1-across – A Conservative in decline, making phony public appearance : FACADE

4-across – Sign of support rowing crew draped over a vessel’s front : FAVOUR

9-across – Golden retriever’s bark? : ARGO

10-across – Drink stored in pottery pieces for those who bring home the bacon? : SWINEHERDS

11-across – Verse Hindus, with no end of dread, composed for deity : VISHNU

12-across – They don’t appreciate empty art framed by French painter : INGRATES

13-across – Attend after male, with skill, produces vital sign : HEARTBEAT

15-across – Deal, for example, made by court with defence, initially : WOOD

16-across – Spades may be kept here, or discarded : SHED

17-across – I led a riot astray, as leader : EDITORIAL

21-across – Geometrical puzzle — left with noth­ing in the box? Congratulations! : MAZELTOV

22-across – Chap briefly called into unit when expected : ONTIME

24-across – Knave cut a golf club’s trees : JACARANDAS

25-across – Part of calix I analyse in plant from South Africa : IXIA

26-across – Eg Spielberg putting magnificent number in movie about time : STEVEN

27-across – Existing skill female’s lacking up front : INESSE

1-down – Overlook part of certain addresses put in number of letters in error : FORGIVE

2-down – Metonym for clergy, group in church : CLOTH

3-down – Interrupt attempt, including routines set up : DISTURB

5-down – Just off the bottom, elsewhere in sound : AWEIGH

6-down – Ring fan, perhaps, and old pro agree, possibly : OPERAGOER

7-down – Study about Edward, Henry and Elizabeth I, say : REDHEAD

8-down – Inequality of computer age discern­ible in this puzzle : DIGITALDIVIDE

14-down – Put back up in tree, leave in disarray : REELEVATE

16-down – In audition, pick out instrument that might be found in school : SEABASS

18-down – Newspaper magnate once producing nothing in months, oddly : THOMSON

19-down – Queen clad in a kind of silk found in cupboard : ARMOIRE

20-down – Attack from air in last RAF exercise : STRAFE

23-down – Followers that may be called out, as bit of money’s raised? : TAILS

1-across – Leather, fake I say : SHAMMY

4-across – Germany’s sound leader in Angela’s in 23 : OOMPAH

9-across – Good grades Paul was always unable to attain — who would have thought it! : WELL

10-across – Touring middle of farm, muck encountered — mess about : GOOFAROUND

11-across – Secure fifty picnic hampers : CLINCH

12-across – Mere hint about unusual instrument : THEREMIN

13-across – Growth of intellect in Essex? : BRAINTREE

15-across – Make sense, as might exhibits in gallery collection? : HANG

16-across – See 25 : OVER

17-across – ‘Loose women’: clue de trop : UNWELCOME

21-across – See 15 : TOGETHER

22-across – Eagle, for example, hit rocky peak : RAPTOR

24-across – Dark snake and lady of the night? : WINDOWLESS

25-across – Affect suddenly with strong push in sustained campaign : WASH

26-across – Bear in river on purpose : ENDURE

27-across – Bird: 22 out of one’s tree? : PARROT

1-down – Cosmic light initially alters forms : STELLAR

2-down – Pooped nothing out then? : ALLIN

3-down – Assaults exciting — still on police record? : MUGSHOT

5-down – Authorised reference covering talk that’s come up : OKAYED

6-down – Astronomical topic, male boobs : PTOLEMAIC

7-down – Whiffy — as a goose may be? : HONKING

8-down – This hen wouldn’t want to be turning her friends out : SOUTHERNFRIED

14-down – See 9 : INEVERDID

16-down – Scent style in rose I gathered : ODORISE

18-down – Every other one blocked off, set up roads vital for an enormous area of land : EURASIA

19-down – Descent of celestial body, twinkling before dawn : MOONSET

20-down – See 23 : SHOWER

23-down – Might exhibitionist stand naked under this? : POWER