BARE BONES

WIN A COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS SET, AND A BRADFORD’S CROSSWORD SOLVER’S DICTIONARY

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 English Dictionary and Thesaurus set, and a Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No 1151, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, May 17 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on June 2 from the first correct entry drawn.

Across

7 Hail as different instrument

8 Padre worked with registered dealer

11 It’s sharp and it’s law-breaking

12 Part of fridge is more bracing

13 About to have nothing but eggs

14 Journey out of resort ourselves

15 Bargain root vegetable, no longer equal

20 Shrugged about floor covering

21 Pen old university student put in jacket

22 Expected trick to remove pressure

23 Quantity for a horse

24 Bad handwriting beginning to suggest creep

Down

1 Willing to lounge before charades, say (Two words)

2 Intermediate meal hasn’t registered for group

3 A pie’s changed colour

4 Nowadays suitable to acclimatise

5 Bear to transport by railway

6 Approaching relevance to feathers (Two words)

9 Violent assault in a cell

10 Places of worship either side of the head

16 Search for socialist and communist leaders? Unacceptable

17 An entrance made of stone

18 Health worker runs off to Spain

19 Memorise renal layout