BARE BONES

Our Bare Bones Crossword is unique because you have to complete the grid – numbers and squares – as well. We have inserted four black squares and four clue numbers to get you going. The crossword has a four-way symmetry: both top and bottom and left and right match, so you can fill in 12 more squares straight away. There is a prize of a Collins Pocket Thesaurus. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No.566, The Irish Mail on Sunday, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Entries must arrive by Friday (photocopies not accepted). The winner of Bare Bones No.565 is Patrick O’Connor, Rathgar, Dublin 6.

Across

7 Type of animal in iron range 8 Engineers ring to make a law null and void 11 Have some food in bare atelier 12 Credit note gets bad habit to crack 13 Heard couple as well 14 Advertise way to stop water running out 15 Policeman has registered a cultivated plant 20 Draw a powerful little boat 21 Soldier not owned by the state 22 Spinning around a pub 23 List of items for time and motion 24 In this way, material brings comfort

Down

1 Bags remaining to one side? (Two words) 2 Steal a tiny amount of salt 3 Small jug found in a waste pipe 4 Weak and delicate fellow is on track 5 Peers out in sustained period of overindulgence 6 Teacher has a bit of a work of outstanding skill 9 Bit of relief from ceremony involving sixth sense 10 Something to go on dessert? Excellent 16 Strength of will to get a second tree 17 Opponent has viral problem 18 Girl has nothing but a piece of rope 19 Answer that bank has parking