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 952, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, July 17 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on August 2 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 949: Mrs A Boatwright, of Chessington, Surrey. Across 1 Insect behind cheese for a moment 5 For reason that follows notes 9 Wise arrangement holds a lot of water 10 Riot needs inclination and time 11 Prompt remedy has run out 12 New Age article about European sea 13 Mistakes are overturned to catch traitor 14 Commotion ruined a scarf 17 Like at that time, included capital 21 Charming about weapon 22 Art displayed in a bake-off 23 Barrel tax 24 Empty bar should be borne 25 Carry pear off beforehand as a precaution Down 1 Figure it’s broken 2 Stupid tavern has a point 3 Coping without part of river that’s extensive (Two words, hyphenated) 4 Force enemy to land 5 Courageous bishop joins dance party 6 Open a window to remove tension (Three words) 7 Defence group reduced as director would have wanted 8 Still in the venture 15 NATO character gets round city first 16 Second writer with temperature, exhausted 17 Read a generality about a proverb 18 New book 19 Bad construction involving universal plaster 20 Party animal?