Daily Answers

1-across – Gothic pile, mansion in US city : MINNEAPOLIS

7-across – Disastrous failure from second team ahead : SCREWUP

8-across – Face cloth and soft soap : FLANNEL

10-across – Very large chap, founder of the Ottoman Empire : OSMAN

11-across – Fails to include part of roof covered by yobbo : LEAVESOUT

12-across – They blow steadily as craft zigzags : TRADEWINDS

14-across – Cow’s complaint : BEEF

16-across – Fish in loch, a kelt : HAKE

18-across – Selfishly disparaging attitude shown by odd grouses about strike : SOURGRAPES

21-across – Knock it back in Iceland, brewed just the same : IDENTICAL

23-across – Staff surrounding old boat : CANOE

24-across – Hybrid fruit tasted initially by Italian boy : TANGELO

25-across – Religious ceremony bishop is at, and PM, surprisingly : BAPTISM

26-across – Headgear, ridiculous hat on master : TAMOSHANTER

1-down – Snake seen round bazaar ultimately linked to one instrument : MARIMBA

2-down – As things are, working with the German, it isn’t surprising : NOWONDER

3-down – Throw out fish, including indefinite number purchased originally : EXPEL

4-down – Snake a theologian discovered in steam engine : PUFFADDER

5-down – Packed tight : LOADED

6-down – Tatty jeans worn by Ordinary Seaman in US city : SANJOSE

7-down – Neat move capturing rook gets summary treatment : SHORTSHRIFT

9-down – After lucky escapes, the players give vent to anger : LETOFFSTEAM

13-down – Peevish after golf club medal : IRONCROSS

15-down – Expert on cannabis, crazy type : CRACKPOT

17-down – Number having sly look over angler’s item : KEEPNET

19-down – Girl in PR points to dosser : PANNIER

20-down – Fly, move fast crossing river : STREAM

22-down – Beginning to lose – one supporter makes a sign : LIBRA

1-across – Sleighs with bags on got damaged : TOBOGGANS

6-across – Overbearing woman ignoring a sign : VIRGO

9-across – Number stuck in harbour – that’s a bad sign : PORTENT

10-across – An amazing event, flea-bitten camel carrying one King : MIRACLE

11-across – A standard check by chess player is smart playing : WHITECHRISTMAS

13-across – Hang work in lounge : LOLLOP

14-across – Nuts – one may find them on the table tomorrow : CRACKERS

17-across – It’s unimportant gossip about old maiden : NOMATTER

18-across – A crowning glory – if wrong I’m dead : DIADEM

20-across – Blue feathers one noticed originally by the entrance : DOWNINTHEMOUTH

23-across – Girl fighting enemy’s leader in the dark : UNAWARE

24-across – Top game : DIABOLO

25-across – Bishop in important county : KERRY

26-across – Dress up as comic, capped : SURPASSED

1-down – What habitual drinkers do in light opera : TOPE

2-down – Apostle’s fine manner evident in play : BARTHOLOMEWFAIR

3-down – What a soldier may be seen wearing in outstanding film : GREATCOAT

4-down – Join diplomat out East : ATTACH

5-down – Dark piece of ribbon round wide-brimmed hat : SOMBRERO

6-down – See Irish/American with an infection : VIRUS

7-down – New commander on site makes suggestions : RECOMMENDATIONS

8-down – Tournament seeds suggesting a very successful means of achieving a result : OPENSESAME

12-down – Left one North Dakota doctor lying in bed, blotto : BLINDDRUNK

15-down – Just one French fry? A lot should be cooked with a sausage : CHIPOLATA

16-down – Pagans in extremely hostile capital city : HEATHENS

19-down – Kind offer : TENDER

21-down – One river crossing Latin country : ITALY

22-down – Good antique, a gift from a king : GOLD

1-across – Drink in second working men’s club? : SCREWDRIVER

9-across – Satirical novel now here for editing : EREWHON

10-across – Stresses account is in need of a small amount of money : ACCENTS

11-across – Approaching trendy retail outlet : INSTORE

12-across – Deadlock – one at front of maisonette’s out of date : IMPASSE

13-across – Offer to pay novice : TENDERFOOT

15-across – Raise line provided by trawlerman, initially : LIFT

17-across – Unfriendly Conservative, advanced in years : COLD

18-across – Capital clubs given to crack US golfer : COPENHAGEN

21-across – Worker to carry in an aardvark : ANTBEAR

22-across – Not all have a high opinion of a learner driver, 19 perhaps : ADMIRAL

23-across – Withdraw cash : SCRATCH

24-across – Herb used in cooking duck with sour orange : OREGANO

25-across – Have an argument with son cracking puzzles : CROSSSWORDS

1-down – Glass sailing ship : SCHOONER

2-down – Managed on extremely grotesque cooking stove : RANGE

3-down – Tedious beginning to weeks one’s had in each European capital : WEARISOME

4-down – Instructions on how to cook piece of rump, oddly-shaped piece : RECIPE

5-down – Lotion used by The Invisible Man? : VANISHINGCREAM

6-down – Consideration shown by some Hampshire spectators : RESPECT

7-down – Oppose drunken sister : RESIST

8-down – Reels on a poster ingeniously advertising a cassette player : PERSONALSTEREO

14-down – What goes on in a nightclub is bewildering – in what way? : FLOORSHOW

16-down – Doctor, eastern, goes into cleaners’ houses : CHAMBERS

17-down – Remarkably typical in Derby, say : CLASSIC

19-down – Hold in Lancashire town : NELSON

20-down – Matches goddess with ultimate of gods : VESTAS

22-down – Love affair starts to annoy my old unmarried relative : AMOUR

1-across – Bishop lives in style with a painter like Picasso : CUBIST

4-across – They help winter sportsmen get to the top : SKILIFTS

10-across – Sphere of intense activity in district around the north : ARENA

11-across – Listening carefully in shelter absorbed by musical, after retiring : ATTENTIVE

12-across – English person , a head, appearing with answer back in school : SASSENACH

14-across – Leader in stock market is astute : SMART

15-across – One is one church dignitary with less feeling : CARDINALNUMBER

18-across – Gradually, video’s run back in new maisonette : ONESTEPATATIME

20-across – Collection of photographs showing wild laburnum with no vase : ALBUM

22-across – One politician comes into Dundee, amazingly not delayed : UNIMPEDED

23-across – Trouble during first half of reel after square dance : QUADRILLE

24-across – To pick off soldiers, say, keep inside houses after revolution : SNIPE

26-across – One leaves order for heavy guns and military supplies : ORDNANCE

27-across – Dictator in terminal receiving head of state : DESPOT

1-down – An outstanding performer, kind to imitate : CLASSACT

2-down – Reportedly purchase extra : BYE

3-down – Supporters after free dish : SPARERIBS

5-down – Political advisers back the nine upset about Italian meeting Conservative : KITCHENCABINET

6-down – There’s nothing up with American, Lucy’s brother : LINUS

7-down – I may be seen flying from escort vessel rail, perhaps : FRIGATEBIRD

8-down – Bloodhound in film : SLEUTH

9-down – Unstable country in Caribbean? Plan changed about university : BANANAREPUBLIC

13-down – Get on well initially using a piece of gymnastic equipment : SPRINGBOARD

16-down – Beginning to make high teas with pâté spread : MEATPASTE

17-down – Dull policeman’s round gets one exhausted : DEADBEAT

19-down – Forbid question on old Shakespearean general : BANQUO

21-down – Girl, first to mime song : MARIA

25-down – One representative of a mischievous child : IMP

1-across – Tramp in hospital – old boy needs oxygen : HOBO

3-across – Drunk by male wearing very large garment : HUGMETIGHT

9-across – Choice made by son voting : SELECTION

11-across – Farewel to the Parisian about to depart : ADIEU

12-across – Salesman returned holding silver bleeper : PAGER

13-across – Gets grime shifted with these kitchen devices : EGGTIMERS

14-across – Insect coming from Granny Smith apple, I fancy, needs help to get out : PRAYINGMANTIS

17-across – Language used by Everyman to summon dog? : ENGLISHSETTER

20-across – Material brought back by head law enforcer : ELIOTNESS

22-across – A wild cat’s light weight : OUNCE

23-across – Girl taking in Italian musical : EVITA

24-across – Gradually sample tea, perhaps : PIECEMEAL

25-across – Thomas, say, in reservoir on military machine : TANKENGINE

26-across – Agreed to put on Cymbeline, ultimately : DONE

1-down – With gardening aid, weed round end of beds and whistle : HOSEPIPE

2-down – Boy hasn’t finished a long fried sausage : BOLOGNA

4-down – Join group on top of Everest : UNITE

5-down – Essay from Dr No, with diagram : MONOGRAPH

6-down – Amphibian that’s burrowed down for food? : TOADINTHEHOLE

7-down – Idle talk about it, King Edward’s spats : GAITERS

8-down – ‘Game in mist spoiled’ – that’s a self-evident statement : TRUISM

10-down – Weathy clientele in freight business : CARRIAGETRADE

15-down – Pet one used for experimentation : GUINEAPIG

16-down – Staunch Conservative rightly depressed : TRUEBLUE

17-down – Conduct inciting rebellion? Head of state ignored issue : EDITION

18-down – Hybrid fruit – tons delivered to Dundee? : TANGELO

19-down – Deficiency in desert : DEFECT

21-down – Irish novelist reportedly having a forbidding appearance : STERN