AZED CROSSWORD 939

A-PER-SE / ESCROC

1.  D. H. Tompsett: ‘Nonpareil’ apple-crusher ejects every other core and Coxes’ peel mashed in the twister (alternate letters; anag. incl. C(oxe)s).

2.  C. J. Brougham: A fantastic sweeper we picked out is a corker playing soccer. Fulham he’d win with! (a + anag. less we; anag.; fulham = loaded dice).

3.  E. Chalkley: A stunner employed by newspapers, exposing the sleeker body that was put up outside clubs? (hidden; C in corse (rev.)).

VHC

D. Ashcroft: Fiddler, producing wayward crescendo, ignoring finale, ignoring end of concert, botched repeats – an unrepeatable performance (anag. less end; anag. less t).

M. Barley: Outstanding individual (No. 10 in Argentinian blue) cheat playing soccer (a perse; anag.; ref. Maradona).

E. Dawid: Rogue soccer fans rose in a drunken spree (anag.; a + anag.).

Ms H. Grayson: Star newspaper’s editorial includes: ‘Runcie’s Crockford’s entry is a fraud’ (hidden; hidden; ref. Robert R., C.’s Clerical Directory).

R. R. Greenfield: Paramount object is revealed by newspapers: eliminating rogue soccer fans (hidden; anag.).

D. V. Harry: Select one from Andromeda; Perseus; the monster – examination upset for starters in modern Greek (hidden; CSE (rev.) + roc; Greek (arch.) = rogue).

H. W. Massingham: Score’s transposed to C sharp (formerly A) in masterpiece (anag. + C; 2 mngs.; sharp n.).

H. J. McClarron: What’s surpassing gay Paree’s going with foreign bit, a fabulous bird – a doer? (anag.; esc(udo) + roc).

E. Miller: A public-school paragon playing soccer? He certainly does! (a Perse; anag.; ref. Cambridge school).

T. J. Moorey: Soccer fans leg it, a spree afoot (anag.; anag.; leg = swindler, it = ne plus ultra, afoot = astir).

C. J. Morse: Reformed soccer cheat an Oxford blue? That must be unique (anag.; a perse).

R. A. Mostyn: Sharper in playing soccer, a Dark Blue reveals a unique ‘something’ (anag.; a perse).

R. F. Naish: Hammering score over ton he pulls a fast one with touch of exuberance right into far boundary of Oval – nonpareil! (anag. + C; e, r in apse (qv.)).

F. R. Palmer: Suspect soccer fraud, an ideal item for embroidery by English papers wanting lead (anag.; anag. less p).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Soccer playing artful dodger, a blue (Oxford?), is one without a match (anag.; a perse).

J. Stokes: A dark blue nonpareil a cheat? What a surprise! Examination now cancelled – result reversed (a perse; cor! CSE (rev.)).

R. C. Teuton: Play soccer? He’d bamboozle the very best in some newspapers’ estimation (anag.; hidden).

K. Thomas: A fee’s repaid partly over leg broken in soccer (hidden rev.; anag.; leg = swindler).

A. J. Wardrop: Faultless article appears in papers exposing scandalous soccer fraud (hidden; anag.).

Dr E. Young: It’s no match, or a violent spree for sharp ‘soccer fans’ (a + anag.; anag.).

HC

Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, H. J. Bradbury, Mrs A. R. Bradford, E. J. Burge, B. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, C. A. Clarke, R. V. Dearden, N. C. Dexter, L. L. Dixon, G. T. Donnelly, M. Earle, D. Fielker, Dr I. S. Fletcher, B. Franco, H. Freeman, E. H. Furnival, S. Gaskell, S. Goldie, M. Goodyear, J. F. Grimshaw, P. F. Henderson, V. G. Henderson, R. E. Kimmons, F. P. N. Lake, A. Lawrie, R. Lawther, C. W. Laxton, J. P. Lester, J. C. Leyland, R. K. Lumsdon, A. N. MacDougall, D. F. Manley, H. S. Mason, Rev M. R. Metcalf, C. G. Millin, R. S. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, H. B. Morton, W. Murphy, S. L. Paton, C. Pearson, Mrs E. M. Phair, D. R. Robinson, H. R. Sanders, L. G. D. Sanders, T. E. Sanders, A. D. Scott, A. J. Shields, D. M. Stanford, F. W. R. Stocks, J. B. Sweeting, Dr I. Torbe, D. Williamson, (and an unnamed entry beginning ‘A dark blue superman?’ – Mr G. Johnstone?).
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS)
1. F. R. Palmer (2 prizes, 7 VHC’s); 2(equal) N. C. Dexter (1, 8), D. F. Manley (0, 10); 4(equal) Dr I. S. Fletcher (2, 5), J. F. Grimshaw (3, 3); 6(equal) C. J. Brougham (1, 6), V. G. Henderson (2, 4); 9(equal) M. Barley (1, 5), E. J. Burge (0, 7), R. J. Hooper (1, 5), T. J. Moorey (1, 5), C. J. Morse (1, 5), R. F. Naish (2, 3); 15(equal) A. J. Wardrop (0, 6), Dr E. Young (1, 4); 17(equal) C. A. Clarke (1, 3), M. Earle (0, 5), C. G. Millin (0, 5), A. J. Shields (1, 3); 21(equal) D. Ashcroft (1, 2), E. Chalkley (1, 2), R. V. Dearden (0, 4), R. A. England (1, 2), S. Goldie (0, 4), F. P. N. Lake (0, 4), H. W. Massingham (1, 2), T. W. Mortimer (2, 0), R. A. Mostyn (0, 4), R. C. Teuton (1,2), R. J. Whale (0, 4).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES:- D. F. Manley, E. J. Burge, M. Earle, C. G. Millin, A. J. Wardrop, R. V. Dearden, S. Goldie, F. P. N. Lake, R. J. Whale. R. A. Mostyn.
 

 
COMMENTS
 
312 entries, no mistakes. A toughish puzzle, by all accounts, but one that presented no particular problems. It was pointed out to me, rightly as I now see, that the disposition of the answers to double clues could be worked out without first solving the central single clue (compared with the more traditional Ximenean diagram in which the two sides are. identical). Whether this is a weakness I’m not sure. I varied the shape of the diagram just to make a change, and I dare say some will have welcomed this (small) bit of extra help unwittingly offered.
 
Concocting double clues makes special demands on the clue-writer. The main aims should be (apart from those of accuracy, etc that apply to standard single clues) to achieve a sensible unified flow of language, and if possible to disguise the ‘join’ between the two separate clues (i.e. not signalling it too obviously by means of major punctuational pauses, etc). The whole thing should not get too long either. (Mr Moorey’s 7-worder is a remarkable achievement, even if I was a little doubtful about ‘afoot’ as an anagram indicator – if it means ‘astir’ why not use ‘astir’?). Generally there was a lack of variety in clues submitted. The SOCCER anagram was predictably popular and sporting clues predominated accordingly.
 
Hearty congratulations to our new champion. It was a close race all the way and only decided on the final competition. Thank you all once again for continuing to compete and especially to RVD for checking all the scores so meticulously. I hope his own consolation prize this year compensates in small measure for all his hard work.