AZED CROSSWORD 1619

GISMO (Printer’s Devilry)

1.  T. J. Moorey: Devastating Kournikova bu/st regrettably getting floppy! (name of serious computer virus; Anna K.).

2.  A. Roth: Do not hin/der a temp’s ambition.

3.  M. Whitmore: I like Cats but ado/re Company (ref. musicals).

VHC

M. Barley: Who considers aggressive approach to china bu/st appropriate (WHO; ref. SARS).

M. Bath: With yo/ur philosophy as an asset the body challenges (asanas).

C. Boyd: We follow yo/ur philosophy as Sid has practised it (sidhas).

C. J. Brougham: A Bedlington is lamb-like while a pu/re canine.

B. Burton: Asking was sin king, he allegedly spoke of resort, dubbed re/st rudely (ref. George V: ‘Bugger Bognor!’).

M. Coates: Cats don’t need attention, but ado/re demanding.

A. G. Fleming: Relaxing technique of yo/re, strenuous for a beginner.

C. R. Gumbrell: ‘Yesterday’, a short lyric, also n/oted as arguably the Beatles’ best.

J. P. Lester: Over the twee dish ag/ree a table for lunch.

D. W. Mackie: Dumb felines, owners may imagine, ado/re intelligent company.

Mrs J. Mackie: ‘A sna/re’ said King Henry speaking of marriage (ref. Henry VIII, Sir Thomas More).

B. McCarthy: Kindly people deplore a/rabin for the old.

P. McKenna: Old Scots sta/re at tract I’ve captured on film, not mounted.

R. J. Palmer: In the stable were ox, ass and ma/re – precious gifts.

R. Phillips: Increasingly stressed people are seeking the guidance of yo/re.

E. Powell: Bravery nearly exposed Gi/les.

T. Smith: Cats can be independent but ado/re company.

P. Taylor: Carpet trader claims cost of ru/dest overall.

J. R. Tozer: Infamously, mere/st visitors recall an episode in persuasion (ref. Jane Austen).

A. J. Wardrop: Top i/ronic response to provision of free food.

Dr E. Young: On the Louvre, ba/nal, is a motif.

HC

C. H. Adamson, W. G. Arnott, D. Arthur, P. Bartlam, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, E. J. Burge, C. J. & M. P. Butler, M. Casserley, C. A. Clarke, D. C. Clenshaw, N. Connaughton, E. Cross, G. Cuthbert, D. J. Dare-Plumpton, R. Dean, N. C. Dexter, V. Dixon, Dr I. S. Fletcher, H. J. Godwin, B. Grabowski, J. P. Guiver, R. B. Harling, D. Harris, D. V. Harry, R. J. Heald, Mrs B. E. Henderson, R. Hesketh, R. J. Hooper, T. Jacobs, Mrs S. D. Johnson, B. Jones, P. Lloyd, K. Long, R. K. Lumsdon, D. F. Manley, P. W. Marlow, I. Morgan, C. J. Morse, R. A. Norton, S. J. O’Boyle, F. R. Palmer, M. L. Perkins, D. R. Robinson, V. Seth, N. G. Shippobotham, D. J. Short, D. A. Simmons, P. L. Stone, J. B. Sweeting, R. C. Teuton, K. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, A. P. Vick, R. J. Whale, F. Wheen, G. H. Willett, D. C. Williamson.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS)
1. C. R. Gumbrell (1 prize, 11 VHCS); 2. R. Phillips (2,7); 3. J. R. Tozer (2,6); 4. R. J. Whale (2,5); 5 (equal). J. R. Beresford (2,4), D. F. Manley (1,6), R. J. Palmer (0,8); 8 (equal). M. Barley (0,7), N. C. Dexter (1,5), R. J. Hooper (1,5), J. C. Leyland (2,3), C. J. Morse (0,7); 13 (equal). C. J. Brougham (2,2), M. Coates (1,4), V. Dixon (1,4), T. J. Moorey (1,4), A. J. Wardrop (0,6); 18 (equal). Dr J. Burscough (0,5), Dr I. S. Fletcher (1,3), C. G. Millin (0,5), R. C. Teuton (1,3), T. Smith (0,5), Dr E. Young (1,3); 24 (equal). D. A. Campbell (1,2), C. A. Clarke (0,4), N. Connaughton (1,2), R. R. Greenfield (0,4), R. J. Heald (1,2), W. Murphy (1,2), F. R, Palmer (1,2), N, G. Shippobotham (0,4), P. L. Stone (0,4), C. W. Thomas (0,4), D. H. Tompsett (0,4), G. H. Willett (1,2), D. C. Williamson (1,2).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES R. J. Palmer, M. Barley, C. J. Morse, A. J. Wardrop, Dr J. Burscough, C. G. Millin, T. Smith, C. A. Clarke, R. R. Greenfield, N. G. Shippobotham, P. L. Stone, C. W. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett.
 

 
Comments
 
238 entries, including the first I can recall from New Zealand: not many mistakes (mostly GAEA for GAEL, and a handful with ELEMI for E-LA-MI, presumably the result of failing to spot E-LA-MI in Chambers under E-LA). A few said they couldn’t work out the PERISARC clue. It was perhaps a trifle obscure (as I tried to hint in the clue itself), the full version reading ‘Naming a violet, is “Hesperis” arcane? Not to botanists’. Of the many (26) clues mentioned as giving special pleasure, your favourites were those for MISROUTE, MALENTENDU and ENGROSS. The last of these is interesting in that, until the very last minute, it had a different clue altogether. The word was inordinately difficult to ‘devil’, and I had settled uneasily on ‘Might gypsy girl receiving anonymous gift suspect lav/ender?’, with reference to George Borrow’s Lavengro, but it seemed a bit contrived, so I was quite relieved to discover grossarts. My ACINOSE clue got six votes, though, perhaps predictably, some of you expressed reservations. Al Pacino is not my favourite actor, becoming increasingly mannered with the passing years, and I was amazed to see him, in a recent TV poll, voted the best film actor of all time. Anyway, reaction overall indicated much enjoyment of a very testing special. I can’t explain why it was especially difficult but am pleased you liked it (even including some hardened anti-PD solvers).
 
PD clues are fun to construct but they do take time, and if anything short words are more time-consuming than longer ones because they usually offer more possibilities. I tend to give you shorter words for that very reason; I might otherwise be faced with variations on only one or two ideas. This time fa/ke led the field in popularity by a long way, and as a result I tended to go for other treatments. Wording that included ‘ado/re’ was also understandably popular; only Mr Whitmore spotted the pleasing possibility of disguising it a bit by his misleading reference to the stage musicals Cats and Company. Mr Moorey’s clue is shamefully sexist but very funny and therefore came out on top. Apologies to offended feminists.
 
I must be brief this month to make room for the (31st) annual honours list. Congratulations to Mr Gumbrell for regaining the top spot. His consistently excellent cluing is really very impressive. Special mention must also be made of Messrs Phillips, Tozer and Whale, who all performed well throughout the year and ended up not far behind CRG. It’s tougher than ever at the top, I think. And my sincere thanks, as always, to Mr Ron Dearden for keeping the score. I couldn’t do without him.