AZED CROSSWORD 319

PODESTA

1.  P. D. Gaffey: Is Latin ‘in fair round belly’ one? (est in pod a, & lit.; ref. AYLI, ‘Seven Ages’, the justice).

2.  C. Allen Baker: One can get a throbbing seat after school from the beak for bad Latin (pod + anag.).

3.  F. R. Palmer: School Latin is a help to one who would try Italian (pod² + est + a; help to = contribute to).

VHC

T. Anderson: This Latin beak refereed in School match with head absent (pod² + (v)esta).

E. J. Burge: School match – head called off – important governor abroad (pod² + (v)esta).

E. Chalkley: Disheartened writer like Dante could be eating his words before one (odes in p(ar)t + a, & lit.).

M. Coates: One who filled Etrurian jug, perhaps, or Spode standing-bowl? (hidden).

H. W. Evans: Od! Pate’s thin – wig is needed (Brutus type?) (anag.; thin = freely mobile, wig = judge).

C. E. Faulkner-King: Proud he is at law – alternates as a magistrate (alternate letters).

Mrs W. Fearon: A case is, in another country, put before one (pod + est + a, & lit.).

J. D. Foster: I, a court stipendiary, could perhaps be —— (I try in curia) (comp. anag. & lit.).

A. L. Freeman: ‘The justice, in fair round belly’, – with high teas? ( pod + anag.; ref. AYLI, ‘Seven Ages’).

D. V. Harry: Stop-a de crook? That’s-a my line! (anag.).

P. F. Henderson: Might be a case set out before one (pod + anag. + a, & lit.).

S. Holgate: Case in Rome is one for him (pod + est + a, & lit.).

R. J. Hooper: Man with ‘fair round belly’ and seat abroad? ( pod + anag.; ref. AYLI, ‘Seven Ages’).

G. Johnstone: Big cheese (Parmesan?) adepts love grating (anag. incl. 0).

F. P. N. Lake: Recorder of Florence Desmond in pocket – third in charts! (Des in pot + a; ref. comic actor).

M. D. Laws: Dope suspect starts to stand trial before one (anag. + s t + a, & lit.).

C. W. Laxton: He’s Latin, one commonly following a case (pod + est + a, & lit.).

A. D. Legge: Law officer covertly posted to Genoa – retiring one got out (anag. less one got (rev.)).

C. J. Lowe: Latin beak’s poem set in past imperfect (ode in anag.).

B. Manvell: The justice, with fair round belly – and seat (Shakes.) ( pod + anag.; ref. AYLI, ‘Seven Ages’).

C. G. Millin: A case in Rome is brought before one (pod + est + a, & lit.).

C. P. Rea: In Rome, for example, he tries – adopts changes though English at heart (E in anag.; ‘When in Rome…’).

D. P. Shenkin: One who’d do justice to yesterday’s Bolognese eats stewed fruit first (pod + anag.).

R. C. Teuton: Crooked character’s given time in case before magistrate (es + t in pod a.; es = S, a. = ante).

F. T. Walton: Corporation, a corrupt set, must appear before a grave Continental judge (pod + anag. + à; i.e. letter a grave).

Dr E. Young: One that sums up the case is from Rome? (pod + est + a, & lit.).

HC

M. J. Balfour, Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs A. R. Bradford, N. Chalmers, C. A. Clarke, M. A. Cooper, A. E. Crow, A. J. Crow, G. Cuthbert, A. E. Danher, R. V. Dearden, A. L. Dennis, A. G. Fleming, Dr I. S. Fletcher, R. P. C. Forman, Miss O. H. Frazer, Mrs J. O. Fuller, M. A. Furman, J. M. Gerard, A. Gilroy, S. Goldie, J. J. Goulstone, J. Grainge, M. Greenwood, G. K. Grigg, W. L. Hawley, P. Holtby, E. M. Hornby, N. N. Inglis, A. H. Jones, C. L. Jones, P. M. Kelly, N. Kemmer, A. Lawrie, P. W. W. Leach, P. Leather, W. F. Main, D. F. Manley, H. S. Mason, R. A. Megan, W. L. Miron, J. D. Moore, C. J. Morse, J. L. Moss, R. A. Mostyn, D. S. Nagle, F. E. Newlove, R. J. Palmer, Rear Adm W. T. C. Ridley, W. Rodgers, B. F. Russell, H. R. Sanders, Dr W. I. D. Scott, N. R. Sellars, Mrs E. J. Shields, F. B. Stubbs, J. G. Stubbs, L. E. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, A. P. Vincent, Rev C. D. Westbrook, C. E. Williams, D. C. Williamson.
 

COMMENTS
475 entries for a competition that everyone seemed to agree was easier than usual. Perhaps the pattern helped, with its large block of checked letters in the middle and no more than four different word-lengths throughout. I never consciously reuse old patterns (though the temptation is sometimes there), and yet I’m frequently surprised that so many new variations still seem possible, given the more-or-less standard number of words in the grid and the more-or-less standard number of unchecked letters per word. Computer wizards could doubtless calculate the maximum number of possible patterns.
 
The only mistake I spotted was CERITES for CERATES, which could fit the subsidiary part of the clue but not the definition part (‘ointments’). Curiously enough the majority of culprits were solvers who (dare I say?) should have known better. Minerals are generally pretty boring words to clue, and attempts to do more than give the dictionary definition word for word can look contrived and unconvincing, but to assume that I would translate a hydrous silicate into an ointment is to hold my grasp of mineralogy in terribly low esteem! Incidentally I’ve just acquired a copy of Chambers Dictionary of Science and Technology to help me with specialist technical words inadequately explained in the dictionary – so beware!
 
Although C. gives PODESTA as (hist.) it appears that the term is still used in Italy, the office having been revived by Mussolini, so I didn’t insist on indications of the word’s antiquity, though I commend those who made the effort to include them. Those who gave no thought to the matter at all can consider themselves lucky! I’m afraid there were altogether too many despots to make them a good bet, however. Those who used them best are among the HCs. The standard of clues generally this month was very high in terms of soundness, but I have to concede that the word didn’t offer a very large number of possible treatments. I’m sure the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ quotation came out on top, and felt safe in assuming that even to non-Latinists ‘est = is’ would not be unfamiliar.
 
Two final items. I’m sometimes asked whether and when an Azed tie will appear (with a scarf for the ladies). I’m actually already investigating styles and costs so something may well be in the offing. It’s really a choice between an all-over design (like the Ximenes tie) and a single motif just below the knot (less easy to adapt for a scarf), and between a printed design (cheaper) and an embroidered one. Ideas and designs welcome.
 
Secondly the first Hamlyn Book of Crosswords, introduced by Robert Morley, is published on 25 May. The puzzles are by Duck, Jude, Smokey and Apex – Azed solvers all and three of them contributors to the Azed Book of Crosswords (still, I think, available in Pan Books at a modest 80p.)