AZED CROSSWORD 2196

SEMANTRA / TRABEATE (Overlaps)

1.  M. Barley: National team run ragged in South America – when they play, bars reverberate with cross supporters endlessly frustrated (anag. incl. N, r in SA; beate(n)).

2.  P. L. Stone: Clangers in church building? Collapse means constructing a better one using horizontal beams (anag.; anag. incl. a).

3.  R. C. Teuton: We might replace Bell; star name’s out of form, almost broken, having more than one flat summer (anag.; beate(n); ref. test cricket).

VHC

D. Appleton: In church we signal manse needs renovation. Built from horizontal beams, without poles, battens are warped (anag.; anag. less N, S).

D. K. Arnott: At centre, gymnasts master spinning round bars, producing sound floor exercises, initially using horizontal beams, but not vaulting (anag. incl. na; beat + e).

C. J. Butler: Developing art means bell equivalents built of horizontal beams, hammered? Not quite (anag.; beate(n)).

J. Grimes: Raving mates ran musical bars with straight beams from strobe at edge (anag.; hidden).

R. J. Heald: Recalled star Stokes substitutes for Bell, ace batter century-less after decline in summer form (name S (rev.); anag. less c; ref. Ben S., Ian B.).

J. C. Leyland: In fuzz, are man’s feet finally hammered? They are pretty well flat with no arches (anag. incl. t; beate(n)).

E. Looby: Having horizontal timbers pulse with echo Rastamen animatedly sounding bars in place of worship (beat E; anag.).

M. A. Macdonald-Cooper: Constructed from beams, articles regularly used in better contrived means for adjusting toll bars? (a, a regularly placed in anag.; anag.).

D. F. Manley: Bell is alternative to one of those names bandied about as a better skip, no candidates ultimately having unbending support? (anag.; anag. less s; ref. English cricket captaincy controversy).

C. J. Morse: Revolutionary design calls for vibrant bars in churches, mostly topped with horizontal beams (art names (rev.); beate(n)).

N. G. Shippobotham: Rastamen broadcast church gongs, beamed as part of vibe at Easter (anag.; hidden).

S. J. J. Tiffin: Emin and Hirst, say, going round noisy bars, fortified by Carlings, possibly, but exhausted before exhibition’s opening (art names (rev.); beat + e; see carling).

J. R. Tozer: Characters around noisy bars order a beer at ‘time’ with great booms, perhaps (names (rev.); anag. incl. t).

J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter: Bell-like instruments giving stars backing (comprising flat, wooden support!) can be seen in orchestra, beaten (names (rev.); hidden).

Ms S. Wallace: Beamed gallery houses dancing bear performing as men hammered instruments (anag. in Tate; anag.).

A. Whittaker: Pounding means bars struck in Orthodox churches, constructed with beams, are battered, smashed with no sign of stopping (anag.; anag. less red).

HC

T. Anderson, M. Barker, P. Bartlam, Ms K. Bolton, C. J. Brougham, J. M. Brown, Mrs S. Brown, D. A. Campbell, D. Carter, Ms U. Carter, B. Cheesman, W. Drever, C. M. Edmunds, Dr I. S. Fletcher, D. V. Harry, R. Hesketh, E. C. Lance, J. P. Lester, M. Lunan, W. F. Main, Rev Prebendary M. R. Metcalf, C. G. Millin, R. A. Norton, M. Owen, S. Randall, W. Ransome, T. Rudd, P. Taylor, K. Thomas, Mrs A. M. Walden, L. Ward (USA), G. H. Willett, Dr E. Young.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 competitions)
 
1. C. J. Morse (3 prizes, 9 VHCs); 2. M. Barley (2, 9); 3. R. J. Heald (3, 6); 4 (equal). Dr S. J. Shaw (1,9), R. C. Teuton (2, 7); 6 (equal). Dr I. S. Fletcher (3, 3), D. F. Manley (1, 7), M. Owen (2, 5), P. L. Stone (2, 5); 10. J. R. Tozer (1, 6), A. J. Wardrop (1,6); 12 (equal). D. Appleton (1,5), Mrs A. M. Walden (1.5), A. J. Whittaker (1, 5), G. H. Willett (0, 7); 16 (equal). R. Hesketh (1, 4), J. C. Leyland (0, 6), T. Rudd (2, 2); 19 (equal). T. C. Borland (1, 3), C. J. Brougham (1, 3), N. G. Shippobotham (1, 3), P. A. Stephenson (0, 5), J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter (0, 5), R. J. Whale (0, 5); 25 (equal). Dr J. Burscough (0, 4), N. Connaughton (1, 2), C. G. Millin (0, 4), T. J. Moorey (0, 4), Dr E. Young (2, 0).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES G. H. Willett, J. C. Leyland, P. A. Stephenson, J. Vincent & Ms R. Porter, R. J. Whale, Dr J. Burscough, C. G. Millin, T. J. Moorey.
 
Comments
 
Only 150 entries, but no mistakes. Favourite clue (by a long way) was ‘Marks & Spencer initially stocking alcohol-free wine, without success’ for ATTENDS, with ‘Nursing damaged lung I took food, overwhelmed, making slow progress with date in fruit basket’ (for TRUDG(ING)ULFED) most favoured of the overlap clues. This type of special is tough to compose and, given the extra checking, perhaps less difficult than normal to solve. I’ve given you five ‘Overlaps’ puzzles so far, the first being No. 1,606, the length of the overlaps ranging from 2 to 4 letters. One overlapping letter would be pretty feeble and more than four well-nigh impossible to construct, I guess. As it is, my having to resort to SCHI and IVORIEST indicated a degree of desperation. Nobody seemed to mind. And why, I was asked by one eagle-eyed competitor, did I recommend the 2008 edition of Chambers? I have no notion why.
 
Like any double clues, overlaps present a special challenge, and I readily concede that in some of mine the extra strain was all too evident. Yet despite a certain amount of huffing and puffing, you did pretty well with these unlikely bedfellows. The commonest fault, curiously, was a failure to indicate that SEMANTRA is a plural form. Some definitions also struck me as inadequate (e.g. ‘bars’ without qualification for SEMANTRA). But it was pleasing to be able to award first prize to a clue with a footballing theme, just to demonstrate that I am not totally impervious to that hugely popular game (often called ‘beautiful’, for reasons that escape me!).
 
Here’s an interesting etymological morsel, submitted by a regular: TRABEATUS in classical Latin meant ‘clad in the trabea’, a white robe with scarlet horizontal stripes and a purple seam, worn by kings, knights (TRABEATI) and augurs.
 
Another Azed year ends, and with it we have a new leader of the honours list, one who has been there before, of course. Many congratulations to Jeremy Morse for topping the list again. His record in these competitions is truly amazing. He first featured in a (Ximenes) slip as a runner-up with his clue to SHEEP-RUN in August 1947. The clue itself was not given and appears to be lost. Perhaps its author remembers it? And my sincere thanks, as always, to Martin Perkins for keeping the score and supplying many interesting statistics.