AZED CROSSWORD 1008

SPORTSCASTER (Misprints)

1.  E. J. Burge: Wine’s one drawn from the box. Start process with a tap (Vine; anag.; ref. David V.).

2.  R. Jacks: Spray carrots with pests – one may report end of pests within five days (Tests; anag.).

3.  R. R. Greenfield: Customer who chunters about the serving of ales etc could make tapster cross (aces; anag.).

VHC

D. Ashcroft: Corset-straps unhinged, material for such as Gaskell (Maskell; anag.; ref. Dan M., Mrs G.).

H. J. Bradbury: Time stops. Harry’s heart races uncontrollably. His lips are close to mine… (mike; anag. incl. t, r).

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: Vice is (for instance) ‘actress seduced after dalliance’ (Vine; sport + anag.; ref. David V.).

B. Burton: Game he brings us is covered in worms – corpse starts decomposing (words; anag.).

R. A. England: Left on board a vessel, I report on the gale (game; port in SS + caster).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Brick’s thrower, a conveyor of action in Derry? (Derby; sport’s caster).

J. F. Grimshaw: START process breaking down? One might talk about recreation of rockets! (rackets; anag.; ref. nuclear arms talks).

V. G. Henderson: Sorts carpets out, e.g. Wilton covering nursery (Wilson; anag.; ref. Julian W., nursery stakes race).

R. J. Hooper: Flowers in box on ground? Variety’s enthralling P. Thrower (Blowers; P in sort’s + caster; ref. Henry ‘B.’ Blofeld, Percy T.).

R. E. Kimmons: Joiners, for example, deal with cotters and rasps (Jonners; anag.; ref. Brian ‘Johners/Jonners’ Johnston).

H. W. Massingham: Fan at Wimbledon (say) or many an armchair supporter does (Dan; i.e. sports caster; ref. D. Maskell).

C. J. Morse: Play actress recreated Swanson’s former role (Swanton; sport + anag.; ref. E. W. S.).

F. R. Palmer: E.g. Swanson, leader in sophisticated style, to wit, old-timer star (Swanton; s port sc aster; ref. E. W. S.).

R. Phillips: I’d calm events down under stress – or act with resolution, seizing power (call; P in anag.; call (qv)).

J. T. Price: East scraps Trots in shake-up. Waning role perhaps (Waring; anag. incl. E; ref. Eddie W.).

D. Price Jones: Can St. John, say, start corpses coming to life (Ian; anag.; ref. I. St. J.).

D. M. Stanford: One describes dame undoing corset straps (game; anag.).

D. Williamson: Excited spectators enthralled by Senior T.T. performer (T.V.; anag. in Sr).

Dr E. Young: Man St. John viewed as ‘ridder of monsters’? (Ian; i.e. caster of sports; ref. Mark 9:38, I. St. J.).

HC

F. D. H. Atkinson, M. J. Barker, J. R. Beresford, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, C. J. & M. P. Butler, E. Chalkley, M. Coates, Mrs D. M. Colley, P. F. Coltman, E. Dawid, R. V. Dearden, C. M. Edmunds, D. S. Fielker, F. D. Gardiner, D. V. Harry, P. F. Henderson, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, F. P. N. Lake, A. Lawrie, J. H. C. Leach, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, J. D. Lockett, R. K. Lumsdon, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, Mrs J. Mackie, J. A. Macleod, L. K. Maltby, R. A. Mostyn, R. F. Naish, R. J. Palmer, C. Pearson, B. A. Pike, A. Rivlin, T. E. Sanders, W. J. M. Scotland, W. K. M. Slimmings, M. C. Souster, R. C. Teuton, D. H. Tompsett, R. R. Tyler, A. P. Vincent, Mrs M. P. Webber, G. H. Willett, M. A. L. Willey.
 

COMMENTS
A low entry, only 238, for what everyone agreed was a hard puzzle. I deliberately reduced the number of unchecked letters and tried to spread the misprints evenly but clearly failed with DRONISH, which, apart from requiring a misprint of its own, contained two consecutive letters serving as misprints in cross-checking words, viz. SCAMEL (SCAREL) and PANDATION (PANOATION). This was plain bad grid design on my part and I apologise. Such mistakes as there were all occurred hereabouts in the diagram. As I’ve remarked before, Misprints isn’t my favourite type of special (though easier than most to construct). Suggestions for modifying the formula include making the grid normal and all the clues misprinted, making subsidiary indications in clues to misprinted forms lead to those forms, and making the misprinted letters in the grid spell out some message. All are worth considering for the next time Misprints comes round. I won’t abandon the type altogether because it has its devotees, and composing a misprinted clue can be fun. (Though one regular expressed disappointment at having to write such a clue for SPORTSCASTER on the grounds that it’s replete with possibilities for ‘& lit.’ normal clues, and should therefore have been kept for a plain competition. Ah, me!) Talking of ‘& lits.’ I’ve always maintained that a Misprints clue is the only kind for which an ‘& lit.’ approach is inappropriate. In an ‘& lit.’ clue the whole clue can be read both as a cryptic indication of the solution and as a literal definition of it. If the misprinted clue reads equally well as a definition of the solution as the unmisprinted form, it cannot truly be said to be misprinted. A few keep trying to prove me wrong on this, but the clues never work and I remain unimpressed by counter-arguments.
 
The only other general point this month relates to a point I made in a recent slip concerning the general and the particular in definition parts of clues. Many of you ‘defined’ SPORTSCASTER either by the name of one or by an activity of the kind one might be involved in (both suitably misprinted). But whereas David Vine (say) is indubitably a sportscaster, a sportscaster is not necessarily David Vine; and whereas a sportscaster may commentate on a test match, he could equally well be involved in any number of other sports broadcasts. This must be indicated in clues, it seems to me. It’s perfectly acceptable to define a word by giving an example of what it conveys semantically, as long as the wording makes it clear that the example is an example (by the use of a question mark, or words like ‘say’, ‘for example’, etc). Otherwise a generic term like this requires a general definition.
 
Finally, I am planning to make Azed ties available again, if demand is sufficiently great. The motif will be the same AZ monogram as before but with ‘1000’ below it to indicate the recent passing of this milestone. Ties will be of terylene, probably dark blue, dark green or maroon as before (though I’m open to suggestions for other colours). The price is likely to be around £6 each. If you are interested, please write stating quantity and colour required, and enclosing an s.a.e. for further information. (I’m aware that the ladies are being hard done by again. If there is enough demand for an equivalent female garment (such as?) I’ll see what can be done.)