1-across – Expected level has to burst, in a manner of speaking : PARLANCE

5-across – Flock to see Rex wearing skimpy underwear : THRONG

9-across – Crowing British like Kent, perhaps? : BOASTFUL

10-across – Nothing to tease if receding for hairdresser : FIGARO

12-across – 8s, Spooner’s drawing paper : ROWINGTEAMS

15-across – 8s exist among bridge opponents : WARES

17-across – First of athletes stepped into some sports arena : ASTRODOME

18-across – One’s shown vaccine after getting old : EXHIBITOR

19-across – Alien man left woman : ETHEL

20-across – Old blue tit protects one brooding close to rattlesnake : THATCHERITE

24-across – Acrophobia – suggesting 8s? : NOHEAD

25-across – Black reptile travelling west through Slough : SCORCHED

26-across – 8s packed in hairy thing, bum : BEGGAR

27-across – I wound soldier one greatly admires : IDOLISER

1-down – Itinerant drinker turning up, caught punching aggressive type : PUBCRAWLER

2-down – Tory Howard drunk, but fit to drive : ROADWORTHY

3-down – London district’s current fashion : ACTON

4-down – Hearing having apprehended officer – here? : COURTMARTIAL

6-down – Weird alien shot something from the sky : HAILSTONE

7-down – Country dipsomaniac’s drunk : OMAN

8-down – Virtuous Creator filled with love : GOOD

11-down – Chemical having treated cataract, iris almost beginning to discolour : TARTARICACID

13-down – See 24 across : FORHEIGHTS

14-down – Salamander’s agony over drinking session : HELLBENDER

16-down – Lower levels from which a prostitute’s transport pulled up : SUBSTRATA

21-down – Brought up learning to enter name – do just that : ENROL

22-down – Stud hit from below : KNOB

23-down – Bird leaves, if fuming : SHAG

9-across – Find one’s way east with eastern queen : ORIENTEER

10-across – Get information in king’s name : LEARN

11-across – Biblical character’s holding a quarter of a quarter : TWOBITS

12-across – It takes initiation into cunning with humour : WITTILY

13-across – Royal beasts in 16 : PRIDE

14-across – Did for setter – died on return of agent : PERFORMED

16-across – Sensed any devils about? : SEVENDEADLYSINS

19-across – Provide some French birds with balance : EQUIPOISE

21-across – Singular French city in 16 : ANGER

22-across – French film, work of Calderon, non-starter : LARONDE

23-across – Hungry-looking Roman fool, one in copper’s grasp : CASSIUS

24-across – Arboreal edentate in 16 : SLOTH

25-across – Wine laced with intoxicant in procession : CAVALCADE

1-down – Overly over in the set cleaner : TOOTHPASTE

2-down – Supposed letter-writer put last first, that is during bonfire day : ZINOVIEV

3-down – Engrave corollary to Ltd is US : INCISE

4-down – Headwater : NESS

5-down – Game without winner may help defence : DRAWBRIDGE

6-down – Too much Blair in 16 : GLUTTONY

7-down – Produce of Umbria for meal : BARIUM

8-down – New version reported in 16 : ENVY

14-down – Live quietly with no charge, unknown in the White House : PRESIDENCY

15-down – Shorn and sad : DISTRESSED

17-down – One man without love and confined inside needs cure for grief : NEPENTHE

18-down – Rare version of Antarctic bird with no head and a plate between legs : INGUINAL

20-down – Be radical when it’s your turn to pour : UPROOT

21-down – Divine articles on tree : ANSELM

22-down – Some years without spirit in 16 : LUST

23-down – Fellow taking to us 4 in 16 : COVE

8-across – Old man’s port, a US city : PASADENA

9-across – Note victory in short race : BREVE

10-across – Miss trip : SKIP

11-across – kcul? : REVERSALOF

12-across – ylper? : ANSWER

14-across – Vertical position : STANDING

15-across – See 11 : FORTUNE

17-across – One doesn’t believe two articles at first : ATHEIST

20-across – Postpone dance after some weeks, name withdrawn : MOTHBALL

22-across – Ultimate strategy, seeking holiday destination : RESORT

23-across – ytud? : TAXRETURNS

24-across – See 12 : BACK

25-across – Fellow in nude unfortunately short of a nibble : UNFED

26-across – Problem in The Listener can fool us : TINNITUS

1-down – Meet western singer entertaining relations : WALKINTO

2-down – See 22 : DAMP

3-down – Slip under front of truck in panic : TERROR

4-down – Gather not entirely stiff underwear : HARVEST

5-down – Wandering king managed to access help : ABERRANT

6-down – Ridiculously large dress, anyhow : REGARDLESS

7-down – Horse – one bitten by bird : HEROIN

13-down – Spelling withholding C, cunning : WITCHCRAFT

16-down – Wave painted with energy, though little movement of water : NEAPTIDE

18-down – eert? : SPRUCEUP

19-down – God housed in conurbation seeks unimpeded view : CLARITY

21-down – Essential to stop a question appearing dull : OPAQUE

22-down – tew? : RISING

24-down – Bowled, needing edge – and getting one! : BRIM

1-across – Duet formed by man in post’s to get better : JUDETHEOBSCURE

8-across – A number in a vehicle counter : ABACUS

13-across – Pioneering message: batterer turned against soldier turned batterer : MARCONIGRAM

14-across – Duchy at 10 with smothered daughter : BRABINTIO

15-across – Ride to far country by a philosopher : SPINOZA

16-across – Rich man heard to make us laugh? : CROESUS

17-across – Tough kisser? : HARDY

18-across – Our tender ego we rented out to go round hospital : UNDERTHEGREENWOODTREE

21-across – Bar worker from street when there’s light outside : TAPSTER

24-across – See 28 : MADDINGCROWD

28-across – It’s bad for the farm being a summer bird, doctor holds : FARFROMTHE

29-across – Playing footy with 19, one who will throw game : THEMAYOROF

31-across – See 29 : CASTERBRIDGE

34-across – Flirts at dance in playground? : TOYSHOP

37-across – Humorous writer is without editor after backing little ditch for towns across the water : TESSOFTHEDURBERVILLES

42-across – Changing Blair to Brown needed central intelligence : BRAIN

43-across – A little paper on holiday : WHITSUN

44-across – Sulky start of reporter’s request? : PETTISH

45-across – Apple once given to queen at a dogs’ home : POMERANIA

46-across – Philosophy of a moralist in trouble : RATIONALISM

47-across – Make fun of foreign journey : DERIDE

48-across – Ambassador in 2 has nothing left among passions : THEWOODLANDERS

1-down – Driver’s get-together during excursion : JAMESHUNT

2-down – Princess and queen got together and got fouled : DIRTIED

3-down – Firsts of the worst of our time : TWOFOUR

4-down – Another 17 11 : EVITA

5-down – Walk in London taking time at prison : BIRDCAGE

6-down – No royal article these days : COMMONERA

7-down – Singer formally attired? : ROBESON

9-down – By keeping right with slightly painful foot, nails are nearer to hand in such a case : BRICHYDACTYLY

10-down – I provide time before getting into 30 : CATERER

11-down – See 20 : STORY

12-down – Ship’s party needing redemption to give to posterity : PASSDOWN

19-down – All those women – run a mile! : HAREM

20-down – 40’s done wrong: there’s no more to be said : ENDOF

22-down – The county is below standard : PARIS

23-down – Pirate’s hat is possibly there with no chance of escape : THREECORNERED

25-down – Writer gave name to flower : DAHL

26-down – Marx turns up with Lady Chat : OPRAH

27-down – Language spoken in marriage? : THAI

28-down – Appearance of champion in pink paper : FACET

30-down – Dr Hill’s vehicle : MOTOR

32-down – Something like an umbrella needed to hit a six : BATSWING

33-down – Food and wages can be driven below surface : GRUBSCREW

35-down – Shakespearean’s letters sound American : POSTHUMUS

36-down – From the first I love to follow article and then throw it away : ABINITIO

38-down – A manner of speaking in which I speak of myself in body : STAMMER

39-down – Suitable words on grave in untidy heap : EPITAPH

40-down – Passenger : INTRAIN

41-down – Alice is upset – remove frock? : LAICISE

42-down – People’s tips are in order: like one of them? : BIPED

44-down – Predatory start for predator’s predatory movement : PROWL

1-across – Have meal with : SUPERB

4-across – Ships’ painter securing bananas : ARMADA

9-across – 5 hit : BELT

10-across – See 24 : AMONGWHICH

11-across – Seth Mk 4’s back : VIKRAM

12-across – Rice portions after generous starter with 10 16 15 : GIOCONDA

13-across – Exotic fruit provides Scotsman with a weapon outside : ASIANPEAA

15-across – See 16 : LISA

16-across – African country’s holding on to a work of art : MONA

17-across – A depression’s enveloped her followers : ADHERENTS

21-across – School run returns with nasty noise : WOLFNOTE

22-across – African 25 makes 500 of 25 : DURBAN

24-across – Leonardo’s work – his highest – matches Hitchens’s extravaganza : SHEISOLDER

25-across – Place after long story for intelligence : CITY

26-across – Horatio’s hold on African hero : NELSON

27-across – Name used by S-Shelley : BYSSHE

1-down – See 24 : SHESITS

2-down – Head for tail, Dad? : PATER

3-down – Gypsies quietly secure publicity for peace plan : ROADMAP

5-down – Ignore devastated area : REGION

6-down – Love divine if Oprah tied knot? : APHRODITE

7-down – Ideal country for bounder to enter song : ARCADIA

8-down – Not finished your problem about African country? Not finished – trepidation : ROUGHANDREADY

14-down – Actor’s part in The Tempest keeps new fan exalted : ANNAFRIEL

16-down – Wife of grouse, low with her funny name : MOORHEN

18-down – Stomach, not head, keeps the German from getting on : ELDERLY

19-down – See 24 : THANTHE

20-down – End fight for pound by love of country : KOSOVO

23-down – See 24 : ROCKS