AZED CROSSWORD 1004

OIL PAINTINGS

1.  M. Earle: Bacon’s stuff we turn slain pig into (anag.; ref. Francis B.).

2.  R. J. Hooper: One lot surprisingly paraded around past home in G. and S. (pa. in in anag. incl. I + in G, S, & lit; ref. ‘Ruddigore’).

3.  E. J. Burge: Initials ‘P.G.’ on tips? They can be seen in a particular section of Sainsbury’s (anag.; ref. Sainsbury wing of Nat. Gallery).

VHC

D. Ashcroft: Hey, taking fifty golfclubs round isn’t common! Gallery objects (oi + ain’t in L Pings (brand name)).

Mrs A. R. Bradford: May be life (still) in pilot, in gas fitting (anag.).

C. J. Brougham: Bacon pieces selected for hanging, say, are not confined to pickled pig’s loin (ain’t in anag.; ref. Francis B.).

C. M. Edmunds: Pickled pig’s loin sandwiches are not unrefined. Bacon creations, for example, that are Art (ain’t in anag.; ref. Francis B.).

C. J. Feetenby: They’ll have initials on, those of Goya and Picasso possibly (anag. incl. G, P, & lit.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Works on canvas setting top in sailing (anag.).

S. C. Ford: ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ might appear if listing piano works (anag.).

P. D. Gaffey: Raw energy and zip’s evident about wild Tina Turner’s greatest hits (oil + anag. in ping’s; ref. J. M. W. Turner).

N. C. Goddard: Pointing sail to wind – a line of canvas (anag.).

G. I. L. Grafton: Constables maybe sad, plodding it in beat, missing the old coppers (anag. less d’s; ref. John C.).

R. W. Hawes: One might decipher initials – those of Paul Gauguin – on here (anag. incl. P, G, & lit.).

R. E. Kimmons: Initials N.P. go on works by Nicolas Poussin? (anag.; on = tipsy).

A. Lawrie: Plain gits? No ——, I fancy! (anag. & lit.).

Mrs J. Mackie: Constables perhaps, dressed in plain togs to catch one (I in anag.; ref. John C.).

D. F. Manley: Positions in gallery abandoned: —— sorely needing restoration? (comp. anag. & lit.).

T. J. Moorey: Initials PG on works, they could be Paul Gauguin’s (anag.).

C. J. Morse: ‘What plain folk are not’ isn’t plain – I go for riddling (anag.).

R. Phillips: One’s stalled by blasted point and signal works (possibly due to pressure on tubes) (I in anag.; i.e. tubes of paint).

D. Price Jones: Ravel nearly spoilt giant in ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ (anag. incl. spoil(t); ref. Ravel’s orchestration of Mussourgsky’s piece).

T. E. Sanders: Constable’s work generally isn’t policing a beat without a bit of crime (anag. less c; ref. John C.).

M. Sanderson: They represent G. Panini’s toil (anag. & lit.; ref. 18c Italian painter).

W. J. M. Scotland: G. Panini’s toil displayed? (anag. & lit.; ref. 18c Italian painter; display = spread out, unfold).

R. C. Teuton: Is Panini’s toiling represented in ——? (comp. anag. & lit.; ref. Giovanni P.).

G. H. Willett: With which RA could display inspirational touch of genius (comp. anag. incl. g, & lit.).

HC

Mrs G. M. Barker, M. Barley, J. R. Beresford, Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, P. A. Bull, B. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, Mrs P. C. Carmichael, M. Coates, E. Dawid, R. Dean, V. Dixon, B. Franco, F. D. Gardiner, D. Godden, S. Goldie, R. R. Greenfield, B. Greer, J. F. Grimshaw, D. Harvey, P. F. Henderson, V. G. Henderson, J. P. H. Hirst, R. F. A. Horsfield, R. H. F. Isham, W. Jackson, F. P. N. Lake, Mrs M. Lazarides, J. P. Lester, R. K. Lumsdon, R. C. Mallinson, G. Marshall, G. D. Meddings, C. G. Millin, J. J. Moore, R. S. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, R. A. Mostyn, R. F. Naish, A. Nash, Mrs P. Norman, S. H. Olorenshaw, S. J. O’Boyle, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, G. Perry, B. A. Pike, A. G. Ray, A. Rivlin, D. R. Robinson, J. H. Russell, Dr W. I. D. Scott, D. P. Shenkin, A. J. Shields, J. W. Spark, P. A. Stephenson, R. I. Sutherland, A. J. Wardrop, Mrs M. P. Webber, D. Williamson, W. Woodruff.
 

COMMENTS
505 entries and no mistakes in a relatively straightforward puzzle. My only slip was in suggesting that Herbert von Karajan was German (in the clue to TEDESCHI). He was Austrian in fact, born in Salzburg. In clues submitted anagrams proliferated, as they tend to with long words (even awkward ones with 3 i’s and 2 n’s). I don’t often give you plurals and several less experienced competitors failed to indicate the plurality of the clue-word adequately. Elsewhere there were some over-vague definitions (‘pictures’, for example) and failure to indicate anagrams, but on the whole it was a high-quality entry, exploiting a wide variety of ideas. The ‘initials’ anagram was very neat, giving clue-writers quite a range of actual ones to choose from in achieving an ‘& lit.’ effect. And Giovanni Panini was a lucky find (one I remember including in a puzzle once). The three prize-winners each employed a unique idea. I finally opted for Mr Earle’s in preference to the other two because of its admirable simplicity and conciseness (plus the nice double function of the ‘’s’ – possessive in the reading for the clue for definition, contraction of ‘is’ in the misleading straight reading). Residual minor niggle: is all F. Bacon’s work in oils? Probably not, though the clue suggests that it is. A ‘for example’ after ‘stuff’ would solve the problem (while sacrificing some of the clue’s brevity).
 
A note on the wording of clues. Using the ‘no oil-painting’ idiom a number of you produced clues of the form ‘No plain git is qualified to be one of these’. To make the anagram work, a second ‘is’ is required after the first; alternatively a distinct pause (a dash or, preferably, three dots) must be made after ‘qualified’ for the ‘& lit.’ reading to be achieved. Otherwise ‘qualified’ can only be read as the past tense of the active verb in its intransitive meaning where no past tense is called for and the meaning is barely adequate to indicate an anagram. Mr Lawrie’s wording above employs an interesting variation on this wording of a kind I don’t recall seeing before. Unlike Mr Manley’s blank, where the clue-word must be understood for the composite anagram to work, Mr Lawrie’s is to be seen as an absence of letters in both the cryptic and the literal reading. Is this cheating? I thought not, but it’s debatable.
 
The following mementos of the Azed 1,000 lunch are now available: A cassette recording of all the speeches, price £4.00, postage and packing inclusive; and a large (12” x 9½”) print of the assembled company taken from the gallery overlooking the terrace at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford, price £5.00, postage and packing also inclusive. Orders and payments should be sent to Simon Murison-Bowie, Woodstock, Oxon. Simon will also be happy to send photocopies of the contact sheets of the other photographs taken at the lunch and quote for individual prints. Please send s.a.e. for photocopies.