◀  No. 279 Clue list 25 Apr 1954 Slip image No. 283  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 281

SCRAPS def. LOCALS

1.  F. E. Newlove: Does away with brushes and rags—dusts and shines without polish! (rags; 5 defs.; dust = brawl (inf.), shine = shindy).

2.  Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: Two reasons pubs need chuckers-out (pubs; cryptic def.; i.e. for fights and food waste).

3.  H. T. E. Hone: They sometimes occur in pubs, and the chuckers-out deal with them (pubs; cryptic def. i.e. fights and food waste).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley: Scenes in which even seconds aren’t needed, but smart blows are (scenes; sc(ene s) + raps, & lit.; boxing seconds).

Rev B. Chapman: Students who plod on steadily for exams gain credit in Smalls (exams; cr. in saps).

E. J. Collman: Food for the denizens of a lowly abode—to wit, a back-yard (denizens; sc. + spar (rev.)).

S. B. Green: Spots of bother which give one the shivers! (spots; 2 mngs.; shiver2).

F. G. Illingworth: Places blows with little science (places; sc + raps, & lit.).

Mrs L. Jarman: After oily expressions, blubbers, and the briny natives dwindled—the walrus didn’t leave any! (natives; 3 defs.; dwindle, trans. vb. (i.e. fish scraps); native = oyster; ref. “The W. & the C.”).

E. L. Mellersh: Dives from the high board with these satisfied one of the neighbours who couldn’t take a dip later (neighbours; cryptic def.; board = table; ref Luke xvi. 21, 24).

D. P. M. Michael: A candidate may refer to these in History examinations and wangle pass with credit (examinations; anag. incl. cr.; i.e. scraps of paper).

W. L. Miron: Students who plod away at examinations get credit for their struggles (examinations; cr. in saps).

C. J. Morse: Those who work hard for exams should get a credit in “smalls” (exams; cr. in saps).

A. Robins: You’ll find places on the shelf for boxes (places; 2 mngs.; on the shelf = redundant).

Miss D. W. Taylor: What remained after the Walrus and the Carpenter had eaten the natives? Crumbs! Think of the R.S.P.C.A.’s reaction! (natives; anag.).

RUNNERS-UP

J. W. Bates, Mrs Blanchard, R. C. Brewin, A. N. Clark, D. L. L. Clarke, D. L. Clements, R. M. S. Cork, Brig W. E. Duncan, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, C. E. Gates, T. J. Guffick, J. Hardie Keir, K. F. Lawton, Maj A. D. Martin-Sperry, D. A. Nicholls, E. G. Phillips, R. Postill, T. E. Sanders, Miss G. Savory, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, L. T. Stokes, H. Tillier, D. H. Tompsett, F. L. Usher, B. J. Wain, J. S. Young.
 

COMMENTS—No time for many, as the last parcel of entries was delayed in its journey to me. 299 entries, 260 correct: the chief causes of trouble were CLICKER and GRIFFONS. Click = sound of muffled bell may be questionable, but the other indications were decisive: the spelling “griffins” doesn’t fit the “off” part of the clue. It was difficult to decide what to accept as a definition of LOCALS: I reluctantly decided that “trains” didn’t satisfy me, in spite of its presence in the list in Chambers of which other members did satisfy me. I know all the members of the list are only locals when restricted to a certain locality and are therefore not complete definitions: but “trains” seems to me to be less adequate than the others. Arbitrary, but I couldn’t conquer that feeling. In my choices I tended to prefer the easier clues: very hard ones, even if brilliant, are not so well suited to this type of puzzle.
 
Two general points:—1. Indirect anagrams are of little use to the solver unless the answers are very restricted: there are too many names of fishes with 4 letters for “fish-pie” or the like to be acceptable as an indication of the letters of “carp.” 2. Some solvers ask whether meanings not given in Chambers are permissible in competition clues. To this question I apply the same principle that I use in composing my own clues: if a meaning seems to me to be well known, I pass it, whether it is in C. or not. I think the “dice” meaning of “craps” passes muster all right, though no users of it reached H.C. standard.
 
I am glad the puzzle was enjoyed: many thanks for appreciations.
 

 
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