AZED CROSSWORD 272

MALAGUETTA

1.  B. Franco: Some sprinkling with this could give a tame meal gusto (comp. anag. & lit.).

2.  F. B. Stubbs: For the seedy, small traces of ginger, dry, are given after sickness and fever (mal ague TT a; are²).

3.  A. J. Redstone: What might be replaced by a glutamate in a salmagundi? (anag. & lit.).

VHC

R. S. Caffyn: A glutamate compound: can be used in seed-cakes – or angel cakes? (anag.).

E. Chalkley: Seeds turning up to wallop a ball round the end of June? (lam (rev.) + e in a gutta; ref. Wimbledon).

C. A. Clarke: Sort of grain, not half tart, embodying burning sensation (ague in malt + ta(rt), & lit.).

P. R. Clemow: A glutamate, suitably processed, may provide extra relish to a savoury dish (anag.).

J. H. Dingwall: Pain and shivering lead to return of initial signs of attack – may cause sneezing (mal ague + att (rev.)).

J. D. Foster: A glutamate is unnatural seasoning (anag.).

A. A. J. Griffiths: Pepper upset gut at a meal (anag.).

E. M. Holroyd: Could it be a glutamate? It’s pepper, not salt! (anag.).

R. J. Hooper: Gateau with malt, nuts and spice (anag.).

E. M. Hornby: Ingredients for Malt Gateau? More likely for Angel Cake (anag.).

G. Johnstone: What’ll give one a rumbling gut at a meal? (anag. & lit.).

C. W. Laxton: Seed-grains, with strong flavour – from a glutamate? Not so! (anag.).

P. W. W. Leach: This stimulates gut at a meal (anag. & lit.).

J. P. Lester: A glutamate alters the flavouring. Heavenly! (anag.).

D. F. Manley: Grains maybe suppressing fever, bits of tangy Amomum (ague in malt + t A, & lit.).

C. G. Millin: Kind of ginger ale one swallows burning top of throat (ague t in malt a).

J. D. Moore: A glutamate compound used in seasoning (anag.).

A. C. Morrison: Alternative to a glutamate as a food additive (anag.).

C. J. and R. S. Morse: Pepper disguised by a glutamate (anag.).

R. J. Palmer: Shaking this on could give a tang to meal, unappetising initially (anag. incl. u & lit.).

T. E. Sanders: Beat up ingredients for gateau adding in a bit of tamara spice (lam (rev.) + t in anag.).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Cause of burning sensation, initially to tongue, inside of cheek, mostly? (ague + tt in mala(r), & lit.).

R. VanLangen: A gut upset with baked tamale – because of this? (anag. & lit.).

D. C. Williamson: Sorbet blended with this spice might be made at a gourmet’s table (comp. anag.).

Dr E. Young: Grains, African in origin, fit in to a T here (ague, T in malt A, & lit.).

HC

C. Allen Baker, F. D. H. Atkinson, R. L. Baker, J. W. Bates, E. A. Beaulah, A. J. Bulman, C. O. Butcher, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, Dr R. Child, M. Coates, Mrs J. M. Critchley, A. E. Crow, D. M. Duckworth, Mrs W. Fearon, Rev S. W. Floyd, E. A. Free, Mrs E. A. George, N. C. Goddard, S. Goldie, B. Greer, Mrs R. Herbert, A. Hodgson, J. G. Hull, Mrs R. B. Hunt, R. H. F. Isham, W. Islip, A. H. Jones, N. Kemmer, R. E. Kimmons, A. Lawrie, M. D. Laws, A. D. Legge, C. J. Lowe, M. Lynn, W. F. Martin, J. P. Mernagh, Dr E. J. Miller, T. J. Moorey, R. A. Mostyn, J. J. Murtha, W. M. Orriel, N. O’Neill, F. R. Palmer, M. L. Perkins, G. S. Prentice, R. C. Reeves, Rear Adm W. T. C. Ridley, D. R. Robinson, N. Roles, Mrs E. J. Shields, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, R. C. Teuton, J. F. N. Wedge, C. E. Williams.
 

COMMENTS
348 entries, no noticeable mistakes. Expressions of relief all round as the puzzle resumed its old format. I hope the solution notes enlightened those who were puzzled by the clues to TELLY and ALCOTT. Telly Savalas is the hairless Greek-American actor who plays the equally hairless policeman Kojak on ‘telly’. His real name, I believe, is Aristotelis. Louisa M. Alcott, also American, wrote a series of children’s stories the first of which was ‘Little Women’ (hence the clue), whereas C. Walcott was one of the famous 3 Ws of W. Indian cricket in the post-war period.
 
A lot of fun was had with MALAGUETTA. Quite a number of you found the tempting (and remarkable) anagram of A GLUTAMATE so I had to be very strict in judging the precise wording of clues which used it. I was slightly less keen on the use of GUATEMALA + T(however indicated), whose relevance was a little strained. In general though the high level of soundness and invention made my task a lengthy one despite the modest entry. A few anonymous examples of unsoundness: ‘Seeds from West Africa Island fit inside to start.’ ‘To start’ won’t do for ‘the start of to’ and the clue as a whole conveys very little – fit inside what? ‘No right to maltreat with endless fever.’ No definition either, or indication of anagram of malt(r)eat, or indication of where agu(e) is to go. No marks, I’m afraid. ‘Just a mo mum! With Spanish wine around, Peters and Lee lose their head’ ((d)uett in Malaga). Even with the exclamation mark I don’t accept that ‘a mo mum’ = Amomum. And again the clue has no real focus. ‘Guatemala tea in season.’ ‘In season’ is insufficient anagram indication, especially as it’s also performing a defining function here. And ‘tea’ is not the same as T. ‘Elysian seeds beat back fever, dispel attaches’ external pains.’ ‘Back’ should be ‘up’ in a down word; and I’m not very keen on the gear-change from present indicative to imperative in the middle of the clue.
 
Mr. Stubbs enclosed with his prize-winning entry the following extract from The Treasury of Botany (1874), worth requoting in full. ‘AMOMUM : Attare, Malaguetta Pepper, or Grains of Paradise, are the seeds of one, or perhaps two, species of this genus, A. grana paradisi and A. meleguetta. They are imported from Guinea, and have a warm slightly camphor-like taste. These seeds are made use of illegally to give a fictitious strength to spirits and beer, but they are not particularly injurious; although, from the very heavy penalty inflicted on brewers who have them in their possession, and on druggists who sell them to brewers (200l. and 500l. respectively) it would seem that such an opinion were entertained.’