AZED CROSSWORD 62

SOLITAIRES

1.  T. E. Sanders: No Double Diamonds? In the sun one gets weary without one (sol I + a in tires; without = outside; ref. beer).

2.  C. O. Butcher: Bottoms are loaded with sex-appeal – an aspect we don’t flaunt in company (it air in soles).

3.  Mrs B. Lewis: A girl’s best friend? Daddies must part with a lot, I fancy (anag. in sires; ref. ‘Diamonds are…’).

VHC

T. Anderson: Sailor has ties all over the place. They’re found in most anchorages (anag.; ref. ‘girl in every port’; anchorage = recluse’s cell).

A. J. Bulman: Anchorage stoppers sailors tie in knots (anag.; stopper = rope; anchorage = recluse’s cell).

A. Burton: Loose outsize rail ties (anag. incl. OS, & lit.; rail = neckerchief).

J. Coleby: Rocks in bands and diffused soil striae often found in caves (anag., 2 defs.).

J. A. Fincken: Loose tie or Silas? Both (anag. & lit; ref. S. Marner).

Mrs J. O. Fuller: Anchors and ties sailor, getting spliced! (anag.; anchor = recluse (Shakesp.)).

F. D. Gardiner: They’re unlikely to entertain restoring a rise I lost (anag.; ref. pay freeze).

D. Hawson: A variety of iris so late few people ever see them (anag.).

Mrs N. Jarman: A terrible stir, sea contains crude oil – they’ll never mix (anag. in anag.).

J. R. Kirby: Loose ties – bracing to wear with the sun on high (sol + air in anag.).

L. F. Leason: Retired persons, well rested, arise refreshed (so lit + anag.).

A. D. Legge: A kibbutz wouldn’t appeal to them – to Israelis, that’s different (anag.).

D. F. Manley: Holy men possessing nothing, kindled with a passion inside? (0 lit a ire in SS, & lit.).

D. McCallum: Are they endlessly alone in order to be endlessly uplifted? (sol(e)+ seriati(m) (rev.), & lit.).

D. P. M. Michael: Anchors no longer tie sailors at sea (anag.; anchor = recluse (Shakesp.)).

D. G. C. Mockridge: Each one has a crowning quality, an aura, in an exclusive setting (i.e. it air in sole = solitaire).

F. E. Newlove: Girl’s best friend? Could be sailor with no ties! (anag. incl. ties; ref. ‘Diamonds are…’).

F. R. Palmer: Singularly they set in gold display the outward signs of engagements (it in sol air + e, s, & lit.).

Dr R. J. Palmer: They probably believe being desolate is soterial (anag.).

Miss M. J. Patrick: Diamonds induce nymphet, short of capital, to accept daddies’ embrace ((L)olita in sires).

L. H. Stewart: To reach these remote coves, shall I set sail or swim? (anag.; cove²).

F. B. Stubbs: Games suggested by precocious girl when topless with men around ((L)olita in sires).

M. Woolf: Diamonds offered to birds for indoor games – should make the permissive sort liaise (anag., 3 defs.).

HC

C. Allen Baker, A. G. Bogie, Dr J. G. Booth, Mrs A. Boyes, R. S. Caffyn, Dr J. A. Crawford, A. J. Crow, G. Cuthbert, A. L. Dennis, P. S. Elliott, W. Fearon, J. H. Foster, B. Franco, N. Gambier, R. R. Greenfield, D. V. Harry, Mrs R. Herbert, E. M. Hornby, J. H. C. Leach, P. W. W. Leach, H. W. Massingham, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, C. J. Morse, I. Munro, P. M. Newey, M. Newman, D. A. Nicholls, R. F. Pardoe, S. L. Paton, D. A. G. Reeve, R. Robinson, W. Rodgers, L. G. D. Sanders, J. T. Shaughnessy, W. K. M. Slimmings, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, J. B. Sweeting, Mrs B. Thornley, G. A. Tomlinson, B. J. Warren, Rev C. D. Westbrook, G. H. Willett.
 

COMMENTS
About 380 entries, not many mistakes. A few people (as usually happens) misread the instructions and composed clues to RECLUSES, and there were one or two who singularised SOLITAIRES without thinking. Otherwise a good entry for a word which gave plenty of scope. I think one or two newer solvers may be under the impression that, where a word to be clued has several quite distinct meanings, as did this one, they must replace the definition clue with a cryptic one using that meaning. This is quite unnecessary and this time I had flightless pigeons, thrushes, board-games and diamonds besides recluses to prove it, not to mention various exotic combinations. One dogged (but I’m afraid not wholly convincing) competitor worked all six meanings of the word into his clue. Usually my definition clue is the first given in Chambers if there are several.
 
In case any quizzical eyebrows are raised at the use of capitals in Mr. Sanders’s winning clue I would argue (and X would have agreed) that capitalisation of normally lower-case initials is permissible (the question mark helps), but that the opposite is not. I will not, for example, allow ‘peter’ when you mean ‘Peter’. Those of you who habitually submit clues with capitals throughout please note. I would marginally have preferred ‘under’ for ‘in’ in Mr. Sanders’s clue but ‘in’ = ‘consisting of ’ is perfectly acceptable.
 
My thanks to those of you who took up the challenge and tried P.D. versions of BIOTIN and SIRIASIS (see the last slip). With respect I don’t think any of those produced improved substantially on my mediocre efforts. Just as well I didn’t make them competition words!
 
The prize-winner’s cup is now inscribed and those who have not seen it may like to know that the inscription reads ‘The AZED INSTANT VICTOR VERBORUM CUP’. INSTANT means ‘this month’s’ as in formal correspondence and VICTOR VERBORUM suggests the various ‘Victor Ludorum’ cups in sporting competitions. May the best man (or woman) win it.