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.

Across

1 Thirty-one days to be noble 4 Book’s description left out, returning to fish 10 A few lines on how to behave in pub 11 Some land, or something to work it 12 Afterwards from both ends 13 Poor family is in the way 14 Daughter at home with last of lasagne to eat 15 Gossip about parking spaces 16 Bolt as large chat went wrong 17 A long time to get silver bearings 21 Chief pilot is an idiot 22 Lay clues about a Republican 23 Break is 24 hours of frustration, initially (Two words) 24 Journey too much for supporter of photography

Down

1 A couple of bishops with zero time for another cleric 2 Danger worried group of politicians in outdoor event (Two words) 3 Hardly fast food, by the sound of it 5 Turn headwear round, in a state 6 Entity protects race with wager receipt (Two words) 7 Layout of trees not saying much 8 Cards, groups of cards, for sailors (Two words) 9 Ordered nasty coat, whatever the price (Three words) 15 Imposing amount of money 18 Quiet, embarrassed and has a scrap 19 Unable to hear four notes 20 Face reappearing around tree

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 941, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, May 1 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on May 17 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 938: Mrs Debbie Perks, of Newquay, Cornwall.