BARE BONES

NO.558

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.558, 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.557 is Síle Corbett, Ennis, Co. Clare.

Across

5 Stock speculator has no problem with one amount of gold 7 Husband and wife have time for some poetry 9 Arrange in overlapping positions for surprise 11 Variety of veins or another variety 12 Sadly, emerald isn’t designed to move efficiently 15 Relief from having Scottish river flowing backwards 17 Hot and damp without right current 19 Seek out, with hesitation, a row of houses 20 Retire to cook with new earthenware dish

Down

1 Set trifle, removing nothing but a stiff paste 2 Church takes gold to heart 3 Love to run, a bit like a mouse 4 Reportedly attacked someone guilty of a crime 6 Easily moved by time and distance (Two words) 8 Clergyman has toes treated at the back 10 Earl managed to get married in field 11 Victory tale turned out to be domestic 13 Crawler gets credit note and a record 14 Pass out, being barely discernible 16 Formerly found in dungeon cell 18 Do as you’re told and honour your leader