AZED CROSSWORD 139

PIEPOWDER

1.  D. C. Williamson: I might have benefited from Maundy Gregory perhaps, going after welcome honour (pie¹, powder; ref. ceremony of washing feet; G.’s powder).

2.  Brig R. F. E. Stoney: Parking that’s on solid ground fine for traveller (P i.e. + powder).

3.  D. McCallum: After constant wandering wee drop might suit him (pi¹ + anag. & lit.).

VHC

C. Allen Baker: Court’s out-of-date, just imposing pound fine on petty pilferer (pie³ + powder (vb.); ref. Court of P.).

F. D. H. Atkinson: Rustic bench – otherwise period pew (anag.; ref. Court of P.).

Miss J. Bannerman: One for the road? Half a pint and a wee drop well stirred (pi(nt) + anag.).

J. W. Bates: Mine’s an antique bench – ‘period pew’ as a wag might style it (anag.; ref. Court of P.).

G. Blunden: One who is unsettled after a pastry dish needs medicine (pie¹ + powder).

A. J. Bulman: Tart covered with make-up may be street-walker (pie¹ + powder).

P. Drummond: Bird bloody dago turned round to follow is an old-fashioned tramp (pie³ + red wop (rev.)).

J. A. Fincken: I trudged from market to market – ah, could this be a substitute for sugar? (i.e. pie¹ powder).

S. Goldie: Name of pedestrian run down, Blind Pew. Period (anag.; run down (obs.); blind = drunk).

D. V. Harry: I never could abide taking medicine after food (pie¹ + powder).

E. M. Hornby: I’ll be within the boundaries of Pentonville taking my medicine; I had a fair trial (I in P, e + powder; fair, two mngs.).

R. E. Kimmons: Confusion over sugar? Circulated from market to market – once (pie² + powder; sugar vb.).

A. D. Legge: ‘What is the pied piper owed?’ This court could decide such an issue (anag.; ref. Court of P.).

C. J. Morse: In place of the market’s rough justice we have confusion over what’s hidden in a compact (pie² + powder; ref. Social Compact; Court of P.).

F. E. Newlove: One for the road? Just tonic, perhaps, after that snack (pie¹ + powder).

P. G. O’Gorman: Penny that is needed before meal for one in Simple Simon’s position (p i.e. + powder; ‘going to the fair’).

S. L. Paton: Goody! England’s opener put on a bold face – a slogger (pi² + E + powder).

W. H. Pegram: Street-walker? Kind of tart we drop if pestered (pie¹ + anag.).

L. G. D. Sanders: Old street-walker, maybe – bird with simple make-up (pie³ + powder).

W. K. M. Slimmings: One whose booty might comprise footpad’s end (d in pie³ power, & lit.).

F. B. Stubbs: Unsettled type, might set out about first sign of dawn (pie² + d in power).

M. Woolf: Chap on the road who needs something to eat and something to keep dry (pie¹ + powder; chap = chapman).

HC

Col P. S. Baines, M. J. Balfour, T. E. Bell, A. G. Bogie, Rev C. M. Broun, J. M. Brown, E. J. Burge, C. O. Butcher, J. G. Chilvers, E. A. Clarke, J. Coleby, A. L. Dennis, J. Dromey, D. M. Duckworth, A. J. Duncum, P. D. Gaffey, F. D. Gardiner, N. C. Goddard, Dr R. L. Gordon, J. J. Goulstone, D. Hawson, Mrs E. J. Holmes, C. H. Hudson, P. Hurst, E. G. Illingworth, R. H. F. Isham, A. Lawrie, J. H. C. Leach, P. W. W. Leach, H. R. Lockhart, C. Loving, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, Dr R. Majdalany, D. F. Manley, H. S. Mason, K. McDermid, C. G. Millin, I. Munro, F. R. Palmer, Dr R. J. Palmer, M. L. Perkins, Mrs E. M. Phair, Mrs G. Rajkowska, A. J. Redstone, E. W. Richart, W/Cdr D. Salkeld, T. E. Sanders, W. Scotland, Dr W. I. D. Scott, J. G. Stubbs, A. W. Taylor, D. J. Thorpe, M. A. Vernon, Dr J. R. Walters, F. T. Walton, Mrs M. R. Wishart.
 

COMMENTS
Well, I suppose it had to happen. Twenty-two years ago to the week, Ximenes used PIEPOWDER for his competition puzzle No. 206. The winning clue then was from Mr. L. C. Wright: ‘Pasty? Then use make-up! It’s an old remedy for disorders of the fair.’ Several of the Old Guard remembered and dug out the 1952 slip if they had it. Full marks to all those who consciously tried to avoid using the same devices they or the then prize-winners had used the first time. And my thanks to the solver who furnished me with a photocopy of the original slip. I studiously avoided looking at it until I had made my decision. The difference in emphasis between the two sets of clues is interesting and indicates, I suspect, changes in the entry in different editions of Chambers. Ximenes clearly accepted ‘court’ or words and phrases meaning a court as definitions of PIEPOWDER. I was worried by this. I can understand PIE-POWDERS collectively indicating the Court of Piepowders or Piepowder Court; I was much less certain about the singular form. There is, however, one quotation given in the OED which finally persuaded me with some reluctance to accept the usage. It’s from Samuel Butler’s Hudibras (1664): ‘To … Have its Proceedings disallow’d, or Allow’d, at fancy of Py-powder.’ All the other quotations in the OED indicating the court use the plural. Anyway, I’m sorry I chose a word that had been used before. I do have a list of all X’s clue-words. I just overlooked this one. I shall have to mark my dictionary in future.
 
It was a smallish entry, only 333 (X had 354 correct but that’s no true comparison) with a few mistakes like IBID for ABIB and hence EIRD for EARD in the S-W corner. EARD, defined in C under YIRD but cross-referred, was meant to look like a Lancashireman’s pronunciation of HEARD (‘was trying’), with a play on the word ‘Bury’, a Lancashire town. There was also some puzzlement but no mistakes over NATIVE. Surely everyone knows about the Walrus and Carpenter dining on oysters (natives) in Alice Through the Looking-Glass, the Carpenter (chips) weeping as he did so. Perhaps the pun was just too horrible for comprehension.
 
Two other aspects of the competition troubled me somewhat. One was the failure by many competitors, even some of those highly placed, to indicate that PIEPOWDER is an obsolete word. I tended to err on the side of leniency in cases where clues were otherwise acceptable, but please note that I do regard this as important and cannot be relied upon to show similar clemency another time. The Piepowders have spoken. Secondly, a pie is not a tart. Chambers specifically says as much. It is just (and only just) a ‘kind of tart’ (see Mr. Pegram’s clue). Plain tart-fanciers fell from grace for that reason.
 
No time for more, except to thank all those who have written to me about the crossword book. The response was most encouraging and there is every chance that the thing will go ahead. Would all those who said they’d like to contribute please send me puzzles (one or more) and any who think they still might let me know. I hope to write to everyone in due course but it will take some time.