Author name: crosswordanswers

5-across – According to the rules : BYTHEBOOK

8-across – Obscene material : SMUT

9-across – Grieving : MOURNFUL

10-across – Prey : QUARRY

11-across – Water diviner : DOWSER

13-across – Land surrounded by water : ISLAND

15-across – Regional dialect : PATOIS

16-across – Pass out of sight : EVANESCE

18-across – Part of horse’s foot : HOOF

19-across – Appalling : ATROCIOUS

1-down – Uncontrolled emotion : HYSTERIA

2-down – Caprice : WHIMSY

3-down – Preposterous : ABSURD

4-down – Benefit : BOON

6-down – Impetuous, spontaneous : IMPULSIVE

7-down – Text corrector : SUBEDITOR

12-down – Vigilant : WATCHFUL

14-down – Absolute ruler : DESPOT

15-down – Summary : PRECIS

17-down – Clear : NETT

1-across – Unscrupulous : AMORAL

4-across – Tack on : APPEND

9-across – Foretell : PREDICT

10-across – Ward off : AVERT

11-across – Vigilant, watchful : ALERT

12-across – Year book : ALMANAC

13-across – Past one’s prime : OVERTHEHILL

18-across – Steal : PURLOIN

20-across – Itinerant : NOMAD

22-across – Delivery of five babies : QUINS

23-across – All together : ENMASSE

24-across – Conceit, self-importance : EGOISM

25-across – Main course : ENTREE

1-down – Petition : APPEAL

2-down – Overweight : OBESE

3-down – Airman : AVIATOR

5-down – Sacred song : PSALM

6-down – Everlasting : ETERNAL

7-down – Discover, expose : DETECT

8-down – Tube commuter : STRAPHANGER

14-down – Dizziness : VERTIGO

15-down – Public executioner : HANGMAN

16-down – Not transparent : OPAQUE

17-down – Cling to : ADHERE

19-down – Fertile spot : OASIS

21-down – Skinflint : MISER

1-across – Reveal unwelcome secrets; expose : LIFTTHELIDOFF

8-across – Protein? : POINTER

9-across – Capable of being corrupted; mercenary : VENAL

10-across – Bound; lollop : LOPE

11-across – City south of Paris with a distinctive Gothic cathedral : CHARTRES

13-across – Dormant; passive : TORPID

14-across – Regarding this point; to this place : HERETO

17-across – Not suitable as food; uneatable : INEDIBLE

19-across – Shoe strengthener; beat soundly : WELT

21-across – Fertiliser from the waste of seabirds : GUANO

22-across – Clothing; garb : APPAREL

24-across – Protected from danger : OUTOFHARMSWAY

1-down – Impudent or insolent rejoinder; edge : LIP

2-down – Flat broad limb of aquatic animals : FLIPPER

3-down – Pari-mutuel, for example; kind of bag : TOTE

4-down – Coarse; near the knuckle : EARTHY

5-down – Upside-down; inside-out : INVERTED

6-down – Proprietor; landlord : OWNER

7-down – Fail; not come up to standard : FALLSHORT

10-down – Making redundant; liberating : LETTINGGO

12-down – Agree; get on well with : HITITOFF

15-down – Common name of the supercilium : EYEBROW

16-down – Mountain beast of burden : ALPACA

18-down – Lift up; glorify : EXALT

20-down – World War II ‘luncheon meat’; now techno-junk : SPAM

23-down – Arable land put down to grass; pasture : LEY

5-across – Roman Catholic friar wearing a black mantle : DOMINICAN

8-across – Benefit; godsend : BOON

9-across – Three consecutive scores, wickets, etc, by one player : HATTRICK

10-across – Birds of prey with yellow-tipped head feathers : GOLDEN

11-across – See 10 : EAGLES

13-across – Digital pointer? : FINGER

15-across – Stew slowly in a closed pan : BRAISE

16-across – Late lamb! : MEATBALL

18-across – Food fish of which the most famous is known as ‘John’! : DORY

19-across – By certain but unspecified means : INSOMEWAY

1-down – Big Mama Thornton R&B classic, hit for Elvis Presley in 1956 : HOUNDDOG

2-down – In moderation or justifiable bounds : WITHIN

3-down – Addressed an unpleasant prospect previously avoided : BITTHE

4-down – Equitable; blonde : FAIR

6-down – Part of the Italian Alps : DOLOMITES

7-down – Aider and abettor; add-on : ACCESSORY

12-down – Custodian; newspaper : GUARDIAN

14-down – See 2 : REASON

15-down – See 3 : BULLET

17-down – Zingy taste; Chinese dynasty : TANG

1-across – Laboratory cylinder closed at one end : TESTTUBE

5-across – Come together; Eucharist : MASS

9-across – Cold; cheerless : BLEAK

10-across – Ring-shaped; forming a ring : ANNULAR

11-across – Lost an opportunity; left it too late : MISSEDTHEBUS

13-across – Sign on : NOSING

14-across – Put on the back burner : SHELVE

17-across – Gets rid of pent-up emotions : LETSOFFSTEAM

20-across – Lively symphonic movement : SCHERZO

21-across – Squeeze; precise : EXACT

22-across – Squint; suddenly change direction : SKEW

23-across – Second in order of preference : NEXTBEST

1-down – Forbidden : TABU

2-down – Variety; in biology, a group which is able to interbreed : SPECIES

3-down – Accepts a new idea or piece of advice : TAKESONBOARD

4-down – Distilled wine or fermented fruit juice : BRANDY

6-down – Talk without notes; improvise : ADLIB

7-down – Accented; overwrought : STRESSED

8-down – Placed where difficult situations are faced : INTHEHOTSEAT

12-down – Investigation; interpretation : ANALYSIS

15-down – Unwanted discharge of fluid : LEAKAGE

16-down – Significant; distinguished : OFNOTE

18-down – Lake/desert resort on the California-Nevada border : TAHOE

19-down – Editorial direction in a text, from the Latin for ‘let it stand’ : STET