Daily Answers

1-across – Barmy story about automobile in island republic : MADAGASCAR

6-across – Film star getting rid of old clothes : GARB

10-across – Right oven for joint : ROAST

11-across – Dash back across Ohio, say, in station wagon : ESTATECAR

12-across – Couple on stage dance : TWOSTEP

13-across – Further publication concerning affair : REISSUE

14-across – Desperate, guys in band soon see a different way : ONONESBEAMENDS

17-across – How grandmasters play each other, generally : ACROSSTHEBOARD

21-across – Cooked neat new North American dish : ANTENNA

22-across – Royal court official spoils prince : MARSHAL

23-across – What might keep me warm, I wondered, shivering : EIDERDOWN

24-across – A graduate, with it, returned violin : AMATI

25-across – Whitish wooden post : PALE

26-across – Small house on estate I’m getting converted : MAISONETTE

1-down – Hat Norma lost in race : MARATHON

2-down – Top game : DIABOLO

3-down – PMs do it regularly, visit Chequers? : GOTOTHECOUNTRY

4-down – Prize may make son cry : SWEEP

5-down – Outcome of mowing at the farm : AFTERMATH

7-down – Blamed copper in fixed case ending in bird : ACCUSED

8-down – Bishop with book in bed : BORDER

9-down – Make a deal once more to save pub after industrial acrion : STRIKEABARGAIN

15-down – Steps taken to control a rising river : BOSSANOVA

16-down – Girl receiving help to get to Australian city : ADELAIDE

18-down – Keep clubs I dealt out : CITADEL

19-down – Basically, try to interrupt a race : ATHEART

20-down – Highly delighted having buried the hatchet : MADEUP

22-down – Lacking bit of muscle in America : MINUS

1-across – Superb parrot and chimpanzee, for example : GREATAPE

5-across – US soldiers holding turncoat without charge : GRATIS

9-across – Phone about small error in notice : DISMISSAL

11-across – Tot before a play : DRAMA

12-across – Oarsmen scoffed, by the sound of it : EIGHT

13-across – Briefly run across street musicians : ORGANISTS

14-across – Unhappy keeping scholarly woman : BLUESTOCKING

18-across – Joining friendly US transportation company : UNIONPACIFIC

21-across – Promising illumination after power comes on : PLIGHTING

23-across – Merle Haggard in —– Gantry? : ELMER

24-across – Rebuke daughter deserved : RATED

25-across – Sculpted near Loire, previously : EARLIERON

26-across – Popular Bellini opera opening in London : NORMAL

27-across – Sloth, perhaps, attendee suffered : EDENTATE

1-down – Ingenious device, specially tagged : GADGET

2-down – Flag officer in the US navy : ENSIGN

3-down – Sporting event at Hilton arranged to include foremost of runners : TRIATHLON

4-down – Following surgery, worker goes after job : POSTOPERATIVE

6-down – Element causing trouble in the Navy : RADON

7-down – Send on first of mail put into carriage : TRANSMIT

8-down – Gesture involving sailors in house : STARSIGN

10-down – Blonde felt inclined to steal : LIGHTFINGERED

15-down – Standard chapter on interior design : CRITERION

16-down – Work out drive required with club : PUMPIRON

17-down – Clergyman, one entering cathedral : MINISTER

19-down – Cheers after Rome’s broken conspiracy of silence : OMERTA

20-down – Rim of bell cast in iron : FRINGE

22-down – Monster in lengthy 11 : HYDRA

1-across – Comic jokes about heading for Paris, a capital city : SKOPJE

4-across – Behave flamboyantly in musical : SHOWBOAT

9-across – Dull day back at yard : DREARY

10-across – Forefather? No trace, unfortunately, around the south : ANCESTOR

11-across – Cold? Olivier prepared a vitamin supplement : CODLIVEROIL

14-across – Demure maiden I married : MIM

15-across – Old-fashioned, for a newspaper : BEHINDTHETIMES

17-across – Authority quickly shown after suspension of early business meeting? : POWERBREAKFAST

21-across – Fish in the Elbe : EEL

22-across – A new US state formed? That could be extremely good : SWEETASANUT

23-across – Find out about record surplus : DISCOVER

25-across – Trouble with crew : WEIGHT

26-across – Set off from college in time : DETONATE

27-across – Underwear from shopping complex on board ship : SMALLS

1-down – Win over extremely sensible leader : SEDUCE

2-down – Finished straight behind : OVERDUE

3-down – Ornamental pots and wide-mouthed container with reeds in, I suspect : JARDINIERES

5-down – Worker working with courage, honestly : HANDONHEART

6-down – Had on? Runs off in misery : WOE

7-down – Prefer mother to bring one in the very best : OPTIMUM

8-down – Dessert – it is a rum concoction : TIRAMISU

12-down – Soldiers in on desert manoeuvres, getting green light : ENDORSEMENT

13-down – Released pent-up emotions, then forgave silly mates : LETOFFSTEAM

16-down – Marvellous spindle carved by daughter : SPLENDID

18-down – Shaft prepared, strongly built : WELLSET

19-down – Country girl seen weaving ahead : SENEGAL

20-down – Briefly declare American position : STATUS

24-down – Admit dress is topless : OWN

1-across – Corresponding with uncle, say : RELATIVE

5-across – Spoil one married couple : IMPAIR

10-across – Barge carrying less weight : LIGHTER

11-across – Soldiers beheaded and left in hollow in surrounded area : ENCLAVE

12-across – Former examiner, reportedly in old government office : EXCHEQUER

13-across – Slow speech, live, shown after tie : DRAWL

14-across – Failed attempt on hill in English resort town : LITTLEHAMPTON

17-across – Shambles follows quickly after interval : DOGSBREAKFAST

21-across – What’s as good as a mile? Wrong : AMISS

22-across – Braggart has look round inside crude mud hut : LOUDMOUTH

24-across – Stately vehicle coming from church with a flourish : CHARIOT

25-across – Wise guy in clink, now, allegedly : KNOWALL

26-across – Female leaving small party with rest : SIESTA

27-across – Social outcast, before ‘L’ in concise dictionary : DERELICT

1-down – Help whistle-blower to pen story : RELIEF

2-down – Sound of US soldier in boozer : LOGICAL

3-down – Name of book lieutenant raised during match : TITLE

4-down – Simulation: learner driver put through it – rarity value worked : VIRTUALREALITY

6-down – Precocious little girl’s taken in about one, a nut : MACADAMIA

7-down – Resolute, a worker crossing barrier : ADAMANT

8-down – One within about to chuck wine : RIESLING

9-down – A stone’s throw from the joint that’s on the verge of the indecent : NEARTHEKNUCKLE

15-down – Use the Circle Line, perhaps – go round wearing this? : TUBESKIRT

16-down – Proceeds with loans : ADVANCES

18-down – I’m in favour, so pull a face : GRIMACE

19-down – Elevated man in grey suit pointing to destructive wave : TSUNAMI

20-down – Bloke almost rented wooden villa : CHALET

23-down – Animal lows close to milking-time : MOOSE

1-across – Copper’s going back into wood, as it is described : ASSUCH

4-across – Improves looks at college : SHAPESUP

10-across – Icing in tandoori? Unlikely tandoori may have it : AIRCONDITIONING

11-across – Warm and stimulating drink : CORDIAL

12-across – Henry has information about oxygen and iodine, perhaps : HALOGEN

13-across – Girl heading off for a Hebridean island : IONA

14-across – Einstein and Wittgenstein are of the same opinion, or so the saying goes? : GREATMINDS

18-across – See 14 : THINKALIKE

19-across – A small songbird occupied in a particular way : ATIT

21-across – Nobleman, one pleased to be backed in House : HIDALGO

22-across – Copy in smithy by railway : FORGERY

23-across – Take charge as stormy weather approaches vulnerable US resort : WEARTHETROUSERS

24-across – Most demanding Irish novelist stumped : STERNEST

25-across – Oppressive, the French port : LEADEN

1-down – Worker admits knowing one’s a bolshevik : ANARCHIST

2-down – Navigator sinks, carried far out : SIRFRANCISDRAKE

3-down – Dispense with popular composer : CHOPIN

5-down – Vehicle to reverse after clutch employed : HATCHBACK

6-down – Difficulties learner found in examination paper initially : PROBLEMS

7-down – Dangle weights in at sea : SWINGINGTHELEAD

8-down – Heathen opening up before article appears : PAGAN

9-down – Blue-eyed boy: not working, reportedly : IDOL

15-down – They make for a bigger pool as waves engulf central part of cove : ROLLOVERS

16-down – Notice fixed right inside loose one : SETEYESON

17-down – Smallest bones? : SKELETON

20-down – See game bird in Greek river : GROUSE

21-down – Birds of prey – last of such birds, we’re told : HAWKS

22-down – Plant found in bogland bordering river : FERN