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.644, 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.643 Fiona Anderson, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.

Across

1 Entertain man with some beer 4 A champagne with American conspirator 10 Footballer fellow, more gaunt 11 A chip’s wasted at one game 12 Variety of colour of most interest 13 Song gets stuck initially in tree 14 Omit a large container for rubbish 15 In total sobriety as well 16 Gets a new place to perform 17 Bargain root vegetable, no longer equal 21 She’s entitled to get her island included by European ship 22 Lose temper about cow wandering cold summit 23 Betting present is a ball 24 Ring about new parking correspondent (Two words)

Down

1 Complete restoration is about suitable 2 Relatively common name for a fruit (Two words) 3 Behold monarch – half a deity 5 Brawl after lorry has lost front 6 Considering putting limit on source of inspiration (Two words) 7 Quick look over piano is economical 8 Fail to examine a sort of dummy (Two words) 9 Express regret for setting a pig loose 15 Cuts top off sporting trophy 18 Student is part of the vision 19 Very early, having a lot of time 20 Target on course sounds complete