XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 1045

SPLIT / MOUTH

1.  W. F. Goodman: Lisp in confusion the beginning of that screed of Burns: recite “Wee thleekit, cow’rin’, tim’routh beathtie” (anag. + t(hat); lisping pron. of ‘mouse’; screed (Scot.) = tear).

2.  J. A. Fincken: What lips may be at the end of a bout, kisser being in form out here (anag. + (bou)t & lit.; hidden; ref. boxing; kisser (slang) = mouth).

3.  Mrs E. McFee: Do in the Doctor, cry leaders of Student Power, burning to make use of a cleaver (ut¹ in MOH; S P lit; ref. protests against LSE Director, Dr W. Adams).

V.H.C.

J. W. Bates: A thousand extinguished with hydrant spout—beginnings of students’ protests settled, shipwrecked (M out H; s, p + lit; ref. protests against LSE Director, Dr W. Adams).

Mrs G. Bonsall: Here’s a speaker—rant, disrupt; that’s what students do about leaders of plutocracy (2 mngs.; pl(utocracy) in sit; ref. protests against LSE Director, Dr W. Adams).

Rev C. M. Broun: Do in the official doctor for talking with careless lips, and the ending of it—divulged secrets (ut¹ in MOH; anag. + (i)t; poss. ref. to leaked information re Patrick Troughton leaving “Dr. Who”).

J. F. Coldwell: Seaside town’s cracked outfall—do see the public health chief about it (2 mngs.; ut¹ in MOH; Split, Yugoslavia).

V. A. R. Cooper: What does an MP do about pending licence initially? Divulge secrets—here you see the speaker grimace (p, l in sit; 2 mngs.; ref. rumours of 1969 Budget VED rise leaked by Sir Gerald Nabarro).

Mrs M. P. Craine: One needs make-up in harem: out here more than half lipstick’s unfit, broken (hidden; anag. of lipst(ick)).

M. J. Daintith: Thousand in revolt—shocking licence—utter wreck—to encompass opening of L.S.E. you’ve to eject with violence (M out H; L(SE) in spit; ref. student protests against LSE Director, Dr W. Adams; H, old film classification).

N. C. Dexter: What rivers do on the Adriatic coast—there’s a coastal opening for rivers to do this (2 mngs.; 2 mngs.; those who rive; Split, Yugoslavia; mouth = debouch).

J. Gill: Students’ leader, getting head of L.S.E. in a hole, creates schism: union’s leader, interrupting frivolous type, effects entrance (S + L(SE) in pit; u(nion) in moth; ref. student protests against LSE Director, Dr W. Adams).

S. Goldie: Master, in the open, at front of hazard, lipped hole in crisp little crack with wedge (M out h; hidden; ref. golf Open Championship).

D. J. Hillyard: Break bad lisp before start of training a voice: to hum is wrong (anag. + t; anag.).

K. R. Jenkins: Opening speaker divulged secrets: first signs of several printed leaflets—increased tax (2 mngs.; first letters; ref. rumours of 1969 Budget VED rise leaked by Sir Gerald Nabarro).

C. J. Morse: There’s a bit of flotsam out here in the estuary—wrecked on the Adriatic coast (hidden; 2 mngs.; Split, Yugoslavia).

R. Postill: Rant; a quid in it produces saliva. Rent: a quid from it produces saliva (2 mngs.; i.e. split less L = spit; tobacco).

M. C. C. Rich: An element of corruption for all to see has entered in, spokesman divulged, and pound is involved in slight fall (U in moth; L in spit).

Sir W. Slimmings: In Yugoslavia, what river makes an inlet to a gorge, visible to anyone in a plane (2 mngs.; U in moth; one who rives; Tiger Moth aeroplane).

J. G. Stubbs: Head of seraglio quietly attended with a lamp crack kisser in harem outhouse (s + p + lit; hidden; k. (slang) = mouth).

R. D. Thompson: Disunity in Yugoslavia. Opening for discussion impossible between leaders of Montenegro and Hercegovina (2 mngs.; out (= impossible) in M, H; city and states in Yug.).

B. J. Wain: Insect has superior internal feeding organ; it’s a long opening with soft interior leading to another opening (U in moth; p in slit).

G. H. Willett: It creates talk and is smart in a flapper to reveal cleavage and be very fast (U in moth; 2 mngs.).

H.C.

D. B. J. Ambler, F. D. H. Atkinson, G. E. Baker, M. J. Balfour, T. E. Bell, J. M. Bennett, J. A. Blair, A. Bremner, C. O. Butcher, E. Chalkley, J. Crowther, H. A. C. Darwen, A. L. Dennis, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, Flt Sgt J. Dromey, G. H. Du Boulay, D. M. Duckworth, A. J. Duncum, R. P. C. Forman, F. D. Gardiner, N. C. Goddard, R. B. Harling, W. A. Hay, Mrs R. Herbert, Mrs E. J. Holmes, J. F. Jones, Sir S. Kaye, R. E. Kimmons, J. R. Kirby, A. Lawrie, K. F. Lawton, L. F. Leason, Mrs B. Lewis, Mrs A. Lockett, R. H. Maynard, D. McFadyen, D. P. M. Michael, T. J. Moorey, Miss M. J. Patrick, L. S. Pearce, W. H. Pegram, Mrs N. Perry, Mrs E. M. Phair, W. J. Plumb, E. J. Rackham, Dr D. S. Robertson, N. Roles, T. E. Sanders, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, S. Sondheim, J. R. Stocks, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, F. B. Stubbs, A. Sudbery, Dr W. G. A. Swan, K. Thomas, M. E. Ventham, J. D. Walsh, Mrs M. P. Webber, Rev C. D. Westbrook, A. R. Wheatley.
 

COMMENTS: Nearly 550 entries, hardly any mistakes. An excellent entry, giving me much trouble in choosing. The difficulty in writing this type of clue is to produce continuous sense (many failed here) while giving a twofold clue to each word; some competitors dodged the latter by giving only a definition to one word or even both—none of these could fairly qualify for a mention. Others failed by introducing superfluous words to join the two parts, e.g. and, by, causing, may, while, etc., or by relying in the second part on a reference to something in the first part; this is foreign to the idea—both clues must be complete in themselves, and there should be no redundant connecting words. But the long lists show how many good clues there were. A few of those in the secondary list were excellent clues apart from some flaw which kept them out of a higher award; I will quote three. “It’s impossible to hum with open lips—try putting lips tight against front of teeth, then blow.” General sense and clue to SPLIT are excellent (blow = tell tales); but a mouth need not have open lips, nor do I like “impossible” as an indication of an anagram much.—“A speaker uses old-fashioned word for vermin about upper-class party—leaders start to brood about this.” General sense and clue to MOUTH (mo-U-th) are excellent, with reference to Nye Bevan; but the dash makes it hardly fair to expect PL to emerge, and the same thing applies to the claim of “& lit.”.—“Rift within party divulged—spokesman with wry face—exit Speaker.” Here the word “with” is ruinous; one can’t join up separate definitions with “with.” But all three were too good to be expelled altogether
 
It’s a pity some competitors won’t follow the instructions; one wrote a clue to METTLE/SPETCH, one to UTTER/RENT, one to SPLIT/MONTH (after writing MOUTH in the diagram)—all sad wastes of time.
 
I’m sorry about TITE/TYTE; both are, of course, equally good answers. I failed lamentably to follow my own instructions on p.121 of my book! But no injustice was done; both solutions were accepted. Incidentally newcomers, of whom there have been many lately, may not know of the book, which a lot of competitors have said they have found helpful; it is called “Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword,” published by Methuen.
 
Finally, may I make a plea that competitors will take notice of my request about the size of paper used for entries? Many persistently ignore it; very large and very small pieces of paper are both a perfect nuisance!