AZED CROSSWORD 1862

UNALIKE (Spoonerisms)

1.  J. R. H. Jones: One rustic US soldier has a quid in cheek and chaws (chalk and cheese; a L in un Ike; ref. Eisenhower).

2.  L. Ward: Knit a con a bit of underwear – mostly plain, to curb overtures from lustful inmates (not akin; u + l i in nake(d)).

3.  D. H. Tompsett: So melodically Gary’s to plink a guitar catching soul of tonality (Parry’s to Glinka; (to)nali(ty) in uke; ref. composers).

VHC

C. J. Brougham: University’s not stiff at St Andrews – spot passable nits (for entry)! (not passable spits; U na like³; i.e. entry in grid).

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: What blight is comparable to whacking unhappy UK alien? (white … blacking; anag.).

D. A. Campbell: In UK ale is drunk so deep to cheer (cheap to dear; anag.).

M. Coates: Turning endlessly about a kiln damaged potter’s knees? (not as peas; anag. in ue(y)).

V. Dixon: Spot a nit making clues, limitlessly and haphazardly? (not a spit; anag. of (m)akin(g) (c)lue(s)).

R. Gilbert: The name again? ‘Sot’ if one’s having a stiff Scotch! (same … not; un a like³).

R. J. Heald: As snakes in flow start to undulate, weakling’s guts churn (flakes in snow; u + anag. of (w)eaklin(g)).

J. P. Lester: Potter ne’er fires a kiln with fuel inside (not a pair; anag. incl. (f)ue(l)).

M. A. Macdonald-Cooper: Tron casting debut for understudy to cover one hampered by broken ankle (contrasting; u + I in anag.; ref. Tron Theatre, Glasgow).

D. F. Manley: Hue’s central feature in a Klee expressing eccentricity – fantastic to see paint so! (two peas ain’t so; anag. incl. u less e; ref. Paul K.).

P. McKenna: Like cotton holed? Start to unpick ripped inkle round one (hot and cold; u + a in anag.).

C. G. Millin: Cotton in upper-class sportswear brand’s worn by almost everyone (not akin; al(l) in U Nike).

T. J. Moorey: Spot the dead nit in lad’s cap and quake after scratching head madly (not the dead spit; anag. incl. l less q).

C. J. Morse: Edmund’s virtuous lady love is keen not to be a Sloane (seen … clone; Una like; ref. ‘Faerie Queene’).

R. S. Morse: What posh ankle socks, lined with a bit of Indian cotton in (not akin; I in anag. incl. U).

N. G. Shippobotham: One ale drunk … errant doctor dismissed … ‘Name the sot!’ (not the same; anag. incl. I less Dr).

R. C. Teuton: Attached to the local him (raving alkie), is ‘sot’ the very name? (not the very same; un + anag.).

R. J. Whale: Body found in New York – drunken alkie. The name? It’s ‘sot’ (same it’s not; UN + anag.).

G. H. Willett: ‘Name the sot.’ ‘One of the Hodges, an alcoholic, slightly squiffy.’ (not the same; un + alkie with ki rev.).

Dr E. Young: Woman president can lead from the left with font of wit (want of fit; l in Una Ike; ref. H. Clinton, Eisenhower).

HC

D. Appleton, D. & N. Aspland, J. Baines, M. Barker, M. Barley, R. E. Boot, T. C. Borland, C. Boyd, E. J. Burge, C. J. & M. P. Butler, P. Cargill, D. Carter, B. Cheesman, P. A. Davies, N. C. Dexter, W. Duffin, C. M. Edmunds, W. P. Field, Dr I. S. Fletcher, M. Freeman, M. Goodliffe, G. I. L. Grafton, J. Grimes, J. F. Grimshaw, D. V. Harry, P. F. Henderson, R. Hesketh, G. Hobbs, M. Hodgkin, R. Jacks, J. H. C. Leach, J. C. Leyland, D. W. Mackie, P. W. Marlow, D. S. Miller, R. Murdoch, S. Naysmith, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, D. Parfitt, D. Price Jones, Mrs L. J. Roberts, D. J. Short, D. A. Simmons, I. Simpson, P. L. Stone, Mrs A. Terrill, J. R. Tozer, M. Vodrey, D. C. Williamson, Ms S. Wise.
 

Comments
A tough competition clearly 161 entries with some mistakes mostly PILEUM for PILE UP. Some also got the wrong idea about what was required in the way of a clue, producing e.g. a definition leading to a Spoonerized synonym of UNALIKE (‘Jazz phrase a negative effect’ = riff a dent/different, or ‘Slough meadow backed the market-place’ = tron cast ing/contrasting). Many admitted to failing to ‘see’ all my Spoonerisms. I hope the very full solution notes will have dealt with all such uncertainties. Though I do enjoy concocting this type of special, it usually takes a long time to devise some of the Spoonerisms and some may be a little far-fetched as a result. VIOLETTA was a case in point his time. I was asked when Ximenes first introduced Spoonerisms, one regular even recalling a prize he’d received in an X Spoonerisms competition. Memory plays tricks. I’m quite sure that I first introduced this special, this being the eleventh I’ve given you since the first, No. 314 in April 1978. All but two have been competition puzzles.
 
Favourite clue this month was ‘I love licence in a TV broadcast one watched in mad decline at the set?’ (VIOLETTA – worth all the effort then!), closely followed by those for ARGONAUT (organ art) and PEON (goalie loafer/lowly gofer), and 21 being mentioned at least once. You clearly found UNALIKE a tricky word to deal with: variations on ‘sot the name’ were understandably popular, but a number were weakened by intrusive punctuation (e.g. ‘Sot, the name’). A degree of extra tolerance always seems to me acceptable with Spoonerisms clues and I was inclined not to penalize e.g. failure to distinguish between voiced and unvoiced ‘s’, except at the highest level. Some Spoonerisms were however just too approximate for acceptance (e.g. ‘puttees’ for ‘two peas’). I was also asked about the acceptability of linking words between the Spoonerized definition and the cryptic treatment, the two not being the same. I myself deliberately eschewed such linking words, as I usually do in clues wherein the two parts do not refer to identical forms, but I can see that a case could be made for their acceptability. One further comment: cryptic treatments of UNALIKE occasionally erred on the side of excessive vagueness, e.g. including ‘girl and boy’ for Una + Ike. Just think of the other possibilities!
 
A final word of congratulation to Azed regular Michael Macdonald-Cooper, who recently completed an undefeated run of victories in the afternoon TV programme Countdown, making him an ‘octochamp’ in the parlance of the series. We wish him well when he competes in the finals as the result of this achievement.