AZED CROSSWORD 709

GINGER

1.  D. V. Harry: Crackers, hats and this lively spirit make for merry gatherings (comp. anag.).

2.  D. Ashcroft: Sandy means to snatch a birdie, Bernhard having conceded a half (gin + (Lan)ger; ref. S. Lyle, B. L., golfers).

3.  P. F. Henderson: Could be the end of stitching, sewing-machine needing only seconds to put zip in (g + (S)inger).

VHC

J. D. D. Blaikie: Pop musicians’ one-night stand opened with debut of number by ‘Queen’ (n in gig + ER).

H. J. Bradbury: Ted perhaps, having a connection with Cakes and Ale (2 mngs.; ref. G. Ted, Maugham character, and Twelfth Night II, 3).

A. E. Brookes: Beer bottle (2 mngs.; bottle = mettle).

C. J. Brougham: Sting: pop group type (3 mngs.).

Rev Canon C. M. Broun: Zip? Here’s the latest in fastening among clothes without one (g in ge(a)r).

D. Buxton: Pop group? (2 mngs.).

D. A. Crossland: Pop performance includes fantastic number by Queen (n in gig + ER).

N. C. Dexter: The girl of girl-gent combination, both endlessly dancing (anag. of gir(l)-gen(t); ref. G. Rogers).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Buck Rogers? (2 mngs.; G. Rogers).

Mrs D. B. Jenkinson: Pop-group? (2 mngs.).

F. P. N. Lake: Buck Rogers? (2 mngs.; G. Rogers).

A. Lawrie: Consort of William the First of Germany during turbulent reign (G in anag.; ref. character in ‘Just William’ stories).

Mrs J. Mahood: An outlaw race in Arden perhaps (2 mngs.; race³; ref. ‘Just William’ stories, Shakespeare).

D. F. Manley: Geneva unusually good, having cast one American in co-starring role with red head (gin + ge(a)r).

J. J. Moore: Like Barbarossa, a trap set by Germany, exterminating great numbers (gin + Ger(many); ref. German invasion of Russia).

T. W. Mortimer: G. Greenidge in fantastic form? Edge slips out – it may stop the runs! (anag. less edge; g. a stomachic; Gordon G., cricketer).

R. F. Naish: Hot spice in egg flip recipe (anag. + r).

A. J. Redstone: Go pop (2 mngs.).

D. R. Robinson: Like the League in Holmes’ case – rugger made to lose its authority and it’s given in, helplessly (in in (RU)gger; ref. Terry H. and Sherlock H., ‘The Red-Headed League’).

T. E. Sanders: The Queen follows precedent in entering gee-gee in race as before (in in G G + ER; race³).

J. F. N. Wedge: Go pop? (2 mngs.).

Dr E. Young: Buck Rogers? (2 mngs.; G. Rogers).

HC

D. W. Arthur, M. J. Balfour, E. A. Beaulah, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, A. G. Bogie, R. E. Boot, Mrs A. R. Bradford, E. Chalkley, C. A. Clarke, E. A. Clarke, P. R. Clemow, M. Coates, J. H. Dingwall, D. M. Duckworth, Mrs P. Edwards, M. G. Elliott, P. S. Elliott, O. M. Ellis, M. Freeman, D. A. Ginger(!), N. C. Goddard, D. Godden, P. J. Heap, Mrs S. Hewitt, R. J. Hooper, E. M. Hornby, W. Jackson, Mrs N. Jarman, M. S. Taylor & N. C. Johns, A. H. Jones, Prof N. Kessel, R. E. Kimmons, J. H. C. Leach, S. M. Mansell, H. S. Mason, H. W. Massingham, D. P. M. Michael, C. G. Millin, C. J. Morse, R. A. Mostyn, F. E. Newlove, R. G. Norman, D. F. Paling, F. R. Palmer, R. J. Palmer, W. H. Pegram, Mrs E. M. Phair, M. Postlethwaite, C. P. Rea, N. J. Reed, E. R. Riddle, D. Riley, A. Rivlin, R. Samuelson, W. J. M. Scotland, A. J. Shields, W. K. M. Slimmings, F. B. Stubbs, Dr I. Torbe, A. J. Wardrop, M. H. E. Watson, Mrs B. Wharf, Mrs B. J. Widger, W. Woodruff.
 

COMMENTS
439 entries, no mistakes. A mercifully straightforward competition after last month’s disaster. The only clue that really gave trouble was that for GENTLE (‘What’s a dead spy? One ass so soft at heart!’). The exclamation was meant to warn you that something mildly outrageous was afoot, though I don’t regard it as unreasonably tortuous. A dead spy is one agent less, n’est-ce pas? And one agent less is ONE ASS with GENTLE ‘at heart’. Faced with innocuous words that have been often clued before one must occasionally resort to the dustier corners of the clue-writer’s toolkit!
 
GINGER offered many possibilities, I’m glad to say, and attracted many first-time competitors. Anagrams involving ‘nigger’ were mostly discounted on racialist grounds (I learnt my lesson years ago with what I thought was a harmless enough clue to NIGGLERS which almost got me reported to the Press Council!), but it was nice to be reminded again of William and the Outlaws, favourites of my childhood. There were many short clues, the most popular after ‘Buck Rogers?’ or the like being ‘Jolly Rogers?’ or something similar. The latter I regard as (just) inferior to the former on the grounds that ‘to buck’ is closer in meaning to ‘ginger’ than is ‘to jolly’ which usually requires the adverbial particle ‘along’. But Miss Rogers certainly figured very prominently, in all manner of guises.
 
I haven’t time for more now. Christmas and January competitions are fast approaching. May I just take this opportunity to return greetings to those who sent cards and seasonal messages to myself and my long-suffering family and to wish you all the very best for 1986. There is one date to mark in your new year calendars. A dinner (at the Randolph Hotel in Oxford) has been provisionally arranged for Saturday 13 September to mark the appearance of Azed No. 750 the following day. Further details will be published in due course but I hope as many as possible of you will be able to come.