AZED CROSSWORD 1203

CLERICALISM

1.  C. J. Napier: For this to cease, ecclesiastical Rome may need reforming! (comp. anag. & lit.).

2.  E. A. Beaulah: Too much pressure from Bishop? Or are/is MCC ill prepared? (anag.; ref. Ian Bishop’s performance in the first Test v. W. Indies).

3.  Mrs A. Boyes: This pattern of cloth (as in Paisley) is fine one, found in hundred weaving mills (C + eric a in anag.; ref. Ian P.).

VHC

M. Barley: This a laic claims RE could constitute? (comp. anag. & lit.).

Mrs F. A. Blanchard: Heartlessly cruel Islamic sway? (anag. less u, & lit.).

D. B. Cross: Catholic ‘line’ on miracle is wavering – pressure from clergy? (C l + anag.).

N. C. Dexter: In Decline and Fall, it’s i/c all crimes! (anag. & lit.; ref. Gibbon’s bitter anticlericalism).

V. Dixon: Conservative left, Heath and French charge Major’s top ministers ‘being too busy’ (C l erica lis (heraldic emblem) + M; ref. Ted H., John M.).

Ms H. Grayson: After 150 miles, I crashed with car – a result of too many revs? (CL + anag.).

R. R. Greenfield: Priests throwing weight about? A monstrous lie, claim RCs (anag.).

C. R. Gumbrell: It is clear Columba could spread this about (comp. anag. & lit.; St C., missionary abbot).

P. F. Henderson: Ximenean influence? Turning out 1201 is really setting apart X’s successor (anag. incl. MCCI less y; Ximenes series ended at 1200).

F. P. N. Lake: Does ecclesiastical morale suffer when such influence has to cease? (comp. anag. & lit.).

D. F. Manley: Ministerial government has Mr Wilson (now sadly gone) i/c, Alec being beaten (anag. less anag. of now; ref. 1964 election, Harold W., A. Douglas-Home).

H. W. Massingham: All crime is under review after Conservative ministerial pressure? (C + anag.).

T. J. Moorey: All crime is flourishing under Tory rule with ministers doing more than enough! (C + anag.).

C. J. Morse: False claims about relic partly reflected too much church influence (relic with rel rev. in anag.).

R. J. Palmer: Excessive power of ministers? ‘Conservative lie’ claims lead to resignations possibly (C + anag. incl. r).

G. Perry: Ministers’ undue influence is crime – call for reshuffle (anag.).

R. C. Teuton: Calculating minister could be attuning converted with this (comp. anag. & lit.).

R. J. Whale: Lilac Merc is overheated – result of too many revs? (anag.).

Dr E. Young: What forces circle Islam; Imam power? (anag.).

HC

D. Ashcroft, J. R. Beresford, C. J. Brougham, E. J. Burge, C. J. & M. P. Butler, P. Cargill, E. Cross, G. Cumming, E. Dawid, W. Duffin, R. A. England, C. J. Feetenby, Dr I. S. Fletcher, P. D. Gaffey, N. C. Goddard, G. I. L. Grafton, D. Harris, G. Haslam, I. A. Herbert, R. Hesketh, A. Hodgson, Ms E. Hogg, T. M. Hoggart, E. M. Holroyd, T. Jacobs, J. P. Lester, J. F. P. Levey, J. C. Leyland, R. K. Lumsdon, D. J. MacKay, W. F. Main, G. D. Meddings, C. G. Millin, A. C. Morrison, K. O’Keeffe, F. R. Palmer, H. R. Sanders, P. L. Stone, D. H. Tompsett, Mrs J. E. Townsend, J. R. Tozer, R. R. Tyler, Mrs M. Vincent, A. J. Wardrop, P. B. G. Williams, D. Williamson, R. Zara, and an unnamed entry beginning ‘Bats claim relics...’ (M. C. Souster, possibly?).
 

Comments
337 entries, no mistakes. None, that is, except mine in my clue to SHALE, which I defined as an ‘ancient hulk’. This should have been ‘husk’, and I thought at first that I must have got confused by the idea of ‘husk’ = ‘hull (shell)’ and the fact that hulk is defined in Chambers inter alia as ‘often by confusion, a hull’ – but not that sort of hull. However, on checking my rough copy I find that I did write ‘husk’ and not ‘hulk’, so it was a straightforward typo and I wasn’t being as dim as I’d thought. Either way, though, a nuisance for you and I apologize.
 
There was a fine selection of clues this month, for a not particularly promising word (I thought). It was pointed out to me that the OED and the SOED omit in their definitions the explicit notion of excessiveness in the Chambers definition, but most of the clues submitted understandably stuck to the derogatory connotations of the word. There were, perhaps predictably, many anagrams based on CIRCLE/ISLAM or RELIC/CLAIMS so these needed to be very well treated to rise above the rest. In general, though, an excellent month.
 
A few minor points: (a) Some of you queried my nonindication of hyphenated words as such, e.g. by calling OTHER-DIRECTED a 13-letter word, not ‘(5-8)’. This has always been my practice, following Ximenean precedent, and on balance I don’t see the need to change. But do be aware of the fact that the current edition of Chambers spells many such compounds differently to its predecessor, turning formerly hyphenated compounds into 2-word compounds and vice versa. For those of you still using the old edition of the dictionary (and the old edition of Chambers Words) this is very tiresome, but I must stick with the latest recommended spellings. (b) Reminders for renewal of subscriptions for the slips will be sent to all subscribers as they become due, and no one will be summarily cut off the mailing list, so there is no need to send cheques etc before being asked to do so. No increase in the subscription is expected before the autumn of 1996 and then it will only be a small one. (c) I received a charming comment on my apology to non-cricket-lovers in last month’s slip: ‘Spare a thought for us poor souls who enjoy cricket but just don’t speak it fluently!’ Point ta