Daily Answers

1-across – Frequent public house : COMMONPLACE

7-across – Spring from rafter? Not quite : SPA

9-across – For example, it may be served with piece of gammon : EGG

10-across – One bringing an action in court about flat in country : COMPLAINANT

11-across – Of incalculable value, diamonds left in cupboard : PRICELESS

12-across – Greek character identified from epithet? Aristotle : THETA

13-across – Sob, drunk, by counter, and disparage one’s own products : CRYSTINKINGFISH

16-across – Bird deafening a pilot, when flying : FANTAILEDPIGEON

17-across – Difficult and problematic drunk : TIGHT

19-across – Cartoon cat – terribly sly match, by the sound of it : SYLVESTER

21-across – Comfort found by Saracen? Sure, in the wars : REASSURANCE

22-across – Bird, domesticated one with head chopped off : OWL

23-across – Pompous person in gas station : ASS

24-across – Be aware of Dutch painter going round steamship for no reason : SENSELESSLY

1-down – Contemptible fellow importing Ecstasy : CHEAP

2-down – One may help one get a better image : MAGNIFYINGGLASS

3-down – Its members should know the score : ORCHESTRA

4-down – The plant associated with Blakeney? : PIMPERNEL

5-down – Book, in the end reduced : ATLAS

6-down – Novelist could make fortune penning one after end of course : ELIOT

7-down – Instructions produced since trio recast : STAGEDIRECTIONS

8-down – Almost lost governor in Russian city : ASTRAKHAN

13-down – Face irate criminal in self-service restaurant : CAFETERIA

14-down – No decline, possibly, in sloth : INDOLENCE

15-down – Piece written about one standing over grave, having lost son : GUINEVERE

18-down – Jobs – first of tinkers seeks information : TASKS

19-down – Father given new alarm : SIREN

20-down – Runs over friend in motoring event : RALLY

1-across – More than one aquatic bird plunges suddenly under water : DUCKS

4-across – Artist is overcome by shock valuation : APPRAISAL

9-across – Fancy cups set out : SUSPECT

10-across – Old soldier cracking code in desert : REDCOAT

11-across – One who goes on country walks and runs with thriller writer : RAMBLER

12-across – Berthing fee, low at end of summer time : MOORAGE

13-across – What’s been cooked with a crab is piece of albacore from part of the Atlantic : CARIBBEANSEA

17-across – Mother : SINGLEPARENT

20-across – See leader in Brussels to encourage to produce sprouts : BURGEON

21-across – Pawnbroker given article that’s soiled : UNCLEAN

23-across – Layman, a friend visiting ancient city : AMATEUR

24-across – Instrument in a car, damaged by first of owners : OCARINA

25-across – Groom, unhappy about food, left : STABLELAD

26-across – Stinking fish, initially brought by high tide : FETID

1-down – Rags scattered with bones outside? It’s a scandal : DISGRACE

2-down – Charge girl for aromatic plant : COSTMARY

3-down – Excellent southern source of oil, maybe : SWELL

4-down – Chief law officer prepared treaty? No, army commander : ATTORNEYGENERAL

5-down – Ridiculous amount? Top-drawer motel, perhaps : PORTMANTEAUWORD

6-down – A DA is shown round state capital, then plant : ANDROMEDA

7-down – Work hard on an advertising jingle : SLOGAN

8-down – Stagger up, gripping abstemious character : LETTER

14-down – Newlywed, properly in prison : BRIDEWELL

15-down – Saint Arnold, for example : BENEDICT

16-down – Conventional flag … : STANDARD

18-down – … confusing to a sub, or subs … : UBOATS

19-down – … Royal Marines notice over area, following a fleet : ARMADA

22-down – Tease husband in greasy spoon : CHAFF

1-across – An outburst from Francesca, perhaps : ESCAPE

4-across – Injury caused by a jerk : WHIPLASH

10-across – The sort of star that could make pa nervous : SUPERNOVA

11-across – Pensioner rings conservationists, available whenever needed : ONTAP

12-across – How chess players sit? It’s the same for everyone : ACROSSTHEBOARD

14-across – Doctor parked across a space : GAP

16-across – Just pour lad bubbly with dishes of the day : PLATSDUJOUR

17-across – Irish vegetables deserter stored as emergency food supply : IRONRATIONS

18-across – Return of Prohibition does for cop : NAB

19-across – NCO in court, so general worried : COLOURSERGEANT

23-across – Musical – girl is full of it : EVITA

24-across – To hold a conversation in noisy nightclub sure is ridiculous : DISCOURSE

25-across – Short period surrounded by wealth in resort in California : MONTEREY

26-across – The Earth, perhaps, is flat – theory, initially : PLANET

1-down – Against ale being brewed in this part of England : EASTANGLIA

2-down – Head, first to rumble practical joke : CAPER

3-down – Governor, knight, raised capital : PARIS

5-down – The boys save ten at sea – that’s astonishing : HEAVENSTOBETSY

6-down – Stops meeting with professional villains : PROROGUES

7-down – See a fine aquatic bird, duck, over part of the day : AFTERNOON

8-down – A lot of extremely energetic publicity : HYPE

9-down – Game of catch followed by rest : CONTRACTBRIDGE

13-down – Where impoverished writers used to eat in London? : GRUBSTREET

15-down – In favour of proposal suggesting publicity campaign : PROMOTION

16-down – Messenger-boy committing crime in parish priest’s house : PARSONAGE

20-down – Surly grumble made by Greek bird : GROWL

21-down – A pair working in area in front of aircraft hangar : APRON

22-down – Appear in diocese on the first of May : SEEM

1-across – It may illuminate quarry, minor crossing eastern bridge : SEARCHLIGHT

9-across – Get the better of unfashionable party : OUTDO

10-across – Aggressive type, butcher at social gathering : KILLERBEE

11-across – Puts down head causing scene : LANDSCAPE

12-across – Guy drinks last of wine : TEASE

13-across – Colour of pies cooked with hint of allspice … : SEPIA

15-across – … or additional sage : OTHERWISE

17-across – Prostitute, not quite sober, by block of flats facing East : COURTESAN

18-across – Article by newspaper revealing robbery : THEFT

19-across – Regions in Far East : AREAS

21-across – Prison etc must be awful for a police officer : INSPECTOR

24-across – A haul in it plundered from country : LITHUANIA

25-across – Play with tot by front of arcade : DRAMA

26-across – Found toddler holding hands in plant : FORGETMENOT

1-down – Harm baby : SPOIL

2-down – Take notice of one dropping out of lawsuit : ACTON

3-down – Meet about one and social worker will provide a roll : CROISSANT

4-down – Very smart, typical of a scoundrel with extremely sordid secret : LIKEADOGSDINNER

5-down – Superb worker upset with pay-off : GOLDENHANDSHAKE

6-down – Minister to pay for another : TREAT

7-down – Harsh, a supporter with different views once wicket’s lost : ABRASIVE

8-down – Strong virile chaps bandaged by doctor : VEHEMENT

13-down – Accordingly, one in telegram is friendly : SOCIABLE

14-down – Girl removed piece of elastic from shoulder decoration : PAULETTE

16-down – Bad lot to barricade European port : ROTTERDAM

20-down – Mostly boring material : STUFF

22-down – Artist brought in can teach : TRAIN

23-down – Respond with reference to decree : REACT

1-across – Farming implement found in park lake : PLOUGH

4-across – A drunken bender around eastern city up North : ABERDEEN

10-across – Mineral one added to drop of Scotch in tumbler, perhaps : ISINGLASS

11-across – Dowdy woman, female with strange past : FRUMP

12-across – Poet reportedly in a thin woollen vest : SPENCER

14-across – Supervise throughout diocese : OVERSEE

16-across – March show : DEMONSTRATE

17-across – French flag I unfurled in tense ending to episode : CLIFFHANGER

20-across – Clinical trial drug giving home unpleasant smell : PLACEBO

21-across – Seaman found with crack gets pardon : ABSOLVE

22-across – Accompanied artist in African capital : ACCRA

24-across – To win only? Precisely : ONTHENOSE

26-across – Inn, shortly to be renovated, accommodating earl : HOSTELRY

27-across – Taking the most optimistic view of a famous footballer? About time : ATBEST

1-down – Religious leader interferes over opening of temple : PRIEST

2-down – Passing remarks in cab, editor gets upset about it : OBITERDICTA

3-down – Live performance in musical curtailed : GIG

5-down – Social event in Lincs port causes international incident : BOSTONTEAPARTY

6-down – Generals fire mostly crookedly in shooting galleries : RIFLERANGES

7-down – Bird employed by Science Museum : EMU

8-down – Short sleep taken by the French in European city : NAPLES

9-down – Bridesmaid on form at broadcast, on in sixty minutes : MATRONOFHONOUR

13-down – Sympathise in clubs with old friend entertaining skinflint : COMMISERATE

15-down – The Queen in Israel, new one in country : SIERRALEONE

18-down – Hack holding page with prominent story : SPLASH

19-down – Change sides in error : DEFECT

23-down – Cut price of lettuce : COS

25-down – Have a meal in Neath : EAT