1-across – Fledgling business venture : STARTUP

8-across – Boorish : ROADHOG

9-across – Dizziness at height : VERTIGO

10-across – Cooperation : LIAISON

11-across – Siren : RINSE

13-across – Stuffing art : TAXIDERMY

15-across – Exaggeration : HYPERBOLE

18-across – Shrub related to cashew : SUMAC

21-across – Quieten : MOLLIFY

22-across – Unpleasantly chewy matter : GRISTLE

23-across – Firm cheese : GRUYERE

24-across – Bedtime garment : NIGHTIE

1-down – Verse : SEVER

2-down – Edge of putting green : APRON

3-down – Going correctly? : TOILETTRAINED

4-down – Long and wordy : PROLIX

5-down – Sauce on rocket? : SALADDRESSING

6-down – Jumping horse – Jenny Ryan,e.g. : CHASER

7-down – Business : AGENCY

12-down – In lazy manner : IDLY

14-down – Heat-resistant mineral in flat layers : MICA

15-down – Recognition : HOMAGE

16-down – Eradicate : PULLUP

17-down – Respiration gas : OXYGEN

19-down – Totem : MOTET

20-down – Flat French dish : CREPE

1-across – Open to gales etc : WINDSWEPT

8-across – Nil : ZERO

9-across – Food fish : REDMULLET

10-across – Eye part : IRIS

13-across – Oral – forthright : VOCAL

15-across – Comment on : REVIEW

16-across – Hollow grass plant : BAMBOO

17-across – Be in accord : CONCUR

19-across – Pour in order to separate sediment : DECANT

20-across – Dakota people : SIOUX

21-across – Insult : SNUB

24-across – Trickery : CHICANERY

25-across – Flair : ELAN

26-across – Stick in the mouth? : TOOTHPICK

2-down – Mountain goat : IBEX

3-down – Rounded vault : DOME

4-down – Tree with catkins : WILLOW

5-down – ‘Made beforehand’ building : PREFAB

6-down – Charon’s vessel? : FERRYBOAT

7-down – Follower of rules,even when unwise or inconvenient : JOBSWORTH

11-down – Chicken or veal dish served in white sauce : FRICASSEE

12-down – Friendly – like an uncle : AVUNCULAR

13-down – Beauty : VENUS

14-down – Rubber tree liquid : LATEX

18-down – That’s fine : RIGHTO

19-down – Sweet : DULCET

22-down – Card game : SNAP

23-down – Reptile : CROC

1-across – Main boudoir : MASTERBEDROOM

8-across – Talk : JAW

9-across – Muscular : STRAPPING

10-across – Or a grind : RINGROAD

11-across – Kitchen item – military subdivision : UNIT

13-across – Sharp and fruity : LEMONY

14-across – Belittle : DEMEAN

16-across – Pond life – zero : DUCK

17-across – Force uniting countries? : INTERPOL

20-across – Flag with three stripes : TRICOLOUR

21-across – Conger fish? : EEL

22-across – Tunes that could either be uplifting or get you down? : ELEVATORMUSIC

1-down – Large-scale : MAJOR

2-down – A wine scheming : SEWINGMACHINE

3-down – Preserve as sacred : ENSHRINE

4-down – Officer in charge of funds : BURSAR

5-down – Fool – information : DOPE

6-down – Luxury train service : ORIENTEXPRESS

7-down – Measure of explosive force : MEGATON

12-down – Old message : TELEGRAM

13-down – Foul-mouthed female drinker : LADETTE

15-down – Entirely : INTOTO

18-down – Cilla : LILAC

19-down – Roman outfit : TOGA

1-across – The Oval area? : CRICKETPITCH

9-across – Demilitarise : UNARM

10-across – Widespread : GENERAL

11-across – One of two in 15 across? : TWIN

12-across – Crushed wheat food : COUSCOUS

14-across – Second creation? : REMAKE

15-across – Star sign : GEMINI

18-across – Strainer : COLANDER

20-across – League : BLOC

22-across – Peeper in head : EYEBALL

23-across – Simple putt : GIMME

24-across – Tightening tool : MONKEYWRENCH

2-down – Mailers : REALISM

3-down – Faction : CAMP

4-down – Container with half a dozen food items? : EGGBOX

5-down – Disciplined : PUNISHED

6-down – Main part of body : TORSO

7-down – Manhattan district – where Beelzebub cooks dinner? : HELLSKITCHEN

8-down – Biscuit with yellowish filling : CUSTARDCREAM

13-down – Rubbing in of creams etc.? : SKINCARE

16-down – Muslim : ISLAMIC

17-down – Howl : BELLOW

19-down – Further weekend zeds? : LIEIN

21-down – Fever : AGUE

1-across – Electrify : EXCITE

4-across – <span>Speak </span><i>sotto voce</i> : MURMUR

9-across – Bari bairn? : BAMBINO

10-across – Bamboo muncher : PANDA

11-across – Broad in the beam : STOUT

12-across – Mishmash : FARRAGO

13-across – Scottish island dog : SKYETERRIER

18-across – Montmorency relative? : MORELLO

20-across – E,e.g : VOWEL

22-across – Speak : ORATE

23-across – Oval : ELLIPSE

24-across – Expedite : HASTEN

25-across – Island with official languages Greek and Turkish : CYPRUS

1-down – Raise in relief : EMBOSS

2-down – Band – amalgam : COMBO

3-down – Spiky plant : THISTLE

5-down – Top : UPPER

6-down – Combination of pictures : MONTAGE

7-down – Rationality : REASON

8-down – Stuck-up : TOFFEENOSED

14-down – East Asians : KOREANS

15-down – Partying : REVELRY

16-down – Effortless : SMOOTH

17-down – Gripper with serrated jaws : PLIERS

19-down – Feudal superior : LIEGE

21-down – Sponge or napkin? : WIPER