BARE BONES

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 Pocket Thesaurus. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Puzzle No. 485, The Irish Mail on Sunday, PO Box 5332, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2. Entries must arrive by Friday (photocopies not accepted). The winner of Bare Bones No. 484 is Colette Gibbons, Westport, Co. Mayo, and the winner of Bare Bones No. 483 is Mago Biddy Kelleher, Ennistymon, Co. Clare.

Across

1 Clothing to make fun of aboard ship 5 Platform for showing power and hatred 8 Description of Oslo cur brilliantly passing a test with these (Two words) 10 Male presented with alternative to whisky 11 The chap’s given art in a card 12 Description of the deceased after deadline has passed 14 Get older silver sent to Spain 15 Some believers fail to tell the truth 16 Chase lamb initially to get this 18 Raise protest regarding exotic inn 19 Chum oddly to live and die 21 Food deliveries when Halloween mess is cleared up (Three words) 22 Vessel makes women more healthy 23 Everything is seen by the sea in France this season

Down

2 Criminal brotherhood’s drawn up target containing a fellow 3 Palace team’s start, and what they play with – it shows things to come (Two words) 4 Henry’s site’s hacked by modern music producer 5 Guide dismounts seeing these small flames (Two words) 6 Twin has cold, large amount of dessert topping (Two words) 7 Distress put round about the South East 9 Vexation of Greek kept in restraint 10 Catty remark heard in a letter 13 I sounded out this organ 17 Little of this is shown at zero miles per hour after getting old 20 Graduate set out to assist in cooking roast