daily double

the hard way

ACROSS 1 Two things aviators may do for a wad of cash (8) 5 Dog’s barking leads to court fine (4) 9 Back a favourite I’d found not so hot (5) 10 Close of play (7) 11 The expenses of being an athlete? (7,5) 13 Oral tests in European subjects (6) 14 Cleric upset a group of people (6) 17 Loses equilibrium about amounts that remain (12) 20 Shuffling cards it is necessary to be vigorous (7) 21 Succession of emperors maybe with new clothes (5) 22 Only one cannot play it (4) 23 Small games enclosures (8)

DOWN 1 Be about it and get a snack (4) 2 Writer comes up with a melody for big star (7) 3 Customs that suit many a horseman (6,6) 4 Not effect of a severe beating (6) 6 Not rounds used in an erratic salvo (5) 7 Is he going in to discover it’s all over? (8) 8 Any call for it means changes in part (12) 12 A hundred bound to be granted (8) 15 Is listed to enter the church subject to absolution (7) 16 Used as antifreeze in exceedingly cold winters (6) 18 Take out bearings after a time (5) 19 Persons of honest heart (4)

the easy way

ACROSS 1 Of the earliest times (8) 5 Heartfelt (4) 9 Reflected (5) 10 Nevertheless (7) 11 Working on a freelance basis (4-8) 13 Easy to remember (6) 14 English painter of horses (6) 17 Virtually (2,3,3,4) 20 Brightly coloured flowering plant (7) 21 Open space in a forest (5) 22 Gaelic name for Ireland (4) 23 Jack of all trades (8)

DOWN 1 Splendid display (4) 2 Look over (7) 3 Point of no further progress (3,2,3,4) 4 On familiar ground (2,4) 6 A diplomatic representative (5) 7 Place of total happiness (8) 8 Comedy by Shakespeare (7,5) 12 Write hurriedly (8) 15 Pretentious inflated language (7) 16 Capital of Zambia (6) 18 Bode (5) 19 Fixed period of time (4)