AZED CROSSWORD 1161

ADIAPHORON

1.  E. A. Beaulah: In composition do I start to preface ‘h’ with ‘a’ or ‘an’ (not a required usage)? (anag. incl. p; e.g. a/an hotel).

2.  R. J. Whale: This tenet without a ‘must’ gives adherent option? (comp. anag. incl. a, & lit.; must⁴ adj.).

3.  B. Pitt: This tenet’s a notion that the padre’s flexible with (comp. anag. & lit.).

VHC

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: Leads to approval and disapproval indifferently apparently – a bit of a dilemma about nothing (a d i ap. + 0 in horn, & lit.).

C. A. Clarke: Mature restraint possessed by paranoid schizophrenic? You don’t have to believe it (ho in anag.).

Ms S. C. Cockburn: Experts on the rules say it doesn’t matter I’d a harpoon at sea (anag.).

C. M. Edmunds: What’s held without bidding? A poor hand one’s dealt (anag. incl. I).

R. P. C. Forman: It’s a matter of indifference playing a piano or harpsichord if the inner parts are lost (anag. incl. h, d).

N. C. Goddard: Moderation is called for in paranoid jogging – it’s not essential (ho in anag.).

C. R. Gumbrell: A drop I, Noah, drunk – there’s no need to observe me (anag.; ref. Gen. 9:21-25).

P. F. Henderson: This tenet? Not a point heard tossed about with energy (comp. anag. incl. E, & lit.).

R. Hesketh: Do pair coupling wantonly with Noah have a biblical affair that lacks judgement? (anag.).

A. W. Hill: Repeatedly shunned by Society, sacked parson said: ‘Oh, it doesn’t really matter’ (anag. less S, S).

J. Kearney: Excluding women – how paranoid! Liberal church considers such a doctrine cannot be imposed (anag. less w).

D. F. Manley: This matter shouldn’t normally bring Prod to hate Marian (comp. anag. & lit.).

C. J. Morse: In Atherton’s case one sees semi-transparent bit of rubbing between balls – one doesn’t have to believe it right (diaph(anous) + O r O, all in A, n; ref. Mike A., alleged ball-tampering in Test match).

F. R. Palmer: A ‘hard’ opinion’s involved in this? Yes and no (comp. anag.).

R. J. Palmer: A minor bit of heresy? Nothing to get wildly paranoid about (h 0 in anag., & lit.).

D. Price Jones: ‘It’s not the concern of the council’ this paranoid wandering around house (ho. in anag.; ref. government policy on the mentally ill).

W. J. M. Scotland: Not a thing held high, one’s thrown in a poor hand dealt (I in anag.).

R. C. Teuton: When renting a radiophone put aside a little expenditure for non-essential usage (anag. less e).

I. J. Wilcock: Atherton paid after tampering (with ball). Could make this test something not worth contesting (comp. anag. incl. O; ref. Mike A., alleged ball-tampering in Test match).

G. H. Willett: This pest infuriates anthropoid apes, but it makes no difference to homo sapiens (comp. anag.).

HC

D. Ashcroft, M. Barley, M. J. Bath, J. R. Beresford, Mrs K. Bissett, C. Boyd, H. J. Bradbury, C. J. Brougham, E. J. Burge, G. R. Burt, C. J. & M. P. Butler, D. A. Campbell, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, I. Carr, A. G. Chamberlain, J. & B. Chennells, G. Cuthbert, P. Davies, R. V. Dearden, J. H. Dingwall, V. Dixon, A. J. Dorn, A. J. Duncum, Dr I. S. Fletcher, H. Freeman, B. Grabowski, R. R. Greenfield, P. Harrison, J. Hastie, Mrs B. E. Henderson, I. A. Herbert, J. Hetherington, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, Mrs E. L. Jobling, T. H. Keeley, F. P. N. Lake, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, J. D. Lockett, A. Logan, R. K. Lumsdon, Mrs J. Mackie, H. W. Massingham, G. McStravick, P. J. McWeeny, J. R. C. Michie, Dr E. J. Miller, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, T. J. Moorey, G. Perry, Mrs E. M. Phair, Mrs A. Price, J. Price, H. L. Rhodes, D. R. Robinson, D. P. Shenkin, M. C. Souster, P. L. Stone, J. B. Sweeting, G. Telfer, K. Thomas, Mrs J. E. Townsend, J. R. Tozer, A. J. Wardrop, R. A. Wells, Mrs B. J. Widger, D. Williamson, Dr E. Young.
 

Comments
365 entries, a surprising number, even including some seasoned competitors, having TREPAN for TRAPAN. A reminder of the clue (‘Cut disc from modern pop style enveloped by beat’) should I think get offenders kicking themselves. This month’s clue-word was a stinker - I can see that now - though at the time I chose it I thought it showed distinct possibilities. Variations on the A POOR HAND I anagram were legion, and only the best scored higher than HC. The real problem was (as always) finding an effective definition which could be neatly linked with a cryptic treatment of the word’s component letters, and this proved especially troublesome. I was not completely convinced by one popular definition of ADIAPHORON, viz. ‘believe it or not’, which doesn’t seem quite to capture the sense of ‘something that one may believe or not believe without the church etc being too worried either way’. Composite anagrams were frequently resorted to as a way of supplementing ADIAPHORON’s unhelpful set of letters. A few of you mutter discontentedly about this clue type but, as I’ve said before, I see nothing wrong with it if it is kept within reasonable bounds and the resulting clue is neat and effective (often as an ‘& lit.’).
 
Two competitors, commenting on the TERPSICHOREAN slip, expressed surprise that I awarded a prize and some VHCs to clues which included in anagrams words with similar roots to the clue-word, most notably CHORINE. The point is well made and well taken, since I have in the past said I regard this as a weakness (though it can hardly be regarded as unsound). On this occasion it simply escaped my notice, probably because the chor- root is somewhat buried in this uncommon word. But my views on this point have not really changed.
 
The machinery for the new arrangements with regard to slips is now in place. I am confident that it will work well. Most of you seem to welcome the change and don’t mind paying a bit more for it. I hope the unconvinced will come round before long. This month’s delay was the result of my summer holiday.