BARE BONES

NO.597

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.597, 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.596 is Michael Mernagh, Carrigaline, Co. Cork.

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Across

1 Graduate isn’t involved with old rampart 5 Communication brings confusion, with time 9 Discuss about island getting a tree 10 November feature gets bishop in state of excitement 12 Reportedly perceived a number of cattle 13 Crane fashioned out of mother-of-pearl 14 Cook – top one is missing 15 Lies about having some land 17 Cold caught on bit of raised ground 19 A method of being on holiday 21 Very elaborate article in a state 22 Returned to record what hasn’t been done 23 A number to turn it green 24 Unending game is a farce

Down

2 Sailor takes a poem home 3 Harsh questioning yet another qualification (Two words) 4 Canoe unsteady on water 6 First woman gets goahead to produce 7 Criminal has firework that is risk-free (Two words, hyphenated) 8 Shrub goes wild around end of September 11 Bitter card sent off with intended initial 16 Loans set out at the hairdresser’s 17 Sponge and keys 18 Whip has energy as a rein 20 Keep away from an empty space