XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 1131

CAROUSER (Misprints)

1.  N. C. Dexter: Causing stir in a mini perhaps, I ought to go home in a maxi (taxi; rouse in car).

2.  E. J. Rackham: I like to go home with a skilful motorist who has imbibed nothing (skinful; O in car user).

3.  J. B. Sweeting: I sing in the tub: I could be Caruso … I’m not sure … (pub: anag. + er).

V.H.C.

C. Allen Baker: A cat endlessly on the alert makes a great mouser (bouser; ca(t) + rouser).

B. W. Brook: I am towing a car without a bumper (toping; rouse² in car).

H. J. Godwin: Vehicle about to start is not making much noise (sot; rouse in car).

S. Goldie: Rooster who wakes our cares anew (roister; anag.; wake = hold late revel (obs.)).

E. G. Illingworth: Flying saucer circling or rising—I’m a fibber (bibber; or (rev.) in anag.).

F. G. Illingworth: A bumper with chromium all round, the sort that brightens up the car (bar; a + rouse² in Cr).

N. Kemmer: Alarm in car: this tyre has blow-outs (type; rouse in car).

J. R. Kirby: A scourer can literally transform an old pot (sot; anag.).

A. Lawrie: Soar—an English river set in boggy ground (soak; Ouse in carr).

Mrs B. Lewis: What ruins your sleep on the first sign of cock-crow? A rooster (roister; c(ock-crow) + arouser).

Mrs E. McFee: Rooster’s about and active—something that disturbs a sleeper (roister; c. a. rouser).

C. J. Morse: Rooster—the countryman’s first alarm (roister; c(ountryman) + arouser).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: Commonly butter is dear to an Italian consumer (buster: caro (It.) + user).

L. T. Stokes: A motorist should imbibe nothing—I’ll be on the right side (tight; O in car user).

Rev L. M. Styler: Ford over two rivers? I’ll get ferry (merry; R. + Ouse, all in car; Ford car; River Ouse).

F. T. Walton: He shows an absorbing interest in housing: he’ll transform our acres (bousing; anag.).

E. F. Watling: Who rebels most vociferously? The motorist, about nothing (revels; O in car user).

J. Webster: He patently delights in ravelling out our cares (revelling; anag.).

Rev C. D. Westbrook: Leveller—one producing alarm in King Charles? (reveller; arouse in CR; ref. political movement of English Civil War).

H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams, F. D. H. Atkinson, A. J. Bisset, Mrs K. Bissett, Mrs A. Boyes, Rev C. M. Broun, D. Buxton, D. L. L. Clarke, C. J. Clayton, R. M. S. Cork, A. J. Crow, J. Crowther, P. W. Dennis, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, W. J. Duffin, A. S. Everest, Mrs W. Fearon, W. P. M. Field, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, T. E. Girdlestone, W. F. Goodman, R. B. Harling, D. V. Harry, N. L. Hindley, Mrs L. Jarman, R. E. Kimmons, J. C. Leyland, Lt Col D. Macfie, Mrs E. M. Phair, R. Postill, W. G. Roberts, E. Robinson, G. J. S. Ross, D. J. Short, J. Sparrow, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, F. B. Stubbs, G. H. Willett, D. C. Williamson.
 

COMMENTS:—About 250 entries, about 40 incorrect—not a bad entry for such a difficult puzzle plus the difficulty of getting papers in the London area. I try to avoid red herrings in such puzzles, but they will creep in, unintended; TRADE, misprinted TRIDE, was an excellent answer to 13 across, assuming there was no misprint in the clue (trade can mean rubbish). But it upset the nine-nine proportion, and so wouldn’t do. The old clue to NUMB, which I borrowed from Afrit and have always regarded as one of his best, gave a lot of trouble: “Is minus power” is the definition, and “of number positive” indicates the positive degree of number, which is the comparative degree of numb-numb, number, numbest. Another cause of trouble was NONSUIT: Several thought the clue had no misprint, but “found” surely won’t make sense—it must be “sound.” The standard of clues sent was very high, especially the brilliant first two; I thought Mr Rackham very unlucky to miss a first.
 
Some tigerish competitors regretted that they hadn’t got to discover the word to be clued, as in previous such puzzles. So I must recount the exciting history of this one. Originally it was planned to be like the former ones: HINDQUARTERS was the word to be clued, having no misprint in clue or solution. But after passing the final proof I suddenly noticed that an alternative was possible: BEDEVIL, just below HINDQUARTERS, also had no misprint in its clue, so that CAROUSER, which crossed them and had to have a misprint, could either become CAROISER, producing BSDEVIL, as in the planned diagram, or CAROUEER, making BEDEVIL the word to be clued! I had to do something about this quickly, and I could find no way out except to tell you the word to clue—now CAROUSER and to give HINDQUARTERS a misprint clue. I could find nothing else quickly which wouldn’t involve altering the solution diagram, and that would have given a lot of trouble at the last minute at headquarters. I suppose this kind of disaster is always liable to occur, though it had never happened before and I had imagined the whole thing was foolproof; one lives and learns.
 
Three further points about clues sent in: (1) several people ignored instructions and gave misprints in the subsidiary part of clues instead of in definitions. (2) It is essential to see that a misprint clue must contain a misprint; e.g. “Boisterous drunk driver taking nothing in” (Roisterous) is a perfectly good clue without a misprint. (3) An “& lit.” clue must produce the same effect; e.g. “He hopes vainly to wake up in a transport” (topes), will also work after a fashion without a misprint.