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.

NAME .............................................................................................................................. ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................ POSTCODE .................................... TELEPHONE .......................................................

Across

5 Boxer loses weight on leisure vehicle 7 Obsolete structure CIA got demolished 9 Supervise the running of a benchmark 11 Drawn witch with sentry – second went missing 12 Give striker back a chance for revenge (Two words) 15 Dime wasted on dog upset an exalted figure 17 Remarkable for absence of a list 19 Pay money for split – not acceptable (Two words) 20 Mention Republican getting help in attack (Two words)

Down

1 Tolerate a minor supplier of water 2 Show evil spirit to have lost its tail 3 A musical number from Marianne 4 New remit for an item of ecclesiastic attire 6 Healthy, wearing a certain shade (Three words) 8 Drunk, caught on musical seat (Two words) 10 Left university free to be sensational 11 Smell a new being 13 Done away with victory in part of the West Country 14 Simple scheme to capture island 16 Work into new recipe for soup 18 Brooding about top Norse figure 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 871, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, January 4 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on January 20 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 868: Miss Carol Honeybun, of Poole, Dorset.