| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. A. Blair | 34 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 33 | 39 | Jan 1951 | Oct 1970 | 19y 9m |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ximenes competitions | ||||
| 1970-1971 | ||||
| 1135 | HILAIRE BELLOC | VHC | Doctor ill with ache or bile. He wrote “There is no cure for this disease” | anag.; doctor, vb; ‘Henry King’ |
| 1969-1970 | ||||
| 1062 | CALLING-CRAB | VHC | Hailing taxi—circumventing the first in rank: a fiddler | r(ank) in calling cab |
| 1968-1969 | ||||
| 1039 | TEGMEN def. LEGION (Wrong Number) | VHC | Dig in retreat with troops providing cover | troops; get (rev.) + men; dig = understand, Suppt. |
| 1967-1968 | ||||
| 967 | CREMOSIN | VHC | No crimes could be as bloody as this was | anag |
| 958 | DRY MEASURE | VHC | It’s a means of getting volume, but it gives my ears rude shock | anag. |
| 1955-1956 | ||||
| 382 | ABSTAIN | VHC | Put the opening of a bottle to shame | a b + stain, & lit. |
| 1953 (2) | ||||
| 257 | PYROTECHNICS (Straight Clue) | VHC | Very light doubled and redoubled: (declarer overdoing it!) | Very light = flare |
| 247 | VAMPIRE | VHC | See a reverse of “Requiescat in Pace” in me | v. a + RIP (rev.) in me, & lit. |
| 243 | LODESTAR | VHC | It may give a lead to disheartened ramblers | anag. incl. r(ambler)s, & lit. |
| 241 | MANDOLINE | VHC | It takes some pluck for a chap to sabotage the telephone wire! | man do line; Bath racecourse swindle of 16 July 1953 involved cutting of cable |
| 1953 (1) | ||||
| 229 | MASCOT | VHC | I’m jolly lucky to have the master’s crib! | MA’s cot |
| 225 | TOUCHSTONES | VHC | They make tests on the exterior of a precious object | ouch2 in anag., & lit. |
| 217 | DEPOSIT | VHC | Exposed by the spade position, I’m a bit down on the contract | hidden |
| 211 | CAROL-SINGERS or HOLLY-BERRIES | VHC | He’ll he sorry I served up fruit on top of Christmas pudding! | anag. |
| 209 | ELAPSION def. IMPERIAL (Wrong Number) | VHC | Sovereign a head for places in the back row: going—going—gone! | sovereign; L a p(laces) in noise (rev.) |
| 1952 (2) | ||||
| 206 | PIEPOWDER | VHC | It provided a fair hearing for a lot of mixed types having some matter to settle quickly | pie2 powder & lit. |
| 205 | CANTANKEROUS | Second | Most unwilling to give an O.K.—recusant, in other words | anag. & lit. |
| 202 | SPALPEEN | VHC | The black sheep defiles the pen with a lapse | anag. |
| 201 | AMETHYST | Third | The vessel for getting out of a tight situation—and the stuff it was made of! | double mng.; ref. HMS A., the Yangtse Incident, and cup |
| 200 | ACCOUNT | VHC | Entries may be posted to me to judge | 2 mngs. |
| 196 | SHAMAN / SERIAN (Right and Left) | Third | A siren in Oriental attire—believed to be an absolute charmer out East—has stirred the English male | anag.; anag. + man |
| 1952 (1) | ||||
| 189 | SALTIRE | VHC | Sign of the cross connected with a fisherman | salt + ire, & lit.; ref. St. Andrew |
| 187 | GROWLER | VHC | I had as much as two whiskies to drive on. It can mean jug! | 2 defs.; whisky2 has two wheels, a growler has four |
| 186 | ASHMOLEAN | VHC | No sham relic is exhibited here: there’s just the place to browse in | lea in anag. of no sham, & lit.; browse = feed on shoots of plants |
| 183 | SAUSAGES | VHC | They’re just seasoning and a scrap of skin—with a bit of austerity filling | aus(terity) in sage, s(kin) & lit.; ref. poor quality of post-war s. |
| 182 | MISTLETOE | VHC | Fashionable title some cover girls like to go under | anag. |
| 1951 (2) | ||||
| 178 | HIDEOUS | VHC | Slovenly housemaid can be simply frightful when Mother’s away | anag. of house(ma)id |
| 177 | DESOLATE | Second | Feeling lonely? Present retiring miss with an engagement ring | lose (rev.) in date |
| 174 | ANACREONTICS | VHC | We have much pleasure going by foot, but not since a car is ordered for us | anag. |
| 173 | HATCHING | VHC | Although the wicket has a good bit of sting, the result is a draw with very close scores | hatch1 + (st)ing; hatch3 |
| 171 | SERINGAS | VHC | They may concede the rubber, but you can hardly make South Africa resign! | anag. incl. SA; ref. 1951 Test series |
| 170 | GUINEA | VHC | I’m as sanguine as can be without wanting the first prize | sanguine as less sans; ref. 21s. first prize in Ximenes comps |
| 1951 (1) | ||||
| 166 | RACHIDES | Third | Personal columns had cries in agony! | anag. |
| 158 | RATING | VHC | I partake in baccarat in gaming-houses and sweep the deck! | hidden |
Ximenes competitions
1970-1971
1119 RONDE (Printer’s Devilry)
1110 IMPERSONATE
1969-1970
1091 WENCESLAS
1058 Aragon, Boleyn, Seymour, Cleves, Howard, Parr (Anagram)
1968-1969
1045 SPLIT / MOUTH (Right and Left)
1015 HOAR-HEADED
1967-1968
1000 THOUSAND
962 PALING
1966-1967
945 OBLITERATE
1957-1958
469 DAISY
1956-1957
400 Word with 400 theme (Quatercentenary)
395 SCALE-ARMOUR
1955-1956
373 PRESTONPANS
1954 (1)
261 DECANTER
1953 (2)
255 SCUTTLE
253 DERATION
251 UNMETHODICAL
245 GLAMOUR / SOPRANO (Right and Left)
239 GENISTA (Printer’s Devilry)
1953 (1)
231 PREAMBLE
227 CATEGORIES
207 PAGEANT
1952 (2)
203 WEATHERS
199 HONESTY
194 KNOWLEDGE BOX
1952 (1)
188 Beware the Ides of March (Anagram)
181 HANGABLE
1951 (2)
175 HAIR-LINE
172 GARNISHER
168 PIPS (Misprints)
1951 (1)
163 LORICATE
162 TITANESS
161 TILLER
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ximenes competitions | ||||
| 1970-1971 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – |
| 1969-1970 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – |
| 1968-1969 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – |
| 1967-1968 | 0 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 1966-1967 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1957-1958 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1956-1957 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1955-1956 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 1954 (1) | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1953 (2) | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 1953 (1) | 0 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
| 1952 (2) | 3 (0, 1, 2) | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1952 (1) | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 1951 (2) | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| 1951 (1) | 1 (0, 0, 1) | 1 | 3 | – |