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 978, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, January 15 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on January 31 from the first correct entry drawn.

Across

5 Cleaner fight from speaker’s platform 8 As a vulnerable king may be under control (Two words)

11 Perform in Clacton 12 Teen lad somehow became firm (Two words)

13 Spinning around tavern

14 Room for swiftness, finally, and speed 15 Invalidate woman university student 20 Incredulous about the colour

21 It provides fruit – alternatively, a vegetable 22 Cease without starting summit

23 Six trios composed for guest

24 Wise broadcast about a Greek character

Down

1 Normal for America to have uranium left 2 Old, sadly due for discharge

3 Deity returning a useful device

4 Initially sprinting two kilometres around a French animal

6 Distant place is painted so differently

7 Start doing something new as a tree (Two words)

9 Made substantial profit as a char?

(Two words)

10 Behaviour is alien, quite strange, alien in reverse

16 Yearn for dance party after second of October

17 Get twenty points

18 Settle with Poles for a flower

19 Gaiters causing quarrels