Daily Answers

1-across – Marx brother cut short one known for grumbling : GROUCH

4-across – Peculiar to clans with bit of deference for their country? : SCOTLAND

9-across – Disturbing experience in river in old Kent town : ORDEAL

10-across – Of little use in Merseyside town Sunday School : BOOTLESS

12-across – Fellow less poorly, treated after eating a poisonous plant : FOOLSPARSLEY

15-across – The German bent back rush to find lousewort : REDRATTLE

17-across – In the morning I work with a friend : AMIGO

18-across – No place for canoe, adrift : OCEAN

19-across – Travelling round performing, ringing man, husband, at sixty-minute intervals? : ONTHEHOUR

20-across – A masseur might mix socially : RUBSHOULDERS

24-across – Undisciplined eccentric, a non-qualifier invited to compete : WILDCARD

25-across – Box office has critical role promoting a dance : BOLERO

26-across – Row endless work with drill makes in Carey Street : BANKRUPT

27-across – Poked fun at editor after drinks : TEASED

1-down – Well done, like a healthy steak? : GOODFORYOU

2-down – Veteran’s empty bottle? : OLDSOLDIER

3-down – Form C girl : CLASS

5-down – Annoyed over department giving a representative sample : CROSSSECTION

6-down – She first appeared on one in 1887 : TITLEPAGE

7-down – Primate with cross and crown : APEX

8-down – Splash of colour in opening in dense wood : DASH

11-down – Con’s portrait – somehow it may make you laugh : CARTOONSTRIP

13-down – Kitchen utensils – first of them worried pensioner : TINOPENERS

14-down – Agree to write : CORRESPOND

16-down – Can one run broadcast? : ANNOUNCER

21-down – Relaxed card game’s ending in one : LOOSE

22-down – Specimen given by western sailor after bit of surgery : SWAB

23-down – Large family left in container : CLAN

1-across – Lack in desert : DEFECT

4-across – One who’s worked with mummy? : EMBALMER

9-across – Spanish girl in Caribbean island : MARGARITA

11-across – Floral feature in ring worn by tenor : PETAL

12-across – Stuff round end of meringue? : CREAM

13-across – Esteem shown in a piece of direct speech : ADORATION

14-across – Men, losing face, caught by artful chap with sniffer dog : AFFENPINSCHER

18-across – Punish errant fathead cruelly : TARANDFEATHER

20-across – Extinct reptile and raptor, last to survive us possibly : PTEROSAUR

22-across – Latest of journalists to pen an exclusive : SCOOP

24-across – I complain about Ruth’s mother-in-law : NAOMI

25-across – Droppings are found at end of the Square – overalls required : DUNGAREES

26-across – Hemp, perhaps? : POTPLANT

27-across – When one chooses to use a plough round onset of winter : ATWILL

1-down – Party member in protest meeting about blackleg : DEMOCRAT

2-down – In favour of church’s influence : FORCE

3-down – Collier – heartless one, man due for retraining : COALMINER

5-down – Flowering plant, mystical for a few nomads : MEADOWSAFFRON

6-down – Leading Greek character in local pharmacy : ALPHA

7-down – Head of family in secret society cut during procession : MATRIARCH

8-down – Become less severe about period of self-denial : RELENT

10-down – Tending aralia? Unlikely here at Blenheim Palace, say : ITALIANGARDEN

15-down – Provided suitable solicitor to ring editor : FITTEDOUT

16-down – Leader’s sharp gaining initial advantage : HEADSTART

17-down – Offer to support old girl : PROPOSAL

19-down – Become more communicative, ring writer at university : OPENUP

21-down – Loire’s seen vaguely from bay window : ORIEL

23-down – Old boy, priest, is showing signs : OBELI

1-across – Cat finally spots litter : TRASH

4-across – Hospital doctor in charge leaving confused geriatrics at end of corridor : REGISTRAR

9-across – Temporary home – get word about one : INTERIM

10-across – Wandering, boy round desert : ERRATIC

11-across – Wicked witch and king don’t, swallowing it in pantomime : DICKWHITTINGTON

12-across – Watches Communist and becomes very angry : SEESRED

13-across – Good sieve, cooking utensil : GRIDDLE

14-across – Rarebit cooked for a judge : ARBITER

16-across – Fencer’s warning in area of kitchen garden : ENGARDE

18-across – Superb fetching animal? : GOLDENRETRIEVER

21-across – Angry about no good unappreciative type : INGRATE

22-across – One in old spirit container : OILDRUM

23-across – Degradation in a cellar : ABASEMENT

24-across – Shout for minister? : TREAT

1-down – Deal mostly involving one secret society : TRIAD

2-down – Piece in paper, tiny piece with no heading : ARTICLE

3-down – Holidaying initially at Kew, we read her new historical novel : HEREWARDTHEWAKE

4-down – Hint about a rest : REMAINDER

5-down – Visitor in front of entrance, caught by sudden blast of wind : GUEST

6-down – Psychiatrist with one northern g-girl, very shy type : SHRINKINGVIOLET

7-down – Went round gallery surrounded by staff : ROTATED

8-down – Meet up again with English prisoner, never changing outwardly : RECONVENE

12-down – Foreign girl has an earthly paradise : SHANGRILA

13-down – Marvellous, small company at making what a soldier might wear : GREATCOAT

15-down – Boy cut a long sizzling sausage : BOLOGNA

17-down – Change back : REVERSE

19-down – On day before festival calls for US actor : REEVE

20-down – Send for terms of reference : REMIT

1-across – Monument – not cheap to be rebuilt : CENOTAPH

5-across – Characteristic of stars attending Belfast rally : ASTRAL

9-across – Plot to deceive summit : CONSPIRE

10-across – Somewhat inexperienced driver included in team : PARTLY

12-across – NCO in open car with collar undone : LANCECORPORAL

14-across – One getting up out of chair is erudite : RISER

15-across – Worth it, reading a Poe novel, or an Orwell documentary : THEROADTO

17-across – See 15 : WIGANPIER

19-across – Garment for groom : DRESS

21-across – Started eating out where the industrial firms are concentrated? : TRADINGESTATE

24-across – Out-of-date, so not the gear for Ascot? : OLDHAT

25-across – Evergreen provides chap a little wood : MANGROVE

26-across – Goddess captured in outskirts of this ancient city : THEBES

27-across – Chess player at match in formal evening dress : WHITETIE

1-down – Prepare to shoot male bird : COCK

2-down – Flummox with puns on live broadcast : NONPLUS

3-down – I criticise doctor getting in cask for game : TIPANDRUN

4-down – Control of expenditure may cause row in US – reps unhappy : PURSESTRINGS

6-down – Kind of squash? : STAMP

7-down – Stopped working and went to bed : RETIRED

8-down – A lot to say, possibly, after end of meal and this? : LOYALTOAST

11-down – Injured from same rash wrestler’s blow? : FOREARMSMASH

13-down – Suntanned solicitor catching river fish : BROWNTROUT

16-down – Old man after drop of ‘nectar’ ready to be served from the barrel : ONDRAUGHT

18-down – Old woman on river with Spanish nobleman : GRANDEE

20-down – Make flat cool, abroad : EVENOUT

22-down – One judge, very angry : IRATE

23-down – You need to sow, reportedly, to yield : CEDE

1-across – Lad rings doctor, first of all, in Indian port : BOMBAY

4-across – At Danube, raging with no loss of intensity : UNABATED

9-across – Australian bird – second seen round lake and river there : BLACKSWAN

11-across – Boy in charge of sound : SONIC

12-across – Fellow with everything in sink : FALL

13-across – Small-scale experiment undertaken by the aviation industry? : PILOTSTUDY

15-across – Device promoting fidelity in stately ‘bitch’, possibly : CHASTITYBELT

18-across – So he returned abroad in secret : UNDERTHEROSE

21-across – Brief unwell, cutting down : CURTAILING

22-across – Land mass – between seas, I assume : ASIA

24-across – Start in neutral in it on run out : INTRO

25-across – Direction given by particular Military Academy : WESTPOINT

26-across – George Martin’s first, first from EMI to hear arrangement : GEOMETRY

27-across – One fuelling the fire of Irish novelist? : STOKER

1-down – George Nelson’s record? : BABYFACE

2-down – US singer performed packing a lounge : MEATLOAF

3-down – Questions dance music around the South raised : ASKS

5-down – Civilians in wartime ban most cannot fancy : NONCOMBATANTS

6-down – Top actor almost becomes top author : BESTSELLER

7-down – Flap, in a manner of speaking : TONGUE

8-down – Alluring things, bashful cuddled by Des : DECOYS

10-down – Referee, one trying to put a stop to foul play? : WHISTLEBLOWER

14-down – Be unequalled racing on land and at sea, mostly : STANDALONE

16-down – Control lever girl’s to click : JOYSTICK

17-down – Put off drinking tin or bottle : DECANTER

19-down – Deputy in the theatre : ACTING

20-down – Greek with German man in cave : GROTTO

23-down – Notice a blemish : SPOT