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 1,618, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Closing date is Friday, November 9. 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

8 City that became the Confederate capital in the American Civil War (8)

9 Educated, trained (6)

10 The first day of 17 across (3,9)

11 (and 16 down) A few days before 20 down (6,8)

12 Trudged, tramped (8)

14 Austrian composer (surname); South African word for mountain; in short, what caused the Titanic to sink (4)

15 Species of wheat (5)

17 Period of 40 days before 20 down (4)

19 Continuous or flowing (8) 23 Bear-like (6) 24 Uselessness, incompetence (12) 25 Stops, ends (6) 26 Either of the two contiguous egg-shaped masses of grey matter at the base of the brain (8)

DOWN

1 Deter someone through persuasion from a course of action (8)

2 Kind of sweet you don’t swallow (7,3) 3 Farewells (8) 4 In the Christian church, most of December (6) 5 Large arenas (6) 6 Group of people who decide on the guilt or innocence of someone on trial (4) 7 Descriptive of the day before 10 across (6) 13 This day falls a week before 20 down (4,6) 16 See 11 across 18 Something that really doesn’t matter (8) 20 Christian festival (6) 21 Surplus, glut (6) 22 Greet, hail (6) 24 What many Christians do during 17 across (4)