AZED CROSSWORD 1472

TORAN (Printer’s Devilry)

1.  P. L. Stone: We hear Catholic call ‘Stop reven/ge, order marching through!’

2.  E. Cross: Hardy campers don’t mind if a day’s we/ight of snow covers them.

3.  V. Seth: Don’t disrupt the local: hun/gry hounds might go for you.

VHC

K. Badman: Our new garage gave the car smo/other service.

M. Barley: It’s the paisley ran/ge men want when March wind’s up (ref. Ian P.).

E. Bassett: In a storm, shelter in the por/ch or the boat.

J. R. Beresford: The men got in/ks for the tattoo.

Mrs K. Bissett: A revolver could be a ro/d (a gun).

Mrs F. A. Blanchard: Hawkers expec/t to effect a clearance (hawker², hawk³).

C. J. Brougham: Seaside painter made the beach hu/ge to match the sun.

E. J. Burge: Clue-writer’s ‘worker’ could be ‘bee’ (the insec/t).

Dr J. Burscough: For ulsters or ties, it’s paisley ran/ge men prefer (sorties; ref. Ian P.).

B. Burton: Clever devices made in Ven/ice profit.

A. J. Dorn: If private clinic prescribes, you expec/t it’ll make you cough up.

R. R. Greenfield: With Bart’s so busy, there’s scarcely a co/urse available.

R. B. Harling: Adding last week’s gravy really made bis/k! (Bisto).

J. A. Liddle: Twitcher misclassifies pas/serine (pastor starling, anserine).

D. F. Manley: Siamese children were delightful, fortu/nate a metaphor implies (ref. ‘The King & I’; ‘you are precisely my cup of tea’).

P. W. Marlow: Paisley features in colourful ran/ge men find attractive (ref. Ian P.).

G. M. Neighbour: A service should give one smo/other trouble-free period of driving.

D. Price Jones: What did some Irish kids learn about? Hurling? Stone-a/ge man?

C. M. Steele: Milliner must improve her produc/e. What will take over?

J. R. Tozer: ‘Top opera part needs someone who can sing!’ the cast ra/ge.

R. J. Whale: Re vision problems: to men/d pupils, graft is required.

P. O. G. White: The lowing herds wind slowly (by in/ches?) o’er the lea (ref. Gray’s ‘Elegy’ ).

Dr E. Young: The Ring opera/s were disconnected.

HC

S. Best, C. Boyd, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, D. Buxton, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, P. A. Cash, C. Chapman, M. Coates, S. Collins, N. Connaughton, K. J. Crook, P. Darlington, P. A. Davies, N. C. Dexter, V. Dixon, W. Duffin, D. Durrance, M. Freeman, H. J. Godwin, B. Grabowski, C. R. Gumbrell, R. J. Hannam, D. Harris, R. J. Heald, R. Hesketh, Ms R. Holbrook, R. Jacks, T. Jacobs, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, F. P. N. Lake, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, H. M. Lloyd, R. K. Lumsdon, D. J. MacKay, Mrs J. Mackie, R. J. Mathers, J. McGhee, Rev M. Metcalf, J. R. C. Michie, T. J. Moorey, C. J. Morse, D. Newbery, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, S. L. Paton, P. Radburn, D. R. Robinson, Dr S. J. Shaw, N. G. Shippobotham, D. A. Simmons, D. H. Tompsett, Mrs J. E. Townsend, M. Whitmore, Ms B. J. Widger, G. H. Willett, P. B. G. Williams, D. Williamson, W. Wynne Willson, M. P. Young.
 

Comments
236 entries, no mistakes. Apart, that is, from my stupidly confusing missals and missives in my clue to SALSE. I do know the difference, honestly. It just shows how short-sighted you can become when contriving clues in which definitions are irrelevant. Many apologies. No one got it wrong and many realized what I’d done. Anyway, a welcome return, clearly, for an old favourite. I enjoy setting PDs but once a year is all you must expect. They are tough to construct and correspondingly time-consuming. No matter how hard I try there always seem to be a one or two words which require devilment at the limits of what may be regarded as acceptable. This time the one I was most nervous about was DEARIE. The concept of a nude Aries was distinctly far-fetched (and the use of ‘anus’ regrettable), but I could see no other way of dealing with it. No one objected, so perhaps I was worrying unnecessarily. Another I agonized over was CORALLINES, but many of you said you enjoyed my clue, so that’s OK. When constructing the grid I include words which look as though they will submit to the PD treatment, only to find when I come to write the clues that they are a lot less malleable than I had imagined. One such word was PREMOLAR, which I put in after spotting ‘supremo’ as one, if not the only, way of dealing with the front end, but I gave no thought until later to the -LAR bit, and Larry proved a godsend.
 
The judging was enjoyable but by no means easy, there being very little unsoundness to speed the process. I gave you TORAN in the expectation that it would offer a wide range of possible treatments, and this certainly proved the case. Two general comments on the writing of PD clues, which I’m sure I’ve mentioned on similar occasions in the past. (i) The undevilled version must always make reasonable sense, and its wording and structure should not be ‘rigged’ to suit the sense of the devilled version. It stands out a mile when the clue-writer has done this. Here is an example of what I mean: ‘He’s made it tigers’ home – big cage with strong bars.’ It is very unlikely, I think, that anyone would describe a tiger as ‘orange with strong bars’. (ii) The undevilled version should read easily, without too many punctuational pauses (question marks and the like) which are then suppressed in the devilled version. In practice this usually means that the undevilled version will be a full sentence, complete with a main verb.
 
One competitor asked me if I am ever tempted to create a PDD puzzle. I take this to mean one with PD clues which at the same time define or include definitions of the answers. I have seen these in specialist magazines but have never felt the urge to produce one. They seem to make life much more difficult for the setter without offering any extra challenge to the solver (who is effectively given additional help he may not want or need).
 
I am reminded by Mr Manley, following the recent death of a famous person, of this classic Ximenes PD clue which first appeared in his puzzle No. 525 in February 1959, reprinted in his book On the Art of the Crossword (I have not indicated the break so you can work it out for yourselves): ‘I’ve found that red Graves. Impact is terrific. Would you rather have (hic) Guinness.’ DFM also tells me that the cup which passes each month to each successive first prizewinner in the Azed series (and which has therefore graced his mantelpiece recently) has become very worn over the years, so he has had it reflashed, a generous deed for which I’m very grateful.
 
And finally, a number of you have asked if there are plans to celebrate Azed No. 1,500 in some way. It is too early to give details but plans are afoot for a dinner to mark the occasion, probably in March 2001. Watch this space and others for further details, to be announced in the autumn.