BARE BONES

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.540, The Irish Mail on Sunday, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Entries must arrive by Friday (photocopies not accepted). The winner of Bare Bones No.539 is Brid Wilson, Kildare town, Co. Kildare.

Across

1 Rub game out, causing offence 5 Top biologist to warn about muscle 7 Produce a small piece 10 One politician is a scoundrel 11 Sheepish round producer of wine 12 Missile produces a right squabble 13 Directions caught during terribly grey period of history 15 Pleasant resort in South France 16 Yield a plant ovule, say 17 Bring down notes to reporters 21 Get used to terrible ruin, to a point 22 Stressed about a lock 23 Deviation, by way of interior 24 Praise former spouse, bringing lot back 25 Bad-tempered friend of Mole’s 26 Baby joins friend in a complete way

Down

1 Beneath French and German articles 2 Fetch bishop some jewellery 3 Panes smashed by a tree 4 Easy to work with second composition 5 Some roughage made crib owner improve (Two words) 6 Racing out plan for famous battle 8 Terribly eager soldiers have time for treaty 9 Fresh sweater is in a state (Two words) 14 Wander out of terror 17 Distributed key awfully late 18 Kitty gets four to turn round 19 Communication from a mile off 20 Southern politician has a tale