daily double

the hard way

ACROSS 1 Exhibit the iris to make a patriotic display (4,3,4) 9 Just a piano? (7) 10 I held wrong capital (5) 11 Lame ducks maybe (4) 12 Adventurous men who went to the top at sea (8) 14 It’s written about the sailor’s refuge (6) 16 Incense - a green variety (6) 18 Poison counter (8) 19 It took at least two days to build; possibly more (4) 22 Pass on to a punctuation mark (5) 23 One may take it to avoid it (7) 24 Case perhaps for outdoor pursuits (5,6)

DOWN 2 A pound of sultanas? (5) 3 Carry on fighting for one’s pay (4) 4 Hired assassin? Good show, old boy! (3,3) 5 Trifling job for a musician (8) 6 State capital of Natal at variance (7) 7 A procession of empty protest (6,5) 8 The best side of a club (5,6) 13 Nominally she’s discretion itself (8) 15 Caress a girl on the knee (7) 17 Still it could affect one’s reception (6) 20 Man in Spain loses hard game (5) 21 Fishy article used as a tailpiece (4)

the easy way

ACROSS 1 Assert one’s right to own (5,1,5) 9 Luxurious (7) 10 To erect (3,2) 11 Be excessively fond (4) 12 Badges of authority (8) 14 Proscribe (6) 16 Rely (6) 18 Navigable channel (8) 19 Infamous Roman emperor (4) 22 Steps of a ladder (5) 23 Strong feeling (7) 24 Be direct and candid (4,2,5)

DOWN 2 Reproach contemptuously (5) 3 Stronghold in a castle (4) 4 Be present at (6) 5 Unbalanced (8) 6 Deeply felt (7) 7 Literally (4,3,4) 8 Vicissitudes (3,3,5) 13 Team game of Canadian origin (8) 15 Shakespeare’s queen of the fairies (7) 17 Form a liking for (4,2) 20 The best of a class (5) 21 Alone (4)