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 fourway 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 950, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, July 3 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on July 19 from the first correct entry drawn.

Winner of Bare Bones No 947: Mr A. Sprague, of Folkestone, Kent.

Across

1 Miles away, daughter looked happy

5 Father joins deity by a temple

10 Country brewed lager with excellent backing 11 Sent out to encourage savings (Two words) 12 In Kabul, king has a majority

13 Woman repeatedly dons top that’s colourful 14 Healthy student in furtive move

15 Feels exceptional outside, different

17 Representative time with a book

18 Show contempt for a roasting rod

22 Ends expression in middle of article

23 Left university doctor in the past – that’s a pain 24 A graduate son puts copper in the frame 25 Improvise some pasta

Down

2 Glum, working with old tycoon

3 Noble praise is audible 4 Pulling spin off to get some stationery (Two words)

5 French boarding house map – it’s put away for the future (Two words) 6 Stomach has small amount of wind

7 Live healthily, following start of diet

8 Offensive condition makes Bard bathe – sorted (Two words) 9 A soldier reaches position, missing initial trouble

16 Clean land

19 Gem puts pressure on aristocrat

20 Last character incorporated metal 21 Short of bullets?