AZED CROSSWORD 1034

BURLAP

1.  D. Price Jones: Out-of-order W.C.’s not available for organised pub-crawl. A wall might get covered with this! (anag. less anag.).

2.  E. Chalkley: A sticker one in Public Library put over a coarse wrapper? (bur + a in PL (rev.)).

3.  N. C. Goddard: Sacking involved labour put out redundant (anag. less out).

VHC

N. C. Dexter: Murals must be prepared replacing paper? This could do (anag. with BP for MS, & lit.).

C. M. Edmunds: Ives advanced piano, in short, tough stuff (Burl A p).

H. Freeman: Canvassing? Doing that, a Tory could misrepresent Labour Party (comp. anag.).

Mrs B. E. Henderson: Twist hair when hatless into flat bun for rough protection ((c)url in bap).

P. F. Henderson: Good canvassing material? A Tory would need this to unsettle Labour Party (comp. anag.).

R. J. Hooper: Planting soft yielding kiss in attempt to soothe baby could be requirement for canvasser (la(X) in burp).

G. Johnstone: With Campese’s try supported by Australian power rough stuff loomed for packs (burl + A p).

C. W. Laxton: Blistering run on circuit – and Nigel’s first away: it could be a tough finish (bur(N) lap; ref N. Mansell).

R. K. Lumsdon: Durable hemp’s wearing makes this meshed (comp. anag. & lit.).

D. J. Mackay: ‘Labour Party’s ——!’ – a Tory crudely (coarse canvassing) (comp. anag.).

D. F. Manley: Sacking Queen is entertained by rebellious Paul undermining British (B + R in anag.; ref P. Keating Australian PM).

H. W. Massingham: Decorative cloth’s indeed spotted in Belcher’s specialty? (la in burp).

C. J. Morse: Archetypal Rubens turns up – there’s a coarse canvas for you (hidden rev.).

R. S. Morse: Rough stuff? A Tory broadcast with that could upset Labour Party (comp. anag.).

R. F. Naish: Coarse stuff drawing uncouth roar from drunken bar-parlour (anag. less anag.).

F. R. Palmer: British display of hesitation over the European President’s material for package (B ur la P).

J. H. Russell: Ashes might well come with this one friendly stroke skied! (pal rub (rev); ref. sackcloth and ashes).

A. D. Scott: ‘Pru’, a British leader in life-assurance, can provide a type of cover which may be required in the home (Pru a B l anag.).

J. B. Sweeting: Type of cloth to give china a polish up? Yes and no (pal rub).

D. H. Tompsett: Keating’s crack: Australian Premier’s heading for rough carpeting (burl A P).

Dr I. Torbe: Coarse fabrication? With it a Tory upsets Labour Party (comp. anag.).

HC

K. Aaronovich, L. H. Adams, M. Barley, J. C. Barnes, E. A. Beaulah, R. C. Bell, J. R. Beresford, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, Mrs A. Boyes, C. J. Brougham, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, P. A. Bull, E. J. Burge, K. S. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, D. A. Campbell, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, C. A. Clarke, M. Coates, W. H. C. Cobb, Mrs D. Colley, D. B. Cross, A. L. Dennis, P. S. Elliott, L. E. Ellis, R. A. England, P. D. Gaffey, F. D. Gardiner, S. Gore, R. R. Greenfield, A. K. Gregory, J. F. Grimshaw, D. Harris, J. Hetherington, R. E. Kimmons, F. P. N. Lake, A. Lawrie, J. C. Leyland, A. Logan, W. F. Main, L. K. Maltby, B. Manvell, P. W. Marlow, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, P. M. Newey, J. C. Parsons, S. L. Paton, D. Pendrey, R. Phillips, Miss I. M. Raab, D. R. Robinson, D. P. Shenkin, A. J. Shields, D. M. Stanford, F. W. R. Stocks, Ms M. Stokes, P. L. Stone, R. C. Teuton, K. Thomas, B. D. Walter, A. J. Wardrop, J. West, R. J. Whale, I. J. Wilcock, A. J. Young, Dr E. Young.
 

COMMENTS
544 entries, virtually no mistakes, and no real problems, it seems, in a fairly straightforward plain puzzle. One or two couldn’t see where the definition was in my clue to ERRATUM (‘Literal translation of which could be “maturer”’), presumably unaware of the noun sense of ‘literal’ (qv). And one competitor objected to ‘distended’ as an anagram indicator, which, though I’ve certainly used it before, is perhaps on the borderline of acceptability.
 
I’d expected mutterings of discontent about BURLAP (I always rather dread these fabric words myself!) but was agreeably surprised by how well it was received and by the range of ideas it produced. There was a predictably high incidence of rubbing up friends the wrong way, usually in connection with somewhat vague ‘rough stuff’. Most of these clues were quite sound, simply uninspired - the difference as so often between achieving mention in the lists and not doing so. The most promising idea this month derived from the beguiling fact that BURLAP plus A TORY makes an anagram of LABOUR PARTY. The problem again was to come up with wording for the definition part of one’s clue which fitted this handily topical theme, and ‘canvassing’ must have seemed a heaven-sent word in the context. (Though Chambers doesn’t give inflected forms of the verb ‘to canvas’, the OED does, and though the verb itself is now rare both ‘canvased’ and ‘canvassed’, etc are attested.) Unfortunately there were just too many exploitations of this attractive idea (the best of them quoted above) for any of them to achieve prizes. I hope that Mr Price Jones’s clue will not offend anyone. Though a little indelicate it is neatly worded and appealed to my at times rather earthy sense of humour.
 
No time for more this month. I’m very pressed for time and the garden demands attention. Good news for P.D. fans: the May competition will be a Printer’s Devilry puzzle.