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.581, 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.580 is: Jim Bolger, Beamore, Drogheda, Co. Louth.

Across

1 Supporter booing, initially, with a lot of noise 5 Note time is lacking for handicraft 9 Harsh criticism of old stringed instrument gets it right 10 Rustic fellow in jostling collision with family 12 Sounds complete, although there’s something missing 13 Journalist gets soldiers to improve 14 English mad about cheese from another country 15 Start of book is about a form of prejudice 17 Throw away support for a patient 19 Sound like a dog around a tree 21 Soldier has favourite part of defences 22 Collier has victory along with a Roman goddess 23 Mention point repeatedly to sporting judge 24 Change the name of a greenhouse gas

Down

2 Money for a very large animal 3 Transport tame reptile, a python (Two words) 4 Run off to set up a union 6 Some sandwiches are circular in shape 7 Tree made of metal and sand, we hear (Two words) 8 Chap gets onto a variety of heather 11 Deserve to have timer repaired 16 Stupid pub has a certain bearing 17 Riddle found amongst kitchen utensils 18 Dirt at edge, say, coming up and round 20 Crow is yellow, losing head