◀  No. 17076 Mar 2005 Clue list No. 1715  ▶

AZED CROSSWORD 1711

MINUS

1.  N. C. Dexter: This degree makes nudism shivery (comp. anag. incl. d, & lit.).

2.  P. L. Stone: Essential clothing in nipping temperature below zero (in in mus(t)).

3.  C. G. Millin: One precedes number in the reverse of addition (I n in sum (rev.), & lit.).

VHC

E. A. Beaulah: Latin’s less popular among leaders of modern universities – sadly (in in m, u, s).

J. R. Beresford: It reduces in sum (anag. & lit.).

C. J. Brougham: Maths problem arises involving reflex angle and sine (in (qv) in sum (rev.)).

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: Not positive? ‘Um’s may reveal it (i.e. m in us).

Dr J. Burscough: Dash in sum? (anag. & lit.).

P. Dendy: Dash in sum? (anag. & lit.).

V. Dixon: Do this for the Lord above, wanting less below ((Do)minus, 3 defs.).

L. K. Edkins: It’s much used in the inverse of addition (in in sum (rev.), & lit.).

J. Grimes: Sign of negativity in pits with uranium used for energy (mines with U for E).

R. J. Hooper: Alight in a frenzy, not running to time? It can be a bit of a problem, this line (in in mus(t); must4).

F. P. N. Lake: Dash in sum? (anag. & lit.).

D. F. Manley: Deficiency may be very small, but unsound clue will be rejected (minuscule less anag.; ref. AZ comp.).

T. J. Moorey: What shows reduced mark, one applied to students? (M I NUS, & lit.).

C. J. Morse: Deficient in sum (anag. & lit.).

C. Ogilvie: Less vermin? Useful traps (hidden).

R. J. Palmer: What reduces in sum (anag. & lit.).

J. Pearce: Without being trained tsunami volunteers must depart (anag. less TA).

A. Plumb: Deficient Military Intelligence followed by America incarcerating a large number (n in MI US; ref. Iraqi prisoners).

D. R. Robinson: Taking off without a modicum of decency nudism’s improper (anag. less d).

D. J. Short: Take note, students (mi NUS).

A. J. Wardrop: Not positive, as suggested by ‘ums’? (i.e. m in us).

R. J. Whale: Fancy consuming, having a gallon about sunk? I’d suggest a take-away (anag. less cong. (qv)).

G. H. Willett: Deficiency in intelligence department innumerate students displayed? (MI(5) + NUS).

HC

D. Appleton, D. & N. Aspland, F. D. H. Atkinson, M. Barley, M. Bath, P. Berridge, D. J. Bexson, J. M. Brown, E. J. Burge, B. Burton, B. Butler, D. A. Campbell, C. A. Clarke, R. Cohen, S. Coxall, E. Cross, G. Cuthbert, R. Dean, Dr I. S. Fletcher, J. P. Guiver, M. J. Hanley, A. & B. Harris, D. A. Harris, D. V. Harry, R. J. Heald, Mrs B. E. Henderson, R. Hesketh, W. Jackson, G. Johnstone, J. Knott, P. R. Lloyd, N. MacSweeney, W. F. Main, P. W. Marlow, J. Mason, J. McGregor, P. McKenna, J. R. C. Michie, K. Milan, I. Morgan, R. Murdoch, W. Murphy, R. A. Norton, D. J. R. Ogilvie, M. L. Perkins, R. Perry, Mrs E. M. Phair, W. Ransome, H. R. Sanders, D. P. Shenkin, N. G. Shippobotham, D. H. Tompsett, Mrs J. E. Townsend, J. R. Tozer, R. H. Wait, P. O. G. White, J. Woodall, M. J. Wright.
 

Comments
282 entries, no mistakes. The clear favourite among this month’s clues was the one for OVICIDE (‘I’d accepted nothing in place of lamb chop!’), followed by that for ALAPA (‘Musical intro in the style of “My old man”?’), with 23 being mentioned in all. Least popular clue – and one I hesitated over but should have changed – was ‘Bundles of strae or coarse wool minor cut short’ for KEMPLES, with its first and third letters unchecked. Both KEMP and KEMPLE are unfamiliar words to many, so only a dictionary trawl could track them down. Definitely not one of my best. Several of you commented on the above-average number of foreign phrases that cropped up in the puzzle. The reason for this, which wasn’t the result of any deliberate aim on my part, was probably that I have recently acquired the new edition of Chambers Words, which for the first time includes multi-word phrases, many of them in foreign languages. Should these be signalled in the way that I tend to signal Scottish vocabulary? Consistency suggests that they should; on the other hand, when these vocabulary items are phrases they have probably been included in the dictionary because they have been borrowed for use in English and could therefore be regarded as part of our language. But the jury is still out on this one and I’d like to hear what you think. Adding hints to the geographical origins of words used in a crossword can become rather wordy and/or repetitive (not Jock again!). My prime concern, as always, is to play fair. A few of you took exception to my made-up Latin phrase ‘pro via in ambagibus’ in the PAVIOR clue for similar reasons, but the etymology at ambages surely gives sufficient information to work out what I was getting at.
 
Only one competitor objected to my giving you MINUS to clue (‘a nasty little word’). In general it was an excellent entry, with a sparkling first prize-winner from NCD. ‘Dash in sum?’ (plus minor variations thereon) is lovely – and may have been used before – but it was used just too often to raise its authors to the quoted lists. A fair number tried to do things with ‘take away’ but only Mr Whale managed convincingly to indicate that ‘take-away’ (as in e.g. Indian restaurants) is not the same as ‘take away’; blurring the distinction won’t really do.
 
A date for your diaries. Azed No. 1,750 is due to appear on 4 December this year, and plans are afoot for a dinner to mark the occasion on 17 December at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. More details will follow as they become known, but I hope many of you will be able to come. There should be accommodation at the college for those wanting to stay overnight.
 

 

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Solution