AZED CROSSWORD 2360

VIDENDA

1.  Ms S. Wallace: Very eccentric dandies start to show off – they demand to be seen (v + anag. less s).

2.  P. W. Marlow: Ravel and Verdi with no end of Bruckner? They’re appreciated by discerning types (anag. less r).

3.  P. L. Stone: Wonders of the world? Did the ‘Seven’ tripping around, these being outstanding, ace! (anag. less these + a).

VHC

D. & N. Aspland: In V&A I’d aim to find things it’s essential to see? (I’d end in V, A).

M. Barley: ‘Sehenswürdigkeiten’ in Germany, but rendered in the Latin way (D end in via; but²).

Z. Baumgartner (USA): Sadly unadvised American overlooked sights worth seeing (anag. less US).

Ms K. Bolton: Reformatted in HD, Dave ditching ‘junk’, producing features that must be viewed (anag. less H (= heroin); ref. TV channel).

J. M. Brown: Some beauty spots are divine and lacking in upset (anag. less in).

C. M. Edmunds: Do see them running, and devil … take the hindmost (anag. less l).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Evil divined? Imperator initially ignored one such to be seen (anag. less I + a; ref. J. Caesar).

P. Halse: Classically-minded tourist’s to-see list? I’d finish in V&A (I’d end in V, A).

A. H. Harker: Crash and Dive!: they are must-sees (anag.; 2004/2009 films).

D. F. Manley: You could see them share, with the loss of princess, a bit of anger ((Di)vidend + a).

Rev Prebendary M. R. Metcalf: Items on sightseer’s bucket list, possibly in Virginia, Idaho region (ID end in VA).

C. G. Millin: E.g. films David Lean regularly churned out (anag. incl. e, n).

T. J. Moorey: Azed’s latest cracking contest, puzzle and features for the Observer – you can’t miss them! (d in vie + anag.).

W. Ransome: Keen on fine cycling or similar exciting sporting events? (avid + end cyclically).

Dr S. J. Shaw: Suggestions of visiting iconic destinations before death, a bucket list perhaps? (first letters + end, a).

P. A. Stephenson: We await The Observer and vie with Azed’s latest puzzle (anag. incl. d).

R. C. Teuton: With some devilment, Ian (Ed.) wickedly pursues the essence of Private Eye’s agenda? (v + anag. incl. d; ref. I. Hislop).

J. R. Tozer: You should see them prat about by the goal area (div (rev.) + end + a).

R. J. Whale: A must-see series of old with classic depiction of Tanner, E the centrepiece of Mondays (vi d (6d) + E + nda; ref. ‘Coronation Street’).

K. & J. Wolff: Find way round dead end to get to beauty spots (d end in via).

HC

T. Anderson, M. Barker, T. C. Borland, R. Bowden, Dr J. Burscough, C. J. Butler, J. A. Butler, D. Carter, Ms U. Carter, A. Chamberlain, C. A. Clarke, M. Coates, B. & T. Coventry, P. T. Crow, R. Gilbert, G. I. L. Grafton, Dr C. P. Hales, R. J. Heald, R. J. Hooper, G. Johnstone, B. Jones, M. Lloyd-Jones, S. G. G. Macdonald, I. Mackintosh, P. McKenna, J. R. C. Michie, C. Ogilvie, D. J. R. Ogilvie (USA), S. J. O’Boyle, J. M. Sharman, D. P. Shenkin, P. Taylor, Mrs A. M. Walden, L. Ward (USA), A. J. Wardrop, G. H. Willett, K. J. Williams.
 

Comments
219 entries, a surprisingly large minority (including some notable scalps) having CAPRIDAE for CAPRINAE (‘Goats etc jumping apace round Scottish track’). Of 18 clues voted favourite once or more, the winner (rather surprisingly to me) was ‘Outstanding court performer, not one given holiday from hearing…’, linked to the following clue, for NOVAK.
 
By general consensus this was a relatively benign plain. The clue word (new to me) is something of a curiosity. The OED labels it ‘rare’, its only citations being from the eighteenth century. I certainly can’t imagine anyone using it today without appearing insufferably pretentious. Maybe as the result of a certain nervousness at the word’s classical derivation, quite a number of clues submitted failed to indicate its plurality or even that it is a noun. Many also, I thought, failed adequately to indicate the gerundive aspect of the word, meaning not just things that are there to be seen, but need or deserve to be seen. In this context, Mr Millin’s clue above was on the borderline, on the grounds that David Lean’s films, even if churned out, could usually be recommended as worth seeing, the latter part of the clue making the whole a sort of semi ‘& lit.’.
 
Polite request time. May I gently remind you that you are asked to attach your clue sheet firmly to the completed grid, and always make sure that your name and address are on the sheet with your clue on it, as well as below the grid itself. It is surprising how many overlook or ignore these simple instructions (which are there for a reason).
 
And finally, a sad farewell to Michael Macdonald-Cooper, who has died at the young age of 75. As well as being a stalwart of the Azed series and the author of many elegant competition entries, he was a setter under various pseudonyms for several periodicals, a very successful competitor on the television show Countdown (achieving the coveted ‘octochamp’ status), and winner of the one and only Observer/Oxford Crossword Superbrain competition in 1984. He was also a clever and cultured man, whose company I always enjoyed and shall greatly miss.