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 Champagne brings witty complaint, we hear (Two words) 10 Caught Brexiteer getting a large knife 11 Strange about ambassador, in trouble, getting metal 12 Starts to get upset, making something chewed 13 Fundamental nature of perfume 15 Suggested everyone joins criminal dude 17 Walks like small monsters 21 Almost revere a trainee officer

25 Awful ogre holds record 26 Taking dog back, enjoy being divine 27 Note a French affair reveals deadly container (Two words) 28 New temp contained compound (Two words)

Down

2 Journalists insist 3 Headless yellow bird 4 Huge order of lager 5 Roman composition, an opera 6 Spin bicycle trick that is missing 7 Developed an aid, in spirit 8 Expert conceals new complaint

9 Between a thousand and one and five hundred 14 Pass out of recollection 16 Guided by a small light 17 Gas used on old ingredient 18 Dirge composed for bank 19 Knowledge about island and river 20 Steel production in wintry conditions 21 Morag groaning about stroppy behaviour 22 Frenzied, smashing cinema – no point 23 More almonds around field 24 Vegetable is smooth when front is removed