BARE BONES

WIN A COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS SET, AND A BRADFORD’S CROSSWORD SOLVER’S DICTIONARY

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 fourway 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 English Dictionary and Thesaurus set, and a Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No 930, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, February 14 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on March 1 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 927: Clive Allkins, of Ferndown, Dorset.

Across

5 Go the other way concerning some poetry 8 Member born in French island can be read 11 Quiet soldier goes back for an animal 12 Play about church having money that’s obsolete 13 Chewed on a piece 14 Sharpener found in a bad mood 15 Stuff in a ravine 20 Starts to heat old bananas on top of the cooker 21 Every character within a dynasty is incredible 22 Answer returned, say, in time 23 Mild liberal in fix 24 Making domiciles around field

Down

1 Diagram shows head of geography playing harp 2 Copper maybe getting some food with the leader 3 Brightest star in terminal phase 4 Has old-fashioned energy inside moor 6 Gave belt away to European – a Swede, perhaps 7 Transporter of sound gets medium greeting (Two words) 9 Cricket team finds form of rock keyboard... 10 ...as imposing youngster starts on another (Two words) 16 Small wine – that’s quite a surprise 17 Animal taken around island 18 Choose your top, being fussy 19 Sounds like precious stone might be a means of access