◀  No. 130 Clue list 7 May 1950 Slip image No. 139  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 135

STRIPPED

1.  T. E. Sanders: Lost the thread and dropped every stitch (2 mngs.).

2.  H. B. Ridley: Do what Eve did: ran around unclothed (trip in sped).

3=  E. S. Ainley: Pinstriped 3-piece, quite unsuited for bathing, etc. (i.e. p in striped).

3=  S. B. Green: Made slip near beginning of speech and lost the thread completely (s + tripped).

3=  Dr G. P. Hartigan: Has got a slip but ran about quite naked (trip in sped).

3=  A. F. Lerrigo: Reduced to the ranks for being improperly dressed? (2 mngs.).

3=  H. Rainger: The first piece of point d’esprit lace, and you’ve lost the thread and dropped every single stitch! (anag. incl. p; lace, vb.).

3=  H. Ingram Rees: I’m absolutely broke and need a holiday, but, as in the past, fares will limit me (trip in sped; speed = fare, vb.).

H.C.

C. A. Baker: Rent in small districts being put up a hundred-per-cent.: this must be exposed! (rip in depts (all rev.); h-p-c. = completely).

Maj V. E. Brooke (BAOR): Empty as Sunday’s picnic-basket (s trip ped).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: With no honours South came down by a trick (S tripped).

T. H. East: Street Torn Up—Main Burst In Adjoining Road—All Destitute (St + anag. of pipe in Rd).

P. G. W. Glare: Very briefly, Salome danced (so, very briefly, she finished!) (S tripped; ref. seven veils).

C. D. Harding: Very soft reds mixed with it displayed the flesh-tints (anag. of pp reds it).

J. Jones: Reduced to the ranks for being improperly dressed? Something to do with a bearskin, by the sound of it! (2 mngs.; i.e. ‘bare skin’).

G. G. Lawrance: Impoverished tipper torn between shillings and pence (anag. In s, d).

T. W. Melluish: Mamma’s state after a juicy expression the holy man gave vent to (St ripped; ref. breast-feeding; sv. mammalia).

J. D. P. O’Leary: Caught by the sun—completely skinned (S tripped).

E. R. Prentice: Tore off for a Sunday jaunt with a hamper (S trip ped).

A. Robins: Usual condition of the N.C.O. with a soft heart! (p in striped, & lit.).

E. O. Seymour: Made destitute through taking one false step about a worthless horse—down to the last penny! (rip3 in anag. + d).

L. E. Thomas: Being without decent clothes or ill drest—it’s about enough to give one the pip! (anag. of drest pip).

J. Thompson: Made a faux pas on the Sabbath, is exposed and perhaps unfrocked (S + tripped).

 

COMMENTS—344 correct. Main causes of error—(1) Failure to spell PHARAOHS and/or find AMASTRIS, for whom ref. books were superfluous for the discerning: Chamb. gives “mast” = “nuts.” (2) “Emas” for EMYS: “same” rev, does not answer the clue, even if it exists: “Xl” for “11” was not a very deep trap! (3) THRASYMENE is often so spelt, esp. in older history books. Many good clues: Mr. Rainger and (still more) Mr. Jones gilded their lilies: hence Mr. Sanders and Mr. Lerrigo were preferred to them, respectively.
 
HONOURS LIST for last (curtailed) period:—2-2 C. A. Baker, S. B. Green, T. E. Sanders: 2-1 G. G. Lawrance: 1-3 W. K. M. Slimmings: 1-2 Rev E. B. Peel. 6 H.C.s F. A. Clark: 3 Lt.-Cdr. W. G. Marshall, O. Carlton Smith.
 
No. 134—I am very glad this hard puzzle gave pleasure, and I greatly appreciate many kind references to it.
 
No. 135, RUNNERS-UP—H. Chown, F. A. Clark, D. L. Clements, L. D. Cosgrove, E. Davies, D. M. Devine, E. C. Double, A. B. Gardner, C. E. Gates, Maj Gen Greaves, P. A. Harrow, D. Hawson, Miss Hill, L. R. Huxtable, Dr Imrie, Mrs Jarman, L. W. Jenkinson, H. T. Jenner, E. T. Matthias, E. L. Mellersh, A. D. Merson, D. P. M. Michael, W. L. Miron, C. J. Morse, F. E. Newlove, R. A. C. Norris-Jones, J. W. Parr, Mrs Porter, R. Postill, W. Rodgers, W. K. M. Slimmings, A. E. Smith, Miss Stiles, Capt Synge, A. H. Taylor, P. H. Taylor, J. Thomas, H. S. Tribe, B. V. Webster, J. F. N. Wedge, M. Woolf.
 
NEW REGIME—I regretfully expected that some of you wouldn’t like it, but I have to remember that competitors are but a small minority of all solvers. One argument I must answer: “Surely it doesn’t hurt non-competitors if we have a competition?” The answers are—(1) No, but the majority want a weekly puzzle; that means more time spent in composition, and I have a job which I mustn’t neglect! (2) In any case there wouldn’t be room for competition results as well as “Some Solvers,” a feature which is much appreciated: space is still very restricted. Then there is the suggestion of prizes on the “first solutions opened” basis: I’m afraid I dislike the idea of solid rewards for luck in connection with these puzzles and don’t feel inclined to suggest it.
 
The only letters that surprised me were the very few which suggested that there is no incentive to finish non-competitive puzzles: one writer is even good enough to say that he “never bothers to finish them.” Well, I shall carry on, even without his patronage: for the others, who expressed their feelings more graciously, I’m very sorry, but I really can’t help it.
 
Finally, may I say to very many of you that the thing I regret most is that our pleasant exchanges of notes only happen half as often? I hope we shan’t get out of touch. And may I thank you for biting on the bullet, both those who find it palatable and, still more, those who don’t?
 

 
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