AZED CROSSWORD 615

HISTORIETTE

1.  P. S. Elliott: It is hotter, unsettled, over east. Rain, perhaps, is indicated (anag. + E; ref. W. S. Maugham’s short story).

2.  W. K. M. Slimmings: Mrs T’s lot end on top, not wet, stopping turn to left. Brief writer’s work? (Tories with s to start + TT in hie; stop = plug).

3.  D. Price Jones: It could be a fable. The tortoise, I suspect, ought to lose (anag. less 0; suspect adj., ought²).

VHC

D. W. Arthur: Novel – short title, i.e. 50 leaves? (anag. less L, & lit.).

M. Barley: Short title, i.e. no long novel (anag. less l, & lit.).

C. Brougham: I set the trio ‘bowling’ at sea (anag. & lit.; ref. ‘Three Wise Men of Gotham’: “If the bowl had been stronger, my tale had been longer.”).

D. L. L. Clarke: Short title, lacking length, that is a little novel (anag. less l incl. i.e., & lit.).

M. Coates: Tho’ terse, it, when unfolded, may captivate one (I in anag., & lit.).

N. C. Dexter: ‘Shortie’ little Decline and Fall with lines omitted? (anag. less ll, & lit.; ref. Waugh novel).

M. Earle: Work about other times, its manuscript spare (anag. less MS, & lit.).

O. M. Ellis: Short tale, i.e. it lacks a long rambling (anag. less a l, & lit.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Riot with test bats going in haste – a summary of momentous event? (anag. in hie; ref. Christchurch test).

N. C. Goddard: Is it there to supply a quick read? (anag.; supply adv.).

D. A. Grassland: I.e. short tale without substance? It could be written as such (anag. incl. t(al)e, & lit.).

V. G. Henderson: Romantic title, not long, i.e. short? (anag. less l, & lit.; romantic = wild).

G. B. Higgins: Somerset, though without MS, hit it off (anag. less MS, & lit.; ref. W. S. Maugham).

R. J. Hooper: Short title, i.e. not long novel (anag. less L, & lit.).

A. H. Jones: Spinner’s delivery, short of a length, ties hitter (0) in knots (anag. incl. 0).

J. H. C. Leach: Man’s extremity contains elements of trite yarn typical of Maugham (anag. in his toe; ref. W. S. M.).

J. D. H. Mackintosh: Potted version of ’Thirties to beginning of ’Eighties, perhaps (anag. incl. E, & lit.).

D. F. Manley: A little romance? Such fun with cryptic letters may show it is fourteenth (comp. anag.; ref. Valentine’s Day).

H. W. Massingham: Version of Thirties to onset of Eighties (anag. incl. E, & lit.).

D. P. M. Michael: That is, in short, title devised without length (i.e. in anag. less l, & lit.).

D. S. Nagle: To relate this I need uncomplicated exposition not taking one long (anag. less a l, & lit.).

Mrs K. Orr: ‘World’ of Wells, perhaps; does it rise to the genre of O. Henry? (anag., 2 defs.; ref. ‘A Short History of the World’ by H. G. Wells).

Mrs D. M. C. Prichard: Glum episode perhaps: it ties Ron almost in disarray embraced by Eth head over heels (anag. incl. Ro(n) in Eth (rev.); ref. The Glums in radio show ‘Take It From Here’).

W. J. M. Scotland: I tire tots fabulously, in the time before dropping off? (anag. in (t)he, & lit.).

A. J. Shields: E. Lit. theorist nonplussed with lack of length in such a work! (anag. less l, & lit.).

R. S. Wilson: Angry Shiite retort! Resistance melts away: the story in brief (anag. less R; ref. US rapprochement with Iraq).

HC

R. H. Adey, C. Allen Baker, D. R. Appleton, W. G. Arnott, D. Ashcroft, E. A. Beaulah, J. D. D. Blaikie, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, H. J. Bradbury, P. A. Bull, C. J. & M. P. Butler, R. S. Caffyn, C. A. Clarke, G. P. Conway, A. E. Crow, J. McI. Cruickshank, E. Dawid, G. and J. Ferris, B. Franco, O. H. Frazer, H. Freeman, F. D. Gardiner, S. Goldie, Mrs K. Goodwin, L. S. Harris, P. F. Henderson, A. W. Hill, C. H. Hudson, R. Jacks, W. Jackson, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, D. A. Johnson, C. L. Jones, P. W. W. Leach, J. P. Lester, C. J. Lowe, R. K. Lumsdon, Dr R. A. Main, S. M. Mansell, L. May, C. G. Millin, T. J. Moorey, C. J. Morse, J. J. Murtha, F. E. Newlove, Lt Cmdr A. R. Nolan, S. J. O’Boyle, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, R. F. Pardoe, K. Pearce, D. R. Robinson, H. R. Sanders, L. G. D. Sanders, T. E. Sanders, Dr W. I. D. Scott, D. P. Shenkin, T. A. J. Spencer, J. G. Stubbs, L. E. Thomas, M. J. E. Wareham, R. J. Whale, G. H. Willett, S. Woods, M. Woolf, I. C. Wynne, Mrs N. F. Young.
 

COMMENTS
480 entries, virtually no mistakes. A relatively straightforward competition puzzle with no clues (it seems) causing any special difficulty. This is as it should be. Clue-judging by contrast was not at all easy. (I suppose this is as it should be also!) HISTORIETTE is an easy word to make an anagram of, but not easy to anagram interestingly, which is usually the difference between a sound clue and a good one. Similarly I was unimpressed by dues which exploited the words ‘history’ and ‘story’ since they are etymologically far too close to the clue-word itself. The most widespread single fault this month was the old one of intending but not indicating an anagram. So all those clues with cryptic parts reading something like: ‘that’s all there is to it’ took an instant nosedive into my waste-paper-basket. Please think carefully when you want to indicate an anagram whether your intention is clearly signalled to the solver – this is most important.
 
Another popular idea was to divide the clue word as HIS TORIETTE, the second part suggesting a diminutive female conservative. Fine, nothing wrong with this, provided the clue makes it clear that there is no word TORIETTE, and provided also that in a’ we hear’ type of clue depending on homophony it is not suggested that the first syllable of HISTORIETTE and the word ‘his’ sound the same. They don’t. The first is like ‘hiss,’ the second like ‘hiz’ – close, I grant you, but not identical. One other general caution: it is not acceptable to define a word by means of an example of it, unless your wording makes it quite clear that you are only giving an example (as does the first prize-winner above). So the title of a short story (without a ‘say’ or ‘for example’ or ‘perhaps’) won’t do as a definition of HISTORIETTE.
 
Finally I must apologise abjectly to Mr E. A. Beaulah for omitting his clue to DOUBLETHINK which won third prize last month, particularly as it was one of the few to essay New-speak. Luckily I still have it to hand and can reproduce it here: ‘Policy advocated by this year’s Socialist party line: veering plusleftwards with Kinnocklead?’ Very nice.