CROSSWORD

No 1,613

TO ENTER Complete the crossword and count how many times the letter ‘X’ appears in the grid. Post your entry to YOU Crossword No 1,588, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Closing date is Friday, October 5. One random winner from all correct entries will win €75. The winner will be notified within 14 days. Solution in two weeks.

ACROSS

1 Yearnings, pensive longing (11) 7 The colour of anger and shame (3) 9 Surname chosen by Richard Starkey before joining The Beatles (5) 10 Shade of 7 across (9) 11 Not feeling or performing as well as normal (5,3) 12 Shade of 7 across (6) 14 Money made after subtracting all costs (3,6) 15 Correct (5) 17 Religious splinter groups (5) 19 The assuming of a false identity (9)

21 Grass, telltale (6)

23 Representative, emblematic (8)

25 Exhausted (6,3)

26 Spanish wine (5)

27 Moved very quickly (3)

28 Extra money paid (11)

DOWN

1 Bones in poultry (9) 2 Shade of 7 across (7) 3 As set off on 5 November (9) 4 Romance (4,6) 5 Gaelic name for Ireland (4) 6 River that runs through Paris (5) 7 Destroying, wrecking (7) 8 Solid, thick (5) 13 Gradually, bit by bit (4,2,4) 15 Shade of 7 across which is also a fruit (9) 16 Vigorous, incisive (9) 18 Shade of 7 across (7) 20 Release, liberate (7) 21 Waste conduit (5) 22 Belief system (5) 24 Shade of 7 across which is also a flower (4)