Daily Answers

1-across – Shunning contact with others giving up work : RETIRING

5-across – King’s award, right-on? : OBERON

9-across – British musician’s small instrument : SHARP

10-across – Collie’s at new swing : OSCILLATE

12-across – Mother’s mother and daughter harshly criticise a sporting achievement : GRANDSLAM

13-across – What’s right inside a child’s toy? It’s amusing, in a strange way : DROLL

14-across – Spending too much time off on strike, mostly making a show : EXTRAVAGANZA

18-across – This shows who may leave a club, injured son, on leaving first, learnt : TRANSFERLIST

21-across – Become more exciting in house set back : HOTUP

22-across – Complex – cater in it, cooking : INTRICATE

24-across – Toy water beetle : WHIRLIGIG

25-across – Violent outburst may make one run inside most agitated : STORM

26-across – Otherwise, a threatening couple of words : ORELSE

27-across – Check on grass brought back for animals : REINDEER

1-down – Left voluntarily or renewed contract? : RESIGNED

2-down – Separated, yet turning up outside for a social event : TEAPARTY

3-down – Speedy attack capturing leader of pack : RAPID

4-down – Description of watercolour, rather unattractive : NOOILPAINTING

6-down – One sleeping lightly under bunk in vehicle : BULLDOZER

7-down – Religious education – ‘A disciple’s cause’ : REASON

8-down – Goad a pointer : NEEDLE

11-down – Fight against weariness, a result of the stress of war : COMBATFATIGUE

15-down – Cop sailor, drunk in citadel : ACROPOLIS

16-down – Garment found in gap in a forest : PINAFORE

17-down – Banner headline – ‘Vessel passes across centre of Antarctic’ : STREAMER

19-down – Group’s article on World Health Organization : THEWHO

20-down – Band in street, all set : STRIPE

23-down – Broken nibs surrounding eastern dramatist : IBSEN

1-across – Name engraved in worthless ring : BAND

4-across – Everyone’s into British plonk in sports arena : BALLPARK

8-across – Rushes round certificate, first of three for long-serving envoys? : CAREERDIPLOMATS

10-across – Bad beer? Flipping poorly on rising : REBELLION

11-across – Dye daughter knocked off for one of the Joneses : INIGO

12-across – In a nervy state in the saddle, intoxicated : UPTIGHT

14-across – Eminent conductor from Rome sat, confused : MAESTRO

15-across – Where lots are got rid of at knock-down prices? : AUCTION

17-across – Rachel thrown by horse in Welsh town : HARLECH

19-across – Perfect piece of its soft wood : IDEAL

20-across – China and pearl icon smashed : PORCELAIN

22-across – Not in one’s right mind, in common with stepson, rambling : NONCOMPOSMENTIS

23-across – Pantomime actor, gloomy, laid off : GRIMALDI

24-across – Rubbishy things, mostly vulgar : TACK

2-down – Turn holding mug and a tumbler : ACROBAT

3-down – Live with wife in small valley : DWELL

4-down – Immoral getting vast sum of money playing a game : BADMINTON

5-down – Bloomer at college contributing to endless row : LUPIN

6-down – Fellow sent up for it is incarcerated – insider trader? : PROFITEER

7-down – One with a pragmatic attitude is alert to change : REALIST

8-down – The sale of a periodical, possibly crucial one in fashion : CIRCULATION

9-down – Vote by factory workers? : SHOWOFHANDS

13-down – Place to eat curry? Head of restaurant’s unwell inside : GRILLROOM

14-down – Hindu sage and scholar has his hair permed : MAHARISHI

16-down – Open about one spurning love daily : CLEANER

18-down – English remain in charge, being flexible : ELASTIC

20-down – Young dog ahead of the Italian student : PUPIL

21-down – Upstanding before court : ERECT

1-across – Bend almost all of shield : BUCKLE

4-across – Demanding higher prices at college fair : UPMARKET

9-across – A Parisian, still inconsistent : UNEVEN

10-across – Narrowly avoided collision with tight young woman : NEARMISS

11-across – Adam’s mate and daughter locked in warehouse with dock worker : STEVEDORE

13-across – Relative, European, located in Riviera resort : NIECE

14-across – Rope in idle artist : LAZYPAINTER

18-across – Film daughter playing at end of avenue : THEGRADUATE

21-across – Grotesque oaks encircling a Japanese port : OSAKA

22-across – High flier up for trial? : TESTPILOT

24-across – Leave about ten and ring one about being impractically idealistic : QUIXOTIC

25-across – Touch fringe, badly cut : FINGER

26-across – Curse banger dumped beside river : EXECRATE

27-across – Very dry American statesman who committed suicide : BRUTUS

1-down – British philosopher clipped son in European capital : BRUSSELS

2-down – Type of sideboard in study – there’s a silly craze involving it : CREDENZA

3-down – European city, for example, featured in story : LIEGE

5-down – Salute existing members : PRESENTARMS

6-down – Flower in book : AARONSROD

7-down – Article is penned by King, Queen and Emperor! : KAISER

8-down – International edition is critically examined : TESTED

12-down – Dickens character, Violet, abused, nursing broken wrist : OLIVERTWIST

15-down – Drink-inspired courage seen in awfully poor vault : POTVALOUR

16-down – Window a knight used during escape : FANLIGHT

17-down – Films we saw, initially, on aquatic birds : WESTERNS

19-down – Queen entering some exceptional place of worship : MOSQUE

20-down – Jack’s accompanied by a pleasant girl : JANICE

23-down – Previous deputy head in monastery : PRIOR

1-across – Handle husband with maturity : MANAGE

4-across – Inspector of buildings showing very sour disposition : SURVEYOR

9-across – Pharmacist giving drugs, initially, to one poet : DISPENSER

11-across – Dance with girl at work : GALOP

12-across – Dark line in one : UNLIT

13-across – Part of church grant fool squandered : ORGANLOFT

14-across – Napoleon, back in charge, halts state of emergency : PANICSTATIONS

18-across – Concentrated on Prudence getting special medical treatment? : INTENSIVECARE

20-across – Male shoots, in sultanate, one appointed to investigate complaints : OMBUDSMAN

22-across – Broom kept in wardrobe, sometimes : BESOM

24-across – Come to very young child the Parisienne rejected : TOTAL

25-across – Will short examination involving volunteers : TESTAMENT

26-across – Respectable poker hand : STRAIGHT

27-across – University teacher is after a handsome young man : ADONIS

1-down – In wet soft earth, young dog finds salamander : MUDPUPPY

2-down – Space agency, first to learn about the nose : NASAL

3-down – Having jar, we hear, with one from Perth, perhaps causes an exclamation of surprise : GREATSCOT

5-down – At college, harps go in it, surprisingly, and keyboard instruments : UPRIGHTPIANOS

6-down – One using no animal products, say, is in the forefront : VEGAN

7-down – Sensational marine creature mostly found in this stretch of water : YELLOWSEA

8-down – Fame bothered Peter Ustinov at first : REPUTE

10-down – Trip over mat in quiet church making a row : SHOUTINGMATCH

15-down – Neck and neck contest at Berlin, I suspect : NAILBITER

16-down – OTT, like a company chairman? : OVERBOARD

17-down – Name horrible site for insects : TERMITES

19-down – Reportedly films composer : COATES

21-down – Husband in food shop in capital : DELHI

23-down – US writer set off home : STEIN

1-across – Doctor touring Fife, lost and annoyed : MIFFED

4-across – Awful wretch pocketing it for a bird-watcher : TWITCHER

10-across – A sugar-coated chocolate drop having no equal : NONPAREIL

11-across – Accumulate a large amount : AMASS

12-across – Miss O’Hara appearing briefly in brilliant red : SCARLET

14-across – Strange life in section of London borough : ENFIELD

15-across – Urges Ben – ‘order a snack’ : EGGSBENEDICT

18-across – What one may experience driving under the Mersey? : TUNNELVISION

21-across – Lists of charges resulting from arguments about a right : TARIFFS

22-across – Eyeglass found by spy, worn by evil doctor on cape : MONOCLE

23-across – Colour of bream, swimming : AMBER

24-across – Pairs cool off in citadel : ACROPOLIS

26-across – Cross, dramatist at rear of theatre : TRAVERSE

27-across – Caution shown crossing over a densely populated district : WARREN

1-down – Clergyman, one entering large church : MINISTER

2-down – Dance enthusiast circling with energy : FANDANGO

3-down – Greek character held by secret agent : ETA

5-down – About to appear beneath Ward, late male comic writer : WALTERDELAMARE

6-down – One may be seen by the roadside, clue lending support to illegal trading : TRAFFICSIGN

7-down – Try ringing the Parisian therapist : HEALER

8-down – Occupy a place on bank : RESIDE

9-down – Relax? One might after a row : RESTONONESOARS

13-down – Party for church workers : LABOURFORCE

16-down – Round plug, perhaps : CIRCULAR

17-down – Fit to be eaten at home? Salt needs to be added : INSEASON

19-down – In the end, book of maps should be printed on time : ATLAST

20-down – Song about sailor leaving peninsula : ARABIA

25-down – Most of fruit and veg : PEA