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 955, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, August 7 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on August 23 from the first correct entry drawn.

Winner of Bare Bones No 952: Tina Barnwell, of Dawlish, Devon.

NAME .................................................................................................................................. ADDRESS ............................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................ POSTCODE .................................... TELEPHONE ...........................................................

Across

1 Replanted in broken bit of crockery (Two words) 9 British lad travelled without cover

10 Stop woman getting an instrument

11 Bunk conceals a piece of glass

12 Dismiss travel by an insect

13 Kind group to prepare for publication

14 Bill is singing well 17 Wicked old soldiers – not a good sign

(Two words)

21 Musical professorship is a non-starter

22 Man confused cube with front of rectangle 23 Run inside, play in ancient city 24 Indentation refashioned, not by bullet (Two words)

Down

2 At home, expected series of lessons before long (Three words)

3 Why one has to knock, we hear, for prize guy? 4 Call for some jewellery

5 Devious ploy contains nothing silly

6 Both getting list in romantic setting (Three words)

7 Aim to wander around large country

8 The matter of the bag 15 Not far from one arsenal

16 Plotters get taxi to take a left 18 Nowadays, pet is trained to be skilful 19 Some hero satisfied god

20 Onion, say, is light