◀  No. 2723 Jul 1977 Clue list No. 281  ▶

AZED CROSSWORD 276

AMTRACK

1.  C. O. Butcher: Two items of transport in one with waterproof protection (tr in a + mack, & lit.).

2.  Brig R. F. E. Stoney: Source of trouble in Morning Cloud looks like tank that’s taken in water (t in a.m. rack6; ref. Ted Heath’s yacht in recent news item).

3.  Mrs R. B. Hunt: Marines attack – scramble for seat in —— (comp. anag. & lit.).

VHC

M. Adams: It might make a mess of tarmac by the edge of the drink (anag. + k, & lit.).

Mrs A. Boyes: I might tear up tarmac – and finish in dock! (anag. + k, & lit.).

E. J. Burge: When boarding ‘Morning Cloud’, Ted’s head gives a sort of duck (T in a.m. rack6; duck4; ref. Ted Heath’s yacht).

G. H. Clarke: Ted’s first aboard ‘Morning Cloud’ – it’s a duck of a boat! (T in a.m. rack6; duck4; ref. Ted Heath’s yacht).

M. A. Cooper: In Army attack per mare I’m deployed with a REME party (comp. anag. & lit.).

S. Goldie: A cat, Mr. K, wandering in the wet, this cat acts like a duck (anag.; ref. Kipling: ‘Just So Stories’; duck4).

N. W. Granville: A Dunkirk cart maybe, partly used in retreat (hidden rev., & lit.).

D. V. Harry: Motorised transport required initially in attack for passing over the drink (attack with MTr for TT, & lit.).

R. J. Hooper: One’s waterproof, landing spearheads of the raid? (t r in a mack, & lit.).

R. E. Kimmons: What’s before beginning of main course? Duck? (a m track; duck4; a = ante).

F. P. N. Lake: Mechanical transport used in a drive or a water crossing (MTr in a rack; rack6, 2 mngs.).

Capt G. Langham: At last off the drink, I tear up the tarmac (anag. + k, & lit.).

M. D. Laws: One may initially manoeuvre at sea, shipping nucleus of corps (a + m + r in tack, & lit.).

A. D. Legge: It’s the way on Blackpool promenade – no right turning, duck (tram-track less rt (rev.); duck4).

C. Loving: Attacking marines could get seating in this (comp. anag. & lit.).

H. W. Massingham: Frontally modified waterproof landing craft, wheeled? (art (rev.) in mack with ma rev., & lit.).

L. May: Army’s transport vehicle going about in middle of lake? (MT + car (rev.), all in (l)ak(e), & lit.).

D. P. M. Michael: Teal’s beak, scoter’s tail, a waterproof covering. Member of duck family? (t, r in a mack; duck4).

R. J. Palmer: Duck’s on the Main Course with recipe for stuffing (a-M + r in tack; duck4).

W. H. Pegram: It could be on the Main Road or on the main? (a-M track).

C. P. Rea: Follow on before lunch ? What’s needed is not a duck exactly! (a.m. + track; on = just after; duck4).

W. Rodgers: Live rail will operate on two elements (am track).

M. D. Speigel: This could be seen in the middle of lakes after tearing up tarmac (anag. + k, & lit.).

F. B. Stubbs: A kind of duck – modified Mark III derived from caterpillar originally (anag. incl. cat; i.e. 3 letters; duck4).

J. B. Sweeting: Amiss at the wicket is second out for a duck (Am(is s) track; duck4; ref. Dennis A.).

HC

Mrs E. Allen, F. D. H. Atkinson, J. C. Brash, Rev C. M. Broun, C. J. and M. P. Butler, R. S. Caffyn, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, R. M. S. Cork, Mrs M. P. Craine, A. L. Dennis, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, J. H. Dingwall, C. M. Draper, L. K. Edkins, P. S. Elliott, B. Franco, J. E. Green, A. Hodgson, E. M. Holroyd, J. G. Hull, G. Johnstone, A. H. Jones, B. P. Jones, A. Lawrie, L. K. Maltby, D. F. Manley, T. A. Martin, J. H. McLean, Dr E. J. Miller, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, J. D. Moore, C. J. and R. S. Morse, R. A. Mostyn, P. J. Oddy, C. S. F. Oliver, A. G. Phillips, E. W. Richart, D. R. Robinson, T. E. Sanders, Mrs J. Saunders, D. P. Shenkin, W. K. M. Slimmings, E. Tingle, D. H. Tompsett, A. J. Wardrop, G. C. West, W. E. White, D. C. Williamson, M. Woolf, G. M. Young.
 

COMMENTS
The smallest entry for some time, only 290, though with very few mistakes. I hope those who were puzzled by the clues to GLASS and EPIGON finally ‘saw the light’. The first was a pun on both ‘influx’ and ‘light’, beer-glasses permitting the in-pouring of light ale in addition to the more obvious sense. EPIGON is PIGEON (qv.) with its fourth letter ‘brought up’ (in a down word) as far as possible. I think on reflection that the clues throughout this competition puzzle were on the tough side, which may account for the low turnout. But numbers always seem to drop in high summer. Which reminds me, I have often asked the Observer to consider putting the puzzle back into the paper section to spare expatriates (permanent or temporary) the anguish of Azed-less Sundays. I’m always told the idea has been considered and rejected, though never why. I feel I can do no more pro tem.
 
I received a very imaginative range of clues to a word I feared might prove a little boring. I should have had more faith! I was fairly lenient with those who used obsolete or regional meanings of RACK in subsidiary indications without specifically saying so. I would be less so if clues to obsolete words as a whole omitted to mention the fact, viz. my comments on PIEPOWDER (No. 139). I also tended to be generous towards those who treated DUCK and AMTRACK as synonymous, rather than both examples of a type of vehicle (cf. WEASEL). I am fairly confident that both terms, if still in regular use at all, are indiscriminately applied to amphibious craft of the same general type and now have small initials to prove it. Since my memories of action in World War II are restricted to a practice landing of DUKWs witnessed on the Caernarvonshire coast at Abersoch when I was three, however, I am ready to be shot down in flames by irate purists.
 
A few more examples of unsuccessful clues, this time from those who nearly made it. (I’m really sticking my neck out now!):
 
(i) ‘This acrobatic act, mark, performs on water as well.’ Sound construction, inadequate definition (last five words) – ‘as well’ as what ? (ii) ‘Mechanical transport the first of admirals used to drive around?’ The attempt to indicate the obsoleteness of RACK misfires, I feel; ‘used to drive’ indicates to me a verb in the past tense, not a past usage of a present tense. (iii) ‘Morning course – rolls on beach.’ Again quite sound, with a nice picture of breakfast on the sands, but again not precise enough in definition, given the competition quoted above. (iv) ‘Craft, make non-ferrous perhaps.’ Anagram minus Fe & lit. ‘Perhaps’ is a little too vague as an anagram indicator for my liking, and once again I would prefer a more precise definition of an amphibious vehicle. I bet there’s quite a bit of ferrous material on an amtrack. (v) ‘What madman runs if “cross section of channel” ousts “reversing skill”. ’ Too difficult. I’m still not sure that I fully understand it. Explanation: art (rev.) for U in AMUCK (engineers refer to a U cross-section girder as channel).
 

 
Stop Press: Thomas Edward Crowther was born on 21 July. Mother and Son both well. With these initials he should be quite at home solving clues!
 

 

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