Daily Answers

1-across – Foremost of humorists, or superb satirist : HORACE

4-across – Sword wound – one male found with it inside : SCIMITAR

9-across – Pill, first to take on board : TABLET

10-across – Going about, undecided : INTHEAIR

11-across – Panda alarming pal with carrot : PATROLCAR

13-across – Quirk admitted by orchestra : TRAIT

14-across – Transmit Hardy’s novel novel : TRISTRAMSHANDY

17-across – Like Jean Harlow double in plant, upset about bit of mimicry : PLATINUMBLONDE

21-across – At end of drill, Italian male is supple : LITHE

22-across – Drink in New York City borough : MANHATTAN

24-across – In which one may see Odette boast about the French leading English : SWANLAKE

25-across – Decorates a room initially taken by lecturers : ADORNS

26-across – Set great store by base rate? Certainly : TREASURE

27-across – Ragamuffin in ancient city church at home : URCHIN

1-down – Lively nightclubs, places of potential violence : HOTSPOTS

2-down – Machine in part of plant beginning to blacken within : ROBOT

3-down – Foolish old man snatching her cigar : CHEROOT

5-down – US politician, trickster entertaining Greek on English ship : CONGRESSMAN

6-down – Wise man’s headgear held by mother : MAHATMA

7-down – Great Dane is barking in open-air restaurant : TEAGARDEN

8-down – Bit of sunlight round end of December – it’s an unusual thing : RARITY

12-down – New form of heroin : CHAINSMOKER

15-down – Everyone I upset and make fun of is uncomfortable : ILLATEASE

16-down – British poet in game reportedly being broadcast : TENNYSON

18-down – Inform one about piece of rope on second latticework structure : TRELLIS

19-down – Ill-fated lover, chief around the North : LEANDER

20-down – Secret cupboard : CLOSET

23-down – Light visible in crypt or chamber : TORCH

1-across – Admission made by expert going round cape by ship : ACCESS

4-across – Sound off, say, on strike : SPEAKOUT

10-across – Chips and peas cooked in craft : SPACESHIP

11-across – Riddle involving western satirist : SWIFT

12-across – Fun whilst hiking? That could be an over-optimistic expectation : WISHFULTHINKING

13-across – Uproar in court needs sorting out : RUCTION

14-across – Small pane of glass, cause of dispute : QUARREL

16-across – Half of rugby team seen in front of church in North Wales town : HARLECH

18-across – Warning posted in sunken garden : ENGARDE

20-across – Medical treatment of a type they criticise inside : AVERSIONTHERAPY

22-across – Article attracting touching expression of sympathy : THERE

23-across – Sail on it at sea admitting love of solitude : ISOLATION

25-across – Lose backing during meeting? That’s extremely sad : DESOLATE

26-across – Reportedly delay mass : WEIGHT

1-down – Animal, for instance, found on top of Snowdon : ASS

2-down – Head of company, young woman in charge of major sporting event : CLASSIC

3-down – Storage time of product if kept by the Parisian under bar : SHELFLIFE

5-down – Propose issue carries soft drinks article : POPTHEQUESTION

6-down – Runs in a boy responsible for crime : ARSON

7-down – Actor, one in Bart musical! : OLIVIER

8-down – Really get at awfully old place for viewing art : TATEGALLERY

9-down – Carnegie, say, identified by philosophy this patron exercised : PHILANTHROPIST

12-down – Readily sympathetic, armed with wreath, possibly : WARMHEARTED

15-down – Boy appears in a doorway with whole amount : AGGREGATE

17-down – Seeks information about eastern joints : REEFERS

19-down – Studying for an English university place : READING

21-down – Walk off with pirate : STEAL

24-down – Number on the way up for final : NET

1-across – A vegetable daughter served with European fish : SWISSCHARD

6-across – Hit has friend’s backing : SLAP

10-across – One taking Arabs illegally? : RUSTLER

11-across – Popular novelist includes page identifying tower : STEEPLE

12-across – Was the dominant partner dressed in article, an alternative to a kilt? : WORETHETROUSERS

13-across – Chatter endlessly with minister : RABBI

14-across – Aquatic bird, catching one, returned to me, a cliff-ledge nester : GUILLEMOT

16-across – Gibe inside pub – worker gets angry : INDIGNANT

17-across – Cut up piece of rug in outhouse : SHRED

18-across – In vicarage, lamb’s cooked with a marinade : BALSAMICVINEGAR

22-across – Girl in dressing gown runs taps without another thought : ROBERTA

23-across – Toys in sacks by end of cot : TRIFLES

24-across – Some weighed a mozzarella cheese : EDAM

25-across – Unnecessarily provokes, knowing : NEEDLESSLY

1-down – Gang, following opening of safe, finds wages : SCREW

2-down – Impressed one northern writer with first of diaries : INSCRIBED

3-down – Making fine distinctions in separating fast runners, we hear : SPLITTINGHAIRS

4-down – Crowd in store, reportedly : HORDE

5-down – Self-control shown by all at home in desert : RESTRAINT

7-down – Slip made by Liberal over recess : LAPSE

8-down – Urge boss to produce a small fastener : PRESSSTUD

9-down – A liqueur is sent in error – a cocktail’s required : TEQUILASUNRISE

13-down – Pay back bruiser becoming upset with me : REIMBURSE

14-down – Grim-faced handling it at sink : GRAVITATE

15-down – Girl, so mad about flowers : MARIGOLDS

19-down – Left one brother a sign : LIBRA

20-down – Went to the polls opposing old Edward : VOTED

21-down – Out of practice? Game’s extremely tricky : RUSTY

1-across – Problem : MUSQUASH

5-across – Copper crossing a river in centre of Pisa – he drowned : ICARUS

9-across – Summary of current expenses, one affecting a surgeon? : OPERATINGBUDGET

11-across – Something of little value found in sack by a bank clerk? Not entirely : BAGATELLE

12-across – Caught out by coarse northern circus performer : CLOWN

13-across – Persian prince after a short belt for a fur : ASTRAKHAN

15-across – Home Rule, a relative term? : INLAW

17-across – Son in good health? That’s marvellous : SWELL

19-across – Magnificent article penned by Italian on fish : BRILLIANT

21-across – Just deserts included in former itinerary : MERIT

22-across – Saint of noble birth in the East : AUGUSTINE

24-across – Drill in barracks with soft-soled shoes on? Golly gosh! : JEEPERSCREEPERS

25-across – Turn or turning by gallery : ROTATE

26-across – I misinterpreted endless inaction : IDLENESS

1-down – Rays? Second one seen round Baltic, initially in the morning sun : MOONBEAMS

2-down – Deception caused by the French in a sense : SLEIGHT

3-down – Girl with pint – that’s inappropriate : UNAPT

4-down – Help in stables slyly getting one to divulge information : SPILLTHEBEANS

6-down – Statesman in place of worship, unwell : CHURCHILL

7-down – Barking dog disrupting most of mass meeting? A plaything’s required : RAGDOLL

8-down – An offence holding it, a protest : SITIN

10-down – Inexperienced, e.g. friend surprisingly showing a natural ability with plants : GREENFINGERED

14-down – Completely OTT about pieces in plot : ALLOTMENT

16-down – Sees news – sites destroyed : WITNESSES

18-down – Boy, we hear, is serious : EARNEST

20-down – Irritability shown in a north-eastern Texas city : ABILENE

21-down – More important officer : MAJOR

23-down – Kid took action over ending of allowance : SUEDE

1-across – Steer for centre of Dodge City : OXFORD

4-across – Top-ranking official’s role tracking money : BRASSHAT

10-across – Supplier of milk products, new firm with a dray : DAIRYFARM

11-across – Big in molecular genetics : LARGE

12-across – Article by supporter backing backer : ANGEL

13-across – Conga led off by Conservative with traditional series of steps? : CLOGDANCE

14-across – Ship’s ladder, one of a pair used on journey : COMPANIONWAY

18-across – What kangaroo courts dispense may be unfair, and mere formality : ROUGHJUSTICE

21-across – Villain with cold, nurse treated : SCOUNDREL

22-across – Part for a firearm : PIECE

23-across – Old wood? Express an opinion : OPINE

24-across – Alpine flower in weeds, lies crushed : EDELWEISS

25-across – A setter, I suspect, for a paper : TREATISE

26-across – Like aquatic bird following behind the rear of a ship : ASTERN

1-down – One out of order supplying artillery : ORDNANCE

2-down – Legitimate objects for attack – just wild animals? : FAIRGAME

3-down – First-rate boy, Alan? Not half! : ROYAL

5-down – Unfortunate male, injured too, out of play : ROMEOANDJULIET

6-down – Speaks about daughter going after a boy in an innocent, naive time : SALADDAYS

7-down – Against wearing that woman’s waders : HERONS

8-down – Article on almost highest ancient city : THEBES

9-down – Notice what the infantry may be given : MARCHINGORDERS

15-down – Royal Navy chaps absorbed by a spot of decorating : ADORNMENT

16-down – A person with intense energy – isn’t it shocking? : LIVEWIRE

17-down – Boy’s performing with jazz pianist : PETERSON

19-down – Armed guards in prince’s cortege : ESCORT

20-down – Phone from port in Alabama : MOBILE

22-down – He wrote A Glastonbury Romance in a Welsh county : POWYS