AZED CROSSWORD 1139

BENJAMIN

1.  D. H. Tompsett: What’s ‘Wedgy’ in his family circles: a pet name? ( jam i’ in Benn; ref. Tony (Wedgwood) B.).

2.  R. K. Lumsdon: Number in good old coating stuff (n and jam in bein, & lit.).

3.  R. Hesketh: What’s like an Ulster summit, tackling the difficult situation that’s already divided Northern Ireland? (jam in NI in ben).

VHC

M. Barley: England’s opening pair have difficulty batting against what’s bowled short – which I provide? (b + En(gland) + jam + in, & lit.; ref. Winston B.).

E. A. Beaulah: West Indies pace bowler causes England’s number 8, maybe, embarrassment at wicket (Ben (Clarke) + jam + in; ref. Winston B.).

J. R. Beresford: Pottery bunny in junk layer (edges chipped off) (benj + (l)amin(a); ref. Beatrix Potter’s B. Rabbit).

Mrs A. Boyes: Dizzy, possibly, from height I’m climbing in wintertime (ben + I’m (rev.) in Jan.; ref. B. Disraeli).

H. J. Bradbury: Style of former PM? They won’t wear it now! (2 mngs.; ref. Disraeli, Thatcher).

E. J. Burge: The bowler: once menswear in the City preserve (jam in Benin, 2 defs.; ref. Winston B.).

P. Cargill: Pet’s upturned beak: source of jokes mina cracked? (neb (rev.) + j + anag.; i.e. favourite child).

D. B. Cross: Perhaps Elton J. over a short period’s favourite among the kids? (Ben (Elton) + J + a min; ref. E. John).

R. Dean: One in peak form to put pressure on batting (ben jam in, & lit.; ref. Winston B.).

N. C. Dexter: In a cold month I’m fastened up under a peak cap, perhaps (ben + I’m (rev.) in Jan, & lit.).

R. R. Greenfield: A coat, this coat, meant Jacob in tears (comp. anag.; ref. Gen. 37:33-35).

P. F. Henderson: Ulster-related item? Labour MP wants to trap Major over one (Maj. (rev.) + I in Benn; ref. Tony B., John M.).

D. F. Manley: Name in forefront of jazz, leader of band after war – Dizzy? (anag. incl. j, b; ref. B. Disraeli, D. Gillespie).

T. J. Moorey: He’s opening with Bishop? Panic in men touring Jamaica (B + JA in anag.; ref. Winston Benjamin, Ian Bishop).

C. J. Morse: What tropical tree with sweet sticky stuff inside yields (ben jam in, & lit.; benjamin²).

R. S. Morse: Coat from before and name with good fortune involved (b(efor)e + n + jam + in, & lit.).

F. R. Palmer: Peak traffic hold-up because of out-dated equipment for winter? (ben jam in).

W. J. M. Scotland: Worn-out overcoat? Not quite promising round start of January? (J in benamin(g)).

D. D. R. Sibbald: Gum tree to stick in (ben jam in; benjamin²).

R. C. Teuton: —— n sticky substance, one found in tropical tree (n jam I in ben, & lit.; benjamin²).

HC

W. G. Arnott, M. J. Balfour, M. J. Bath, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, C. Boyd, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, D. C. Budd, P. A. Bull, B. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, D. Buxton, D. A. Campbell, I. Carr, M. Coates, F. H. Cripps, G. Cuthbert, D. J. Dare-Plumpton, P. Davies, E. Dawid, V. Dixon, J. Dromey, M. Earle, C. M. Edmunds, R. A. England, N. C. Goddard, D. Godden, B. Grabowski, C. R. Gumbrell, I. F. & L. M. Haines, D. Harris, I. A. Herbert, T. M. Hoggart, R. J. Hooper, W. Jackson, G. Johnstone, R. E. Kimmons, J. P. Lester, J. F. Levey, J. C. Leyland, J. D. Lockett, P. W. Marlow, P. J. McWeeny, C. G. Millin, K. O’Keeffe, C. Pearson, G. Perry, Dr T. G. Powell, M. E. J. Richardson, N. G. Shippobotham, W. K. Slimmings, M. Smith, J. B. Sweeting, A. J. Wardrop, I. J. Wilcock, D. Williamson, B. K. Workman.
 

COMMENTS
367 entries, a few with PURR for CURR. This error may partly be excused by the fact that the clue indicated a noun, whereas Chambers only gives CURR as a verb. Mea culpa (though bigger dictionaries include the verb). A few of you queried my use of ‘lit’ as an anagram indicator elsewhere. Chambers includes lit (up), defined as ‘drunk’, towards the end of the long entry for light¹ Otherwise, no special problems, I think, in what most seemed to find an easier-than-average puzzle.
 
BENJAMIN, despite appearing to offer many possibilities, somehow eluded exceptional treatment by most of you, I’m not quite sure why. Even some of the quoted clues contained elements which I wasn’t totally happy about, though they still got where they did on overall merit, after much pondering by the judge. Perhaps it was the dreaded ‘j’, which made anagrams difficult, or the difficulty of linking a satisfactory definition (despite the range of choice) with a matching cryptic treatment. Many opted for a cricketing theme – fairly predictable, I suppose, given my known fondness for the game and the fact that there are currently two West Indian fast bowlers called Benjamin (Winston and Kenny, not related, I think), and that West Indian cricket is in the news.
 
A miscellany of points and news items.
 
(a) TOVARICH: I apologize to Mr Williamson for garbling his VHC clue last month; ‘to being with’ should of course have read ‘to begin with’. Bad proof-reading. And on the word’s origin, another regular informs me that a Russian dictionary defines it as ‘1. comrade at school, workplace, in arms etc. 2. member of soviet etc. society/communist party, commonly used as address preceding surname ….’. Furthermore, in War and Peace, General Kutusov refers to an officer in his army as ‘another old tovarich’, which suggests that the word was common in pre-revolutionary times, though it clearly acquired a new flavour after the revolution. My thanks for that information.
 
(b) I’m asked to comment on the solvability of clues submitted. Would otherwise sound clues score better marks if made harder to solve? It’s difficult to be precise about this but in general I would say not. Accuracy, fairness and elegance are all more important than difficulty, and difficulty for its own sake has little to recommend it. Clues should be written to be solved, after all, not to demonstrate what a fiendishly tortuous mind the writer has.
 
(c) How detailed do I like you to be in explaining your clues? Well, don’t worry about insulting my intelligence and all that, and some explanation is almost always a help when I’m working through hundreds of submissions, but if you can keep it reasonably brief I’d be grateful. A lengthy analysis of a clue’s structure can indicate that its author is not wholly confident of its acceptability. This is not to say that I don’t welcome additional comments about the current or other puzzles, about the Azed series in general, or even about other topics entirely. I always enjoy hearing from you.
 
(d) Who is JACQUELYN? Nobody in particular. I picked her mainly because she has no recurring letters (and only incidentally because my wife’s middle name is Jacqueline!). Thank you for the appreciative comments on this (somewhat experimental) new special. Worth repeating?
 
(e) By the time you read this, the Azed puzzle will have moved to a new home, with the inevitable new design this entails. I hope the change will not have proved too troublesome.