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.

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 1129, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 3451, Norwich NR7 7NR. Entries must arrive by Friday, December 15 (photocopies not accepted). The winner’s name will be published on December 31 from the first correct entry drawn. Winner of Bare Bones No 1126: Mr G Charnley, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Across

1 Footballer made off with

large award (Two words)

9 Carry a tune in class,

in German

10 Developing roots

or trunk

11 Who stressed

about presenter?

12 Savage note is late

being delivered

14 Realised about resistance having collapsed

16 Draw a stretch of land?

About time

18 The last manoeuvre

shows furtiveness

21 Henry rings female

on foot

22 Craft accommodates

second crow

24 Pacifist went by car,

removing red top

25 Irritate with tip

on embroidery

Down

2 Clever, removing

front side

3 Hardly sending

ton back

4 Hearsay about

listeners

5 The golfer’s conceit

6 Reach estuary,

taking pains

7 Halving bitcoin delivery around London area

8 Confident fool shaped

rivet to a point

13 Car crashed in curve

15 Go off in refrigerator,

otherwise

17 Search for a weapon

19 Accessory to a key professor (Two words, hyphenated)

20 Georgia and yours

truly are willing

22 Bachelor nowadays

is wicked

23 Excessively, as well