AZED CROSSWORD 88

BLOOMERY

1.  J. R. Kirby: May make ore semi-molten by suppressing it (anag. incl. mol(ten) in by, & lit.).

2.  D. F. Manley: See within my black ore melting (lo in anag. incl. B).

3.  F. D. Gardiner: It’s full of fire, my bolero dancing (anag.).

VHC

C. Allen Baker: Beauty, quite topless – a real temperature-raiser (bloom (v)ery).

J. Balfour: It’s fired – in brickyard? (i.e. bloomer + y).

Mrs A. Boyes: I get hot handling bars – like Daisy Bell? (i.e. bloomer-y; ref. ‘Daisy, Daisy…’).

Rev C. M. Broun: Could be just the place for the Three Children to do some hymn-singing – ‘As plants…’ perhaps! (i.e. bloomer-y; ref. Daniel 3, and Song of the 3 C., Apocrypha).

Miss E. Browett: No bed of roses for Abednego? (i.e. bloomer-y, & lit.; ref. Daniel 3).

E. J. Burge: Derby, losing leader, confused about machinery for sacking – masses become heated there (loom in anag. less D; ref. B. Clough, Derby County manager).

B. Franco: After my operation they found … bonery? (i.e. bloomer-y; boner = blunder; found¹).

J. J. Goulstone: Pig producer puts up low pound in rickety byre (moo L (rev.) in anag.).

Dr B. Greer: The new Ulysses (reverse of the old) has captured heart of Circe, maker of pigs (Bloom + r in ye (rev.); ref. L. Bloom in ‘Ulysses’, and Odyssey).

Mrs S. Hewitt: Where flaming iron is used, closure of laundry follows blunder (bloomer + y).

Dr P. D. King: Gay’s without a word of hesitation: ‘I rage, I melt, I burn,’ (er in bloomy; ref. John G., ‘Acis and Galatea’ libretto).

A. Lawrie: With endless blast my ore is reduced (blo(w)+ anag., & lit.).

C. J. Morse: A place for flowers? – where they smelt, anyway (i.e. bloomer-y).

F. E. Newlove: My bolero’s crumpled: I’ll heat the iron and do it (anag.).

F. R. Palmer: A slip’s what you’d start with to produce one of the plants that smelt (bloomer + y).

T. E. Sanders: What sighing by the lover’s like – perhaps by Romeo about the onset of love? (l in anag.; ref. AYLI ‘Sighing like a furnace’).

Mrs J. Saunders: Where may I heat the iron? My bolero is crumpled (anag.).

D. A. Smith: My ore is moulded after most of the blast (blo(w)+ anag., & lit.).

G. A. Tomlinson: My speciality’s pig production – get moly or be transformed (anag.; ref. Circe, Odyssey; see moly in C.).

Mrs M. P. Webber: What a rose is Queen Elizabeth, prime specimen of your super-hothouse! (bloom + ER + y; variety of rose).

J. F. N. Wedge: Hothouse? (i.e. bloomer-y, & lit.).

HC

E. Akenhead, Mrs E. Allen, W. G. Arnott, F. D. H. Atkinson, J. W. Bates, E. A. Beaulah, T. E. Bell, A. J. Bulman, R. S. Caffyn, A. H. P. Cardew, E. Chalkley, E. A. Clarke, T. Clement, P. R. Clemow, Mrs M. P. Craine, A. J. Crow, G. Cuthbert, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, P. Drummond, R. P. C. Forman, M. Forrest, A. L. Freeman, G. Gargan, C. C. M. Giffin, J. Gill, S. Goldie, D. Hawson, F. H. Jenkins, D. R. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, J. H. C. Leach, A. D. Legge, Lieut-Col D. Macfie, B. Martin, L. May, D. McCallum, K. D. M. Meadley, E. J. Miller, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, D. I. Morgan, Lieut-Cdr A. R. Nolan, Dr R. J. Palmer, Miss M. J. Patrick, M. L. Perkins, T. C. Perks, D. R. Robinson, L. G. D. Sanders, W. K. M. Slimmings, M. C. Souster, I. Torbe, J. Walmley, C. E. Williams, Miss P. Winn.
 

Comments
About 540 entries, almost no mistakes, and a large number of new entrants whom I am delighted to welcome. Perhaps it was a slightly easier puzzle than usual but this is the sort of size of entry I like to see even though judging takes correspondingly longer. The word to clue lent itself most readily to punning and the great majority of competitors used puns in some form or other. If you do this it is important to remember that the real meaning of the word should also be clued, directly or indirectly. Clues which contained plays on blooms and bloomers in their various meanings but nothing at all to suggest an oven or furnace were thus disqualified. The most popular punning words by far were ‘hothouse’ and ‘red hot poker’, but few managed to achieve the necessary wit and succinctness. Mr. Wedge’s clue, which could hardly be improved upon in the latter category, strikes me as a fair and adequate one as it stands, without need of further embellishment, and I was surprised more people didn’t plump for it.
 
I’m sorry about the delay in announcing the results. I was abroad on business at the vital moment, not ill or indisposed. I’m afraid this is bound to happen occasionally.
 
One solver took exception to my clue to GANT, and on reflection I feel bound to agree with his objections. For a short word the clue was too long and too elliptical, and had I been judging it in a competition I doubt whether I would have scored it highly. ‘… Scold, i.e. term one this’ would have been better, but not much. My inspiration must have been flagging by the time I got to clue No. 36. Can anyone offer an improvement? No prizes.