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 861, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, October 19 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on November 4 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 858: P. Chan, of London N4. Across 1 Bully takes in everybody who was born yesterday 4 Burning a traffic signal 10 Prisoner about to get greeting that’s hollow 11 British island brewed tonic that’s virtually valuable 12 Woman of nationality is missing husband 13 Fake coach has to go back 14 Consumer sure to rearrange ingredients 15 Very large embrace with energy 16 Wander into a large amount of snow 17 Support for a forward player 21 Rough former spouse enters during performance 22 Economical vehicle with different form of fuel 23 Sailor to achieve what he was aiming for 24 Neglected area got the new layout

Down 1 New tactics without extremes – they’re prickly 2 At the top of the stairs, clothes for undercarriage (Two words) 3 Work with a large gem 5 Instrument makes money, by the sound of it 6 Repulsive for tip-off to gain after deductions (Two words) 7 Note heard from a particular singer 8 Non-Republicans show carts off 9 U-turn concerning part of a watch (Two words, hyphenated) 15 Presenter takes building’s third lift 18 Swimming pool contains one infectious viral disease 19 Unusual not to be well done 20 Marching around a building