BARE BONES

Complete the grid – numbers and squares. 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. Answer next week.

Across

1 Flat dish has a taste 4 Person’s shape to have a significant role 9 Domestic creature that’s yellow

12 Briefly see good fib about politicians

14 Make a mistake out of terror

15 Round bees, terribly fat 16 Lose one’s nerve, putting deity in charge 17 Allow directions and heading

18 Fix glue, applying pressure as a helping hand (Two words)

20 Artist to object to a dish from India

22 Fool removes first slice of bread 23 African rug, and another, outside 25 In report, you will record Christmas fare (Two words) 27 Leaves a gymnastic manoeuvre

28 Secret note finished on time

Down

2 I would follow a black European bear

3 Starts to talk of exponential digit 5 I will shortly get sick 6 Mature scripture lessons by writer

7 Teach British and American transportation (Two words) 8 Profound variation in the tide (Two words) 10 Keen to improve home, get protective gear

(Two words)

11 Turn one off a particle 12 Please make Gary fit to work

13 Prime order with one large risk

19 Understanding key to file 21 Dreamer relied on performance without some energy

24 Wanting to include a tiny creature

26 Turn Foreign Office into something alien (abbr)