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 960, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, September 11 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on September 27 from the first correct entry drawn.

Winner of Bare Bones No 957: Mrs E. Downie, of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Across

1 Poet is excluded, by the sound of it 4 Intends to find the wherewithal 7 Officers’ room in confusion

9 That explains about loathing

10 Food and drink 11 Reportedly draws digits 12 You and I organise sale for animal

13 Imagined doctor and alien drinking in the morning

14 Burden with riding equipment

18 Devious, move your head

20 Show spirit is unending

21 Conversed about some poetry

22 Jump out of visible aperture 23 Brooding about god 24 Blade that’s reversible 25 Come to a vigil

Down

2 Surprise in a labyrinth 3 Went informally and got reprimanded (Two words)

4 Cat returned to the Spanish boarding house

5 A profit once more 6 Seen, heard, and located 7 Oilman threw exploding relative! (Three words, hyphenated)

8 Small squad may have run out of it 15 Correct a male conclusion 16 Delve repeatedly about youngster 17 Figure has right to break

18 The woman finds queen transparent 19 Pursue a song