DOUBLE CROSSWORD

21 Disclose how the deal has turned out (4,4,4) 1 Presumably this reflects the elements (7,5)

7 Travelling record, I see, 1 Guarded challenge? (3,4,5) reportedly makes reasonable 2 & 14Dn Descriptive of a sense (5) broomstick! (3-6)

8 Good meal of leguminous food 3 A prescription for the chef (6) and nothing more (5) 4 Debauchee involving wild tribe 9 The contents of the nest will be in a row (9) superfluous, we hear (3) 5 Relative extent for a number of 10 Retired railway workers who notes (5) trade with other countries (9) 6 Gives wide publicity to rows 11 Criticises outmoded school overseas! (6,6) equipment (6) 7 Eastern mystic, we hear, is a 12 Youths, one hears, become wool producer (5) underground workers (6) 10 Cosmetic - how sad it’s

15 You may have to wait for the misused by the pupil! (3,6) lift if you do (5-4) 13 No longer law, to be precise 17 What is assumed among (5) episcopal brethren (3) 14 See 2 Down

18 This kind of head is a Puritan 16 Strenuously resistant to a cry (5) of disgust (5)

19 Work out an outline of 20 Dissatisfied, the fool goes conscription (5) back inside (3)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Infectious disease (7,5) 7 Provide food (5)

8 A carnivore (5)

9 Tow (3)

10 Led astray (9)

11 Knotty (6) 12 Stress (6) 15 Investigated (9)

17 Fuss (3) 18 Strap (5) 19 Banquet (5) 21 Mortuary (7,5)

DOWN

1 Prove truth of (12)

2 Allow (3) 3 Castigate (6) 4 Spent (9) 5 Correct (5) 6 Ship’s first trip (6,6) 7 Incarcerated (5)

10 Envoy (9) 13 Separately (5)

14 Suffocate (6) 16 Indolence (5)

20 Tree (3)

We have found 79 words that can be made from the letters in the square, each of which uses the letter in the middle and contains at least four letters. We challenge you to beat this, and also to make at least one nine-letter word. No abbreviations, initials or foreign words unless they form words in everyday use. No plurals.

Good 52; very good 64; excellent 79.