XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 201

AMETHYST

1.  Maj L. N. Purdon (Cloverhill, Co. Cavan): Myths have been woven about “the cup that cheers but not inebriates” (anag. & lit.).

2.  S. Goldie (S. Shields): Have a stout with methylated in it—half-and-half; take it from me, you won’t get drunk (methy(lated) in a st(out), & lit.).

3.  J. A. Blair (NW9): The vessel for getting out of a tight situation—and the stuff it was made of! (double mng.; ref. HMS A., the Yangtse Incident, and cup).

H.C.

D. Ashcroft (Rugby): Those who plied me suffered little from fire slipping down the red lane (double mng.; ref. HMS A., the Yangtse Incident, and cup).

F. D. H. Atkinson (Birmingham): In the third row with Agate for St. Joan?—a brilliant piece (cryptic def.; ref. Exodus 28:19, breastplate of judgement; James Agate, theatre critic, G. B. Shaw play).

T. Bilsborough (Carnforth): Makes drinkers stay sober? No, makes them stay drunk (anag.).

B. G. H. Clegg (Liverpool): Drink to this vessel—thought to keep men sober, but actually making them stay fuddled! (anag.).

C. E. Gates (Kettering): Stumped by a yard at the end of a miserably tame hour—for a Blue that’s definitely not exhilarating! (anag. + h + y + st).

D. P. M. Michael (Whitchurch): She avoided so-called Salvation Army in China: being a Methodist sounded less odd (‘a meth(odd)ist’.; ref. HMS A., the Yangtse Incident).

C. J. Morse (Norwich): I used to make drinkers stay sober; now I make them stay drunk (anag.).

A. Robins (Manchester): People thought I couldn’t make them stay tipsy, but I can! (anag. & lit.; ‘canned’).

J. L. Ruddle (Newport): She fluffed Maths., yet got through in History (1949 papers) (anag.; ref. HMS A., the Yangtse Incident).

E. T. Smith (Leicester): Users of this once thought it would make them stay sober. Actually it makes them stay tipsy (anag.).

M. Woolf (N. Wembley): Meat pie, and by Harry it’ll take a good man to finish it—it’s a mauve one! (anag. + Hy + St).

RUNNERS-UP

A. L. Backarach, R. M. S. Cork, T. Dwyer, R. G. Gordon, S. B. Green, G. M. Gwynn, C. Higham, Very Rev N. M. Kennaby, P. W. W. Leach, A. F. Lerrigo, Dr N. Levy, C. J. Lowe, T. W. Melluish, D. S. Milford, J. Montgomerie, M. Newman, Mrs A. M. Osmond, E. G. Phillips, E. J. Rackham, H. Rainger, W. K. M. Slimmings, L. T. Stokes, F. B. Stubbs, P. H. Taylor.
 

COMMENTS—119 correct in what clearly would have been a large entry but for DYEST, which caused terrible havoc. Many of those for whom the penny dropped commended, it—one even called it a gem!—but others, though they showed much restraint, would evidently have liked to call it all sorts of things. So now for my explanation and justification of it, for what it is worth. “Earnest money got by leaving deposits on old clothes.” What I meant was “Dost earn money by dyeing.” I must first answer two criticisms:—(1) that you aren’t necessarily a professional dyer and therefore don’t necessarily earn money: (2) that you don’t only dye old clothes. My view is that a definition need not be universal: I should regard “Maker of inflammatory speeches” as a fair definition of “[Aneurin] Bevan,” though I’ve no doubt he often talks uninflammatorily. Certainly the definition should allude to a normal rather than an abnormal aspect of a particular sense of the word, but it need not exclude all other possibilities and in fact, I should say, quite rarely does so. There is, I imagine; more professional than amateur dyeing done and dyers very often dye old and faded clothes: this state of affairs seems to me to justify the clue. The words “got by” were also criticised. These words are admittedly unnecessary to the sense required and were put in to help the misleading sense: but they don’t spoil the intended sense and, though unnecessary, are not irrelevant to it. It is perfectly possible to say “He earns money got by dyeing.” Finally, one solver criticises “on” for “in” old clothes. This, I think, is strictly a sound criticism, and perhaps I am biased in regarding it as a minor point. must now leave you to judge, and I am genuinely sorry that a clue I rather liked caused so much trouble. Perhaps I ought to have added the word “perhaps” after “money”: that would have made the clue water-tight, but I still don’t think it leaks much as it is!
 
The only other thing I have room to say is that I am greatly looking forward to meeting some of you on Friday on an occasion which will have passed when this reaches you: I think, after this incident, I shall have to wear armour!