XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 116

WATERLOO

1.  P. H. Rowley (Birmingham): Last stand of old buffers resisting Southern infiltration (double mng.; ref. Old Guard of French army, and station for trains south).

2.  D. S. Milford (Marlborough): Won, presumably, by the O.E. war lot, muddling through! (anag.; Old Etonian; “playing fields of Eton”).

3.  Rev E. B. Peel (Fleetwood): Hammond’s Fifty Too Late. Tail End Ducks Lead To Crushing Defeat (L to end in Walter + 0,0; ref. W. H., Glos. and England batsman).

H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): Case of a cast-iron defence being later broken down in court (anag. in woo; battle).

R. Brain (Surbiton): Bridge may be a wet card game, but Nap’s damper! (water loo, 2 defs.; W. Bridge, defeat of Napoleon).

H. P. Chubb (Winkleigh): Where do we go from here? To a lower latitude, if you get the connection! (anag.; W. station for trains south).

Rev D. Ford (Ventnor): Belle from Bournemouth arrives here; later head over heels in bid for love (anag. in woo; B. Belle service from W. station).

H. J. Howells (Westcliff): A clumsy wooer at fifty, but celebrated engagement, nevertheless (anag. incl. L; battle).

C. H. Hudson (Oxford): Battle instructions: “Alert” order to be changed and put into War Office cipher (anag. in WO, 0).

C. B. Joyner (Ringwood): A knock-out blow, or a towel tossed in perhaps (anag.; defeat of Napoleon).

C. Koop (Ferring): In a big fight I’m well content with a game finish—or a towel thrown in! (water (content of well) + loo (card game)).

A. F. Lerrigo (Pinner): This station is certainly a change from the 2LO era (anag. of two LO era; ref. early London radio station).

J. P. Lloyd (Swansea): Where a chapeau à cornes was thrown into the ring? Or a towel, perhaps! (anag.; ref. Napoleon’s bicorn hat).

E. L. Mellersh (Enfield): The end of Pompey’s line and a Caesar’s rule (2 mngs.; Portsmouth railway line; Napoleon).

D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Old Guard could still be in van here! (double mng.; railway station, O. G. of French army).

F. E. Newlove (SE9): Wet-bobs’ home game results in victory for Dry-bobs (water loo; ref. rowing and cricketing Etonians; “playing fields of Eton”).

Miss E. H. Ridler (NW6): Results from 2LO are confused? Then try another station (anag. of two LO are; ref. early London radio station).

S. P. Shanahan (Spalding): Bridge cup battle badly relayed in 2LO era (anag. of two LO era, 3 defs.; ref. early London radio station; W. Cup dog race).

W. K. M. Slimmings (New MaIden): Oval (Close). Great English Victory. Hammond Twists Kangaroo’s Tail (anag. of Walter + (kangar)oo, 2 defs.; ref. W. H., Glos. and England batsman; W. station close to Oval).

R. H. Turner (W11): Where an Emperor threw the sponge up.—or a towel in (anag.; Napoleon’s defeat).

M. A. Vernon (N4): Small incident caused delay here. Guards had to wait (double mng.; W. station, Old Guard of French army).

COMMENTS—364 correct and quite a number incorrect, the commonest cause being KERE (bled). This appeared in many solutions as “VERE,” which being interpreted makes “ured,” not “rued,” which in its turn only fits half the clue, as far as I can see. Of those who were satisfied with “rued,” one or two accused me of inaccurate code-work, a charge which I herewith rebut! No other mistake was common, but RASHER gave some trouble.
 
The most puzzling clue was that to TOLD. “Peaches” might - mean “tells”: therefore it “might mean a present” (tense) “for me” (told). I knew it was hard and thought of changing it in the proof; but in the end I left it, on the ground that the general standard of the clues was easier than usual, I have passed “teld” as an alternative in the few solutions where it appeared, but I should never have dreamt of giving such a hard clue to an obscure Spenserian form without even a hint of its antiquity. However, strictly speaking it is a possible answer.
 
Many pointed out the red herring “depths” for 7. Once again, believe it or not, I really didn’t mean it—it had never even struck me! If it had, I should certainly have altered the clue, concerning, as it did, a coded word. I fear it cost some solvers a lot of time. Opinions on difficulty varied very much: it was pretty easy to most of those who saw the “poetic” point quickly, quite hard to many of those who didn’t. Many thanks for appreciative notes.
 
The clue-entry was well up to standard.
 
RUNNERS-UP:—E. S. Ainley, Maj P. S. Baines, G. Bowness, P. A. Browne, W. T. Clift, Miss Comyn, J. M. Doulton, E. G. Durham, Mrs N. Fisher, E. H. Freedman, S. J. C. Goddard, S. B. Green, W. E. Green (Beverley), W. E. Green (N10), Judge F. Kingsley Griffith, P. G. Hall, J. P. Hancox, L. R. Huxtable, E. Irving, L. W. Jenkinson, J. Jewell, A. S. King, Mrs E. M. Lucas, D. Malcolm, G. H. McConnell, T. W. Melluish, A. J. B. Milne, G. M. Neighbour, A. C. Norfolk, R. C. Payn, R. J. Pocock, R. Postill, E. R. Prentice, H. Rainger, H. I. T. Rees, H. Ingram Rees, A. Robins, A. H. Taylor, P. H. Taylor, J. D. Thomas, F. Wallace-Hadrill, W. R. Watson Smyth, Maj W. G. Webb, J. F. N. Wedge.