GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD WIN A LUXURY CROSS PEN

PLAY our accumulator game! Every day this week, solve the crossword to find the letter in the pink circle. On Friday, we’ll provide instructions to submit your five-letter word for your chance to win a luxury Cross pen. UK residents aged 18+, excl NI. Terms apply. Entries cost 50p.

ACROSS

8 A bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the vessel’s wall (8)

9 True in musical pitch (2,4)

10 Living together in a longterm relationship without being legally married (10)

11 ____ halfway, to come to a compromise with (4)

12 A shot played by a receiver in tennis when facing a serve (6)

14 Jack, the fictional writer played by U.S. actor Jack Nicholson in the 1980 horror film The Shining (8)

15 A member of a people of southern Russia noted for their horsemanship and military skill (7)

17 James J., U.S. heavyweight boxer born in 1866, whose nickname was Gentleman Jim (7)

20 One who follows or believes in the doctrines of another (8)

22 ____ Guy, the animated TV sitcom created by U.S. actor Seth MacFarlane, that began in 1999 (6)

24 Turkish ____ , the official currency in Turkey and Northern Cyprus (4)

25 A court order, usually one telling someone not to do something (10)

27 Ellie, the English comedian who became a co-presenter of The Great Pottery Throw Down in 2022 (6)

28 Dead as a ____ , colloquial expression meaning ‘absolutely lifeless’ (8)

DOWN

1 Informal term for a short, light sleep (6)

2 Country that has housed the remains of revolutionary Che Guevara since 1997 (4)

3 Sanitary or promoting health through cleanliness (8)

4 A lack of veneration or appropriate religious respect (7)

5 Song by the Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, released in 1993 (6)

6 A book used by philatelists for display and storage (5,5)

7 To hit a ball (in cricket, say) in such a way as to cause a backspin (8)

13 Not readily associating with others (10)

16 A person of marked individuality or oddity (8)

18 Occasionally or intermittently (3,3,2)

19 Song by The Beatles, released in 1968, that is over seven minutes long (3,4)

21 A building where monks or nuns live, work and pray (6)

23 ____ Brezhnev, Soviet leader at the height of the Cold War (6)

26 Chinese dynasty that was preceded by the Sui Empire (4)

SOLUTION TOMORROW