XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 364

HELLEBORE

1.  T. E. Bell: A flower of surpassing beauty that returns amid the old white splendour of the Christmas scene (belle (rev.) in hore, & lit.).

2.  Dr S. L. Paton: I blossom forth in December showing beauty returning in old age (belle (rev.) in hore, & lit.).

3.  Miss E. J. Campbell: As a rose in December, beauty returns in old age (belle (rev.) in hore).

H.C. (extra prizes)

C. Allen Baker: A blooming early riser sets the alarm when retiring to ring hours before needing to be about! (bell (rev.) + O all in h + ere).

E. A. Beaulah: Prominent beauty makes a come-back in very cut version of H.M.S. Pinafore as Buttercup (belle (rev.) in H(MS Pinaf)ore).

S. A. Cheetham: Crowfoot results from revulsion of beauty in old age (belle (rev.) in hore, & lit.).

R. N. Chignell: It can lend colour to Christmas where spirits are followed by duck with free beer all round (hell + O in anag.).

W. M. Easther: May mean a most unpleasant death—produced beneath the earth’s surface (hell E bore, & lit.; some species of h. are poisonous).

A. S. G. Fish: Old madman’s radical cure for the evil power that weighed ’im down (hell ’e bore; h. used by ancient Greeks to treat mental disorders; radical = of root).

Mrs N. Fisher: The end of December leads to an exclamation about its beauty recurring always ((Decemb)er + belle in oh (all rev.), & lit.).

T. P. Fooks: The principal male’s a girl (confusion!) and Beauty is back in his arms: a hardy perennial (belle (rev.) in anag. of hero; ref. panto “Sleeping B.” [see comments]).

Mrs L. Jarman: This drug may kill Tinker Bell here and now—clap in the circle and the light will appear (O in anag. of Bell + here; some species of h. poisonous; audience must clap to save TB; TB’s light, crossword light).

L. Johnson: Briefly, he will be changed by the end of Pinafore, Buttercup providing the solution (he’ll + be (rev.) + (Pinaf)ore).

C. J. Morse: Greek girl stopped on cross-channel flight was carrying dope (Helle bore; ref. the flying ram (Krios Khrysomallos), who rescued Helle).

R. Postill: Beauty returns in old age, like a rose that blooms anew in winter (belle (rev.) in hore).

T. E. Sanders: He’s got about 1¼ yds. drill, but you’ll need to double that for a pair of winter bloomers (ell in he + bore; double, i.e. 2 hellebores).

Mrs E. Shackleton: Example of this season’s bloomers—modern style requiring 1⅓ lengths drill (H ell e(ll) bore; H-line).

J. A. L. Sturrock: Heavily censored version of H.M.S Pinafore includes cartwheeling French beauty—that’s something like a Buttercup! (belle (rev.) in H(M.S. Pinaf)ore).

H. T. R. Twyford: Variegated English herb, inner parts of yellow, petals white when it’s black! Do you see it now? (anag. of E herb (y)ello(w); black h. has white petals at Christmas).

R. A. Walker: He’ll be back with the makings of a pig in a poke (he’ll + be (rev.) + ore; pig = unforged metal; poke⁴ = white h.).

RUNNERS-UP

F. D. H. Atkinson, G. F. Bamford, J. W. Bates, H. Bernard, G. Bolton, R. S. Caffyn, P. B. Chapman, R. F. S. Chignell, A. H. Clough, Capt B. P. Connors, J. Cordery, Mrs C. Crawford, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, C. E. Gates, S. Goldie, J. H. Goldthorpe, P. Graystone, S. B. Green, H. Greenberg, J. H. Grummitt, C. T. Hatten, D. Hawson, D. Henderson, S. Holgate, A. H. Iliffe, E. G. Illingworth, W. Islip, C. Koop, P. W. W. Leach, J. D. Lockett, H. Lyon, D. P. M. Michael, P. H. Morgan, F. E. Newlove, D. A. Nicholls, Sgt L. W. G. Oxley, H. C. S. Perry, E. G. Phillips, E. J. Rackham, K. Reed, D. V. Reeves, A. M. Robertson, A. J. C. Saunders, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, D. Slater, W. K. M. Slimmings, G. Stanhope-Lovell, E. B. Stevens, F. B. Stubbs, J. B. Sykes, P. H. Taylor, D. G. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, H. S. Tribe, Miss Twells, S. E. Wilson, S. E. Woods, M. Woolf, C. P. Wroth, H. T. Young, I. Young, K. R. Young.
 

COMMENTS—349 entries, 310 correct. The chief causes of trouble were HOARSELY (“coarsely” doesn’t account for “goes mouldy”) and BEAR (“dear” doesn’t account for “be patient” and is a vague and unsatisfying answer to the clue). The clues sent in reached a high standard: I had a very long short list and a difficult task in choosing. The prizes in the end went to the best versions of a simple but very appropriate idea: in case one or two runners-up think they were unlucky, I would stress that the word “old” is a vital point in expressing this idea: the obsoleteness of “bore” should be indicated. Another good clue failed for a reason I referred to in a recent slip: “Stinking English herb with a yellowy centre.” (anag. & lit.). I don’t like “a yellowy centre” for “centre of ‘a yellowy’”: I don’t think it says what it means. Many other runners-up were very near H.C. standard, but I could not fairly have rewarded any of them without rewarding about twenty of them. Congratulations to competitors in general!
 
I must revert to an old point, the indirect anagram. Mr. Fooks’s clue gives a good example of the exceptional sort of use of it that I admit. The double clue—“principal male’s a girl”—leads very definitely and easily to “Hero”: that is essential to justify it, and I repeat my caution about this.
 
Many thanks for all the Christmas cards and greetings. In answer to one or two hints at a return to fortnightly competitions, I’m afraid I must ask you to let me off this sine die. I find that once a month is really as much as I can manage. A happy New Year to you all.