AZED CROSSWORD 576

TOP-NOTCH

1.  J. F. Grimshaw: Clue type for pot, not H.C.! (anag. & lit.; clue vb.; ref. AZ cup).

2.  J. D. Moore: What gets you to Pilton from Chilton? A1 (i.e. ‘to P’, not ‘Ch’; both places near A1 road).

3.  R. J. Hooper: Two small children pounding piano not likely to get rave reviews (p no in tot ch.).

VHC

Mrs F. A. Blanchard: Ace rejected chance to pot – snookered champion (anag. less ace).

C. J. & M. P. Butler: Super grass returns to nick (pot (rev.) + notch).

R. S. Caffyn: Super grass sent back to nick (pot (rev.) + notch).

G. Cuthbert: A cut above the rest (double mng.).

C. M. Edmunds: A cut above the rest? (double mng.).

D. Fairburn: A cut above the rest? (double mng.).

D. S. Fielker: Outstanding upper cut (top notch).

S. J. French: A1 V1? (i.e. top notch; V = notch).

A. O. Harries: Smashing upper cut (top notch).

W. Jackson: Super grass goes back to nick (pot (rev.) + notch).

C. L. Jones: Excellent upper cut (top notch).

R. E. Kimmons: A cut above the rest (double mng.).

I. G. MacNiven: A cut above the others? (double mng.).

C. G. Millin: Of a champion, holding trophy around end of season? (n in pot in to ch, & lit.).

J. J. Moore: A cut above the others (double mng.).

T. J. Moorey: Henry Cotton’s playing with poise of a champion (anag. incl. H P; ref. golfer; H, P, abbrevs.).

Miss M. C. Palmer: Champion upper cut (top notch).

C. P. Rea: Lancashire hotpots need this as a relish when stewed – it’s champion (comp. anag.).

N. G. Shippobotham: Super grass returned to nick (pot (rev.) + notch).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Worth turn for prize, not just Azed’s pat to back (pot (rev.) + not + H.C. (rev.), & lit.).

R. G. Whittemore: ‘Superb’ axed in Nott chop? (anag.; ref. submarine and Defence Sec.).

G. H. Willett: Use —— and make chic a matter of great excellence (i.e. chic with ‘top’ not ‘ch’ = topic).

Dr E. Young: Uppercut unleashed as knockout? (i.e. upper cut = top notch).

HC

R. Abrey, C. Allen Baker, E. A. Beaulah, H. J. Bradbury, Rev C. M. Broun, P. A. Bull, E. J. Burge, D. Clark, B. Cozens, N. C. Dexter, A. J. Duncum, M. Earle, R. A. England, Dr I. S. Fletcher, J. A. Gill, S. Goldie, J. E. Green, D. V. Harry, P. F. Henderson, J. F. James, J. I. James, A. Lawrie, M. D. Laws, J. H. C. Leach, J. C. Leyland, C. J. Lowe, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, D. F. Manley, H. W. Massingham, L. May, A. McIntyre, J. P. Mernagh, C. J. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, R. A. Mostyn, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, K. Pearce, W. H. Pegram, T. C. Perks, A. Rivlin, L. G. D. Sanders, T. E. Sanders, M. D. Sanderson, W. J. M. Scotland, A. Scott, A. J. Shields, D. M. Stanford, B. Stuart, F. B. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, K. Thomas, L. E. Thomas, Mrs M. Thomas.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS L1ST (13 COMPETITIONS)
1. D. F. Manley (1 prize, 8 V.H.C.s); 2, R. J. Hooper (2, 5); 3 (equal), C. Allen Baker (2, 4), N. C. Dexter (1, 6); 5 (equal), C. A. Clarke (1, 5), R. J. Palmer (1, 5); 7 (equal), E. J. Burge (0, 6), J. F. Grimshaw (1, 4), F. P. N. Lake (1, 4), C. J. Morse (1,4); 11 (equal), Dr I. S. Fletcher (1, 3), P. F. Henderson (0, 5), V. G. Henderson (0, 5), M. D. Laws (0, 5), F. R. Palmer (1, 3), E. R. Riddle (2, 1), W. J. M. Scotland (1, 3), R. J. Whale (1,3); 19 (equal), B. Franco (1, 2), S. Goldie (0, 4), B. Greer (1, 2), A. Lawrie (1, 2), L. May (1, 2), C. G. Millin (0, 4), J. D. Moore (1, 2), R. F. Naish (0, 4), A. D. Scott (1, 2), T. E. Sanders (0, 4), F. B. Stubbs (0, 4). CONSOLAT1ON PRIZES: E. J. Burge, S. Goldie, P. F. Henderson, V. G. Henderson, M. D. Laws, C. G. Millin, R. F. Naish, T. E. Sanders, W. K. M. Slimmings. F. B. Stubbs.
 

 
COMMENTS
 
About 390 entries, not many mistakes (most of them through not being able to find A GRAND FRAIS which was the result, I suspect, of having an old edition of Chambers). Many also failed to find AFALD (lurking under AE) and accused me of skulduggery. A touch of playfulness, perhaps – nothing worse. The old question of whether or not I should indicate hyphenated words as such cropped up again, there being a fair number in the puzzle (GO-OFF, DRY-ROT, REVIEW-COPIES, not to mention TOP-NOTCH itself), with some of you challenging me to justify my treating them as single words. To my mind they are closer to being single words than pairs of words; when I last called for a show of hands the majority were happy without any extra indication of hyphenation, so I’m not inclined to change my ways.
 
TOP-NOTCH proved an awkward word to handle. received snooker clues aplenty, hardly surprising in view of theft topicality and the lure of pots and champions and pocketing. Few were outstanding though. Apart from the three prizewinners above (all excellent and individual in treatment) there is a sameness about many of the others quoted, simply because I liked these ideas and they weren’t used by too many. I don’t remember seeing ‘a cut above the rest’ as a clue for TOP-NOTCH elsewhere, and it does seem very neat, accurate and (apparently) etymologically distinct. I was glad to note in general less grammatical unsoundness in cluing than there often is when the word to be clued is adjectival. have to confess to a minor slip of mine in my clue to THERETHROUGH (‘Cut three wood (at Troon) where one doesn’t want to land by that means ‘). The explanation of this slightly contrived clue is: THRE(E) anag. in THE ROUGH, ‘wood’ being used as anag. indicator in its second sense of ‘mad’. The Troon reference was to point to the Scottishness of ‘wood’ in this sense but I see now that it’s Shakespearian and that the Scottish form is ‘wud’. ‘Once’ would therefore have been better than ‘at Troon’. Sorry about that. No one commented.
 
Another year of competitions has passed and Mr Manley has retained his place atop the honours list (and with it the champion’s salver). Many congratulations to him, and to Mr Hooper who has had a marvellous year having not featured at all on last year’s list. DFM’s lead was unassailable before this final competition so he can be forgiven his H.C. comp. anag. & lit. ‘Champion, ditto: I am ——, I’d fancy!’ I am also indebted as usual to CAB for keeping an independent points tally throughout the year.
 
There is a new edition of Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, just published at £9.95 (until 1 October when it will be £10.95). I shall start using and recommending the new edition from July onwards. From the brief look at it I’ve had it appears to offer a sizeable range of new words and much better cross-referencing (no more problems with AFALD and the like!).
 
Finally, I’m asked to draw your attention to the new post code for the Observer address to which crossword and other entries should be sent in future. It is ECSS 1BH.