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 four-way symmetry: both top and bottom and left and right match, so you can fill in 12 more squares straight away.

Across

1 Second course ruined by form of sugar 5 Influence comes as a heavy blow 7 Gold rug returned to Roman soothsayer 10 Conclusion is in sudden demise 11 Mythology includes island and French river 12 Rate composition by old muse 13 Profligate breaking law has disturbed rest 15 Dish set out before wife 16 Heard object of worship is unoccupied 17 Odds on corner having a sequin 21 Loner forced to register as a member 22 Parasite left to get round employment 23 Admit to being seen in gowns 24 Throwing a boot is forbidden 25 Miner trudged, content, but lacking the strength to move 26 Apt rent review for a model

Down

1 Scatter 15 around mouth of river 2 Credit note on ship gets salad ingredient 3 Arrangement of things shows tidiness 4 Please leave exhibiting stand 5 State of anxiety caused by disease and hard work (Two words) 6 Popeye’s girlfriend finds new bard a shade military (Two words) 8 Aged drunk turned into a nobleman (Two words) 9 President gets resolve to crumble 14 Hitting with a container 17 School student rings quietly for a boat 18 Into the air in an attic 19 Spirit of information, that is 20 Delicate and fine, sailing around lake