daily double

the easy way ACROSS

1 Amusing (5) 4 A wild duck (7) 8 Impose as task (3) 9 Confess all (4,5) 10 Unbeliever (7) 11 To attempt (5) 13 Dull and straitlaced (6) 15 Overwhelm (6) 18 Underwater search system (5) 19 Official suspension of trade (7) 21 Colluding (2,7) 23 Occasional (3) 24 Plant’s climbing organ (7) 25 Set of beliefs (5)

DOWN

1 Cease to consider (7) 2 Inappropriately (3,2,4) 3 Clearly expressed (5) 4 Speak indistinctly (6) 5 Reading desk (7) 6 Beer (3) 7 Drab (5) 12 Original starting point (6,3) 14 Promote (7) 16 Inundated (7) 17 Spring back in fear (6) 18 Change position of (5) 20 Underlying (5) 22 Be able to (3)

the hard way ACROSS

1 Sit on the fence or something similar (5) 4 Fear led to new form of government (7) 8 Right to return? Nonsense (3) 9 It measures distances by the foot (9) 10 A dogged policeman (7) 11 Arranged stage exits or entrances (5) 13 Rock adder? (6) 15 To help possibly sit on a donkey (6) 18 Fly halfway for example coming back (5) 19 Float under the bridge (7) 21 Will’s incorrect statement (9) 23 Little William lost his head coming to no good (3) 24 It’s an accomplishment with her light weight (7) 25 Went round or moved sideways (5)

DOWN

1 Firm on strike in serious trouble (4-3) 2 Wrong date noted for having set off (9) 3 One way to apply a finish to education (5) 4 Iron lady’s hat (6) 5 Mother loses youth but gets some compensation (7) 6 A renegade sailor’s come-uppance (3) 7 Fun with the birds? (5) 12 They have to make cuts in this business (9) 14 It clears the vision but deceives the judgment (7) 16 Confused by the smell in the van (7) 17 Look like a soft piece of fruit (6) 18 It’s an idea to turn up healthy to the doctor (5) 20 Can get upset about chemical (5) 22 A well-equipped health centre (3)