BARE BONES

Complete the grid – numbers and squares. 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. Answer next week.

Across

1 Try to gratify, like a marksman? (Three words)

9 Audibly given a punishment for discovery

10 Create prose to sound correct

11 Show encouragement around circuit

12 Source of pain one doesn’t stand for

13 My clues are displayed in cultural centres

14 Arranges party and manages (Two words)

17 Attack a sailor in report

21 Young woman at a celebration

22 Meal doesn’t include first part of shoe

23 Birds found in the museum

24 Slight baker sadly showing signs of slowing down (Two words)

Down

2 Decrepit, rare, insipid construction (Two words)

3 Building a pickup van

4 Container is lacking colour, we hear

5 Lamentation from city housing for example

6 Creates confusion with fellow spy (Two words)

7 Flames in sack

8 Distant, medium smallholding

15 Man of balance

16 Immerse with last of water when incapable

18 Show indifference to an outer garment

19 Hooligan gets left out

20 Old friend put on a stone