C ROSSWORD

TO ENTER Complete the crossword and count how many times the letter ‘X’ appears in the grid. Post your entry to YOU Crossword No 1,551, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Closing date is Friday, July 28. One random winner from all correct entries will win €100 and five runners-up will win €25 each. Winners will be notified within 14 days. Solution in two weeks

ACROSS

7 European river you’d associate with a Strauss waltz? (6) 9 Veto (8) 10 Official commendation (8)

11 (and 22 across) One of the two main stars of 5 down (6,6)

12 Careless, slovenly, slipshod (6)

13 Give a speech, pontificate (5) 15 Russian urn (7) 17 Sly, disrespectful laugh partly stifled (7)

19 (and 3 down) One of the two main stars of 5 down (5,7)

20 Pair of (attached) people (6) 22 See 11 across 23 Cosmetic for colouring the area around the mouth (8)

24 How Ceylon is known now (3,5)

25 Exit (6)

DOWN

1 The director of 5 down (5,4) 2 Authenticate (6) 3 See 19 across 4 Hold back (8) 5 1945 film based on a play by Noël Coward (5,9)

6 Type of sailing vessel you’d associate with John B? (5)

8 Unfriendly, withdrawn, aloof (14)

14 Warlike, aggressive (9)

16 Referring indirectly or briefly to something (8)

18 Type of station where the two main characters meet in 5 down (7)

20 Duplicated, reproduced (6)

21 Descendants of the Dutch people who settled in South Africa (5)