GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

7 Informal term for an umbrella (6) 8 Professor ____ , genius inventor in the Tintin comics series (8) 9 The R&A at St Andrews is a noted example of one (4,4) 10 A colourless, odourless gas that is used to fill weather balloons and airships (6) 11 Coal Miner’s ____ , 1980 biographical film about U.S. country music singer Loretta Lynn (8) 12 Maureen, English actress who featured with Gyles Brandreth in Celebrity Gogglebox (6) 13 Relating to fireworks (11) 18 A fixture for hanging headwear on (6) 20 ____ motive, one that is not stated or clearly apparent (8) 22 Sweet-natured elephant created by U.S. children’s author Dr Seuss (6) 23 Not fully grown (8) 24 Aleksandr, moderate revolutionary who headed Russia’s provisional government in 1917 (8) 25 Ian, Scottish crime writer who created maverick inspector John Rebus (6)

DOWN

1 A small brownish songbird once eaten as a delicacy (7) 2 Derogatory term for an antiquated person or one with outdated notions (3,5) 3 A small hole to receive a lace or cord (6) 4 Informal term for pretentious nonsense (4-4) 5 Lesley, English actress who plays Brenda Walker in Emmerdale (6) 6 One of the large veins on either side of the neck (7) 8 The protection of computers and networks against unauthorised access and sabotage (13) 14 A living animal or plant, especially one so small that it can only be seen by a microscope (8) 15 A substance that causes slight discomfort to the body (8) 16 Queen Victoria was the last British monarch in this royal house of German origin (7) 17 To make a final desperate attempt to achieve something, no matter what the cost (2,2,3) 19 Joey, character played by U.S. actress Katie Holmes in TV teen drama series Dawson’s Creek (6) 21 The quality of a sound as opposed to pitch and loudness (6)