AZED CROSSWORD 581

SPADROON def. MAVERICK

1.  Dr E. J. Miller: To deploy this weapon versus Andropov’s must be eccentric (eccentric; comp. anag. incl. vs, & lit.; ref. Russian leader).

2.  W. K. M. Slimmings: Parry’s reactionary in this … well, eccentric rondo (eccentric; spa + anag.; ref. Hubert P.).

3.  T. J. Moorey: Steel to clash with disheartened SDP, deviant road ahead? (deviant; S(D)P + anag. + on; ref. David S., Lib-Dem alliance).

VHC

D. W. Arthur: SDP ran all-out to pinch the Centre from Foot in cut-and-thrust contest (pinch; oo in anag.; ref. Michael F.).

C. A. Clarke: Steel: original leader of Alliance and SDP, associated with Scots border (original; anag. + roon; ref. David S., MP for Tweeddale).

L. J. Davenport: Pinch a driver in the golf club – duel ensues (pinch; a dr. in spoon).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Is taking spoil of pandoors fencing? (spoil; anag.; taking = executing).

N. C. Goddard: Vacant sheep stray on road – fencing no longer used? (stray; s, p + anag.).

B. Greer: Unfortunate SDP given a hiding – Jenkins cut no capers. Steel more appropriate for cut and thrust (appropriate; a in anag. + Ro(y) + anag.; ref. Lib-Dem alliance).

B. Hancock: Missing kids on road, stray – fencing is needed (stray; s.p. + anag.).

D. V. Harry: Leader of Opposition an SDP or Liberal? It would take some swallowing (take; anag. incl. O; ref. Lib-Dem alliance).

V. G. Henderson: Swipe wildly with this – could be devastating in old swordplay (swipe; comp. anag. & lit.).

R. J. Hooper: Eccentric soprano tackling snatch of Donizetti was both sharp and flat (eccentric; D in anag.).

L. K. Maltby: Openings for sheep and ponies to stray on road – fencing needed (stray; s p + anag.).

D. F. Manley: Steel – one eclipsed by breakaway SDP or no (breakaway; anag.; ref. David S.).

H. W. Massingham: Perhaps a tuck hamper? Take for stuffing anon (take; pad r in soon; tuck = rapier).

Dr R. G. Monk: See crooked snap pinch broken door for fence (pinch; anag. in anag.; snap = cheat).

R. S. Morse: Stray on roads having imbibed Pimm’s No. 1? It’s the sort of thing to get one nicked (stray; P(imm’s) in anag.).

F. R. Palmer: Where passing’s involved, parking on roads spoils it (spoils; anag. incl. P).

W. J. M. Scotland: Love in spring’d take no turning for old blade (take; 0 in spa’d r + no (rev.)).

M. Woolf: Steel – take SDP or no – a Liberal (take; anag.; ref. David S., Lib-Dem alliance).

HC

R. Abrey, D. R. Appleton, Mrs G. M. Barker, M. Barley, Mrs P. A. Bax, E. A. Beaulah, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, E. J. Burge, D. M. Burns, E. Chalkley, D. Clark, G. H. Clarke, P. R. Clemow, A. G. Corrigan, C. J. Feetenby, M. B. Fisher, P. Gale, J. F. Grimshaw, P. F. Henderson, J. P. H. Hirst, E. M. Hornby, R. F. A. Horsfield, R. H. F. Isham, W. Islip, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, P. Johnson, A. J. G. Jones, C. L. Jones, G. Jones, N. Kemmer, F. P. N. Lake, A. Lawrie, C. J. Lowe, R. K. Lumsdon, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, Dr R. A. Main, Rev M. R. Metcalf, D. P. M. Michael, C. J. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, D. S. Nagle, R. F. Naish, R. J. Palmer, J. C. Parsons, W. H. Pegram, G. Perry, D. Price Jones, C. P. Rea, T. E. Sanders, M. D. Sanderson, A. Scott, A. D. Scott, F. B. Stubbs, J. G. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, D. G. Tallis, D. H. Tompsett, J. F. N. Wedge, S. Woods, Dr E. Young.
 

COMMENTS
325 entries, with no mistakes in the diagram. As usual with ‘Wrong Number’ competitions there were a few of you who clued the wrong word(s), even to the extent, in one or two instances, of cluing words of different lengths. A commoner fault, though not too widespread, was devising a clue for SPADROON to which at some point a definition of MAVERICK was added without forming an intrinsic part of the due. This is to miss the whole point of this clue type, the need to incorporate a one-word definition of one word into the due for another without any superfluous verbiage. And don’t forget (as some did) that the definition has to be one word only. This can be quite difficult when, as frequently is the case, the two words have nothing in common, and much ingenuity of phrasing may be necessary.
 
One or two of you suggested that to remove one tiresome aspect of W.N. clue solving in future I present clues grouped by word length. I remember Ximenes being persuaded to do this and I can’t say I feel strongly either way, though I have a marginal aesthetic preference for clues presented as normal and it surely cannot be too irksome hunting for the definition you seek among clues to words of similar length. Any other views?
 
I felt I’d been kind with the due words, especially MAVERICK with its various different meanings, some of which could be used quite neatly as anagram indicators. ‘Stray drops on blade’ cropped up several times and is a perfectly respectable clue. ‘Stray’ as the definition of MAVERICK was certainly the most popular with ‘Steel’ a close second, understandable in the context of the election and suggestions of the SDP implicit in SPADROON. All the best of these got into the lists.
 
Finally a request and two corrigenda. Would competitors make an effort always to sign their entries in the same way, preferably in full, i.e. with all initials and surname? Consistency is the main thing. The point is that keeping a record of winners and VHCs for the annual honours list can be tricky when there are several different contenders with the same first initial and the same surname. I also hope that lady competitors will indicate whether they are Mrs, Miss or Ms. I occasionally guess wrongly if not told.
 
My apologies to Mr D. R. Robinson, who should have been included in the last annual Honours List with the group on 5 points (1 prize, 3 VHCs).
 
And the author of the book I recommended two slips ago is Maleska, not Haleska.