Daily Answers

1-across – He probably knows a South American footballer, missing centre-back, white clothes : WISEMAN

5-across – British fighter once offered inducement using Arab carrier : SOPWITH

9-across – See 5 : CAMEL

10-across – What might explain use of air rifle on leader in conflict : CLARIFIER

11-across – Position where very old revolutionary caught by old bullet : EXTRACOVER

12-across – Thus detailed humorous way to : WASH

14-across – See 12 : YOURMOUTHOUT

18-across – Heads rolling, I check copy in binder : ADHESIVETAPE

21-across – Red choice : RARE

22-across – Boot finding flea, say, on some ground : CLODHOPPER

25-across – Support pronouncement of Scilly Isles a bit? : STABILISE

26-across – Picked up, like a Tiller girl who’s attractive? : HONEY

27-across – Party sealing lips, minding language : SHINDIG

28-across – Stick olive finally in drink, don’t wait! : BARGEIN

1-down – Musical put on stage to nurture traditional character : WICKED

2-down – It lines identical old fabric : SAMITE

3-down – Pole has introduced island to Aussie’s food : MELBATOAST

4-down – Chip in minimum of oil, hot vessel lifted : NACHO

5-down – Disoriented one day in jet : SPACEDOUT

6-down – Immediate sensation of a breaking leg? : PAIN

7-down – One taking someone off duty list tiny boy and I set up : IMITATOR

8-down – Castle contracted to host bash after good day for old emperor : HIROHITO

13-down – See 1 : STEPMOTHER

15-down – Offensive uprising : REVOLTING

16-down – Shortage of baby food in part of the UK, those beastly things blubbered? : WALRUSES

17-down – Collected by wife half cut, hear me performing Show Me The Way To Go Home? : WHEREAMI

19-down – Wipe bum : SPONGE

20-down – Line up that there drawer : CRAYON

23-down – Jerk knocking insect on hollow wood over : DWEEB

24-down – Female animal, the Queen’s dog? : HIND

9-across – Think ‘Wow, a fantastic introduction to a fresh idea!’ : IKNOWWHAT

10-across – Germ gets you ending with the stomach ache, mostly : ECOLI

11-across – A sign of hope for couples coming out? : RAINBOW

12-across – Article penned by playwright — something ropy : PAINTER

13-across – One who sold out quickly, not plebeian at heart : FAUST

14-across – Carpet sweeper collecting great amount, first to last : BROADLOOM

16-across – Behave as timid type when one’s struck and hold on, hoping for the best : RUNDOWNTHECLOCK

19-across – Female engineer ace being brought in to go down a hole? : DISAPPEAR

21-across – More than one electrical device operates at restricted frequency : FUSES

22-across – Army man revolutionised Asian country : MYANMAR

23-across – Foot of water in Gloucester? : SPONDEE

24-across – Link that is bringing together metal components : TIEIN

25-across – Top Gear and evening drinks : NIGHTCAPS

1-down – Measure of capacity in a Ford car I’m working out : MICROFARAD

2-down – Against taking game bird on Caribbean island : ANTIGUAN

3-down – Cheap religious book with content of little weight : TWOBIT

4-down – Sound of relief from the fellow hugged by two women : WHEW

5-down – Member of family to stifle upset favourite being protected : STEPMOTHER

6-down – Female spirit of poetry evident from time to time : PERIODIC

7-down – Archbishop sounding excessive : TOOTOO

8-down – Sound of wind? Gosh, it’s cold around island! : BIRR

14-down – Drug last character brought into inn, beer being laced : BENZEDRINE

15-down – King being accommodated in minister’s house is reasonable : MAKESSENSE

17-down – Chaps entering gold mine for yellow mineral : ORPIMENT

18-down – Old boy joining Vicious and Dury in a sort of rock : OBSIDIAN

20-down – Parched, needing water and wine : SEARED

21-down – Shows contempt for loud hooligans : FLOUTS

22-down – Biblical widow had more than one small child : MITE

23-down – Indication of burning issue coming up : SIGN

1-across – Bread, spinach and turnip, a turnip’s first eaten : CHAPATI

5-across – Sweet thing, as French produce private parts : BROWNIE

9-across – Cylinder turns around : SPOOL

10-across – Heading for carrots, one fetching for us cut vegetable : COURGETTE

11-across – Take the blasted thing from the pen of author : NICKHORNBY

12-across – Midnight on a journey, excited : AGOG

14-across – With flyer penned, doctor ratifies orders : FRATERNITIES

18-across – 11’s distance to one Irish county and another? : ALONGWAYDOWN

21-across – See 19 : DISH

22-across – Spinner, figure surprisingly on the money : CENTRIFUGE

25-across – 11’s sin is so in Saladin? : ABOUTABOY

26-across – It’s recalled, story without a name : TITLE

27-across – Opening clue perfect for discussion : KEYHOLE

28-across – The oxygen group’s proposition : THEOREM

1-down – Function where figure hosts number : COSINE

2-down – One carrying great weight now : ATONCE

3-down – In autumn, group starts feeding together : ALLTHERAGE

4-down – Old person beginning to regret satnav so? : INCAR

5-down – Cried, describing Moby Dick? : BLUBBERED

6-down – Social occasion with some characters rolling over in ecstasy, groping : ORGY

7-down – Cooker cutting out? That’s always happening! : NOTAGAIN

8-down – Stimulate singer to perform in centre of Queens : ENERGISE

13-down – Let out houses in game one’s played : TINWHISTLE

15-down – People in diagram may be found : TRACEABLE

16-down – Book is easy there, but … : HARDBACK

17-down – Oodl — or poodle? : DOGSBODY

19-down – Spread out on this beachhead, absolute beauty : BUTTER

20-down – Trade in communist merchandise ultimately gets me promoted : REDEEM

23-down – Meeting judge, shut case : TRYST

24-down – German rising and falling? : OTTO

1-across – Unlikely winners don’t cook enough eggs on a regular basis : UNDERDOGS

9-across – Timid people include ‘hard left’ Frenchman : MICHEL

10-across – Credit must be taken by fast bowlers!! : SCREAMERS

11-across – For the Fallen, twice read: 28 rhyming words : HUMPTY

12-across – Badly stymied and frustrated, you initially make clear : DEMYSTIFY

13-across – Unwilling to heed content of idea FT originated : DEAFTO

17-across – Honey Bee, say? : MEL

19-across – Sloth’s a regret, when returning to large area of land : EURASIA

20-across – How one man composed capriciously : ONAWHIM

21-across – Clarkson as presenter, originally for Top Gear : CAP

23-across – Spots royal being more reckless : RASHER

27-across – Promote short clue within contrary setting : ADVERTISE

28-across – Idiot that’s wrecked my punt : NUMPTY

29-across – Everybody in Hackney perhaps needs to instruct youth about love : COACHLOAD

30-across – See 7 : DESERT

31-across – Surprisingly pleased about a new seaside amenity : ESPLANADE

2-down – A scene with liberal drink supply? Virgin territory, in more ways than one : NECKER

3-down – Two short names for a man or woman : EVELYN

4-down – See 11 : DUMPTY

5-down – One that’s spotted if Nigel Farage is upset, not representing Ealing : GIRAFFE

6-down – Very small chap, one that goes ballistic : MINUTEMAN

7-down – Ring newspaper editor about home with trees damaged by loose, uneven bits of Sopwith Camel : SHIPOFTHE

8-down – Where kids have fun seeing Mary’s polo game : PLAYROOMS

14-down – Daughter being sinful with the same bold action : DERRINGDO

15-down – Bloomer by model, eating hot carrageen : IRISHMOSS

16-down – Fool goes in to see yes-men? : ASSENTERS

17-down – Computer’s current backup : MAC

18-down – Cut off short run with a bounding stride : LOP

22-down – Punishing a couple in Russia : ARDUOUS

24-down – Camel’s broken spirit : MESCAL

25-down – Hot water off the south coast, after temperature rises by 4 degrees? : STOLEN

26-down – See 2 : ISLAND

9-across – Moving book back, Orwell initially secured by bent nail : EMOTIONAL

10-across – French author puts bird behind geese, flying : VERNE

11-across – See 8 : CHICKEN

12-across – County needing way to avoid country music genre : NORFOLK

13-across – Hook perhaps scratching head, incandescent : IRATE

14-across – Unknown number it’s under­stood, endless wine bottles for old movie star : ROYROGERS

16-across – Keep your chin up to apply warpaint? : PUTONABRAVEFACE

19-across – Proper bit of 11 in position : RIGHTWING

21-across – Ultimate bit of fluff in a leotard : FINAL

22-across – Dance with me for some fiddling : CONGAME

23-across – Barcelona’s tomboy? : CATALAN

24-across – See 20 : TONIC

25-across – Openers: with those for Sussex and Surrey testing reactions : RESPONSES

1-down – Old transporter, truck loaded with embroidered lace : TEACLIPPER

2-down – Leading man I suspect, about which a word of caution? : DOMINANT

3-down – Relish difficult situation : PICKLE

4-down – A cipher featured in news soon : ANON

5-down – Tree — positive thing planting 50 x 2 : YLANGYLANG

6-down – Obvious figure, hidden meaning : OVERTONE

7-down – Bird hunter cut loose after evisceration : ORIOLE

8-down – Table for a Jamaican fool and poltroon : JERK

14-down – Those picking up signals there’s evidence of wailing in the synagogue? : RABBITEARS

15-down – Scores in southern river determined quality : STEELINESS

17-down – Bird which occupies nest until chicks hungry, primarily : NUTHATCH

18-down – Historian head examiner discussed? : ANNALIST

20-down – What one gets when noticing mixed drink : GINAND

21-down – First to fall, in short, a downward distance : FATHOM

22-down – Pretty detached, remote ultimately : CUTE

23-down – Patient enquiry : CASE