Daily Answers

1-across – Reduce volume of study, being dim : CONDENSE

5-across – Interference in stable : STATIC

9-across – Gardening machine male wore out : MOWER

10-across – Time to request church to supply work party : TASKFORCE

12-across – Item used in part payment badly rated at home : TRADEIN

13-across – Captain brought in an eastern plant : ANEMONE

14-across – Possibly dig a trench with Ken round vegetable plot : KITCHENGARDEN

17-across – Following a craze to a certain extent : AFTERAFASHION

21-across – Notice father in study, poker-faced : DEADPAN

23-across – Sweet, having hair swept back : DESSERT

24-across – Spanish gent in secret plot, with devious role : CABALLERO

25-across – Good scope for stable lad : GROOM

26-across – Station worker’s drink : PORTER

27-across – Spray is not working, so discard : JETTISON

1-down – Arrive at total : COMETO

2-down – Recently developed shopping centre in Suffolk town : NEWMARKET

3-down – Intensely serious boy securing an ‘A’ : EARNEST

4-down – To avoid committing oneself, suppress article on dealer in stolen goods : SITONTHEFENCE

6-down – Fabric found in Welsh river by Greek character : TAFFETA

7-down – Trunk and spreading roots : TORSO

8-down – Diffident, girl on the radio in US state capital : CHEYENNE

11-down – So, terse old man battered this creature : STARNOSEDMOLE

15-down – To con us, concealing annoyance, is risky : DANGEROUS

16-down – Factory worker and I cover millstone : HANDICAP

18-down – Check about beating : REPULSE

19-down – Penetration, in a sense : INSIGHT

20-down – Stumped by foreign name for part of a flower : STAMEN

22-down – Girl in cream beret : AMBER

1-across – In essence, a nasty threat : ATHEART

5-across – Composer in taxi going back to hospital : BACH

7-across – My daughter’s to advise public prosecutor : LORDADVOCATE

9-across – Approaches some within earshot : NEARS

10-across – Tries during proper drill : REHEARSAL

12-across – Names I confused after onset of awful medical condition : AMNESIA

14-across – Spot inhabited by American bear : SUSTAIN

15-across – One of three allowed to go on outing : TRIPLET

17-across – English breaking records as well : BESIDES

19-across – Key German city – lecture mostly about one : ESSENTIAL

20-across – Dogsbody, good for running round Egypt’s capital : GOFER

21-across – Achieves the required result as a conjuror? : DOESTHETRICK

22-across – Play about king in ancient city : TROY

23-across – Baseball player in jug : PITCHER

1-down – One adult missing from Handel opera in US city : ATLANTA

2-down – Physically fit, but callous : HARDASNAILS

3-down – Collect a lot : AMASS

4-down – Pub with a small restaurant : TAVERNA

5-down – Bishop’s account tainted such a god : BACCHUS

6-down – Wounded girls with swords : CUTLASSES

8-down – Tart in trousers half off : FLAN

11-down – Rugby player is hard and aloof : STANDOFFISH

13-down – Shell out about fifty on our show : SPLENDOUR

15-down – Before end of encounter, draw level : TIER

16-down – Keen, a number carrying spades : THIRSTY

17-down – Ring party, or page? : BELLHOP

18-down – One expected to score in match? : STRIKER

20-down – Verbally attacked kid nicking piece of tiling : GOTAT

1-across – Junior sports team member lapping graduate, a blue : COBALT

4-across – Options involving cold sweets : CHOCICES

9-across – Vexation shown by first of mares in trough : MANGER

10-across – I fly with one American martyr : IGNATIUS

12-across – Possible outcome of chess game in flat against pal : STALEMATE

13-across – Assistant catching small stage whisper : ASIDE

14-across – Spam on chalet menu abroad : LUNCHEONMEAT

18-across – Drug I dig, scarcely worried : LYSERGICACID

21-across – No-hoper, not as far away after leader’s gone : LOSER

22-across – Subsistence level reportedly raised before row : BREADLINE

24-across – Chief support provided by mother during visit : MAINSTAY

25-across – Miner’s tailless dog : COLLIE

26-across – Apple dessert, lacking in taste after roast : PANDOWDY

27-across – Secret press : CLOSET

1-down – I’m so embarrassed wearing new lace undergarment : CAMISOLE

2-down – Sash and girl’s handkerchief : BANDANNA

3-down – Feudal lord, say, in tale : LIEGE

5-down – One clinging on to attacker in confusion? : HUGGERMUGGER

6-down – Cleaner, by a stop, caught bus : CHARABANC

7-down – Pop briefly coming round in hospital : CLINIC

8-down – Nurse demanding cut is bandaged : SISTER

11-down – Plaintive cry on ship from most senior male director, perhaps : MANOVERBOARD

15-down – Poser they solved at once : HEYPRESTO

16-down – Longs to nurse poorly Greek hero : ACHILLES

17-down – One supporting that lady during a depression : ADHERENT

19-down – Stop talking about large American at university : CLAMUP

20-down – A second omen for delegate : ASSIGN

23-down – Amusing puppet round end of pier : DROLL

1-across – Clothes found in river by son : TWEEDS

5-across – Mexican dish given to mother in US city : TACOMA

10-across – One from Perth, Scotland, initially needs practice in game : AUSTRALIANRULES

11-across – Container in River Po heading for Turin? : FLOWERPOT

12-across – Say, golf club has no parking! : UTTER

13-across – A valuable thing, when fixed : ASSET

15-across – Hide note during company buyout : TAKECOVER

17-across – Fed about a thousand in castle in Spain? : PIPEDREAM

18-across – Eat out in bar in outskirts of Eastbourne : ERODE

20-across – Dress a river fish : ARRAY

21-across – Rod follows boss in card game : STUDPOKER

23-across – Treacherous person’s sneer as a knight’s injured : SNAKEINTHEGRASS

24-across – Letters in jade green : DEGREE

25-across – Roland, obscure poet : ARNOLD

2-down – Warren met spouse on a spree in resort : WESTONSUPERMARE

3-down – Nobleman lacking leadership? That is weird : EERIE

4-down – Sailor about to conceal special gunpowder ingredient : SALTPETRE

5-down – Characteristic of one entering Italian restaurant : TRAIT

6-down – Architectural eyesore or a gem? : CARBUNCLE

7-down – Bottle’s needed to make this type of petrol bomb? : MOLOTOVCOCKTAIL

8-down – Tree – a fir, possibly, a female planted inside : RAFFIA

9-down – Loan shark, certain to be found in ancient city : USURER

14-down – Soft toy by tree dad wrapped up badly : TEDDYBEAR

16-down – A peak, much misspelt in Cambodia once : KAMPUCHEA

17-down – Power lift gets acclaim : PRAISE

19-down – Regressive? In part, way out! : EGRESS

21-down – Char, only one left out : SINGE

22-down – Opening up, an infidel : PAGAN

1-across – Prepare to shoot early rouser : COCK

3-across – Deny any connection with pig breaking racket : DISOWN

7-across – Former German state? American in Paris confused : PRUSSIA

8-across – Cosy place in Vine Street : NEST

10-across – Novel about New York choirboy I suppressed, using any means : BYHOOKORBYCROOK

12-across – Girl in the Spanish/French river : ELOISE

14-across – Take notice of damaged boat entering English river : NOTABENE

16-across – Liqueur, one taken by a girl after end of cabaret : TIAMARIA

17-across – Small sailing boat in rough drawing : SKETCH

20-across – Make all possible efforts to get Lorna’s flat to the highest standard? : DOONESLEVELBEST

22-across – Acceptable conduct in class : FORM

23-across – Feed ours around one in New Hampshire : NOURISH

24-across – Nation securing superior sculpture : STATUE

25-across – Gunpowder, for one, left in container : PLOT

1-down – Competent, father cutting wire : CAPABLE

2-down – Grass : COUCHPOTATO

3-down – Fellow holding paper monster : DRAGON

4-down – Collection of music for bongos? Possibly yes : SONGBOOK

5-down – Quip made by learned chap : WISECRACK

6-down – Capital invested in Laos? Lots : OSLO

9-down – Extremities of Sark, the ancient island : SKYE

11-down – Finished film, past one’s prime : OVERTHEHILL

13-down – First to see head attack fall guy : SCAPEGOAT

15-down – Envoy’s certificate and original of testimonial : DIPLOMAT

16-down – Fuss excessively when entertaining duke : TODO

18-down – Chopper’s door, extremely efficient : HATCHET

19-down – Approach a meeting place : AVENUE

21-down – Blowing top, smack yobbo : LOUT