GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 U.S. former boxer and world champion in five different weight classes, nicknamed Pretty Boy (5,10) 8 Fixed allowances of food and other provisions in times of shortage (7) 9 Tuneful (7) 10 British singer/songwriter whose first entry in the UK charts was Chasing Pavements in 2008 (5) 11 Epidemic of hysterical dancing that affected southern Italy in the 15th to 17th century (9) 12 A notice or sign posted up on a wall or otherwise publicly displayed (7) 14 Relating to the kidneys (5) 15 ____ charm, object which is supposed to bring good fortune (5) 17 Having a dejected or guilty look (7) 19 Former UK deputy prime minister appointed vice-president of Facebook in 2018 (4,5) 22 ____ Scott, ex-Britain’s Got Talent contestant who covered Robyn’s’ Dancing On My Own in 2016 (5) 23 Language ____ , one such as Basque that has no apparent relationship with other languages (7) 24 One who denies the existence of God (7) 25 The ____ , 2017 musical film about U.S. circus impresario P.T. Barnum starring Hugh Jackman in the title role (8,7)

DOWN

1 Thinking ahead to achieve one’s objectives, especially in business or government (7,8) 2 Of a stroke by a batter in cricket, played as the ball rises from its bounce (2,3,2) 3 A one-humped Arabian camel (9) 4 An item of value belonging to a business or organisation (5) 5 ____ screw, one with a hexagonal recess in the head, named after its U.S. patentee (5) 6 Roman emperor who succeeded his cousin Trajan (7) 7 English author who created the Just William series of books (7,8) 9 Gerry, late lead singer of The Pacemakers noted for their 1963 cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone (7) 13 A competitor in a sporting event (7) 14 A variety of chicory that has reddish-purple whiteveined leaves and is eaten raw in salads (9) 16 A system of winds blowing spirally inwards towards a centre of low barometric pressure (7) 18 Terry, ex-Monty Python member who directed the 1985 sci-film Brazil (7) 20 ____ beer, one made in a traditional or non-mechanised way, usually by a small or individual brewery (5) 21 Murano near Venice is noted as a centre for making this (5)

SOLUTION TOMORROW