Daily Answers

1-across – Ineffectual type, king going into decline : DRIP

3-across – Mixed tapes, lucid copies : DUPLICATES

9-across – Observed number bound to catch cold : NOTICED

11-across – Time, attached to rope, to make descent : LINEAGE

12-across – Distinct cost about pretence and chicanery : SHARPPRACTICE

14-across – Major airline? So essential : BASIC

15-across – Model car involved with publicity surrounding Spielberg film : ARCHETYPE

17-across – Lack of interest in vase around northern clubs formerly : UNCONCERN

19-across – Son in trouble with English passage : AISLE

21-across – Items broadcast after hesitation in time before Christmas commercial : ADVERTISEMENT

24-across – Witticism in record, one with good force : EPIGRAM

25-across – Call film about tango mystifying : CRYPTIC

26-across – Terrible tedium is broken by one with line creating likeness : SIMILITUDE

27-across – Not working on the house : FREE

1-down – Cheese and bun deli has prepared : DANISHBLUE

2-down – One approaches overwhelming defeat, finally weeping : INTEARS

4-down – Less than regular parts of track we tackle : UNDERTAKE

5-down – Shrub that’s shown up in botanical illustration : LILAC

6-down – Kindly captain initially just accepting team on merit : CONSIDERATELY

7-down – Judge occupied by competition to make ornamental stonework : TRACERY

8-down – Democrat supporting witness in beginning : SEED

10-down – Vehicle expert upset during escapade on a large rocket launch site : CAPECANAVERAL

13-down – Referring to church with quiet story about candle’s first holder : RECEPTACLE

16-down – Certain deception very popular with December coming up : CONVINCED

18-down – Skull in opening of chiller set on an island possessed by spirit : CRANIUM

20-down – Woman before reform not having a refuge : SHELTER

22-down – Brief dispatch : REMIT

23-down – Street speaker’s source of inspiration : MEWS

1-across – Partner in punt next to bank : SIDEKICK

5-across – Loose plug split : ADRIFT

10-across – Section of vital links wiped out : ALLIN

11-across – Catches in actual practice : REHEARSAL

12-across – Odd game disrupted search : RUMMAGE

13-across – One qualified to operate system initially and press ahead : SURGEON

14-across – Show impatience in talk about politician with silly hat, I bet : CHAMPATTHEBIT

17-across – Saint provides charter for county : STAFFORDSHIRE

20-across – Fierce aquatic creature? Old man, to catch one, worked hard : PIRANHA

21-across – Defamation put down in sermon? Not half : SLANDER

23-across – Terribly egocentric, having no time for hotel employee : CONCIERGE

24-across – Smashing odd bits of sculpted alabaster finally : SUPER

25-across – Farmyard enclosure was first to be designed : STYLED

26-across – Irritation in places about unfair arrangement : STITCHUP

1-down – Fiction with foundation in Irish emblem : SHAMROCK

2-down – Problem raised in middle of eating fruit? Not on : DILEMMA

3-down – Range over unknown area in country : KENYA

4-down – Wild ranter during strike gives publicity to topical events : CURRENTAFFAIRS

6-down – Group of people in rising uttered verbal attacks : DIATRIBES

7-down – Examine bug restricting power : INSPECT

8-down – Story not without heart and skill : TALENT

9-down – Glowing broadcast cons the shopper : PHOSPHORESCENT

15-down – Simple obligation, guarding against being mournful : PLAINTIVE

16-down – Sweet daughter after attention surrounded by support : PEARDROP

17-down – Elastic band round plant? On the contrary : SPRINGY

18-down – Detailed description’s first suppressed by useless hotel : INDEPTH

19-down – Empty areas in resort dry up : SPACES

22-down – Advantage when prepared : ASSET

1-across – Old man without hesitation seizing power, extremely revolutionary in a way : FOOTPATH

5-across – Stop talking about large cougar being around : CLAMUP

9-across – Intermittently popular, proper French novelist gets going : INFITSANDSTARTS

11-across – Ace breaking record for circuit : LAP

12-across – Insider felt prepared to be most sociable : FRIENDLIEST

13-across – Face villain with no right to make conversation : DIALOGUE

14-across – In dystopia nothing’s soft : PIANO

17-across – Easy match : LIGHT

19-across – Dock in area of land next to reserve : SUBTRACT

22-across – Dinosaur hoax, not last, best in ages : TRICERATOPS

24-across – Diamonds seen in circlet, regularly spaced : ICE

25-across – Gift having adverse consequences once policies had changed : POISONEDCHALICE

26-across – Problem with French name, turning page : SUMMON

27-across – Posted cutting when editor agreed : ASSENTED

1-down – Flutter about feeling pretty : FAIRLY

2-down – Bad time of year for litter : OFFSPRING

3-down – Sad soul, so lost, with hollow uncertainty ahead : PITIFUL

4-down – Aim to protect delta and develop industrial area : TRADINGESTATE

6-down – Revealed skill finally on northward ski run, keeping in line : LETSLIP

7-down – Good in lake and pool : MERGE

8-down – Is work lifted and shifted into place? : POSITION

10-down – Study part of speech with vicious scorn about love for American football team : DENVERBRONCOS

15-down – Keeper of records in vault, one with endless view : ARCHIVIST

16-down – Mammal, a tailless sort – positive about that? : PLATYPUS

18-down – Doctor in new role after time identifying quivering effect : TREMOLO

20-down – Lean period present again in dramatic form : RESTAGE

21-down – Part of journey with purpose in story : LEGEND

23-down – One not clear about old expression : IDIOM

1-across – Family doctor, popular person who’s most important : KINGPIN

5-across – Own son breaking model steamship : POSSESS

9-across – Pioneer prepared to accept very soft pizza topping : PEPPERONI

10-across – Letter for example retained by old mother : OMEGA

11-across – Service, apart from last quarter, all the same : EVENSO

12-across – Start moving occasion with procedure to establish attendance : ROLLCALL

14-across – One demanding power in wild talk for once receiving resistance : CONTROLFREAK

17-across – Pompous person, with material beginning to expose scandal, keeping quiet : STUFFEDSHIRT

20-across – Substandard data about terrain omitting odd features? Right : INFERIOR

21-across – Man felt free from boundaries in place of worship : CHAPEL

23-across – Once more in Narnia, gather round : AGAIN

24-across – Profanity? Wise to restrain cold anger : SACRILEGE

25-across – Be revolutionary in speculation, losing nothing as a result of that : THEREBY

26-across – Break line between west and east in struggle : WRESTLE

1-down – Captain releasing small fish : KIPPER

2-down – Relative conclusions of Einstein accurate? What a relief : NEPHEW

3-down – Singular fraud upset arbiter in attendance for meeting with journalists : PRESSCONFERENCE

4-down – Retreat certainly not all right : NOOK

5-down – Playing solo, hippy capturing hearts with outlook : PHILOSOPHY

6-down – Having many options impaired intensity, group of singers mostly admitted : SPOILTFORCHOICE

7-down – Ecstatic about electronic volume being raised : ELEVATED

8-down – Note king in decline after start of scene in ballet : SWANLAKE

13-down – Poor soul consumed by duty is working diligently : STUDIOUSLY

15-down – Candidate with dodgy past going round nation : ASPIRANT

16-down – Franchise hurt, losing energy over time : SUFFRAGE

18-down – Scoff after United lead, being optimistic : UPBEAT

19-down – Run away from church and cheat : FLEECE

22-down – Boat in sea initially north of Guernsey? : SCOW

1-across – Bowler perhaps after duck trapping opposition’s opener fairly : SOMEWHAT

5-across – Stand in spot, turning, suppressing tear : TRIPOD

10-across – Natural personality breaking out : UNSELFCONSCIOUS

11-across – Belief in sacred order : CREDO

12-across – Large sail secure in wind? Right : SPINNAKER

13-across – Dope put in offer for part of engine component : BIGEND

14-across – Excursions can, in US, go awry : OUTINGS

17-across – Vocal prompt expected soon : INSIGHT

19-across – Dirty system without interior sealant short of power : SMUTTY

21-across – Reporter, having rattled on, we’d shun : NEWSHOUND

23-across – At that point during contest he resigned : THERE

24-across – Piano piece from host among a lot in broadcast : MOONLIGHTSONATA

25-across – Engineers with attitude rest : REPOSE

26-across – Revolutionary takes action against small party, harbouring yen to be epic hero : ODYSSEUS

1-down – Resentful about English authority : SOURCE

2-down – Puzzles in sequence by me consuming time : MYSTERIES

3-down – Be careful for example with good case, detained by minor parts : WALKONEGGSHELLS

4-down – Charged article? Carbon copy, not new : ACCUSED

6-down – Portrayals of past events from fraud among others followed by angry protests : RECONSTRUCTIONS

7-down – Place well stocked with new wine : PLONK

8-down – Inspector with swagger arresting second suspect : DISTRUST

9-down – Plant yielding dye, imported initially, doing badly : INDIGO

15-down – Communist among number safe in cathedral : NOTREDAME

16-down – Unsuitable term in sermon I’m changing : MISNOMER

18-down – Correct about dog missing old tramp : TRUDGE

19-down – Made calm case, not half old-fashioned : SEDATED

20-down – Scene of motor race with bends covering miles : LEMANS

22-down – Exultant cry from western band : WHOOP