AZED CROSSWORD 849

VISITE

1.  R. F. Naish: Old rig will be inspected again when Adair’s sealed it ((Re)visite(d); ref. Red Adair, Piper Alpha).

2.  Dr E. Young: Cut dropped by short extra cover (visite(d)).

3.  C. G. Millin: Cape – go to Spain – see one place it’s flourished in contest (visit E, v I site, anag. in vie; ref. bullfighting).

VHC

H. J. Bradbury: It has to look outdated on the shoulders (it in vise, & lit.).

E. J. Burge: I’ve loosely surrounded a dame (Well, not any more) (Sit(well) in anag., & lit.; Dame Edith S.).

C. A. Clarke: Model, in bid for success, discarded clothing above the waist (sit in vie).

Mrs D. A. Colley: John Brown’s aim secreting wee bit of tipple – covering for Victoria? (t in visie; ref. Queen’s Scottish servant).

L. J. Davenport: ‘Manche was avoided in my design’ – character in Ashford awaiting terminal? (i.e. visite(r); M. = sleeve, channel; ref. Daisy A., ‘The Young Visiters’ and A. in Kent).

C. M. Draper: Vatican City – is it natural base for cardinal? (V is it e; c. type of cloak).

D. V. Harry: Where the bombs went off in Germany? This would have stopped the blast (i.e. V1 site; ref. also IRA bombs).

P. F. Henderson: Introduction of sanctions – the thing involved in conflict in the Cape? (s it in vie; ref. sanctions on S. Africa).

A. W. Hill: A cape one’s seen in views of Genoa (I in viste (It.)).

T. M. Hoggart: Is it included in outermost articles of vesture? (is it in v, e, & lit.).

C. W. Laxton: Victorian ladies might be well wrapped up or clad in a —— (comp. anag. & lit.).

D. F. Manley: Call English what couldn’t be labelled 20th Century – fashion of previous century (visit E; ref. new ed. of Chambers reverting to its 19c name).

R. J. Palmer: It’s like a cardinal, it’s dressed in red (it in vise; red⁴, vise² = advise; c. type of cloak).

D. Price Jones: Little woman’s short number? (Vi’s ite(m), & lit.; ref. L. M. Alcott).

Dr N. Smith: Drinking vermouth is an American vice, and passé habit? (It in vise¹).

D. M. Stanford: What’s out of fashion in Montmartre – immorality with model for spot of cash (vice with sit for c).

F. B. Stubbs: Quick round is hardly tiring for the modern woman (is in vite; tiring = attire).

Mrs M. Vincent: Power, crowning quality and energy – something Victoria could have shouldered lightly (vis it E).

HC

Ms C. Alvik, S. Armstrong, M. Barley, E. A. Beaulah, Mrs K. Bissett, C. J. Brougham, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, J. M. Brown, E. Burgin, D. A. Campbell, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, Mrs E. Carchrae, P. Cargill, M. Cerny, A. Clow, G. Clyde, Mrs B. Cole, R. N. Cuff, R. Dean, N. C. Dexter, H. F. Dixon, P. Drummond, R. A. England, H. F. Everett, C. J. Feetenby, P. D. Gaffey, F. D. Gardiner, N. C. Goddard, S. Goldie, Mrs E. Greenaway, R. R. Greenfield, Mrs R. Herbert, W. Islip, G. Johnstone, C. L. Jones, J. F. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, F. P. N. Lake, J. F. P. Levey, R. K. Lumsdon, M. A. Macdonald-Cooper, J. D. H. Mackintosh, D. Malcolm, L. K. Maltby, H. W. Massingham, J. J. Moore, T. J. Moorey, C. J. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, H. B. Morton, Mrs P. M. V. Murray, J. J. Murtha, D. S. Nagle, C. Oliver, F. R. Palmer, Mrs E. M. Phair, H. L. Rhodes, E. R. Riddle, G. J. H. Roberts, H. R. Sanders, T. E. Sanders, W. J. M. Scotland, D. J. Short, W. K. M. Slimmings, M. J. Suckling, J. B. Sweeting, L. Ward, A. J. Wardrop, J. Webster, J. F. N. Wedge, V. J. White, M. Whiteoak, R. Wilkinson, G. T. Wilson.
 

COMMENTS
411 entries, no mistakes, and no real problems with the puzzle, it seems, though there were a couple of questioning comments about my treating MOSEL as the same as MOSELLE in the due to DAMOSEL (‘Girl giving a boost to commercial on wine’). I must confess that I didn’t stop to check this at the time, relying on what I thought was a fairly thorough acquaintance with restaurant wine-lists. Seeing that Chambers only gives MOSELLE I got in a bit of a flap and consulted a German-speaking friend who reassured me, with supporting dictionary evidence, that in Germany Mosel means ‘Moselwein’ or ‘Wein von der Mosel’. I don’t suppose anyone was seriously misled.
 
VISITE appears a fairly innocuous word but actually proved quite tricky to deal with in an original way. There were plenty of references to Peenemunde and doodlebug launch-pads, and even more to ‘the old look’ or some such phrase. Many strove valiantly to indicate the garment’s old-fashionedness and French origin, which I certainly applaud (though note, incidentally, that the word itself is not obsolete and is only derived from the French, at least according to Chambers). Mr Tompsett unearthed the following delightful passage in a book on shawls: ‘… the appearance of the bustle … caused the shawl to be banished – for a time, at least. For, clearly, no lady could flaunt her hind quarters, as fashion demanded, while wearing the traditional shawl. Hence the shameful practice of cutting up shawls into coats, often in the form of what was called a visite. This deplorable garment has long sleeves, and was shaped to allow the bustle to be displayed to maximum effect. As if that were insufficient desecration for the shawl, a collar and fringed edging around hem and cuffs were added. ’ Now we know.
 
Finally a query which recurs from time to time: would I please give a ruling on whether competitors should avoid clues which in any way resemble the original clue (which I take to mean the wording of the simple definition in a standard plain competition)? Certainly – competitors should not feel constrained in this way and will not be automatically ‘marked down’ if they reproduce my wording in whole or in part in their cryptic clue. I don’t always give you words with only one meaning, like this one.