daily double

the easy way

ACROSS 1 Devout visitor to shrine (7) 4 To hinge (5) 7 Small broad-headed nail (4) 8 Single-reed woodwind instrument (8) 10 At this very moment (4,3,3) 12 For choice (6) 13 Typically French (6) 15 Combine efforts (4,6) 18 New York theatreland (8) 19 Bucket (4) 20 Further (5) 21 Companionship (7)

DOWN 1 Degree of roof’s slope (5) 2 To tear (8) 3 Ailment (6) 4 A coffee-making utensil (10) 5 Outlet (4) 6 Enormous (7) 9 Be totally unaware (4,2,4) 11 Interdiction of nation’s sea lines (8) 12 Ludicrous (7) 14 Relations by marriage (2-4) 16 Morose (5) 17 Awkward brutish man (4)

the hard way

ACROSS 1 Takes offence at gifts not being opened (7) 4 It may be smoked out its den (5) 7 Tendency to be crooked (4) 8 Theirs is a boring occupation (8) 10 I’d rather not express it more politely (2,5,3) 12 Bound to be a closed circle (6) 13 A suit for working in the garden (6) 15 Expanding and becoming more communicative (7,3) 18 Legally only of minor importance (5,3) 19 A shade people look well in (4) 20 Woman gains points and gets equal (5) 21 Not huge but shaped to become robust (7)

DOWN 1 Uplifting writer or flier (5) 2 A tray’s in use - should be clean (8) 3 Industrial outgoing (6) 4 A well-supplied business concern (3,7) 5 Sadly dies on a date in Rome (4) 6 Gets the better of teachers (7) 9 Versatile actor? (3,2,5) 11 Caution had Simon dithering (8) 12 Put income down as estimate (7) 14 Wrongly think it’s about middle age for a horseman (6) 16 Captured and shot (5) 17 Lied about having nothing to do (4)