XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 173

HATCHING

1.  M. Newman: Lining needed for cells of white-coated prisoners that are almost crackers! (2 mngs; hatch³; eggs; ref. padded cells).

2.  L. E. Thomas: Nye’s coming out is the result of a heated sitting (cryptic def.; nye = brood; ref Nye Bevan’s 1951 resignation).

3.  J. H. Dingwall: A profusion of fine, artistic lines enables the counter to get busy (cryptic def.; hatch³; “don’t count your chickens…”).

H.C.

C. A. Baker: Bursting shells send charging flanks to cover (hat + ch(arg)ing).

J. A. Blair: Although the wicket has a good bit of sting, the result is a draw with very close scores (hatch¹ + (st)ing; hatch³).

J. Burton-Page: Scoring effort which might result in a duck (2 mngs.; hatch³).

Maj H. L. Carter: Clutching small child detesting its environment! (ch. in hating; clutch²).

D. L. L. Clarke: In letting out the clutch, find the opening in the gate first (hatch¹ + in + g(ate) ; clutch²).

Mrs W. J. Couper: In the act of plotting when the beak appears (2 mngs.).

C. E. Gates: Looks like a wicket!—Not out! Good! Very nearly out for a duck! (hatch¹ + in + g).

S. B. Green: Plotting something shady? (2 mngs.; hatch^2,3).

R. J. Hall: Pushing the Bill through at the end of a long sitting! That’s a shady practice! (2 mngs.; hatch^2,3).

L. Johnson: Getting the bird, and then some, as the result of putting down a sitter (cryptic def., ref. cricket).

C. Koop: What concerns many sitters is the artist’s treatment of lines—it makes them cross! (2 mngs.; hatch^2,3).

T. W. Melluish: Long sitting required to get a new bill through (2 mngs.; hatch^2,3).

F. E. Newlove: Releasing the clutch—an initial burst (that’s Shell, that was!)—a flying start! (cryptic def.; ref. slogan of Shell petrol).

D. A. Nicholls: Getting down and out? (cryptic def.; down²).

E. J. Rackham: Should he awaited by counter. (Naturally the eggs are put under!) (cryptic def.; “don’t count your chickens…”; ref. black market eggs (rationed in 1951)).

N. Roles: A small child has a natural abhorrence about advancing towards maturity (ch. in hating).

E. O. Seymour: Shady method of scoring gives me only a perishing H.C.—hang it! (anag.; hatch³).

Mrs E. Shackleton: Reckon after this Burns’ night will be ruined with only half the usual food about! (anag. of nicht in hag(gis); i.e. count chickens after hatching).

A. E. Smith: This mischievous “planning” often entails long sittings (2 mngs.).

J. Thomas: Application of closure: the end of a long sitting (2 mngs.; hatch^1,2).

M. Woolf: The shell’s a thing of fragments, chick’s head appears; it’s coming out! (ch(ick’s) in anag. of a thing & lit.).

J. S. Young: Shells bursting, cutting lines and closing communications (3 mngs.; hatch^1,2,3).

R. F. Zobel: Emerging after a lengthy sitting, it’s just the thing to pour down a gin-sling! (hatch¹ + anag. of gin; down the hatch!).

RUNNERS-UP

E. S. Ainley, J. W. Bates, A. E. Clayton, F. L. Constable, P. M. Coombs, A. V. Crannigan, W. J. Duffin, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, F. D. Gardiner, A. B. Gardner, P. G. W. Glare, R. G. Gordon, Mrs F. Hargreaves, P. A. Harrow, A. A. Haywood, E. L. Hillman, L. R. Huxtable, J. Hardie Keir, Mrs M. Kidner, F. P. N. Lake, G. G. Lawrance, E. W. Lee, R. H. Lemon, A. F. Lerrigo, H. Lyon, E. L. Mellersh, W. L. Miron, S. E. Morton, P. F. Onyon, Mrs A. M. Osmond, H. C. Pilley, G. H. Podmore, E. R. Prentice, Mrs D. M. C. Prichard, M. H. Rider, Sgt J. S. Rioch, A. Robins, W. Rodgers, B. Rowbotham, Mrs A. W. Sainsbury, C. A. Shoobridge, B. Skidmore, Mrs A. L. Stevenson, F. B. Stubbs, Miss D. W. Taylor, J. F. N. Wedge, M. Winterbottom.
 

COMMENTS—281 correct in a large entry which was much more than decimated by echidnae for ECHIDNAS, damaged by other scattered mistakes of which sea-mouse for SEA-LOUSE was the commonest, and further undermined by mere slips of the pen than usual. It seems a great pity that much cogitation should he wasted because such things as wateriags and paseed out re allowed to appear in the finished product. The form ECHIDNAS was demanded by the subsidiary clue, which pointed to chid inside sane reversed: in any case the Latin form is not even given by Webster, much less by Chambers’s. A few solvers asked about the climate of Tien-tsin. My authority was a friend who once lived there for several years, and whom I asked to give me a noteworthy feature of the place. Incidentally “take room” as a meaning of tenir is given by the Concise Oxford French Dictionary.
 
The standard of clues sent in was extremely high, and the long list of H.C.s reveals a pleasing variety: many of the runners-up were not far behind.
 
In response to many kind enquiries, I had an excellent week, without much rain, both golfing and beachifying at Tenby. (I hope I shan’t be shot at now for calling it a remote region). My most enjoyable experience was provided by a railwayman who had seen where my errant golf ball finished, not so far from his line as from mine. From the permanent way he hailed me with “I say! Look you! You’re in the puddle!” And so I was. I know now that Welshmen really do say it—and I also won the hole.