XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 209

ELAPSION def. IMPERIAL

1.  J. C. W. Springbett (SE21): There is a seat for a small one in the back row for the “March of Time” (seat; lap in noise (rev.); ref. newsreel series 1935-51).

2.  G. N. Coulter (SW10): For passing time, a cat’s favourite seat is curled round in one’s new dress (seat; lap + is (rev) in anag.).

3.  P. T. Heath (Weymouth): Going!—seat for a youngster in the back row (seat; lap in noise (rev.)).

H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): Passing is a set-back to a partner absorbed in the achievement of a grand slam (grand; pal in noise (all rev.)).

Lt Col P. S. Baines (Devizes): The virtue of a dome of silence is no peal from it! (dome; anag.; elapse = pass quietly).

J. W. Bates (Westcliff-on-Sea): The “March of Time,” seen from a seat in the back row (seat; lap in noise (rev.); ref. newsreel series 1935-51).

J. A. Blair (NW9): Sovereign a head for places in the back row: going—going—gone! (sovereign; L a p(laces) in noise (rev.)).

R. N. Chignell (Bexhill-on-Sea): Partner gets into an almighty row all round for passing (almighty; pal in noise (all rev.)).

A. B. Gardner (N21): How time flies when you’ve a comfortable seat in the back row! (seat; lap in noise (rev.)).

R. M. Grace (Durham): Slipping quietly away from seat in back row (seat; lap in noise (rev.)).

S. B. Green (NW10): Note, in passing, that there’s a seat for a little one in the back row (seat; lap in noise (rev.)).

B. J. Iliffe (Liverpool): Makes an aeon slip into absolute obscurity (absolute; anag. & lit.).

L. W. Jenkinson (Stoke-on-Trent): Unfamiliar passage in Aesop about a sovereign gone astray (sovereign; L in anag.; poss. ref. to fable “The Monkey as King.”).

C. J. Morse (Norwich): A gliding coral-snake, not quite the animal to beard in its den! (beard; elaps (l)ion).

T. E. Sanders (Walsall): Passage by P. & O. line’s arranged for about the first of August (august; A in anag.).

L. C. Wright (Selby): Sliding seat for petting in the back row (seat; lap in noise (rev.)).

R. F. Zobel (Doncaster): There’s a seat in the back row, if you want to see the “March of Time” (seat; lap in noise (rev.); ref. newsreel series 1935-51).

RUNNERS-UP

E. S. Ainley, F. A. Clark, B. G. H. Clegg, P. A. Drillien, W. M. Easther, L. E. Eyres, Sub Lt W. R. Eyres, Miss N. R. Fell, J. A. Fincken, Maj A. H. Giles, C. P. Grant, R. R. Greenfield, J. G. Hull, L. Johnson, H. Joyce, Mrs J. H. C. Lawlor, P. W. W. Leach, R. H. Lemon, Miss J. Lloyd, J. P. Lloyd, J. Macintyre, T. W. Melluish, K. Neale, M. Newman, Sgt L. W. G. Oxley, G. Perry, E. G. Phillips, Mrs M. G. Porter, J. Potter, M. G. Powell-Davies, H. Rainger, A. R. Read, K. Reed, N. J. Reed, E. W. Richart, A. Robins, O. Carlton Smith, J. A. L. Sturrock, J. Thompson, H. S. Tribe, Maj Wavell, R. Wells, W. D. Wigley, K. R. R. Wilson, M. Woolf, A. J. Young.
 

COMMENTS—To my amazement, as I cheerfully admit, there were 452 correct and not many mistakes, of which PLISKIES was the chief cause. The standard of solving skill is, I think, higher than ever. I thought it was time for a snorter: I did make the clues a little more straightforward than for “Plains,” lest it should be quite insoluble, but I had no idea the result could possibly be described as “easier than usual,” as it was by several solvers. I am delighted that the puzzle gave so much pleasure: thank you for many kind comments. It was fun to compose, though it took a long time: I will certainly try to gratify the many requests for another one later on.
 
Many competitors ruled themselves out of the running by not working the definition of IMPERIAL into their clues but merely adding some extra words at some point, irrelevant to ELAPSION, to include it. This missed the whole idea. Two examples:—“Muffled peal is on royal and silent passing.” “Knock back a drink? No! Sip cocktail on seat in passage.” The ideal clue of this type makes the definition of IMPERIAL absolutely essential to the clue to ELAPSION, and I made this a sine qua non for a prizewinner. Some of the H.C.s and many of the R.U.s do not quite reach this severe standard, though otherwise good: for instance, Mr Baker’s excellent clue would be just as good for ELAPSION without the word “grand”: the same criticism applies to the clues of Mr Chignell and Mr Iliffe. But these three were too good otherwise to be done out of an H.C. I’m afraid the list of clues above is a little monotonous, one idea proving by far the most fruitful. The users of it who missed prizes seemed to me not quite so good in their wording, especially those who let “seat” stand unqualified for “lap.”
 
Warmest Christmas greetings to you all.