XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 104

STARE (Printer’s Devilry)

1.  Miss D. W. Taylor (Sidcup): Eureka! I’ve come across a flat Atla/ntic, rowing!

2.  R. Postill (Jersey): Plot of “The Be/ast of Indore” may be based on “The Bending of a Twig” (divining rod).

3.  G. Bowness (N3): Tru/ckless engine! Driver not here! May be an accident.

H.C.

J. S. Cassels (Cambridge): The editor must sometimes write le/aders late? Such lack of industry!

J. C. R. Clapham (Kettering): Are National Health Administration and Co/al source of worry to Sir Stafford? (Sir S. Cripps, Chancellor in 1949).

R. A. W. Cohen (Woking): “The King’s madness has co/gency at last,” cried Grenville gleefully (George G., PM under George III).

F. S. Danks (York): How fa/ther ate soft women, one on cinders, the other on grass?

E. Danter (St. Andrews): I’ve done my favourite jacket in Atla/ntic ant-hide.

L. Dixon (Westcliff): Assam co/p eats his malapropos words. Millions laugh heartily (Sam Costa, actor in radio comedy ‘Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh’).

L. E. Eyres (York): Mu/d in your eye, Mr. Stalin! Always be a hero!

R. P. Irving (Cambridge): Guide should be taught to. Tru/e, father rallies sooner than a granny.

B. A. Jackson (Maiden Newton): To make a cast you need fir/e, land, then water.

Mrs L. Jarman (Brough): Breathe quietly while eating le/mons: trance should follow.

T. W. Melluish (SE24): Never tru/e—Dunstable straws or woman’s promises!

W. L. Miron (Nottingham): Lo/in chop? Off a length of leather!

Rev E. B. Peel (Fleetwood): Who can get a sweet ju/gular customer? (food rationing).

Mrs M. G. Porter (SW13): Watch: Neapolitan /winder by 3 p.m. Saturday, please (… Neapolitan Star e.w. in Derby …; N. S. came last in 1949 Derby [see comments]; e.w. = each way).

D. I. Randell (Woking): Swallow tail first there/, now here (Swallowtail, 3rd place in 1949 Derby [see comments]).

A. R. Read (Sidcup): Highways Department/ very roughly used by “Ways and Means.” Extravagance? (… tar every … byway. Sand means …).

Rev H. M. Springbett (N6): Here’s the M.O.; ju/gular inspection.

Sir R. G. Tate (Gateshead): India’s hot te/a softens low-down people’s brains.

L. E. Thomas (Bangor): As I e/at, tunes hum—and inner organs! (re-attunes).

L. C. Tudor (Bury): I intend owning /Dover, England. What a hope! (Labour PM Clement Attlee).

COMMENTS.—238 correct—a noble effort in face of a difficult novelty. There were naturally many scattered mistakes. None of the alternatives to OVERHANG will do as well as the right answer. “Stines” for STIVER is not in Chambers: it is surprisingly apposite—“Was the wedding feast in Esther …”—but does not read quite as naturally as the intended version, and in any case such a rare word would never have been given without either C.’s authority or a hint. The other mistakes were clearly guesses. I am very glad Afrit’s brilliant invention has proved so popular with my “wolves,” and we will have another of these, but not too soon, for fear of brain-fag!
 
Very great skill was shown by competitors, but I have two criticisms. Some set too much store by the sense of the “devilled” version and too little by the naturalness of the complete version, which is the more important of the two from the solver’s point of view. Others failed to see that “devilled” clues can be too good, if difficulty of gap-spotting is made the criterion. A clue like “Mother had a rest that did her good” (… a rest, a rest …) is hopelessly unfair. The solver who thought of it substituted another, “even if it is not so good” (to quote his own words). He was wise, for his substitute had humour and solubility—both more acceptable than sheer difficulty. Others were less wise. By request I have served up the successful clues without indicating the gaps: don’t shoot if you can’t find them! [Gaps are marked in the archive version.] I offer one hint: if you want a tipster, don’t try Mrs. Porter! Mr. Randell is much better, though not perfect!
 
Now for my confession! The clue to BLED worried those who didn’t know, or didn’t think, of “Loyalties,” [a play by John Galsworthy] but I’m afraid it wasn't quite fair even to those who saw the point. I forgot that it was Daney, not De Levis, who jumped on to a book-case for a bet. Only two solvers pointed this out: one other may have hinted at it. It was very careless of me—many apologies.
 
Runners-up.—E. S. Ainley, K. W. Andrews, Dr S. H. Atkins, C. Allen Baker, K. Bird, Mrs R. Le S. Filleul, A. C. Foskett, A. R. Fraser, Maj A. H. Giles, D. Godden, S. B. Green, Mrs B. P. Hall, Dr G. P. Hartigan, H. J. Howells, L. Johnson, J. P. Lloyd, R. Lumley, R. C. Macfarlane, A. McIntyre, R. J. Munnings, A. I. Oldaker, L. C. Payman, E. G. Phillips, F. V. Pollard, E. J. Rackham, L. A. Roberts, A. Robins, F. Rose, T. E. Sanders, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, W. K. M. Slimmings, L. R. Smith, Miss Telfer, J. Thompson, J. P. Titchmarsh, H. L. Trachtenberg, J. F. N. Wedge, W. H. J. Wheeler, T. Wilson, L. C. Wright.
 
Half-yearly report held over till there is more room: names of consolation prize winners were in the paper.