Daily Answers

1-across – Fall to the ground : DROP

3-across – Extremely dark sweatshirt worn : SWARTHIEST

9-across – Soldiers, Italian, following peacekeepers : UNIT

10-across – Teach a lesson in specialist area : DISCIPLINE

11-across – Feeling giddy before stakes amassed in sports venue : SWIMMINGPOOL

15-across – Madness without Suggs at the front? It’s meaningless : INANITY

16-across – Twisted conceit: Tolkien’s monster’s a meanie : SCROOGE

17-across – Ape with neck out of shape: it’s a bone : KNEECAP

19-across – A little ecstatic at a language that’s spoken in Iberia : CATALAN

20-across – Son has cloudy disposition in place of learning : SUNDAYSCHOOL

23-across – Actors’ performances, amateur, drawn out: pretends to enjoy it : PLAYSALONG

24-across – Is unable to sermonise : CANT

25-across – Priest’s set off to find relative : STEPSISTER

26-across – Naked, bashful, praiseful verses : ODES

1-down – Chicken pieces, as seen in steel pan : DRUMSTICKS

2-down – Begins and gives a speech having consumed one drink : ORIGINATES

4-down – Dash with money from the South to get to Houston? : WHITNEY

5-down – Initially playing for time, intones instructions : RECIPES

6-down – Big beast close to Arctic, barking a kind of oath : HIPPOCRATIC

7-down – In earliest stages : ERIN

8-down – Reportedly, players proliferate : TEEM

12-down – Seaways offering larger things to eat : MAINCOURSES

13-down – Playwright having chicken after Christmas : NOELCOWARD

14-down – Once again, blows up ten flares … I digress : REINFLATES

18-down – Quietly confuses those propelling a boat : PADDLES

19-down – Urge to tuck into something sugary that’s spicy : CAYENNE

21-down – Work’s over; drink up : OPUS

22-down – A passing diversion, Everyman’s beginning to lose freshness : FADE

1-across – Simplest to recast with characters in unexpected places : MISSPELT

5-across – Go silent, caught by large wildcat in retreat : CLAMUP

10-across – Table’s gold dish seen first : PLATEAU

11-across – State to equip keen vicar at regular intervals : ARMENIA

12-across – Family member in French city, outspoken : NIECE

13-across – Film director, jerk, one strutting about : HITCHCOCK

14-across – Soil – mud, even – shaped for sculpture : VENUSDEMILO

18-across – Sometimes I cavort around Penny in shameless displays : IMMODESTIES

21-across – Here we learn about girl on heath, looking back : CLASSROOM

23-across – Overly trusting in French spa town, kicked back : NAIVE

24-across – Uncomfortable when travelling, gives voice to disgusted expression : AIRSICK

25-across – Overwhelmed by destiny, outfit in warship : FRIGATE

26-across – Evades ruses : DODGES

27-across – Let aunt off, accepting kiss that’s joyous : EXULTANT

1-down – Aimlessly moving, cleaning floor half-heartedly : MOPING

2-down – Climbs up a sign : SCALES

3-down – Kept quiet, uncommunicative : PRESERVED

4-down – Spooner’s finding canal workers ridiculous types : LAUGHINGSTOCKS

6-down – Liquid you make promoting health, primarily? : LYMPH

7-down – Musical instrument that may be kept by a stoner : MANDOLIN

8-down – Halfwit not having arisen: it’s a simple form of life : PLANKTON

9-down – Can’t fix formats misapplied in children’s book : FANTASTICMRFOX

15-down – Needed a kind of oil : ESSENTIAL

16-down – Fish in mostly beer with leafy green : PILCHARD

17-down – Everyman’s assigned a counterpart that’s faulty : IMPAIRED

19-down – Ian and Pat involved in something that needs beating : PINATA

20-down – Modern part of leisure centre : RECENT

22-down – Share some of driver’s licence : SLICE

1-across – Dealt with spade: ditch reconstructed : DISPATCHED

6-across – Ninnies kicked back in pampering places : SPAS

9-across – Musicians given some potent rum Peter supplied : TRUMPETERS

10-across – Cuts of wagyu steak, at the outset? : COWS

11-across – I came clean: Hi, implausibly, I’m in movies : MICHAELCAINE

15-across – Tennis champ against footballers : EVERTON

16-across – Moderates fits of rage : TEMPERS

17-across – Starts to eat, taking in starters of assorted seeds and nuts : CASHEWS

19-across – Less bronzed: only short time in Italian resort : PALERMO

20-across – Jazz singer’s support: vain, not half forgetful type : SCATTERBRAIN

23-across – Advance slowly : INCH

24-across – Queen tucked in to drink, becoming free : LIBERATION

25-across – Message in school sent round : NOTE

26-across – Highly amused, as you may be following an accident : INSTITCHES

1-down – Meeting poet with no name : DATE

2-down – Ignore rampaging Huns : SHUN

3-down – Choosing a time to meet : APPOINTMENT

4-down – Become fashionable, understand? : CATCHON

5-down – Attention on home: it’s serious : EARNEST

7-down – Free port is arranged for ruthless investors : PROFITEERS

8-down – Awfully supine sons, ‘hanging’ : SUSPENSION

12-down – One with grievance reverses direction, becoming agreeable : COMPLAISANT

13-down – Section of band performing Supersonic : PERCUSSION

14-down – Pet tapir’s acne treated : PERSIANCAT

18-down – National loser biannually taking part : SERBIAN

19-down – Faultless – and kind of tense? : PERFECT

21-down – Announced search for person of faith : SIKH

22-down – Everyman’s banknotes no longer valid : ONES

1-across – Wise woman displays this in advance of chemistry? : PRESCIENCE

6-across – Spy’s promise : BOND

9-across – Robots care about language : SERBOCROAT

10-across – Refrain from organ piece : STOP

12-across – Man and lady host gathering for poet : DYLANTHOMAS

15-across – Illicitly trade in what may protect limb : BOOTLEG

16-across – Fails modern subject and blows a fuse : LOSESIT

17-across – Free lunch: main but no starters : UNCHAIN

19-across – That man, fat, vacuous: Everyman with uncertain expression, having gained weight : HEFTIER

20-across – Lack of effort in cloakroom : CONVENIENCE

23-across – Wally rejected covering for playing area : TARP

24-across – Roving over dunes with Zulu? It’s a date! : RENDEZVOUS

25-across – Reportedly avoided where tears may be flowing : DUCT

26-across – Open-air locations where gunpowder may be disposed of? : TEAGARDENS

1-down – What’s held by Royal Mail employee, in more ways than one? : POST

2-down – What’s enumerated Zion’s returnees assiduously, primarily? : EZRA

3-down – Run, after group of three – pray for draw : CROWDPLEASER

4-down – Listen to Cockneys: drink up, one’s headed for the canal : EARPLUG

5-down – BBC1, perhaps in gutter : CHANNEL

7-down – Looking up, eye’s taking in fine rain over island : OPTIMISTIC

8-down – Droopy ties rearranged in store : DEPOSITORY

11-down – Children unbound by rules breaking zester, faulty appliance : CHESTFREEZER

13-down – Old boy doomed to circle American cape hidden by fog? : OBFUSCATED

14-down – Little money invested in two scams, one’s fleeced in certain circles thus? : CONCENTRIC

18-down – Some tuna I’ve tenderised in state of ignorance : NAIVETE

19-down – Spooner’s cursed swine with guilty look : HANGDOG

21-down – Drill giving you headache? : BORE

22-down – Fantasist somewhat unchanged : ASIS

1-across – VIPs often see these fancy shallots? : FLASHBULBS

6-across – Thane would be sane but for this? : LISP

9-across – Recklessly medicate us and impart inaccurate information : MISEDUCATE

10-across – Fell in dock : MOOR

11-across – Team with hard edge played and succeeded : MADETHEGRADE

15-across – How Cockney refers to himself and wife : MEANDER

16-across – Assorted underwater explorers with energy : DIVERSE

17-across – Philosopher to whisper softly but audibly : RUSSELL

19-across – Survey’s proceeding : MEASURE

20-across – Familiar characteristics in hosiery business that’s not grand : STOCKINTRADE

23-across – Its bill is slender, primarily! : IBIS

24-across – Foreign national, first to attend university in retirement, to sail through non-technical studies : AUSTRALIAN

25-across – Flabbergast, being contrary and deranged : NUTS

26-across – Corrupt senior, time after time, to the end of time : ADULTERATE

1-down – Out of order, Ray’s followers achieving renown : FAME

2-down – An extra note before end of course’s recess : APSE

3-down – Austrian composer, religious type, called out in children’s game : HIDEANDSEEK

4-down – Dubious relative’s a Republican : UNCLEAR

5-down – Moaned, attacked with teeth – and again, removing heart : BITCHED

7-down – Worshipful words at wedding: our last, regrettably : IDOLATROUS

8-down – Bashed on a cut : PERSEVERED

12-down – Slyly evading Kate’s compromise : GIVEANDTAKE

13-down – Thought permission renewed : IMPRESSION

14-down – Musician offering some sambas soon is tantalising : BASSOONIST

18-down – Uninterested in lauding bananas : LANGUID

19-down – Concerning coupling is all about conflict where one needs to step up : MARITAL

21-down – Everyman tucked into starters of diced venison, a demanding type : DIVA

22-down – Concertina piece? Not now : ONCE