BARE BONES

NO.612

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.612, 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.611 is Lynda Bowe, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

Across 1 Nothing clear as delivered from prophet 4 Large reptile finds American flower 10 Smart, acquiring a butcher’s utensil 11 Great at organising a sporting event 12 Fire broke out in abundance 13 Quietly chat about bit of material 14 Game makes one lose composure 15 Cut in ship’s personnel 16 Loud point made at banquet 17 Snide answer conceals a suggestion 21 Gold trees’ layout is strict 22 Dream of island quarry containing silver 23 Sent in to regulate a sport 24 Outlaw has prohibited something, by the sound of it

Down 1 Mark is after Kostner’s second award 2 Safe oregano recipe from the Enlightenment (Three words) 3 Adore to behold Venice’s borders 5 Brigade to keep some capital 6 Explicit as some ornamental flowers (Three words) 7 Second Catholic has a record revealed by baldness 8 Pause, still not to make either profit or loss (Two words) 9 Follow diamonds, say, in sports attire 15 Church painting is actually a map 18 Conscious of later change in order 19 Lose minutes going round a house 20 Wilt at a very long story