XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 233

SAWDUST

1.  C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): Spotted duff—that‘s the stuff for stuffing! (saw dust; duff¹ = coal dust).

2.  E. S. Ainley (Harrow): Child’s fretting may lead to this—spotted, dispirited condition—on the carpet—and mother having to beat it (saw dust; i.e. fretwork).

3.  W. J. Duffin (Hull): South leads. Ace put down by West has a grave meaning—fills Dummy with heaviness (S + A + W + dust).

H.C.

C. R. Haigh (Cambridge): You must have discovered the money: it was dropped on your floor, landlord! (saw dust).

D. P. M. Michael (Whitchurch): ’Twas round about dusk almost. That’s what comes of cutting through the wood (dus(k) in ’twas (rev.)).

C. J. Morse (Oxford): Received money in the form of chips (saw dust).

E. G. Phillips (Bangor): Starts with a wise-crack, then comes to earth—on the floor of the pub! (saw³ dust).

RUNNERS-UP

T. J. Guffick (Oxford), C. Kauffman (Bradford), Miss D. W. Taylor (New Malden), D. L. Tuckett (N4).
 

COMMENTS—Commiserations to all the gallant triers and congratulations to the XI: may Hutton’s at Trent Bridge be as good! It was, as I fully recognise, very difficult to follow my trains of thought, especially with three of them converging in the N.W. corner; but solvers will, I am sure, recognise that a puzzle of this type must be planned in such a way that success is as nearly as possible unattainable unless those trains of thought are followed: otherwise it will stultify itself.
 
Now for a full explanation of the variations—fuller than there is room for in the notes with solution: this is clearly called for.
 
A. CORNET—CROUP—HAMS: all parts of a horse: hint in clue to PAL—“and look out for Man’s elsewhere!” The Horse is the friend of Man, (It was unfortunate that this meaning of CORNET is only given under “coronet” in the old Chambers’s Dictionary; but the absence of unchecked letters from 5 dn. and 6 provided compensation.)
 
B. FLUTE—SNUG—SNOUT: Mids. Night’s Dream: nearly everyone agreed that this, at least, was easy!
 
C. HARP—JAVEL—BULL: all are words which may be expanded into missiles—harpoon, javelin, bullet: hint in clue to APING—“A sound of a Variation, when expanded as required”—a ping, sound of a bullet.
 
D. SACKBUT—CHESTNUT—JARGON: each consists of a pair of containers, meeting back to back—sack, tub—chest, tun—jar, nog: hint in clue to PLEURA—“lines the cavity of one of these back-to-back things!”—i.e. chest.
 
E. PSALTERY—OMASUM—MANIPLIES: third stomach of ruminant. Clue to VIVAT gives hint that Latin form of PSALTERY—psalterium—is required—“In language that will point middlewards elsewhere.”
 
F. DULCIMER—RIVER—NOSE: all are provided with bridges: hint in clue to BOURN—“but mark what it may go under—verb. sap.!”—i.e. in its sense of “burn,” a stream.
 
There they are: it is for you to decide if they were fair, not for me. (But I must end with an appreciation of the many kind remarks and very “sporting” comments from those who knew they had failed after much celebration! And let me add that I don’t for a moment suppose that I could have solved it myself!
 
P. S.—Correct solutions from the following arrived late:—Mrs. L. Jarman, M. G. Powell-Davies, Mrs. E. Simmonds, L. E. Thomas.