BARE BONES

no.536

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. There is a prize of a Collins Pocket Thesaurus. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No.536, The Irish Mail on Sunday, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Entries must arrive by Friday (no photocopies). Winners: No.534 – Mary Quirke, Mallow, Co. Cork, and No.535 – Colette Gibbons, Louisburgh, Westport, Co. Mayo.

Across

7 Mild information gets let out 8 Sartorial fellow to follow gold 11 Speculator puts one on a mass of precious metal 12 Free to put engineers on contract 13 In spite of that being the old junction 15 Decree put on new grass 16 British traitor was a spoilt child 18 School these days is miserable 21 Four during lawsuit are of little consequence 22 Listener has a revolutionary complaint 23 Oppose sister’s new arrangement 24 Ulster affected the outcome

Down

1 Cowardly sentences on parking restrictions (Two words) 2 Reportedly remained of a steady character 3 Small horse gets energy from a flower 4 Jump suddenly to get small cake 5 Complete year as a spirited girl 6 Complete memory of a Schwarzenegger film (Two words) 9 The potential for expertise 10 Colonist to get comfortable by river 14 A time of underachievement 17 Call six to be seated 18 Type of rock of least variation 19 Express disapproval of French shout 20 Alloy of copper and zinc makes money