XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 115

MISNOMER

1.  D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Result of getting wrong first answer to Catechism is me! (anag. of N or M is me, and lit.; ref. C of E Catechism, “Q: What is your name? A: N. or M.”).

2.  F. E. Newlove (SE9): Clement (in whom is no mercy) makes an example of me and gives me a hiding (hidden; example of m.).

3.  H. J. Howells (Westcliff): Deceptive title like “Mousetrap”—presented by a son in mime before a king (anag. of son in mime + R; Hamlet III.2.237).

H.C.

D. Connell (Glasgow): Revolutionary signs in the Soviet Union. Joe called yellow—boy executed as an example (omens in mir¹; Joe = 4d., yellow-boy = gold coin; Joseph Stalin).

A. B. Gardner (N13): Put on to simmer, stirring gently; then as in “Jerusalem Artichokes” (q.v.) (anag.; m. for ‘girasole’, see artichoke in C.).

S. B. Green (NW10): Saint, perhaps, in whom is no merit (hidden and lit.; ref. ‘Saint’ books by L. Charteris).

Mrs L. Jarman (Brough): Conceivably a Roland for an Oliver, but definitely not an eye for an eye (cryptic def.; ref. paragons in ‘The Song of Roland’).

R. H. Lemon (Cheltenham): What is my name? The answer you’ll get from me is N. or M.—but that isn’t my right name (anag.; ref. C of E Catechism).

J. P. Lloyd (Swansea): The wrong brand! Can’t you find me Minors for a change? (anag.; cigarette brand).

T. A. Martin (SW12): Minors disagree with me—it’s the wrong brand (anag.; cigarette brand).

Miss M. Mason (Westcliff): Miscalling a slam is no meritorious take-out (hidden; ref. bridge).

T. W. Melluish (SE24): False denomination deriving from immersion without the head being worried about? (anag. less i; baptism).

D. G. C. Mockridge (NW3): Wrong answer given in the Catechism—M. is N.—and it gets more confused afterwards! (M is N + anag. of more; ref. C of E Catechism).

C. J. Morse (Norwich): A wrong name given in baptism is no mere trifle (hidden).

J. J. Mulligan (Richmond): As seen in the Mons retreat in a sea of mud, the “Contemptible Army” was a noted one (anag. of Mons mire; ref. Kaiser’s description of British Expeditionary Force in WW1).

J. Riley (SE12): Harpagon stores even his name, and gives a wrong one (nom (Fr.) in miser: ref. Molière, ‘L’Avare’ (The Miser)).

W. O. Robertson (Marlow): How a man of Aberdeen, turning into a miser, got a bad name (mon (rev.) in miser).

Miss R. Saw (Carshalton): “N. or M. is me!” says the child. Let’s hope his godparents did not make a muddle of it (anag.; ref. C of E Catechism).

J. Thompson (Coventry): Faulty calling: it disregards the spade convention (cryptic def.; ‘call a spade a spade’; ref. bridge).

D. L. Tuckett (N4): An invalid baptism? Result of incomplete immersion! (anag. less i).

H. A. Upward (Sandown): Incomplete immersion, maybe, for baptism (anag. less i).

COMMENTS—294 correct. There was a larger entry than last time but far more mistakes. “Allodial” for ALLODIUM and “Meine” or “Moine” for MAINE were the commonest: there was also a wide variety of others, even the triple clue to SHED claiming its victims. No one missed CIRCLEWISE, but a few people pointed out that it isn’t in Chambers. I knew that, but it is a simple formation by suffix—a class of words about which C. doesn’t bother much, as I have mentioned, I think, before—so I didn’t think it necessary to give a warning. For my authority for its use you will have to wait till about next April—verb. sap!
 
I should say that a misnomer is, in normal use, a name or description wrongly applied to something or someone through bad (but not inconceivably bad) judgment rather than through abysmal ignorance, extreme woolly-mindedness or stark lunacy, and that it is not, for instance, really a fair description of a malapropism. I was influenced to some extent by these beliefs in making my awards, but I did not press them too far. There were many “hidden” clues and anagrams. Two anags. which were much used produced no results which appealed to me very much: these were “O Mrs. mine” and “M in Morse.” The former didn’t combine well with definitions, the result often lacking point: the latter tended to be too easy if openly stated and too hard if merely indicated by two dashes. The winner’s anag. was much more fruitful: he produced a very good combination of anag. and straight clue. I chose the other two prizewinners after less deliberation than last week, though the H.C.s are by no means a weak lot.
 
RUNNERS-UP:—K. W. Andrews, G. Bowness, H. W. Brister, D. L. L. Clarke, Rev H. J. Crees, J. L. Crosby, R. V. Dawson, F. E. Dixon, L. E. Eyres, Dr J. N. Fell, Mrs N. Fisher, Mrs J. O. Fuller, H. C. Hills, L. W. Jenkinson, C. B. Joyner, G. G. Lawrance, R. W. Lerrigo, Dr M. Martin, R. Mills, P. M. Newey, A. C. Norfolk, Rev E. B. Peel, G. Perry, R. Postill, H. Rainger, D. W. Reeds, W. C. Stanley, Mrs A. L. Stevenson, M. A. Vernon, J. B. Widdowson, W. D. Wigley, L. C. Wright.
 
P.S.—I was much touched by several tributes to “Cannae”!