XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 192

WATSON

1.  J. H. Gawler (Liverpool): Eyes had I,—and saw not (anag.; ref. Holmes’ remark to W., “You see but you do not observe” in ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’).

2.  G. A. Shoobridge (Cheam): Suggests hare for lunch, having helped to jug a good many (i.e. wat’s on; wat²; jug = jail).

3.  J. W. Bates (Westcliff): Fifty years ago I appeared in the Strand in some intriguing shorts—was not a bit embarrassed! (anag.; ref. Sherlock H. short stories in Strand Magazine).

H.C.

T. Bilsborough (Carnforth): Medical institution in the old Strand was not rebuilt (anag.; ref. Sherlock H. short stories in Strand Magazine).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson (Fareham): Was not, one might infer, the recipient of an elementary education (anag.; “Elementary, my dear W.”).

L. E. Eyres (York): D’you hear what play’s running? What a chorus! Quite Boeotian—M.D., in fact! (‘what’s on’; for W. as chorus see R. A. Knox ‘Essays in Satire,’ pp. 163-4).

Mrs N. Fisher (Stroud): A change from Town’s a Doctor’s prescription. Would he approve of Hastings? (anag.; ref. Poirot’s friend in A. Christie stories).

S. Goldie (S Shields): Wasn’t worried by a duck: he was quite handy for Lord’s and had a little quiet practice (anag. incl. 0; ref. proximity of Baker St to Lord’s cricket ground, medical practice).

R. M. Grace (Durham): Elementary analysis of cipher wasn’t enough for the stormy petrel of crime (anag. incl. 0; ref. Holmes’ description of W. in ‘The Naval Treaty’).

Mrs M. Henderson (Orpington): “The start of war at once leads to the end of reason”—Ex-Army Doctor (w + at + (rea)son; ref. W.’s career as army surgeon).

F. G. Illingworth (Worcester): In many cases, despite practice, was not a little bewildered (anag.; ref. W.’s limited powers of reasoning, medical practice).

L. W. Jenkinson (Stoke): This doctor is notoriously dear, but no sickness returns when he is employed (no staw (rev.); “my dear W.”; staw (obs.) = disgust).

G. G. Lawrance (Harrow): The first character in whodunits to get badly sat on (w + anag., & lit.).

F. E. Newlove (SE9): He played the recorder and second fiddle, but seldom practised (cryptic defs.; refs. to W.’s role as biographer and dogsbody to Holmes; i.e. practised medicine).

Rev E. B. Peel (Fleetwood): Wasn’t subtle about a cipher (0 in anag.; ref. W.’s limited powers of reasoning).

R. Postill (Jersey): As a change from the homes of patients I often tried the reverse, so to speak! (cryptic def.; i.e. tried ‘patience of Holmes’; ref. W.’s limited powers of reasoning).

Sgt J. S. Rioch (Swindon): The cipher wasn’t involved. Even he could have broken it down (anag. incl. 0; ref. W.’s limited powers of reasoning).

Mrs D. H. Williams (NW3): Does offspring run with the hare? Yes, and together they hunt with the hound (wat² + son; ref. occasional use of Toby the bloodhound).

RUNNERS-UP

Lt Col P. S. Baines, C. A. Baker, A. W. Baldy, M. W. Barnett, T. E. Bell, F. A. Clark, C. Clavering, F. L. Constable, P. M. Coombs, J. C. B. Date, Maj A. J. Douch, A. Drillien, Brig W. E. Duncan, E. G. Durham, P. O. K. Emeney, Dr J. N. Fell, J. A. Fincken, C. E. Gates, S. R. Gibbs, S. B. Green, W. E. Green, R. J. Hall, K. J. Harding, T. O. Hughes, Mrs L. Jarman, H. W. Jenkins, H. Joyce, Mrs J. H. C. Lawlor, R. H. Lemon, J. P. Lloyd, I. A. McLellan, E. L. Mellersh, T. W. Melluish, W. L. Miron, C. J. Morse, B. C. St. J. Murphy, A. P. O’Leary, E. R. Prentice, Maj J. N. Purdon, J. Sharkey, J. C. Shaw, W. K. M. Slimmings, O. Carlton Smith, J. A. Sturrock, Miss D. W. Taylor, H. S. Tribe, M. A. Vernon, J. F. N. Wedge, G. H. Willett, M. Winterbottom.
 

COMMENTS—319 correct and very few who gave the message incorrectly: at least four of the latter obviously made careless slips in writing it out—this does seem a terrible waste of the skill used in solving. Many thanks for the enthusiastic reception: the popularity of Playfairs seems to be waxing rather than waning. One competitor prophesied a record high entry: another, after much tearing of hair, prophesied a record low: both proved to be bad prophets. I am glad to know that I have given some indirect pleasure by sending several solvers back as readers to their Conan Doyles: I have long been a devotee.
 
The long list of runners-up shows how even in merit the entry was. Mr Postill undoubtedly sent the most brilliant clue, but I reluctantly failed to pass “so as to speak” as an indication of a pun. One minute I think I’m being unfair—the next minute I think he is! It’s one of those difficult decisions I have to make. As to precedent, I’m sure he fails: I use “so to speak” sometimes to apologise for deliberate misuse of a word or distortion of its meaning, but not for a pun. Yet I do like the clue! There I must leave it. I did not specify that clues must allude to Doctor Watson, and a few people used other Watsons: I gave these a fair run, but none attracted me enough to get above the runners-up.
 
There are still evidently some solvers to whom Playfair remains a mystery: one or two ask for a longer explanation. I’m sorry, but there simply isn’t room: the existing preface is already so long that it has to go into small print, and I also have to save space by using a rectangular diagram instead of a square and by keeping the clues very short. And to undertake long, detailed postal explanations would really be too much. The victims must console themselves with the comparative infrequency of Playfairs—or find a friendly interpreter.
 
Mr. M. Woolf, 12 Norval Road, North Wembley, Middlesex, asks me to remind any solvers who still intend to apply to him for tickets for the Ximenes Dinner to do so at once before it is too late. The Dinner is to be held at the Café Royal on Friday September 12: all solvers welcome: tickets 25s. each. Stamped, addressed envelopes should accompany applications.