AZED CROSSWORD 525

PABOUCHE

1.  W. J. M. Scotland: Half chewed after pup’s onset – one with heelless fit? (p a bou(t) + che(wed), & lit.).

2.  V. G. Henderson: Toss a dog a bone to chew up – you might get —— gnawed too! (comp. anag. & lit.).

3.  R. A. Mostyn: Roll over with cry of anguish on face of Eiger – it’s easy to slip on (bap (rev.) + ouch + E).

VHC

M. J. Balfour: Pop’s corked, but fit for consumption? Fit for my foot – it’s flat! (pa + bouché).

E. A. Beaulah: Cheap cracks about the unfinished round (Ali often puts his foot in it!) (bou(t) in anag.; ref. Muhammad A.).

E. J. Burge: ‘I’m worn after day’s work’ – Dad, before getting corked (anticipating ferment) (pa + bouché).

M. Coates: Pop corked while fermenting has a kick like a mule (pa + bouché).

N. C. Dexter: It makes one roll about with cry of pain when applied to one’s back-side (bap (rev.) + ouch + e, & lit.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Foot’s requirement around the House? See he’s after power with party rid of extreme elements (P + (L)abou(r) + C he; ref. Michael F.).

N. C. Goddard: Bag containing salt is on the back of the Turk’s mule (AB in pouch + e).

J. F. Grimshaw: Foot’s casual wear leads to public exclamation about deficiently clad labour chief ((l)abou(r) ch. in p, e; ref. Michael F.’s apparel at Remembrance service).

S. Holgate: Where you’ll see dad’s ‘plate of meat’? (pa + bouché², & lit.; ’s = has).

N. Kemmer: Oriental slipper bought half wrapped in cheap shoddy (bou(ght) in anag.).

M. D. Laws: Pedal ornament, oriental, incorporating possibly Arab cloth, backless (ab(a) in P ouch E, & lit.).

C. Loving: One half of pair – where champers might be in party abroad? (pa(ir) + bouche, & lit.; bouche (Fr.) = mouth).

L. K. Maltby: Soft shoe worn upon beach but not close to ocean (anag. less n).

C. J. Morse: You’ll get the slipper if dad’s stopped while working (pa + bouché).

F. E. Newlove: One mule in the souk and path’s half bunged up (pa(th) bouché).

C. P. Rea: Object of hunting game in the Orient? A boar’s head, a bag out East (a b in pouch + E; Hunt the Slipper).

E. R. Riddle: For what could Bach, opus 8, be mistaken when played on sight? Chopin? (comp. anag. incl. eight; chopin²).

A. D. Scott: Need heels for perfect fit dear? Not I (pa(t) bou(t) che(r), & lit.).

T. A. J. Spencer: Such as father applied to babe’s extremities involving cry of pain? (pa + ouch in b, e).

Dr E. Young: Pedal covering with loose heel, I, out East (P + abou(t) + ch + E; out = not in use; see ch in C.).

HC

C. Allen Baker, J. K. Aronson, R. C. Bell, Brig R. V. M. Benn, Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, Mrs A. Boyes, Mrs A. R. Bradford, Rev C. M. Broun, A. J. Bulman, C. J. & M. P. Butler, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, J. L. Cope, A. J. Crow, A. L. Dennis, O. M. Ellis, Mrs J. Ferris, D. S. Fielker, S. Goldie, M. Goodyear, B. Greer, D. V. Harry, G. Higgins, J. P. H. Hirst, W. Jackson, F. P. N. Lake, C. W. Laxton, J. F. Levey, D. F. Manley, L. May, J. P. Mernagh, C. G. Millin, J. J. Moore, F. Moss, D. S. Nagle, Mrs I. Nove, R. J. Palmer, S. L. Paton, B. A. Pike, D. G. Putnam, R. F. Ray, D. R. Robinson, M. D. Sanderson, W. K. M. Slimmings, D. M. Stanford, L. M. Sturges, R. T. Taylor, D. H. Tompsett, A. P. Vincent, Mrs J. Waldren, M. G. Wilson, and an unnamed entry from London E13 (Mr McClarron?).
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS)
1. D. F. Manley (2 prizes, 9 VHCs); 2. Dr I. S. Fletcher (1, 7); 3. (equal) C. J. Morse (1, 6), R. J. Palmer (2, 4); 5. (equal) C. Allen Baker (1, 5), N. C. Dexter (0, 7), V. G. Henderson (2, 3), M. D. Laws (1, 5); 9. (equal) J. P. H. Hirst (1, 4), C. G. Millin (1, 4), W. J. M. Scotland (1, 4), Dr. E. Young (1, 4); 13. (equal) E. A. Beaulah (0, 5), E. Chalkley (1, 3), C. A. Clarke (1, 3), G. B. Greer (2, 1), P. F. Henderson (0, 5), N. O’Neill (2, 1)19. (equal) E. J. Burge (0, 4), R. Dean (0, 4), B. Franco (0, 4), N. C. Goddard (0, 4), Dr J. F. Grimshaw (0, 4), C. Loving (0, 4), R. A. Mostyn (1, 2), C. P. Rea (0, 4), T. A. J. Spencer (0, 4), J. G. Stubbs (1, 2), D. H. Tompsett (1, 2), M. Woolf (1,2).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES
 
N. C. Dexter, E. A. Beaulah, P. F. Henderson, E. J. Burge, R. Dean, B. Franco, N. C. Goddard, Dr J. F. Grimshaw, C. Loving, C. P. Rea, T. A. J. Spencer.
 

 
COMMENTS
 
385 entries, no mistakes that I spotted, and a pretty high standard of cluing throughout. Chambers seems to suggest that a pabouche is any old kind of slipper so the temptation to treat it in this case as an instrument of chastisement was understandably strong (especially with OUCH featuring so prominently), and though I doubt whether a genuine pabouche could inflict much pain this seemed a rather unnecessary quibble in the circumstances. A lot of you began by thinking the word was going to be PANTOFLE or PANTABLE. Not my fault or even my intention! No one quarrelled with my rather guarded suggestion that the cross-reference in Chambers under sprush ought really to be spruce¹. That must be right, I think.
 
I am criticised (or appealed to) by a few who would like to see all special puzzles as competition ones and bemoan the passing of several recently as ‘mere’ prize puzzles. In defence of my position on this may I simply repeat my conviction, supported by many letters, that the plain puzzle is the quintessential one and therefore that the ability to compose a good plain cryptic clue is a higher art than the concoction of one of the special varieties. ‘Specials’ offer extra amusement from time to time and I shall certainly not be producing any fewer than in the past for your future delectation, but I’m sure most competitors prefer writing plain clues to fancy ones. (Many seem to take a particular dislike to one or other form of special as well, but that’s by the by.) Also (need I say it?) specials usually take longer to compile!
 
Finally, congratulations to Mr Manley for regaining first place in the honours list, which he shared two years ago with NCD and RJP. This year he is out on his own by quite a substantial margin. A prize or a VHC in every competition but two over the year is remarkably good going. My apologies also to Mr Henderson (P. F.) for omitting his name from the consolation prize list as printed in The Observer. I did have his correct tally recorded (and my invaluable long-stop CAB – to whom thanks once again – agreed with my figures), it just got overlooked when the announcement was phoned through to the paper. Mea culpa. By the way, in case anyone had forgotten and thinks the year has been over-long, the BODY-SNATCHER competition was not included in the reckoning because of the restricted entry that month caused by distribution problems at The Observer.