1-across – Insane, very stupid or just soft-hearted : DAFTAS

4-across – See 1 : ABRUSH

8-across – Dog-tired; shattered : ALLIN

9-across – Complete path through which an electric current may flow : CIRCUIT

10-across – Gets to grips with; defensive actions in sport : TACKLES

11-across – Suppress; make void : QUASH

12-across – England’s first public museum : ASHMOLEAN

17-across – Made reference to; mentioned : CITED

19-across – Ronaldo? : ORLANDO

21-across – Spread; put something on top of something else : OVERLAY

22-across – Person who is voluntarily absent from home or country : EXPAT

23-across – Pleasant to look at; attractive : EASYON

24-across – See 23 : THEEYE

1-down – Bring to an end : DRAWTO

2-down – Fast narrow sailing ship of the Mediterranean : FELUCCA

3-down – Cancel; revoke : ANNUL

5-down – Style of architecture, art, and music in Europe : BAROQUE

6-down – Pendant fleshy lobe at the back of the soft palate : UVULA

7-down – Turn to drink : HITTHE

9-down – Study of the origin and nature of the universe : COSMOLOGY

13-down – Spanish nobleman : HIDALGO

14-down – Having nine parts : NONUPLE

15-down – See 1 : ACLOSE

16-down – See 7 : BOTTLE

18-down – Those at the age of adolescence and young adulthood : TEENS

20-down – Annelid worm, used in medicine of old : LEECH

1-across – May be divided; distinct : SEPARABLE

8-across – Auditorium; sports venue : ARENA

9-across – Synthetic; credit card : PLASTIC

10-across – See 13 : THIRTEEN

11-across – Pre-Roman inhabitant of Britain and parts of Gaul and Spain : CELT

13-across – Unlucky symbol : NUMBER

14-across – Make colourless; whiten : BLEACH

16-across – Narrative songs with recurrent refrains : LAYS

17-across – Provided that : ASLONGAS

19-across – Old enough to be expected to do or achieve something : OFANAGE

20-across – Softly bright or radiant : AGLOW

21-across – Morning break; snack and a drink : ELEVENSES

1-down – Pacific marine animal with thick dark brown fur : SEAOTTER

2-down – Stooge; marionette : PUPPET

3-down – Spanish river valleys submerged by rising sea level : RIAS

4-down – Proverbially, very sharp and sour : BITTERASGALL

5-down – Everyone’s different; there’s no accounting for taste : EACHTOHISOWN

6-down – ‘Play —- — —–‘: be unreliable, trifle : FASTANDLOOSE

7-down – Cheerfully reckless : DEVILMAYCARE

12-down – Failures; losers : ALSORANS

15-down – Useful or valuable qualities; resources : ASSETS

18-down – Bête noire; something, or one, that causes destruction : BANE

1-across – Make a person do what one wants; dominate : LEADBYTHENOSE

8-across – Knives forks and spoons, collectively : CUTLERY

9-across – Xenophon: the —– muse : ATTIC

10-across – Liquid food of low quality : SLOP

11-across – In phonetics, sound pronounced in the throat : GUTTURAL

13-across – Loading funnel for solid materials : HOPPER

14-across – Kind of printer : INKJET

17-across – Seasickness : MALDEMER

19-across – Slightly open : AJAR

21-across – Shinbone : TIBIA

22-across – Member of US Congress’ upper house : SENATOR

24-across – Took the initiative : CALLEDTHETUNE

1-down – Resinous insect secretion : LAC

2-down – Northamptonshire home of the Spencers : ALTHORP

3-down – Mangelwurzel, for instance : BEET

4-down – Put to experimental use : TRYOUT

5-down – Demanding; extorting : EXACTING

6-down – Freshwater carnivorous mammal : OTTER

7-down – Mechanised staircase : ESCALATOR

10-down – Catechism : SCHEMATIC

12-down – Outlaw : RENEGADE

15-down – Martial art : JUJITSU

16-down – The rich and fashionable : JETSET

18-down – Publication of defamatory matter : LIBEL

20-down – Genu, in anatomy : KNEE

23-down – Grain used in flour and whiskey : RYE

1-across – Female companion : CHAPERONE

8-across – Small cylindrical glass bottle : PHIAL

9-across – Advantage : BENEFIT

10-across – Trial under operating conditions : ROADTEST

11-across – Front of the leg : SHIN

13-across – Professional assasins : HITMEN

14-across – Livestock pen : CORRAL

16-across – Standard : NORM

17-across – Genus of pepper : CAPSICUM

19-across – Driving force : IMPETUS

20-across – Part of the stage in front of curtain : APRON

21-across – Mismatch : NOCONTEST

1-down – Women’s knee-length trousers : CULOTTES

2-down – Surprise attack : AMBUSH

3-down – Sicilian volcano : ETNA

4-down – Not for publication : OFFTHERECORD

5-down – Complicated involvement : ENTANGLEMENT

6-down – Anxiety, unease : APPREHENSION

7-down – Unsociable : MISANTHROPIC

12-down – Continuous : CONSTANT

15-down – Harass, pester : HASSLE

18-down – Daze; astonish : STUN

1-across – Manner of speaking : PARLANCE

5-across – Bang one’s foot : STUB

9-across – Elevated : LOFTY

10-across – Sharp double-bend on motor racing circuit : CHICANE

11-across – Bemusement : BEFUDDLEMENT

13-across – Horror-struck : AGHAST

14-across – Metal fastener : STAPLE

17-across – Oscar : ACADEMYAWARD

20-across – Continually active : ONTHEGO

21-across – Oblong block of metal : INGOT

22-across – Mend hole in knitwear : DARN

23-across – Short joke : ONELINER

1-down – Lose its appeal : PALL

2-down – Reinvigorate : REFRESH

3-down – Refugee : ASYLUMSEEKER

4-down – Tropical insect : CICADA

6-down – Commerce : TRADE

7-down – Short rest from exertion : BREATHER

8-down – Have a stab at : GIVEITAWHIRL

12-down – Itinerant : VAGABOND

15-down – Model of excellence : PARAGON

16-down – Powerful industrialist : TYCOON

18-down – Ritual table : ALTAR

19-down – Agitate : STIR