AZED CROSSWORD 1936

LITMUS TEST

1.  R. C. Teuton: A ——’s blue? It must tell us base is dissolved (comp. anag. & lit.).

2.  D. C. Williamson: Solution in paper showing how setter dissimulated could be a desired —— (comp. anag. & lit.; ref. AZ comps and solution notes).

3.  N. G. Shippobotham: What’ll check acid tum is Settlers, stirred, yielding early signs of said ‘express relief’ (anag. less e r; ref. former advertising slogan).

VHC

T. Anderson: I blush, subjected to acid line – smuttiest comic could possibly deliver (l + anag.).

D. K. Arnott: Colourful trial is result of Lawrence’s first and smuttiest novel (L + anag.; ref. D. H. L.).

D. & N. Aspland: Let’s put this piece of measurement to work: one can get pH with —— (comp. anag. incl m, & lit.).

M. Barley: Character of liquid’s established – with it an essential part therein? (it must in l est., & lit.).

E. Cross: New wine bottle, lowest-alcohol (according to admen) – check for acidity (must² in litest).

R. Dean: Slum it curiously, to examine what marks out the lower elements (anag. + test).

N. C. Dexter: Alkali finally settles tum upset with no end of flatulence (I told you so!) (anag. incl. i less e).

W. P. Field: Enshrined in ritual, it must establish a kind of shibboleth (hidden).

R. Griffin: Chemical analysis shows new wine among least fattening (must² in litest).

R. Gwilt: Lab process shows new wine having the lowest alcohol content in it? Just the opposite! (must² in litest).

P. F. Henderson: ‘Trial by paper’ sparked frenzy attracting heart of Fleet Street (lit must⁴ e St).

J. Hood: Key indicator showing minimum alcohol content when bottling new wine (must² in litest).

J. R. H. Jones: Within remit of tribunal: it must establish discrimination by colour (hidden).

Dr A. Kitching: Resolution of what could be basic split must establish bond (hidden).

M. A. Macdonald-Cooper: Content of chemical it must establish (hidden & lit.).

D. F. Manley: Ultimate assessment – that ASE means to get disseminated? (comp. anag. & lit.; see ASE in C.).

C. G. Millin: When involved, I must settle unfinished issues (anag. less e, & lit.).

C. J. Morse: Literature and music bear witness to some deeply revelatory event (lit. + mus. + test³).

P. L. Stone: Half of young new wine is French – it could prove acid (lit(tle) must² est).

R. J. Whale: It has to feature among first of lab experiments schools teach (it must in l e s t, & lit.).

HC

R. D. Anderson, D. Appleton, D. Arthur, T. C. Borland, C. J. Brougham, G. Buchan, Dr J. Burscough, C. J. & M. P. Butler, D. A. Campbell, P. & J. Chamberlain, C. A. Clarke, Mrs C. Coates, P. Coles, Mrs P. Diamond, V. Dixon, R. Gilbert, J. Glassonbury, B. Grabowski, M. J. Hanley, R. B. Harling, D. V. Harry, R. J. Heald, G. Hearfield, M. Hodgkin, Mrs S. G. Johnson, E. C. Lance, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, M. Lunan, Ms R. MacGillivray, K. Manley, P. W. Marlow, T. J. Moorey, D. Newbery, R. A. Norton, D. J. R. Ogilvie, W. Ransome, Mrs L. J. Roberts, D. R. Robinson, T. Sharland, Dr S. J. Shaw, D. P. Shenkin, Ms M. Stokes, J. R. Tozer, C. J. Underhill, Ms S. Wallace, A. J. Wardrop, N. Warne, J. West, P. O. G. White, A. Whittaker, G. H. Willett.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS)
 
1. J. C. Leyland (4 prizes, 6 VHCs); 2 (equal). R. J. Heald (2,9), D. F. Manley (3,7); 4. R. C. Teuton (3,5); 5 (equal). M. Barley (1,8), C. J. Brougham (1,8), T. J. Moorey (1,8); 8. R. S. Morse (2,5); 9 (equal). P. F. Henderson (0,8), J. R. Tozer (2,4); 11. T. Anderson (1,5); 12 (equal). Dr J. Burscough (1,4), D. V. Harry (1,4), P. L. Stone (0,6), R. J. Whale (1,4); 16 (equal). D. Arthur (0,5), C. Boyd (1,3), N. C. Dexter (1,3), M. Hodgkin (1,3), P. W. Marlow (0,5), C. J. Morse (0,5), R. J. Palmer (1,3), D. C. Williamson (1,3); 24 (equal). D. Appleton 91,2), D. K. Arnott (0,4), D. & N. Aspland (0,4), V. Dixon (0,4), A. S. Everest (0,4), G. I. L. Grafton (0,4), R. Hesketh (1,2), E. C. Lance (1,2), N. G. Shippobotham (1,2), A. J. Wardrop (0,4). CONSOLATION PRIZES P. F. Henderson, P. L. Stone, D. Arthur, P. W. Marlow, C. J. Morse, D. K. Arnott, D. & N. Aspland, V. Dixon, A. S. Everest, G. I. L. Grafton, A. J. Wardrop.
 
Comments
 
220 entries, no noticeable mistakes. Favourite clue (of 21 mentioned): ‘Ill, panted endlessly, painful inside – showing signs of it?’ for TACHYPNEA, closely followed by those for FLEA-BEETLE and SPOUTS. Many confessed to ignorance of Shakespeare’s son Hamnet (‘product’ of his loins, not of his pen). He had a twin sister, Judith, and died of unknown causes aged only eleven. His parents’ unusual choice of forename clearly failed to catch on. Some of you also expressed surprise at the double occurrence of urine in the puzzle (in the clues to PESADE and AVENTURINE). Sometimes these things just happen, I’m afraid!
 
An interesting challenge this month. It is unusual to come across a 10-letter lexical item that lends itself to hidden treatment, and many of you seized the opportunity, though none as succinctly as Mr Macdonald-Cooper’s neat ‘& lit.’ Here is an example of a clue that aimed at this but failed somewhat: ‘In trial it must establish underlying attitudes’. Here the last two words are left dangling as the (inadequate) definition. Quite a number of clues submitted were similarly flawed. There was also for some reason a rash of unsound noun anagram indicators this month, e.g. ‘multi-state solution’. I cannot accept that this can be read as indicating an anagram of the letters in ‘multi-state’.
 
Congratulations to all those on the annual honours list, especially to Mr Leyland for topping the list, I think for the first time. Competition is still as fierce as ever. And sincere thanks once again to Martin Perkins for keeping the score. I do hope I have managed the minor task of adding this month’s scores to his totals correctly.
 
Two final questions. (a) Solvers often append queries to their competition entries or write me letters asking for guidance on this or that point. Could I ask them to enclose saes if they would like a written reply? (b) A long-time (and very successful) competitor has written to say he thinks my puzzles are getting harder. Is this a general perception? It is certainly not deliberate.