XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 215

BUCKFASTLEIGH

1.  T. W. Melluish: An order of black hue, given gifts, here reconstructed (anag. & lit.; B. Abbey (reconstructed post 1882), Benedictines “black monks”).

2.  J. P. Lloyd: Here abstinence is observed within, while, without, the stag is pursued by one of the Hunts (fast³ in buck¹ Leigh & lit.; B. Abbey; Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

3.  Miss D. W. Taylor: There’s something bigger than Hamlet in the Moor, shaking a huge black fist! (anag.; i.e.. B. in Dartmoor larger than a hamlet; Othello IV:1, striking of Desdemona).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley: Hunt chasing stag (or dashing fellow!) may be seen about near here (fast² (archaic) in buck¹ Leigh & lit.; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

J. W. Bates: A dandy set, a famous Desdemona —here’s the place to go to see the Moor! (buck¹, fast² Leigh; B. on edge of Dartmoor; Vivien L. played D. on stage).

P. Brown: Hind’s master settled here before acquiring the name of Elizabethan hero (buck² fast² Leigh & lit.; ref. Amyas L., Westward Ho!; Drake, Golden Hind [see comments]).

W. M. Easther: A pleasant Devonshire retreat for the man-about-town, if the gals get awkward (buck¹ + anag. B. abbey).

Mrs N. Fisher: There’s a place of retreat for a game beast swiftly chased by a well-known Hunt (buck¹ fast¹ Leigh & lit.; B. Abbey; Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b. 1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

B. J. Iliffe: Darts? There’s one here; try to throw a snappy 50. Not quite—8! (buck¹ (vb.) fast¹ L eigh(t); i.e. darts (sing.) = Dart (river at B.)).

Mrs L. Jarman: Species of cart—reckless Old Uncle Tom—non-existent horse: that’s a well-known Devonshire haunt (buck² fast¹ (Cob)leigh; Uncle T.C., Widecombe fair; cob¹; B. Abbey reputedly haunted).

M. J. Jones: Found on the edge of Dartmoor the thugs file back disconcerted (anag.; B. on edge of Dartmoor; Dartmoor prison).

D. P. M. Michael: Hunt follows quickly upon heels of quarry near Princetown (buck¹ fast¹ Leigh; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b. 1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

C. J. Morse: Try to throw quick fifty followed by double four. No, not quite. Dart’s just outside it (buck¹ (vb.) fast¹ L eigh(t); Dart, river flowing past B.).

F. E. Newlove: Where’s the Benedictine? Gone west—I’ve upset the big caskful! (anag.; B. Abbey, Benedictine monks).

R. Postill: Jump to it! Then if the lags should be unruly, you can find sanctuary across the Moor (buck¹ (vb.) + anag.; B. Abbey; Dartmoor prison).

N. J. Reed: Hunt after deer near here (buck¹ fast² (archaic) Leigh & lit.; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

T. E. Sanders: Hunt goes on resolutely after a negro just out of Dartmoor (buck¹ (offensive) + fast² + Leigh; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; B. on edge of Dartmoor).

R. I. Savage: I’ve got the light fuse back in order, but my neighbours, though in order, are still in the dark (anag.; B. Abbey, Benedictines “black monks”).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: Here one might get worsted by a famous Moor, shaking huge black fist! (anag.; B., edge of Dartmoor Associated with wool trade; Othello IV. i, striking of Desdemona).

W. K. M. Slimmings: Where a famous Hunt follows hard after the deer? (buck¹ fast² Leigh & lit.; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

I. Young: Here in Devon you’ll find deer disinclined to run before the jolly old Hunt (buck¹ fast² Leigh; ref. Leigh Hunt, Eng. writer and critic, b.1784; Dartmoor Hunt).

RUNNERS-UP

T. E. Bell, E. R. Best, A. J. Bisset, Mrs A. L. Boorman, R. M. S. Cork, G. N. Coulter, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, D. A. Dodds, E. C. Double, Brig W. E. Duncan, T. Dwyer, J. A. Flood, F. D. Gardiner, I. C. Gilchrist, S. Goldie, C. P. Grant, R. R. Greenfield, D. Hawson, D. Henderson, L. W. Jenkinson, D. S. Johnson, Miss M. H. H. Johnston, W. L. Miron, A. P. O’Leary, S. L. Paton, Mrs M. G. Porter, E. R. Prentice, Maj J. N. Purdon, H. Rainger, C. P. Rea, K. Reed, P. H. Rowley, Miss E. F. C. Sanders, J. A. L. Sturrock, P. H. Taylor, H. T. R. Twyford, J. B. Widdowson, P. R. Wilson.
 

COMMENTS—304 correct and few mistakes in a most enthusiastic entry, about two-thirds of which arrived on Saturday morning! Opinions, as is usual with Playfairs, differed very much about the difficulty of finding the key-word: some were unlucky enough to be misled by a quite unintentional red herring at 29—BEAVER! Thanks for several suggestions of possible long words for future use: this one was also suggested by a solver, but I had forgotten who, till he reminded me: so, apparently, had he! I gather from other sources that it had been used before elsewhere: it was not a conscious plagiarism.
 
The standard of clues sent in was, I thought, high. There were many versions of Hunt following deer fast; I definitely prefer the wording of those chosen but sympathise with those among the runners-up. “Hunt” and “Dart,” if used, must have capital letters: my principle is, as I have stated before, that a writer may at his discretion give a noun a capital when it need not have one, but he cannot, without accuracy, reverse this process. “Dart” set a bit of a problem, particularly well solved by Mr Morse, who comes near to the prizewinners. Mr Brown’s clue set me a bit of a problem. If Drake did actually settle at B., it is worth a prize: if not, its literal sense is too vague, brilliant though the idea is. I consulted three Lives of D. and couldn’t find it: so Mr. Brown gets an H C., possibly luckily, possibly unluckily! This was the only clue which might have threatened Mr Melluish, but there was a close finish for 2nd and 3rd. There was a very good clue from one of the few who made slips in encoding:—“Where the French, with a light heart, completed a steep religious task” (buck-fast-le-igh & lit.). Bad luck!
 
[Archive Note: The remaining 7 lines of COMMENTS were to a large extent unreadable, but covered one competitor’s offer to reveal to others, his methods in finding the keyword to a Playfair. With reference to Mr Brown’s clue, it appears from internet research that the writer may have confused Buckfastleigh with Buckland Abbey, Yelverton, which was sold to Drake by Sir Richard Grenville.]