XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 160

RASCAL (Printer’s Devilry)

1.  G. G. Lawrance: If the Government ration sex, T/ories will be a problem for the housewives! (ref. food rationing).

2.  F. G. Illingworth: If you can’t be a/ddressed by your wife, see the doctor!

3.  J. Hardie Keir: Mark how fa/ded Kitty’s prints!

H.C.

Mrs A. Boorman: Dizzy botanist studying flo/es, cliffs and falls.

Mrs M. Brown: Sofa the need! Sex t/est? O weigh him! (so fat he needs…).

E. Clark: Few can be a/ddressed roughly without wincing.

D. H. S. Cox: Every true Welshman should be a/ lion on March 1st. (scallion).

J. Duffill: We want some ex-T/ories in! Ration sin! (Sufficient for daily needs) (ref. food rationing).

L. E. Eyres: There’s nought so dea/f, love, to a neat mamma (neat = bovine).

Dr J. N. Fell: The fall comes to the Fi/ends: to the Greeks, never! (as calends; see Greek C. in Brewer’s).

Miss R. LeS. Filleul: Why doesn’t cricket pro spe/culate?—Dreads wanton reporting.

Rev D. Ford: Film-star besieged by came/ls! Police to clear a way.

W. E. Green: Actors appea/l. Boys shout (call-boys).

P. J. Higgins: A good geyser will give you nothing harmful, nothing that is ba/d.

Mrs A. M. Osmond: Young Woodley’s trouble could have been described as a spring fever o/f love (ref. ‘Y. W.’, play by John Van Druten).

A. P. O’Leary: What a heavy little villain! Baby car ne/edless (ref. Primo Carnera, boxer, reputedly weighed 17 lbs. at birth).

A. J. C. Saunders: When firing at sea, do you find the ai/m as at Bisley? (ref. B. shooting range).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Nothing gies as guid heat—he/ed!—on Ian’s oil (… heather as Caledonian soil).

A. J. Souter: If Mr. Webb could provide, ex-T/ories would increase (ref. Maurice W., Minister of Food 1950/51).

L. E. Thomas: A sign o/f wit? Has he enlivened men’s fancies? (signora’s calf with a sheen).

Mrs J. E. Townsend: Ope/l for good production! This car men proved to be first class (Carmen).

L. C. Tudor: German Ope/l for loud performance. British Singer for sound quality (ref. German & British cars).

R. E. Tupling: Indecorous E/ves were modestly hidden.

RUNNERS-UP

F. G. Adams, E. S. Ainley, F. Allanson, J. P. H. Allen, L. J. Ash, S. Ashworth, T. H. Ayre, G. W. Bain, Maj P. S. Baines, A. C. Beurle, G. Bowness, E. W. Brazier, R. W. H. Brunswick, J. Carlton, A. N. Clark, W. T. Clift, G. G. Cordery, Cdr D. A. Craddock, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, Maj H. B. Drake, P. J. Dyer, R. Finlayson, M. N. France, I. C. Gilchrist, S. Goldie, S. B. Green, S. H. Groom, J. H. Grummitt, S. W. Harding, P. A. Harrow, R. H. Hearn, Mrs L. M. H. Heath, G. A. Holmes, G. C. Howes, W. Islip, L. Johnson, R. D. Jones, J. P. Lloyd, Lt Cdr W. G. Marshall, J. I. Mason, M. B. McIlroy, G. M. Mercer, H. C. Munnings, F. E. Newlove, W. B. O’Hanlon, J. H. Padel, Rev E. B. Peel, E. J. Percival, R. Postill, J. Potter, A. Rivlin, Mrs M. P. Roberts, N. Roles, R. V. H. Roseveare, P. W. Rundle, E. O. Seymour, R. G. Tate, Miss I. M. I. Twells, E. Wainwright, M. Warrick, G. H. Willett, J. S. Young.
 

COMMENTS—434 correct and comparatively few mistakes in an excellent entry. Nearly everyone found it harder than usual, yet the number of competitors was above average. The standard of clues sent in was high: the H.C. list is long and the R.U. list is, I think, the longest ever. In spite of the general high standard there were many, as before, who missed the real point by making the devilled version neat or amusing at the expense of the full version. One wants a laugh, or satisfaction at a neat outcome, when the penny has dropped rather than on first reading the clue. If both versions can be entertaining in different ways, that is ideal: but if one version must be sacrificed, it should be the devilled version. Here is an example of a clue which fails in this respect:—“Did Adam admit that his cows were sweet E/ves?” Here everything else is sacrificed to getting in Adam and Eve in the devilled version: Adam is not particularly appropriate to the full version. Again:—“There’s someone in there dar/ling! Murder! Help!” Devilled version—very neat: full version, barely even sense: can one be in an arras? Devilling of word division was somewhat overdone: it may help the solver too much in his search for the gap. I prefer it used sparingly, if at all, and not too obviously. Here is an example of its (to my mind) excessive use in a very ingenious clue by a runner-up:—“OLIVE: O, I love/d Ed! Handsome what? Cool? Sit down!” This is great fun, but as soon as one has started with “olive oil” the gap sticks out a mile. I did it myself here and there, e.g. “Ma Rymon, etc.,” but not from choice. (“Toadying” isn’t an easy word!). Finally, I prefer the gap in the middle of a word, not between words. Perhaps my own practice might have suggested this.
 
Thank you for many kind remarks: the popularity of this type seems to justify a shorter interval than last time before its return.
 
As to indication of gaps in clues quoted in the slip—some like one thing, some the other. This time I have gratified those who like them shown.