Daily Answers

1-across – First to film bird of prey getting poultry : FOWL

3-across – Diplomat, American, so sad, drunk in pub : AMBASSADOR

9-across – Supply a Baltic port : RIGA

10-across – Stage left – snake appears from piece of equipment : STEPLADDER

11-across – Awfully enraged after manual worker makes a bomb : HANDGRENADE

15-across – US writer in digs, we hear : BURROUGHS

17-across – Name of old boy, one in service : ROBIN

18-across – Pole with money, grand from fraud : STING

19-across – Bearing of vicar, one going round the Spanish church : RELEVANCE

20-across – In meeting hall, the French elected corporation’s treasurer : CHAMBERLAIN

24-across – US state capital worker is in agreement : CONCORDANT

25-across – From this mount you might get stake back : ETNA

26-across – Comfortable situation, one appreciated by deliveryman? : EASYSTREET

27-across – A widely held but false belief covered in a series of letters from Jeremy Thorpe : MYTH

1-down – Defensive structure put around ancient city, advantageous in the long term : FORTHEBEST

2-down – Dire warning to a settlers’ convoy : WAGONTRAIN

4-down – What a bishop may have on in a joint : MITRE

5-down – Artist is full of dismay? Just the opposite with this valuation : APPRAISAL

6-down – Very exacting employer in club, propping up bar, drinking drop of lager : SLAVEDRIVER

7-down – A couple of rooks – one was unable to fly : DODO

8-down – Seldom seen underdone : RARE

12-down – Chap landing on bridge gets bravery award : GEORGECROSS

13-down – A British nun, lady possibly securing first of tricks in spades : ABUNDANTLY

14-down – The nude ran out below : UNDERNEATH

16-down – Plant in European river duck avoided : GERMANDER

21-down – Spree, for example, writer fixed up : BINGE

22-down – Runs into one in Israeli seaport : ACRE

23-down – Ring North American albatross? : ONUS

1-across – Piece of sacking very small person gets to sew : STITCH

4-across – US artist left with monarch after game : WHISTLER

9-across – Unfashionable group coming from launch : OUTSET

10-across – Crazy to remove a door, say, with bit of draught ensuing : UNHINGED

12-across – Treacherous rocks ahead of rowers? This might help one who gets in the drink : CORKSCREW

13-across – Friend – shed tears about one out East : CRONY

14-across – A monk’s seldom prepared a fish dish : SMOKEDSALMON

18-across – Spy MiG flight out of control? That’s highly unlikely : PIGSMIGHTFLY

21-across – Dog found in cul-de-sac or ginnel : CORGI

22-across – Bell tower seen from tents pitched by a river : CAMPANILE

24-across – Gay seducer unwilling to visit a Brazilian port : LOTHARIO

25-across – Artist on platform showing off sword : RAPIER

26-across – Rank of Frenchman, social worker? : SERGEANT

27-across – Legendary lover is elderly head of empire : ISOLDE

1-down – Cabinet ministers ultimately chose a leader of wisdom, possibly : SHOWCASE

2-down – Crime fighters in Nile port, all over the place : INTERPOL

3-down – Musical, presumably in black and white! : CHESS

5-down – Country singer, Kim, was in hall, playing : HANKWILLIAMS

6-down – Fabric in his cot, all frilly : SAILCLOTH

7-down – Convict with nothing on in small lake : LAGOON

8-down – Night flight for cheap whisky : REDEYE

11-down – Annoyed department obtaining random sample : CROSSSECTION

15-down – Put out the Spanish one, at home in match : ELIMINATE

16-down – Refuse to entertain ICI executive : OFFICIAL

17-down – Exclamation from popular singer dropping ring : BYGEORGE

19-down – NW town featured in first half of book : ECCLES

20-down – Ceremony in outskirts of Windsor for author : WRITER

23-down – Collect a large amount : AMASS

1-across – Chowder of clam – then, finally, began dessert : BLANCMANGE

6-across – One on drugs squad employed by monarchy : NARC

10-across – Expressions of disapproval by one member of a Bantu tribe : TUTSI

11-across – Short musical instrument – girl demonstrates a different type : HARMONICA

12-across – The girl who was hurt at the wheel? : SLEEPINGBEAUTY

14-across – Arranged to repeat a G&S production, perhaps : OPERETTA

15-across – Carried round Pacific island : BORNEO

18-across – Narrative poem, piece identified as amateur : LAYMAN

19-across – Birds in natural basins round heart of Larne : BARNOWLS

21-across – Continuously changing? Felt fat and anxious, possibly : INASTATEOFFLUX

24-across – Part of London hit : TOWERHILL

25-across – Servant on drive with fruit : MANGO

26-across – Stinking row : RANK

27-across – Not mad about silver that’s in vogue? : ALLTHERAGE

1-down – Grip coin, English : BITE

2-down – Missile-launchers and the like – hostile positioned in major road : ARTILLERY

3-down – Hanging, one doesn’t give off much light in plant : CHINESELANTERN

4-down – Non-believers? Hastiest may be converted : ATHEISTS

5-down – Bishop leaves refuse in lock-up? : GARAGE

7-down – A long introduction to Ulysses? So long : ADIEU

8-down – Indian chief, deranged on heroin : CRAZYHORSE

9-down – Fish dish with lemons and beef one with hint of mustard prepared : SOLEBONNEFEMME

13-down – Vitality shown by nurse, a fellow-African American? : SOULSISTER

16-down – Freshly-minted gold coin from Pacific island : NEWGUINEA

17-down – Awfully long wait for a sleeping car : WAGONLIT

20-down – When one chooses a woven fabric : ATWILL

22-down – Article on graceful bird seen in a city on the Nile : ASWAN

23-down – Weed round front of my dwelling house : HOME

1-across – Baronet comprehends curve in graph : BARCHART

5-across – Approach and stop Bill nicking lettuce : ACCOST

10-across – Left port heavily loaded : LADEN

11-across – Forty made off stand-in spinner? : DOUBLETOP

12-across – Scary for one balanced in tree : CEDAROFLEBANON

14-across – Retort made by sapper about one job : RIPOSTE

15-across – Solve first of conundrums humorist raised : CLEARUP

17-across – A girl failing to finish after onset of eye complaint : EARACHE

19-across – A whirlwind ripped a door half off : TORNADO

21-across – Film brutish man with fireworks : ANIMALCRACKERS

24-across – Fruit that might go off? : PINEAPPLE

25-across – Lad out of bed by the sound of it, first thing? : SUNUP

26-across – Took home academic after loss of face : EARNED

27-across – Different in Lent, mass given by early Archbishop of Canterbury : STANSELM

1-down – Invoice for advertisement : BILL

2-down – Over top of dish, sprinkle a pimiento : REDPEPPER

3-down – Where one may see aircraft hover when guarding river : HANGARS

4-down – Astronomical instrument I operated after work, getting excited close in : RADIOTELESCOPE

6-down – Bore gifts : CALIBRE

7-down – Frequently in temper, losing head : OFTEN

8-down – Where one may be employed to follow directions to the letter? : TYPINGPOOL

9-down – Promoter in Belgian city, put out … : PUBLICITYAGENT

13-down – …. feelers, tentatively, about a member getting a small PR gift? : FREESAMPLE

16-down – Alter back row : REARRANGE

18-down – Artist in country, first to expose sham : CHARADE

20-down – Playboy’s trendy, earns large amounts : RAKESIN

22-down – Hidden pub on outskirts of Esher : INNER

23-down – Tinned meat from Belgian town, third in hamper : SPAM

1-across – She may be here, on the shelf : LIBRARY

5-across – At which there may be a queue to kiss chief : BUSSTOP

9-across – Male bird biting head of one very large duck : GOOSANDER

10-across – Bait ugly cave-dweller : TROLL

11-across – I refused male lead in dreadfully cast operetta : DIEFLEDERMAUS

13-across – Dream is to settle in part of New York City : LONGISLAND

15-across – Look both ways : PEEP

17-across – Audio tape contains a very small amount : IOTA

18-across – Willing retainer? Mellors, say : GAMEKEEPER

20-across – Invite round promising a list of engagements : COURTCIRCULAR

23-across – Opening for Middlesex, I make a careless mistake over fieldsman : MIDON

24-across – I’m left with social worker that’s influential : IMPORTANT

25-across – Not prepared, a Parisian needing to get cash? : UNREADY

26-across – Not the same second : ANOTHER

1-down – Toy duck sat on by member : LEGO

2-down – Laud ‘Dr No’, the Bond novel for violence? : BLOODANDTHUNDER

3-down – Well-read, two accounts about Ms Moore? : ACADEMIC

4-down – Sing in Tokyo, delightfully : YODEL

5-down – Social gathering in pub can end in trouble : BARNDANCE

6-down – Ridicule South African bore : SATIRE

7-down – Paused, to gain courage before diving in? : TOOKADEEPBREATH

8-down – Incompatible Europeans, getting on a bit : POLESAPART

12-down – Crude, for the most part, my pal and I spoiled party in Wales : PLAIDCYMRU

14-down – Gift presented after the Italian’s turned up for duty : LIABILITY

16-down – Major left on fabulous ship for small US island : KEYLARGO

19-down – Verse – reportedly little boy’s second in mag : STANZA

21-down – Film director, top artist : CAPRA

22-down – Famous launch? No end : STAR