AZED CROSSWORD 1918

PALAMPORE

1.  D. F. Manley: Spread – array of two pages or a meal? (anag. incl. p, p).

2.  R. J. Hooper: Spread of snorers makes one glower during baroque opera (lamp in anag.).

3.  R. J. Whale: You might have seen this dishevelled in a Nepalese romp (comp. anag. & lit.).

VHC

D. K. Arnott: Using my rag, I applied mordant in complex pattern – this grand dimity might result (comp. anag. & lit.).

D. & N. Aspland: Pakistan’s opener advanced and hit ball right over head of extra cover (P a lamp O r e).

N. C. Dexter: You could find one from Asian realm pop off – under this? (anag. incl. A, & lit.).

C. J. Ellis: Refuse having been cleared, loam prepared ground for floral spread (anag. less red).

G. I. L. Grafton: Ma and Pa elope naughtily – recipe for ecstasy – under this? (anag. with r for E).

D. V. Harry: This so outrages papers: moola that’s picked up by one retiring (comp. anag.; ref. Sir F. Goodwin’s pension).

R. J. Heald: Starters of pakoras and curry opening elaborate Indian spread (p, a + lam + pore; curry²).

M. Hodgkin: Decomposed pap or meal spread on bed with flowers (anag.).

M. A. Macdonald-Cooper: Sort of ‘counterpoint’, as was said in English, after Malaprop, mangled? (anag. + E).

P. W. Marlow: A curry featured in proper cooking bringing out the ultimate in flavour in Indian spread? (a + lam in anag. less r).

L. F. Marzillier: Might exotic dish with this Indian spread be popadam with relish? (comp. anag.).

T. J. Moorey: Lap up more pay mostly having failed and get top-level cover (lap (rev.) + anag. less y; ref. senior bank executives).

C. Ogilvie: An illuminating feature included in opening night coverage for Bollywood star, perhaps (a lamp in pore).

D. J. Short: Colouring for a bed? It could be this as misrepresented by an Eastern Malaprop (anag. incl. E; cf. ‘covering’).

P. L. Stone: Light opera freely embraces florid counterpoint (lamp in anag.).

Dr A. J. Varney: Malaprop’s ‘flawed’ Eastern bedcover? (anag. + E; cf. ‘flowered’).

D. C. Williamson: A simple counterpane’s revamped – to match —— in cuteness? (comp. anag. & lit.).

Dr E. Young: Sack spread chaos in papal Rome (anag.; ref. 1527 sack of Rome).

HC

M. Barker, M. Barley, J. Biggin, C. J. Brougham, C. J. & M. P. Butler, P. Cargill, C. A. Clarke, P. Coles, V. Dixon, J. Fairclough, Dr I. S. Fletcher, M. Freeman, P. D. Gaffey, Mrs E. Greenaway, D. Grice, J. Grimes, J. F. Grimshaw, A. & R. Haden, P. F. Henderson, R. Hesketh, Ms M. Janssen, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, J. R. H. Jones, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, B. MacReamoinn, W. F. Main, K. Manley, P. McKenna, J. R. C. Michie, C. G. Millin, C. J. Morse, R. S. Morse, D. Parfitt, D. Price Jones, W. Ransome, Mrs L. J. Roberts, D. R. Robinson, Dr S. J. Shaw, N. G. Shippobotham, I. Simpson, Mrs A. Terrill, R. C. Teuton, K. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, L. Toole, Mrs C. Velarde, A. J. Wardrop, P. Wilson, R. P. Wright.
 

Comments
208 entries, about two dozen having CHANCELLORY for CHANCELLERY (see below). Of 20 clues mentioned favourably your favourite by a wide margin was (somewhat to my surprise) ‘Extreme fan or follower, what this puzzle lacks initially?’ for MANIAC. Back in second place was ‘Chief ministerial post, endless opportunity to be attendant on Queen’ for CHANCELLERY. I must confess that I have never read the Ellery Queen whodunnits, now perhaps largely forgotten, but they were extremely popular at one time, especially in the US. ‘His creators,’ I read, ‘cousins Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, wrote numerous books and stories starring the contemplative sleuth as well as founding and editing Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Queen also appeared in films and radio and television series.’ The clue that gave most trouble (though no one got it wrong) was ‘Nurse one associated with nocturnal visitation, perhaps’ (AMAH), a reference to the popular opera Amahl and the Night Visitors (1951) by the Italian-American Gian Carlo Menotti, the first opera written for television and one that is regularly broadcast at Christmas-time. A little obscure perhaps, but I was looking for a new approach to a word I’ve clued quite often before, the setter’s recurrent problem.
 
I haven’t much to say about the competition generally. PALAMPORE seems to have been one of those words that, though apparently promising, failed ultimately to inspire. (And contrary to what some of you surmised, my choice of it as clue word had nothing to do with my holiday in India. It just looked a likely candidate at the time.) The MALAPROP anagram was a nice find, especially when accompanied by an attempted Malapropism (see above), but linking a definition with the appropriate cryptic treatment proved a tricky challenge. Mr Manley’s double definition incorporated in the cryptic part of his clue was outstandingly clever, I thought.
 
My apologies to Mr J. A. Elliott (and others who may have been mystified) for misprinting his clue to VE(S)TAL in last month’s slip. In full, it should have read ‘This darling fiancé is moved to give gal valentine card if no one’s given her one’, VETAL DARLING FIANCE being an anagram of GAL VALENTINE CARD IF.