daily double

the hard way ACROSS

1 Lay out cash with financial caution? Not he! (11) 9 Support the conclusion on alternative points (7) 10 Leading brief (5) 11 We object to edition being secondhand (4) 12 Casting is one of his jobs in the studio (8) 14 Struggle for doctor getting into his overall (6) 16 Animal hunt (6) 18 Got there quite dishevelled but all in one piece (8) 19 Give terrible review to a great hit (4) 22 Subject - The Middle East (5) 23 No longer clear? Try and make it so (7) 24 Too thoughtful to create wanton desecration (11)

DOWN

2 Minister of the armed forces (5) 3 He ruled in pre-Antonine Rome (4) 4 Hole at the front (6) 5 Drove off disgusted (8) 6 Squander food? (7) 7 A cruel set is about to make a comeback (11) 8 Being now engaged in arranging a better month (11) 13 Craftily trap hens for display in zoos perhaps (8) 15 New game not of interest to motorists (7) 17 Guard is fed up to death (6) 20 Jumped and broke a plate (5) 21 Fight blows up (4)

the easy way ACROSS

1 Totalling as a sum (2,3,4,2) 9 Cruel and barbaric (7) 10 Armistice (5) 11 Nimble (4) 12 Living in trees (8) 14 Prohibit (6) 16 A military entertainment (6) 18 Oily (8) 19 Knock senseless (4) 22 Banal (5) 23 Encroach (7) 24 A social gathering (3-8)

DOWN

2 Additional (5) 3 Song of praise (4) 4 Holding of office (6) 5 Hypothetical (8) 6 Ostentatiously rich (7) 7 Earliest results of work (5,6) 8 Based on good evidence (4-7) 13 Bitterly hostile (8) 15 Lie back (7) 17 Authoritative decision (6) 20 Stretched tight (5) 21 Catch sight of (4)