AZED CROSSWORD 662

BARGE-COUPLE

1.  R. J. Hooper: Sawyer’s contribution to topping story shows the lighter Twain (barge couple; ref. Mark T.).

2.  A. H. Jones: Pram with twins? That’ll keep the overheads up (barge + couple; pram²).

3.  C. J. Feetenby: What’s aloft in bounding gable core? (up in anag., & lit.).

VHC

Mrs E. Allen: House supports meeting at top level – possibly be large coup? (anag.).

C. Allen Baker: Sort of truss, adjustable to cope with a bulge – right? (anag. incl. r; truss = framed structure).

M. Barley: Could this set in badly make gable top insecure? (comp. anag. & lit.).

R. Brain: This set can make gable top secure (comp. anag. & lit.).

C. J. Brougham: Link, with lighter applied first, projected raking beams (barge + couple).

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: See gable erectors far up repairing these rafters (comp. anag. & lit.).

Dr J. Burscough: House supports EEC, Labour group’s extreme members rebelling (anag. incl. g, p).

D. L. L. Clarke: You need rafters for gables, but for gable-ends a brace (bar + g, e + couple).

P. F. Coltman: Ogle ‘E’ cup bra, specially formed support for top part of structure (anag.).

M. B. Fisher: Antony and Cleopatra perhaps, sailing down the river, beaming (barge couple; ref. C.’s barge; beaming n.).

H. J. Godwin: A pair of boaters? You might find them by looking up under tiles (2 mngs.).

A. W. Hill: Chevron’s just right – shove a litre in the old chariot! (barge + l in coupé).

F. P. N. Lake: Participants in tiled summit meeting push to establish closer ties (barge couple; tiled = secured against intrusion).

J. D. Moore: The bit of gable to discover two mating swallows in? (g in bare couple, & lit.).

J. J. Moore: Lighter? Match? They’ve finished off many an old timbered roof (barge couple).

C. J. Morse: Push on to bring two parties together. Thatcher’s work begins and ends there (barge couple; ref. miners’ strike).

F. R. Palmer: Lumber, long, used in sloping roof job (barge + l in coupé, & lit.).

R. J. Palmer: What could form core up gable? (anag. & lit.).

T. E. Sanders: Rig this with a bit of dexterity and produce gable form (anag. less d, & lit.).

D. P. Shenkin: This could make up gable core (anag. & lit.).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Thatcher fixes on … what? Up with English interest, and blow the French! (E grab (rev.) + coup le (Fr.)).

M. G. Wilson: Gable core up high? (anag. & lit.; h = drunk).

HC

K. Aaronovich, F. D. H. Atkinson, Mrs B. M. Aze, E. A. Beaulah, J. M. Brown, C. A. Clarke, G. Clyde, W. H. C. Cobb, E. Dawid, R. V. Dearden, A. L. Dennis, N. C. Dexter, J. Dromey, J. R. & E. A. du Parcq, D. M. Duckworth, Dr I. S. Fletcher, G. Gargan, N. C. Goddard, S. Goldie, J. F. Grimshaw, I. F. & L. M. Haines, D. V. Harry, J. P. H. Hirst, C. Hobbs, S. Holgate, E. M. Hornby, C. H. Hudson, R. Jacks, W. Jackson, C. L. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, A. Lawrie, J. F. Levey, C. J. Lowe, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, D. J. Mackay, Rev W. P. Manahan, D. F. Manley, H. S. Mason, H. W. Massingham, L. May, J. Maynard, J. P. Mernagh, Dr E. J. Miller, T. J. Moorey, R. F. Naish, J. O’Hagan, S. L. Paton, G. Perry, B. A. Pike, A. Rivlin, D. R. Robinson, J. H. Russell, A. D. Scott, A. J. Shields, B. D. Smith, T. A. J. Spencer, L. W. Stanton, Dr G. A. Styles, D. Tompsett, A. J. Wardrop, G. H. Willett, S. Woods, Dr E. Young.
 

COMMENTS
375 entries, half a dozen or so having GRILLE/TAGOU for TUILLE/TATOU. TUE as ‘rear half of figure’ i.e. (STA)TUE seems to be what caused the problem here, but the non-existence of TAGOU (in Chambers at least) ought to have raised alarm signals, surely.
 
As many of you discovered, lexicographers are far from unanimous in their definition of BARGE-COUPLE and though Chambers clearly indicates a singular noun with plural meaning, its definition of COUPLE as ‘a rafter’ (a linking strut, presumably) makes me suspect that two barge-couples form gable-end timbering, not one. None of this had occurred to me when I chose the word for cluing (an attractive one in other respects, you’ll agree) so I allowed clues which trustingly followed the Chambers definition as well as those which showed signs of further research. Living in a cruck house of some antiquity as I do I can safely say I’d never encountered the term at first hand!
 
Two unsuccessful clues specially caught my attention this month, in addition to the successful ones quoted above. The first contains an interesting and appealing idea that doesn’t quite work. ‘Hedda’s desert (Coupe Gabler, perhaps).’ Explanation: Gabler afters, and anag. Objections: no definition of word clued, the first part leads cryptically to a synonym of the answer, not the answer itself (i.e. it’s a clue to a clue), and I don’t like ‘perhaps’ as an anagram indicator. Still, it has potential. The second is probably the most unsolvable clue I’ve ever received. ‘“O Attic shape!” Sounds like naughty Keats may have been involved in this.’ Explanation (I quote): ‘Quotation from “Grecian Urn” by Keats. The shape of the attic would depend on the barge-couple. Naughty = no “T”. Keats without T sounds like KEYS. Keys open locks, as do couples on a barge.’ Need I say more?
 
Finally my thanks to the two regular solvers who sent me the Christmas card sold in aid of Save the Children whose design featured a festive mouse asleep on an open book, one page of which bore the printed text of our Christmas quotation. I wonder how they knew!