XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 145

STEWART

1.  Mrs L. Jarman (Brough): I need checking about skirts, Mr. Gladstone admitted to the Canon (St. Ewart (i.e. W. E. Gladstone canonized); tartan skirts; ref. G.’s interest in ‘fallen women’).

2.  C. C. M. Giffin (Gravesend): Man of straw, and French in a way (anag. incl. et (Fr.); ref. Old Pretender, James F. E. Stuart).

3.  T. E. Sanders (Walsall): One of Parnell’s names for that blessed fellow Gladstone (St. Ewart (W. E. Gladstone); C. Stewart Parnell, Irish nationalist).

H.C.

J. Coleby (Chester): Wild West pictures for the family at the Palace. Orange afterwards (anag. of West art; Stuarts followed by William of Orange).

Miss L. M. Collins (Purley): Once united North and South, and may be said to give a start to the union of East and West (anag. of start E W; ref. union under James I).

A. B. Gardner (N13): Royal family call for restoration without violence—and succeed! (war in stet; ref. Charles II).

R. G. Gordon (Salisbury): To some the head of this House would be a Saint over the water, to others a waster to a T (anags. of St water and waster T; ref. Old Pretender, James F. E. Stuart, ‘King over the water’).

Miss S. J. Horner (W2): Let’s canonise Gladstone: at least he knew some of the answers (St. Ewart (W. E. Gladstone); ref. S. Macpherson, 1940s host of ‘20 Questions’).

L. W. Jenkinson (Bristol): Without some special faculty the bookworm will never make a philosopher (i.e. stew + art; stew (n., slang) = someone who studies hard; ref. Dugald S.).

C. J. Morse (near Hendaye!): For packing in haste, war-time invention, a glorified Gladstone, perfect for the family (hidden, St. Ewart (W. E. Gladstone); G. bag; Stuart royal family).

R. Postill (Jersey): Short article on Pond’s made Lady Arabella’s name (stew² + art. (abbrev.): ref. Lady Arabella S.; P.’s cold cream).

W. K. M. Slimmings (New Malden): It’s simmer a’ right: order trews wi’ tartan tops for Macpherson! (stew a’ rt., anag. of trews ta(rtan); ref. S. Macpherson, 1940s host of ‘20 Questions’).

P. H. Taylor (Newbold-on-Stour): House that shows evidence of restoration outside, but a state of turmoil within (war in stet; House of Stuart).

L. E. Thomas (Bangor): Scotch in stock. Drams made-up to order. Apply to address below (wets (rev.) + art (down clue); address = adroitness; stock = family).

COMMENTS—Only 162 correct and another big crop of mistakes. This was by general consent a difficult puzzle; I think the absence of long words usually adds to the difficulty: and much trouble was caused by the existence—which I had overlooked—of Lough Leane in Co. Kerry! This wouldn’t fit with BAALITES, but “Laune” would: this, however, appears in all atlases to which I have access, including the Times Atlas, which I regard as authoritative, as the name only of a river, not of a lake. But what a tiresome pair of herrings in an innocent “hidden” clue! The N.W. corner was hard: STOOGE = comedian’s “feed” seems to be unfamiliar to many, and several missed the point of the clue to YGERNE, King Arthur’s mother— y(ellowish)-green. FORSWONK, too, was elusive: several solvers fell for “foredone,” which only answers part of the clue, and hence wrote clues to “Stodart!” The least understandable of the errors was the spelling “Chech,” which was by no means uncommon.
 
Thanks for explanations of last time’s “obscurity”—lay = charge, M.P. = Military Police, RE. = Tommy (?) and/or re = again; but no explanation includes a plausible definition. The most popular idea this time was an anag. including “trews:” Mr. Slimmings used it best, and several of its exponents are runners-up. The general level was again rather below our best, I think. Stewart = Stuart (alt. spelling) was allowed throughout.
 
RUNNERS-UP—G. W. Bain, C. A. Baker, T. Bilsborough, M. L. Booker, T. H. East, M. G. Ellis, Mrs K. N. Graham, N. Grange, S. B. Green, E. Irving, J. Mann, P. M. Michael, R. H. Pedlow, E. G. Phillips, E. R. Prentice, A. R. Read, N. J. Reed, E. O. Seymour, A. E. Smith.