CROSSWORD
TO ENTER Complete the crossword and count how many times the letter ‘X’ appears in the grid. Post your entry to YOU Crossword No 1,624, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Closing date is Friday, December 21. One random winner from all correct entries will win a pocket dictionary. The winner will be notified within 14 days. Solution in two weeks.
ACROSS
6 Forceful contact, collision (6)
8 (and 21 down) 2007 novella by 14 down which he adapted into a 2017 film (2,6,5)
10 Curse, turn the air blue (5)
11 South American mammal closely related to the llama (6)
12 Wife of Zeus whose Roman counterpart was Juno (4) 13 Wine waiter (9) 15 Expert coffee maker (7)
17 Frosted sculpture usually created by children only in winter (7)
19 2001 novel by 14 down which was turned into a 2007 film (9)
22 The body part that joins your head to the rest of your body (4)
23 Refrain from doing something (6)
24 Spine-chilling, weird (5)
25 Plan, synopsis (8)
26 Capital and chief port of the Bahamas (6)
DOWN
1 Novel for which 14 down won the Booker Prize (9) 2 Small flowing body of water (6) 3 Pupil who lives at the school (7) 4 A particular event, or time (8)
5 Shortened first name linking Messrs Clarke, Hill, Cable, Vaughn and Earl (5)
7 Murder of a political or public person (13)
9 Professional who shares their specialised knowledge in a court of law (6,7)
14 British novelist and screenwriter (3,6) 16 Pig’s feet (8) 18 Expand, flourish, evolve (7)
20 Job, task, message (6)
21 See 8 across