XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 241

MANDOLINE

1.  G. H. Willett: It rouses a song and dance, this race swindle with a telephone-cable (man do line; Bath racecourse swindle of 16 July 1953 involved cutting of cable).

2.  E. J. Collman: Being a bustle pad, it is round at the back, fitted with strings (man do line² (= stuff, pad)).

3.  E. R. Prentice: My back may be arched, but I’m responsive when held by the neck and stroked (cryptic def.).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley: Not the woman to play the chit in Balalaika—not quite! Too stringy and round-backed! (man, do (= act), line (= short letter, chit); B., play and film).

J. A. Blair: It takes some pluck for a chap to sabotage the telephone wire! (man do line; Bath racecourse swindle of 16 July 1953 involved cutting of cable).

W. C. Cartner: Miller’s cross, and in good form—usually plays well when strung-up (and in moline; ref. Keith Miller, Aussie all-rounder, test series 1953).

G. N. Coulter: What’s 51 into 1001? You’ll find it close to a score! (LI in M and one; musical score).

Mrs N. Dean: Dancer, with hair flowing about him, fretted in lover’s lap (Dolin in mane: fret²; ref. Anton Dolin, ballet dancer).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: Pluckable? Yes, a fellow to swindle to the limit (man do line; pluck = swindle).

T. Dwyer: It requires dexterity in manipulating wires for a man to work a swindle on the telephone (man do line; Bath racecourse swindle of 16 July 1953 involved cutting of cable).

J. A. Flood: Damn, blast, the Circle Line! This is not right for the Angel (anag. of damn + O + line).

S. Goldie: Ravel—il m’a donné quelque chose à jouer! (anag. & lit.; ravel = disentangle).

R. W. Hawes: Though round-backed and stringy, I may be picked for a few rounds—with the gloves off! (cryptic def.; rounds = songs; boxing).

P. Holtby: There goes a member of the race meeting swindle with telephone instrument, backing round behind the wires! (man do line; Bath racecourse swindle of 16 July 1953 involved cutting of cable).

L. W. Jenkinson: A new head for the P. & O. Line—it’s worked by pulling strings on the bridge! (M for P in P and O Line).

J. Hardie Keir: Round-backed, long-necked, and with “strings to pull”—just the bloke to dodge the army (man do line).

W. M. Martin: By pulling strings one becomes noted, and is even invested with an Iron Cross! (and in moline).

T. W. Melluish: For wielders of the quill one’s lot in life goes on being the same (man + do. (ditto) + line (= lot in life, rare)).

D. P. M. Michael: Destroying an old mine requires plenty of pluck (anag.).

T. E. Sanders: It takes a lot of pluck to manage the latter part of a Commando course ((Com)mando line).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: It was perhaps to me that the gallant Chevalier sang “Madelon” in variety (anag.; ref. Maurice C. and song “La Madelon De La Victoire”).

F. B. Stubbs: Harry Lime—and no zither? But it’s round at the back! (anag.; harry = harass; ref. film ‘The Third Man’, theme played on zither).

A. Thomas: Though plucky, model in an awkward pose can express strain (anag., 2 defs.).

M. Winterbottom: “Third Man” may give you a hint but not the right instrument (cryptic def.; man is one third of mandoline; ref. film theme played on zither).

M. Woolf: Forever being picked at, I have the hump and fret (cryptic def.; fret²).

RUNNERS-UP

Dr C. Alexander, C. Allen Baker, Dr R. L. H. Barnard, H. Bernard, H. Bolton, S. J. Branson, V. E. Brooke, J. Buist, P. B. Chapman, R. M. S. Cork, F. S. Danks, G. D. R. Davies, G. H. Dickson, Mrs D. M. D’Eath, W. Eite, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, Maj A. H. Giles, R. M. Grace, S. B. Green, C. R. Haigh, D. Hawson, H. A. Hayes, H. Joyce, C. Koop, P. W. W. Leach, A. F. Lerrigo, J. D. Lockett, H. Lyon, S. MacRéamoinn, F. W. Martin, G. H. McConnell, E. L. Mellersh, A. C. Morrison, D. A. Nicholls, N. E. D. Noble, G. H. Podmore, R. Postill, M. G. Powell-Davies, E. J. Rackham, C. P. Rea, G. E. Rice, Miss M. H. Rider, W. H. W. Ridley, H. Rotter, J. S. Rowley, Mrs E. D. Sebborn, W. K. M. Slimmings, O. Carlton Smith, E. S. Smith-Owen, Miss R. E. Speight, E. B. Stevens, Mrs A. L. Stevenson, R. E. Stumbles, Miss D. W. Taylor, D. H. Tompsett, H. Walsham, A. E. Watts, J. Wells, A. J. Young.
 

COMMENTS—504 correct and few mistakes. An easy puzzle enabled many new competitors to enter, to whom a hearty welcome. Largely for the benefit of some of them, I would again point out the need for accuracy and relevance in clues. Anagrams are useless unless properly indicated; e.g. “‘This ’ere’s a model inn’ said the landlord, ‘and I even plays to the customers, but of course, I’m no ’Andel.’” The sender underlined the two anagrams (incidentally two are seldom a good idea), but underlining for me doesn’t help the solver. The words of the clue must be true, and “this ’ere” is not a “model inn” but a mixture of those letters. Only room for one more:—“Let us hand it to Little Mo and Neil Harvey. They are supreme players.” The sender adds:—“Note. Anagram, Mo and Neil.” Yes, but where does the clue say so? And how is the word “Harvey” to be interpreted as part of the clue? Irrelevant words cannot be added to improve the misleading sense.
 
Note.—“Habitably,” given by 19 competitors, fits “To rig out with skill,” but it does not accurately fit “is typical of the best houses”: the answer must be either an adjective or a noun. One cannot define an adverb by the words “is typical of …” On the other hand “with skill” can equally well define the adjective “able” or the adverb “ably.”