Daily Answers

1-across – Sturdy : ROBUST

4-across – More intimate : CLOSER

9-across – Type of light : GASLAMP

10-across – Christmas card bird : ROBIN

11-across – Shine : EXCEL

12-across – Devoted : ADORING

13-across – Tennessee city : CHATTANOOGA

18-across – Poisonous element : ARSENIC

20-across – Cheesy : TACKY

22-across – Flight unit : STAIR

23-across – Artless newcomer : INGENUE

24-across – : MEDLEY

25-across – Music that may be national : ANTHEM

1-down – Scrums and mauls game : RUGGER

2-down – Rudimentary : BASIC

3-down – Small onion : SHALLOT

5-down – Broadly and slowly : LARGO

6-down – Bro or sis : SIBLING

7-down – Fail to honour : RENEGE

8-down – Loyal political follower : APPARATCHIK

14-down – Male spouse : HUSBAND

15-down – Eight-sided figure : OCTAGON

16-down – Old cab : HANSOM

17-down – Lecture hall : LYCEUM

19-down – Pluck : NERVE

21-down – Large shell : CONCH

1-across – Like a bad-tempered crustacean? : CRABBY

4-across – French composer,1866-1925 : SATIE

7-across – Loo rum : ORMOLU

8-across – Green woodpecker : YAFFLE

9-across – An arm or a leg : LIMB

10-across – Energy booster : PICKMEUP

12-across – Create trouble – at sea? : ROCKTHEBOAT

17-across – High as a kite : EUPHORIC

19-across – Be in a rage : FUME

20-across – Female relatives : NIECES

21-across – It’s rarely found in a haystack : NEEDLE

22-across – Ground,land or paper : WASTE

23-across – Notebook : JOTTER

1-down – Bag or pigeon : CARRIER

2-down – Pertaining to a single-celled organism : AMOEBIC

3-down – Flag – longest-running children’s programme in the world : BLUEPETER

4-down – Don’t accept a loan from this big fish? : SHARK

5-down – Thin glossy silk fabric : TAFFETA

6-down – Not subject : EXEMPT

11-down – Gradually increasing in loudness : CRESCENDO

13-down – Shore up : ORPHEUS

14-down – Quirky : OFFBEAT

15-down – Acrobat : TUMBLER

16-down – OK,wren : KERNOW

18-down – Wild chrysanthemum : OXEYE

1-across – Explanation for how it all began : BIGBANGTHEORY

8-across – Monopoly property – decent weather this month? : MAYFAIR

9-across – Front,butt or pistol : WATER

10-across – Conspiracy : PLOT

11-across – To horses : SOOTHERS

13-across – Street,glass or ticket : ONEWAY

14-across – Tall,silky-haired dog : SALUKI

17-across – Taken into account : ONTHEMAP

19-across – Perform in the street for money : BUSK

21-across – Urge forward : IMPEL

22-across – Count out at night generally? : DRACULA

24-across – World’s largest drop of water,by some measure : VICTORIAFALLS

1-down – Unsatisfactory : BUM

2-down – Tent securer – for bloke? : GUYROPE

3-down – Open,but not entirely : AJAR

4-down – ___ Bennett : GORDON

5-down – Appeal to umpire : HOWSTHAT

6-down – Bizarre : OUTRE

7-down – Benchmark : YARDSTICK

10-down – <span>Russian composer of </span><i>Peter and the Wolf</i> : PROKOFIEV

12-down – Brown line in London : BAKERLOO

15-down – Not common : UNUSUAL

16-down – Indira or Mahatma : GANDHI

18-down – Subject : TOPIC

20-down – Troublesome fuss : FAFF

23-down – Donkey : ASS

5-across – Eg Courchevel or Zermatt : SKIRESORT

8-across – Light conical tent : YURT

9-across – Close – hint : INTIMATE

10-across – Affectedly superior : LADIDA

11-across – Sound reflector : ECHOER

13-across – Outcome : UPSHOT

15-across – American-born,avant-garde photographer : MANRAY

16-across – Alcoholic drink : RUMPUNCH

18-across – Crazy : LOCO

19-across – Man,ink or mending : INVISIBLE

1-down – Unsteady,frisky : SKITTISH

2-down – Ciao,ER : EROICA

3-down – Disease-spreading African fly : TSETSE

4-down – Public vehicle running on rails : TRAM

6-down – <span>Sweet giving name to </span><i>Nutcracker</i><span> fairy</span> : SUGARPLUM

7-down – Expression in speech : UTTERANCE

12-down – Capital of Hawaii : HONOLULU

14-down – Anyone for this ball game? : TENNIS

15-down – Product of Angora goat : MOHAIR

17-down – Bet or boat : PUNT

5-across – Trainee journalist : CUBREPORTER

7-across – Frenzied indulgence : ORGY

8-across – Containing all recent facts : UPTODATE

9-across – Studious – like a novel? : BOOKISH

11-across – Eccentric – like this … ? : DOTTY

13-across – Part-goat woodland spirit : SATYR

14-across – American marsupial : OPOSSUM

16-across – Steam up : MISTOVER

17-across – Supporter : ALLY

18-across – Bird that sang in Berkeley Square : NIGHTINGALE

1-down – Do as requested : OBEY

2-down – Busy eds : DEBUSSY

3-down – Term meaning ‘polite’ more usually prefixed with ‘un’ : COUTH

4-down – Devoted to learning : STUDIOUS

5-down – Company – paunch : CORPORATION

6-down – A rail outlet : RATATOUILLE

10-down – Age-based National Curriculum level : KEYSTAGE

12-down – Frugal : SPARING

15-down – Lloyd Webber / Rice musical : EVITA

17-down – Ant or Peaty : ADAM