XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 211

CAROL-SINGERS or HOLLY-BERRIES

1.  M. Winterbottom (SE25): I, Scrooge, parting with nothing, with a snarl would turn them out (CS; anag. less O & lit.).

2.  R. Postill (Jersey): When they’re out of tune, closing your ears may spare you! (CS; anag. less you & lit.).

3.  J. W. Parr (Reigate): Complements of the season from Lily, Rose and Herb (HB; anag.).

H.C. (extra prizes)
CAROL-SINGERS

C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): Bad losers gain little credit: they simply create a strain in harmonious company (anag. incl. cr.).

Lt Col P. S. Baines (Devizes): Real crossing jam—pedestrian waits! (anag.; wait¹ (n.)).

R. N. Chignell (Bexhill-on-Sea): Worried racing losers hope to pick up a bit at Christmas meetings (anag.).

M. B. Fisher (Kew): A cacophony of groans, cries and singular Latin is all we might get from them! (anag. incl. L & lit.).

S. B. Green (NW10): Waits by the lamp-post, perhaps, to receive letters from racing losers! (anag.; wait¹ (n.)).

C. Higham (SW1): Noel rags the better part of rich society in The Vortex: our Noel can be too familiar! (anag. with ric(h) and S; ref. play by N. Coward).

T. W. Melluish (SE24): Waits near the mistletoe but scares no girl improperly (anag.; wait¹ (n.)).

S. L. Paton (Exeter): Cars linger so in a jam—that’s how you get such waits (anag.; wait¹ (n.)).

M. G. Powell-Davies (Rhiwbina): Collecting coin or largess for some good cause? Ring away—here’s the wherewithal (anag. less O & lit.).

O. Carlton Smith (Bognor Regis): No caress! Girl in confusion, yet waits expectant (anag.).

F. B. Stubbs (Marple): They bid us rejoice or sling cares to the winds (anag.).

J. A. L. Sturrock (Bournemouth): No girl cares to be cut by Society, thus waits, hoping for charm to get its reward (anag. + S (cut = drunk/adulterated); charm = blended singing).

H. S. Tribe (Sutton): In the Street at Christmas—wait, wait, wait! Real crossing reform needed (anag.; wait¹ (n.)).

HOLLY-BERRIES

J. A. Blair (NW9): He’ll he sorry I served up fruit on top of Christmas pudding! (anag.).

S. Holgate (Durham): The spinners change ends and serve up tempting but dangerous balls on the treacherous green (changing ends, (Eric) Hollies and (Bob) Berry, English spin bowlers).

Mrs F. Laing (SW2): Present at Christmas? Get hosiery and be fifty-fifty right. There’s a ladder!—Hang! (anag. of hosiery be LL r, 2 defs.).

F. E. Newlove (SE9): Reds in Hollywood? Many are tied up with the pictures now—a pretty poisonous bunch! (3 mngs.; slightly poisonous to humans).

J. B. Sykes (Birchington): Those weather-forecasters ought to be hung right now, or else horribly mutilated! (anag.; Autumn h.b. thought to herald bad winter).

RUNNERS-UP
CAROL-SINGERS

E. S. Ainley, Mrs M. Anderson, Mrs W. R. Chalkley, L. G. Chastey, B. G. H. Clegg, H. J. Connell, Brig W. E. Duncan, T. Dwyer, L. E. Eyres, J. A. Flood, R. M. Grace, P. A. Hall, F. G. Illingworth, A. L. Jeffery, D. S. Johnson, J. Hardie Keir, P. W. W. Leach, J. A. Lochhead, Mrs M. G. Porter, E. J. Rackham, R. C. Reeves, E. W. Richart, A. Rivlin, A. Robins, J. L. Ruddle, T. E. Sanders, E. O. Seymour, Mrs E. Shackleton, A. E. Smith, Miss N. Smith, Miss D. W. Taylor, Mary Walker, H. Walsham, J. R. Wheeler, S. E. Wilson

HOLLY-BERRIES

E. Clark, Dr J. N. Fell, F. C. Geary, C. T. Hatten, L. W. Jenkinson, C. Kauffman, Mrs J. H. C. Lawlor, H. Lyon, T. A. Martin, E. J. Miller, C. J. Morse, C. P. Rea, C. B. Ryves, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, L. R. Smith, Mrs J. W. Taylor, J. Thompson, L. C. Wright, I. Young, J. S. Young, J. T. Young.
 

COMMENTS—No time for many: I must catch the post! 325 correct and a sadly big crop of mistakes, about two-thirds of them being “fetish” for FETICH and most of the rest caused by AGNATES. I had thought the reference to Little Tich would make it very clear which spelling was required at 6 ac. About three- quarters of the entry chose CAROL-SINGERS, and a very high proportion of the clues to both words were anagrams. I don’t favour anagrams demanding subtraction as a rule, especially if they are very elaborate, but the first two prizewinners used this method, without over-elaboration, extremely skilfully. The third prizewinner tickled my fancy by his delightful simplicity.
 
These extra prizes for H.C.s will not be regarded as debarring those who win no normal prizes from the half-yearly consolation prizes for the greatest number of commendations.
 
Very many thanks for a multitude of delightful Christmas cards and good wishes. A happy New Year to you all.