XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 102

ARCHIMEDES

1.  H. C. Pilley (Leeds): Weight reduction guaranteed on my principle. I give mashed rice (anag.; A.’s principle).

2.  F. E. Newlove (SE9): Made riches? Not so: was probably satisfied with his original screw (anag.; A.’s screw; screw = wages).

3.  J. P. Lloyd (Swansea): Might have made riches for himself, but—wise man!—was quite satisfied with his screw (anag.; A.’s screw; screw = wages).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley (S. Harrow): When ill-gotten riches made up his screw the liquor flowed freely (anag.; A.’s screw; pause before “up”; screw = wages).

Mrs Caithness (Ambleside): “I’ve got it!” he cried, showing the Chimera wriggling about on a fish-hook (anag. incl. sed; “Eureka”; a sed—see Chamb.—fastens a fish-hook).

W. Darby (SE21): Screamed “Hi!”—but not like that! (anag. & lit.; “Eureka”).

A. D. Merson (Colchester): Ran home in his birthday suit? I’m scared he must be deranged! (anag.; jumped out of bath).

R. Mills (SW12): Old maths. master behaves like a spiteful cat about half-back (demi (rev.) in arches).

G. H. Podmore (Altrincham): Discovered naked in the street! I’m scared he’s mad (anag.; jumped out of bath).

Mrs M. G. Porter (SW13): Maths. were absolute Greek to him, but he got a jolly good screw (cryptic def.; A.’s screw; screw = wages).

F. Rose (Stafford): Expert on figures, but only half up in curves (demi (rev.) in arches).

W. K. M. Slimmings (New Malden): Coy? I’m the Home Secretary’s mentor on curves and figures generally! (arch I’m Ede’s; ref. James Ede, Home Sec. in 1949).

L. E. Thomas (Bangor): Early summer spell from 15th March and beginning of Easter (anag. of Ides, March, E; summer = mathematician).

D. W. H. Tripp (Ware): Recipe: red hams and ice. Result: Bath chap! (anag.; jumped out of bath).

COMMENTS.—163 correct, and easily a record number incorrect. Very nearly half the entry gave “Serb” for SORB. I have tried hard to find a justification for it: it fits “Slavish,” but I cannot for the life of me see how it fits “service,” whereas SORB—“service-tree” and “one of a Slavonic race”—fits both. So there, I am afraid, it is! There were enough other mistakes to make incorrect solutions outnumber correct for the first time.
 
Some said the puzzle was harder than No. 101, some were “thankful it was easier”! More than one competitor suggested that the “haddock” was a red herring, but it wasn’t: A. P. H. [Herbert] regularly calls himself “Haddock” in Punch.
 
The clues qualifying for awards were much reduced in number, but there were some good ones left, many of them involving anagrams. Mr. Newlove just won preference over Mr. Lloyd through the additional point given by “original.”
 
One more debt of gratitude to those who were at the Dinner, this time for giving me a handsome frame for the Sillince cartoon, which I value greatly. They may not all know that they have given it me, but I assure them that they have! Very many thanks!
 
Runners-up:—Maj P. S. Baines, C. Allen Baker, Capt J. G. Burton-Page, Inst Capt J. Camp, H. Carter, W. T. Clift, P. M. Coombs, G. Danter, J. H. Dingwall, B. Donne-Smith, A. B. Gardner, I. C. Gilchrist, S. B. Green, L. S. Harris, Mrs D. M. Kissen, B. M. Legg, S. B. Lucas, A. Mackenzie, T. W. Melluish, D. G. C. Mockridge, J. D. P. O’Leary, E. G. Phillips, R. S. Pollard, T. E. Sanders, E. O. Seymour, O. Carlton Smith, A. H. Taylor, P. H. Taylor, M. A. Vernon, A. G. H. Walde, L. C. Wright.