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.

Across

1 Large characters impede cities (Two words)

10 Tiling around the back for some coal

11 Twist round English book on drink

12 Betting on a mineral spring

13 Orders prophet returned after month

15 Doctor gets advantage with right boat

17 Accents footwear

21 Tidied up conifer, on the day

25 Strike is a success

26 Friendly in the morning, lie about embracing sailor

27 Dignify Ben and Noel in new arrangement

28 Conveyance for coins (Two words, hyphenated)

Down

2 Behold soldier, caught thinking

3 Ring that fellow within Chile’s borders

4 Musical pieces moved on board

5 Beg for parking by the front

6 Let it alter heading

7 Not standing for being dishonest

8 Catholic boy getting dressed

9 Appearing to have food

14 Creature coming out of sewer

16 Tear out of Tripoli

17 Racket involving old vessel

18 Sheepish round wine producer

19 One of several popes from the city

20 Quiet pixie getting some storage

21 Provide guidance for a farmyard animal

22 Managed church next to farm

23 Room around receptacle

24 Small group, owing to time