AZED CROSSWORD 110

GALLOWS-RIPE

1.  F. R. Palmer: Such as rope and gravity will settle (anag. incl. g, & lit.).

2.  H. R. Sanders: Aglow with Persil, wrung, ready to be hung on the line (anag.).

3.  D. P. M. Michael: Coming to the nub, in Orwell a pig’s revolutionary (anag.; ref. Animal Farm; nub = gallows).

VHC

C. Allen Baker: Not the kind for whom rope will sag slackly (anag.).

F. D. H. Atkinson: Like one composing his imminent epitaph violently ‘Slew. Gaol. R.I.P.’ (anag.).

Rev C. M. Broun: Material for hanging goes poorly with pattern of wall – and there’s a tear in it (rip in anag.).

J. G. Chilvers: Rope will sag; this chap will straighten it (anag.).

A. L. Dennis: After 8 pints draw me off more and I spew drunkenly. Ready to take last drop? (gall. + anag. incl. (m)or(e)).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: Liable to be suspended? Possible result of slag pile row (anag.).

F. D. Gardiner: How beheaded pillagers could have been otherwise regarded (anag. less h, & lit.).

N. C. Goddard: I’m ready for the drop – will rope sag free? (anag.).

S. Goldie: Rope will sag; this guy alters that (anag.).

E. M. Hornby: Such as rope with gravity will disastrously dispatch (anag. incl. g, & lit.).

R. Jacks: Pears will go rotten. Get ready for tree with no fruit (anag.).

A. Lawrie: Criminal brought back by law is, when in need of tombstone inscription and rope’s end (lag (rev.) low’s RIP e, & lit.).

A. D. Legge: With loose rein we gallop, sir, like highwaymen of yore (anag.).

Mrs P. M. V. Lloyd: Treat such a character as he deserves and you’ll find rope will sag horribly (anag.).

D. F. Manley: ‘Will sag, rope being tight – like Dooley’s head? (anag.; ref. song ‘Tom D.’; tight = drunk).

H. W. Massingham: Ketch made adequate knots for such swelling – i.e. prow’s weathered (gall + anag.; ref. Jack K.).

R. H. Maynard: Will rope sag loosely for such a one? No, tighten! (anag.).

C. J. Morse: Returned convict loose in Gorbals, about to do some slashing – must be this (lag (rev.)+ rip in lowse, & lit.).

H. L. Rhodes: Ready for a drop? A peg, swill or shake? (anag.).

D. J. Short: Rope will sag under strain – from one who is this? (anag. & lit.).

T. A. J. Spencer: Reorganization of G.P.O. – all wires ready to be dispatched (anag.).

F. B. Stubbs: Slip low gear clumsily – liable to elimination from the race (anag.).

J. B. Sweeting: Wise galloper? Not ’e! Crooked – that was Turpin! (anag. less e).

J. Thorpe: Gravity permits rest in peace – at end of rope for such as this (g allows RIP e, & lit.).

Miss E. Ward: Will rope sag? Possibly, if you’re this! (anag. & lit.).

HC

E. Akenhead, G. R. Bagley, Col P. S. Baines, Mrs P. A. Bax, A. J. Bulman, C. O. Butcher, E. Chalkley, C. A. Clarke, T. Clement, M. Coates, J. Dromey, Miss G. Emberson, Miss L. Eveleigh, H. R. Feather, J. A. Fincken, B. Franco, M. A. Furman, P. R. Garlick, D. J. Hennings, A. Hodgson, S. H. Jarvis, R. E. Kimmons, J. R. Kirby, D. P. Leggatt, H. R. Lockhart, D. M. Macarthur, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, S. M. Mansell, C. F. Martin, C. G. Millin, A. C. Morrison, R. S. Morse, F. Moss, R. A. Mostyn, L. W. G. Oxley, Dr R. J. Palmer, R. F. Pardoe, S. L. Paton, W. H. Pegram, M. L. Perkins, C. S. M. Pott, Mrs D. M. C. Prichard, H. Rainger, D. R. Robinson, T. E. Sanders, Dr W. I. D. Scott, W. K. M. Slimmings, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, A. W. Taylor, J. W. Taylor, L. E. Thomas, G. A. Tomlinson, J. Treleaven, A. E. Watts, Mrs M. P. Webber, Rev D. J. C. Weber, C. E. Williams, L. C. Wright.
 

Comments
About 525 entries, no noticeable mistakes. A very nicely varied bunch, with anagrams predominating, although variations on ‘lets in clutch’ were also popular. No one who used this managed to achieve a definition part outstanding enough to qualify for more than an HC, I’m afraid, though some were close.
 
Here is a further random selection of clues which failed to make the lists above with some explanation of why not. ‘Vulture hangs around. Lets in predictable violent death.’ The definition part (last three words) can only indicate a noun. Gallows-ripe is an adjective. And the clue doesn’t mean very much as it stands. ‘Ready to suspend search north of the border – bard may frighten south initially.’ ‘Bard may frighten’ cannot mean ‘a Shakespearian word for frighten’ (gallow); there is no indication that GALLOW-S is to appear before RIPE (initially can’t do double duty); and ‘suspend’ is a transitive verb. ‘Revitalised ill ape grows ready to swing.’ Quite sound and almost made the lists. I was just a bit dubious about ‘revitalised’ as indicating an anagram. ‘Frighten the silly fairy on the point of being strung up.’ (gallow + S + pen (anag.)). ‘Silly fairy’ is an indirect anagram. I don’t care for ‘point’ meaning compass point – there are too many. ‘On = after’ is stretching it a bit, and the isolated ‘of’ performs no function. ‘Lets in clutch. Now for suspension? Not before time.’ It’s unclear (to me at least) what part of speech is indicated; ‘now’ is unnecessarily misleading, I feel.
 
I must here confess that arithmetic has never been my forte. A number of eagle-eyed vigilantes have spotted errors in last month’s honours list for which I apologise unreservedly. Messrs. Kirby (one prize, 5 VHCs) and Manley (2, 3) should move up into sixth place, equal with Mr. Morse, relegating to ninth equal Messrs. Massingham and Stubbs, Brig Stoney and Rev Westbrook. In addition Messrs. Burge (1, 3) and Gardiner (2, 1) join the group on five points at thirteenth equal.
 
One solver also objected to my putting the cornett ‘amid the reeds’. Subsequent research reveals that though a woodwind instrument the cornett probably never had a reed in the mouthpiece. It may still have been found amid the reeds, Moses-like, but I admit to carelessness. Sorry.