AZED CROSSWORD 1273

SIPOREX

1.  E. Gomersall: Figure with hole in. It might have been carved by Hepworth (pore in six; ref. Barbara H.).

2.  R. J. Palmer: Some artists get me to model: one may arrange me, see, in sexier pose (comp. anag.).

3.  C. J. Morse: ‘DI IN SEX ROMP’ could furnish material for artist with twisted mind (comp. anag.).

VHC

M. J. Bath: Prince’s ex and lothario’s hind quarter cavorting – such is used in fabrication (anag. of Pr’s ex io).

E. A. Beaulah: I put in dreadful Prose – and bad mark ensues: in construction work I often go to pieces! (I in anag. + X).

E. J. Burge: Pose Rix displayed in farce? Walls possibly showed early use of it (anag.; ref. Brian R., Tom W., farceurs).

Dr J. Burscough: Stone artificially created central characters for ‘Nixon’ (including Pres.) with make-up (anag. incl. (N)ixo(n); ref. Oliver Stone biopic).

L. J. Davenport: Rix pose found to be out of order, ‘breezy’ material (anag.; ref. Brian R.; breeze³).

V. Dixon: What’s intrinsic to gossip or expatiation? It’s more airy than concrete (hidden).

G. I. L. Grafton: Were pix we snapped so naughty? Some saw this as artistic stuff (anag. less we).

R. R. Greenfield: Artists employ me for modelling; I have little to drink and appetite is lacking (sip orex(is)).

A. Hodgson: Insubstantial concrete is winding up stolid royal (is (rev.) + po rex; ref. Prince Charles’s aversion to modern materials).

D. F. Manley: Material initially coming from mixer, semi-spongy after moulding? (anag. of (m)ixer spo(ngy), & lit.).

P. W. Marlow: Opera having dropped amateur is converted into big hit and material of artistic value? (anag. less A in six).

F. R. Palmer: Pornography containing elements of indecency and prurience or ‘artistic’ material? (i, p or in sex).

D. R. Robinson: Could be displayed by exciting Hirst expo (rejecting his extremes!) (anag. less H, t, & lit.; ref. Damien H.).

P. L. Stone: Soak mostly is cut from appetite for particular brand of hard stuff (sip(e) + orex(is)).

J. B. Sweeting: Hard stuff – and could be cut to make a joint. Sample cautiously – appetite is lost (sip orex(is)).

J. R. Tozer: Rope is abandoned by vote – it could do much for the standing of the House (anag. + x).

M. H. E. Watson: Bit of rump I expose, no end wobbly – builders’ stock-in-trade (anag. incl. r less e).

D. Williamson: Block’s constituent perhaps rigged proxies (anag.; ref. block votes).

HC

M. Barley, Miss J. Barnes, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, J. G. Booth, Mrs A. Boyes, C. J. Brougham, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, N. Brown, B. Burton, C. A. Clarke, D. B. Cross, D. J. Dare-Plumpton, P. Davies, N. C. Dexter, A. J. Duncum, M. Freeman, P. D. Gaffey, J. E. Green, C. R. Gumbrell, R. S. Haddock, R. Hesketh, R. J. Hooper, F. P. N. Lake, M. D. Laws, C. Loving, C. J. Lowe, R. K. Lumsdon, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, Mrs J. Mackie, J. R. C. Michie, C. G. Millin, D. Mitchell, T. J. Moorey, R. A. Mostyn, G. Perry, Mrs E. M. Phair, C. Reed, H. R. Sanders, D. P. Shenkin, G. Teller, P. Thacker, D. H. Tompsett, Mrs M. P. Webber, R. J. Whale, Sir David Willcocks, M. A. L. Willey, S. Woods, M. J. Wright, Dr E. Young.
 

Comments
287 entries, virtually no mistakes – by you that is. The misplaced asterisk was (to me) a major irritant which misled 51 competitors into submitting clues for the wrong word. The error occurred after I had OK’d what I assumed were final proofs, and represents one of those frustrating technical glitches which I dread but which seem inevitable from time to time despite my best intentions. Of the clues for DRAGNET submitted only 2 were of HC standard and none higher, but it was a complication I could well have done without and have said so to the Observer. Most of you realized there was an error and clued the right word accordingly. I apologize all the same.
 
And I really thought SIPOREX would be a friendly clue word. How wrong can you be! ‘I have a mental picture’, wrote one regular, ‘of you sitting in. a slightly hunched position, rubbing your hands and cackling sadistically.’ Far from it on this occasion (or ever, really). Here was a word, I thought, which would give lots of scope for invention. Not so, it seems. It was a pretty unexciting competition on the whole. This was, I think, the first proprietary name I’ve given you. Colin Clarke, who works for the Patent Office, wrote to say that ‘Siporex was registered in 1938 in the class concerned with “non metallic building materials” and is still in force, owned by Siporex Ltd of Feltham, Middlesex. Trade marks, unlike patents, can go on for ever as long the renewal fees are paid ... If journalists use a trade mark without acknowledging its status as a registered trade mark, they often get shirty letters from the owner since if an owner is not vigilant in policing the use of a trade mark it can gain a secondary meaning, lose its distinctiveness as being the product of the owner and have the registration cancelled.’ I do hope this competition will not have threatened the manufacturers of Siporex in this way. It’s a mystery how or why the word ever found its way into Chambers at all, but there it is and I genuinely thought it had possibilities. Significantly perhaps, Mr Gomersall’s clue exploits the most obvious breakdown of the word in a way that few others bothered with, and I ended up preferring this straightforward treatment to all the rest.
 
Chambers have recently published their Twenty-first Century Dictionary. This is not a replacement for or a new edition of The Chambers Dictionary, formerly Chambers’ Twentieth Century Dictionary which is still in print and will continue as the basic source for words used in Azed puzzles. I am trying to discover what the future plans are for The Chambers Dictionary and will let you know what I find out.
 
A brief reminder that the next Azed dinner (for No. 1300) will be on Saturday 13 April 1997. Further details will be sent to all slip subscribers early in the new yea