Author name: crosswordanswers

1-across – Speak at a formal gathering : TAKETHEFLOOR

9-across – Lightning : RAPID

10-across – Gosh! : GEEWHIZ

11-across – Moulded earth : CLAY

12-across – Like a gut feeling : VISCERAL

14-across – Winker or blinker? : EYELID

15-across – Messenger : HERALD

18-across – Immoderate : PRODIGAL

20-across – Drone : BUZZ

22-across – Spear with three prongs : TRIDENT

23-across – Rustic : RURAL

24-across – Unable to fight : HORSDECOMBAT

2-down – Dispel : APPEASE

3-down – Backward current : EDDY

4-down – Scottish dish : HAGGIS

5-down – Arrow maker : FLETCHER

6-down – Throe : OTHER

7-down – Showbiz excitement : RAZZLEDAZZLE

8-down – Chain-length sporting strip : CRICKETPITCH

13-down – Benefit : DIVIDEND

16-down – Fish tanks : AQUARIA

17-down – Cold and northern : BALTIC

19-down – Flexible branch : OSIER

21-down – Infant’s carriage : PRAM

1-across – With hands on hips,elbows bent outward : AKIMBO

4-across – Cause to become – plaster : RENDER

9-across – Chinese cabbage : PAKCHOI

10-across – Gut part : COLON

11-across – Hyderabad’s city : INDIA

12-across – Jump on a … : SALCHOW

13-across – … slippery surface : SKATINGRINK

18-across – Tart leafstalks : RHUBARB

20-across – Dirty and brown : MUDDY

22-across – Freeloader : TAKER

23-across – RC cap : BIRETTA

24-across – Day nursery : CRECHE

25-across – I don’t believe it! I find five toes there! : MYFOOT

1-down – Child minder : AUPAIR

2-down – Annoyed : IRKED

3-down – : BYHEART

5-down – Be exceptionally proficient : EXCEL

6-down – Clicking mammal : DOLPHIN

7-down – Distinction : RENOWN

8-down – Stuff : BITSANDBOBS

14-down – Hand joint : KNUCKLE

15-down – Wed again : REMARRY

16-down – Judge of the merits of others : CRITIC

17-down – Dictator : TYRANT

19-down – I’m tearing my hair out! : AARGH

21-down – Similarly : DITTO

1-across – Lion or tiger,eg : BIGCAT

4-across – American elk : MOOSE

7-across – Timber or stone over doorway : LINTEL

8-across – Lacking in movement,action or change : STATIC

9-across – Equine father : SIRE

10-across – Sign of emotion : TEARDROP

12-across – Space in suitcase for contraband : FALSEBOTTOM

17-across – With heated passion – rent lady : ARDENTLY

19-across – Merckx or Grant – whirlpool : EDDY

20-across – What you may do to square one : GOBACK

21-across – Agency of divine revelation,in Delphi ? : ORACLE

22-across – Female relative : NIECE

23-across – Overcome by somnolence : ASLEEP

1-down – Agent or land-steward / court official : BAILIFF

2-down – Recover from illness : GETWELL

3-down – Share : ALLOTMENT

4-down – Car : MOTOR

5-down – Canadian province / Great Lake : ONTARIO

6-down – Lucky or fire? : ESCAPE

11-down – Without name of author : ANONYMOUS

13-down – Perceptible by ear : AUDIBLE

14-down – From 13 to 19 years : TEENAGE

15-down – Vehicle damage protector : MUDFLAP

16-down – Unintelligible talk – terminology of profession : JARGON

18-down – Small recess : NICHE

1-across – Fond of contradicting : ARGUMENTATIVE

8-across – Most expensive : DEAREST

9-across – Bean or pea : PULSE

10-across – Cuppa : BREW

11-across – Warm garment for outdoors : OVERCOAT

13-across – Formally charge with a crime : INDICT

14-across – Something puzzling – Elgar’s variations? : ENIGMA

17-across – African burrowing animal with long snout : AARDVARK

19-across – Cut of meat : LOIN

21-across – Glossy black bird : RAVEN

22-across – Stick for a table game : POOLCUE

24-across – Similar – in touch : CORRESPONDING

1-down – Assistance : AID

2-down – Enterprisingly progressive : GOAHEAD

3-down – Modest,unassertive : MEEK

4-down – Born or originating in the place : NATIVE

5-down – Obvious : APPARENT

6-down – Cold home : IGLOO

7-down – Too much screen-time can cause this : EYESTRAIN

10-down – Treasured odds and ends : BRICABRAC

12-down – Search for useful items among rubbish : SCAVENGE

15-down – <span>Small dumplings in a </span><i>ristorante</i> : GNOCCHI

16-down – Make a mistake – fall over : TRIPUP

18-down – Party animal : RAVER

20-down – Unite : JOIN

23-down – Scotch,Curate’s or Easter : EGG

5-across – Final offer or demand : ULTIMATUM

8-across – Venetian magistrate : DOGE

9-across – Using one’s little grey cells : THINKING

10-across – Romantic intrigue : AFFAIR

11-across – Ranch hand in American west : COWBOY

13-across – Fail in some endeavour : MESSUP

15-across – Small pink crustacean : SHRIMP

16-across – Spell-casting wizard : SORCERER

18-across – Become smaller : WANE

19-across – Groundbreaker : INNOVATOR

1-down – Canadian baseball team – N American birds : BLUEJAYS

2-down – Nervous movement : JITTER

3-down – Person exhibiting extremely wild behaviour : MANIAC

4-down – Merganser,e.g. : DUCK

6-down – Toffee cop : COFFEEPOT

7-down – Act of signing up for membership : ENROLMENT

12-down – Scratchy metal mass for scouring : WIREWOOL

14-down – Could you repeat that please? : PARDON

15-down – Watch online : STREAM

17-down – It’s sensitive to colour and bright light : CONE