Spiral

The completed puzzle is made up of two long chains of words – one reading inwards from box 1 to 100; the other outwards from 100 to 1. Only one letter is allowed in each box. Once you’ve completed the puzzle, the letters in the blue boxes can be rearranged to spell out the prize word, which this week means ‘idle chatter’.

Boxes INWARD

1-5 Excited

exclamation

6-11 Armed military

skirmish

12-19 Soccer

20-23 Creative activities

24-28 Maltreat

29-32 Informers,

informally

33-35 It’s breathed to

stay alive

36-40 Strike together, as

teeth

41-43 Feline

44-47 Upper hand

48-53 Ian Mckellen, for

example

54-56 Quarrel

57-60 Presentation of

capabilities

61-65 Snide, critical

comments

66-71 Horse chestnut

seed

72-77 Angry mood

78-85 Rehearse

86-89 Firm up a muscle

90-96 Hand over

97-100 Periods of time

before events

Boxes OUTWARD

100-95 Harsh

94-91 Really disgusting

90-85 Indicate

84-82 Occupy a position

81-79 Train carriage

78-75 Pre-secondary

private school

74-70 Unit of length

69-65 Bump

64-57 Held hostage for

money

56-52 Value

51-49 Clear alcoholic

spirit

48-46 Beer cask

45-40 Disengage

39-33 Spanish punch

32-28 Gaze fixedly

27-25 Underwater boat

24-19 Stellar

18-16 Testing place?

15-13 Moreover

12-9 Soft cloth

8-4 Banned

3-1 Animal food