◀  No. 417 Clue list 3 Feb 1957 Slip image No. 425  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 421

DOVETAIL

1.  H. Rotter: A tough joint is a devil to cut up! (anag.).

2.  R. F. S. Chignell: A union that’s a devil to bust up (anag.).

3.  C. R. Dean: To chisel two parts of a wedge shape and join end to end (do (=cheat) + ve(e) + tail, & lit.).

H.C.

P. C. Barclay: How can you unite an Assembly which admits the confounded veto? (anag. in Dáil; ref. President’s power of veto).

C. M. Broun: It’s a devil to knit together, i.e., if not shaped properly (anag. & lit.).

C. O. Butcher: “Square”—an expression typifying “innocence” to a follower of the Comets—isn’t expected to rock and roll (dove tail; ref. Bill Haley & his C.s, in Britain Feb 1957).

P. Cranmer: This is a swell joint: do try a ’49 Fin de Colombe (do vet a IL, dove tail; colombe (Fr.) = dove; ref. Chateau St. Colombe wines).

D. D. Cumming: Can one reach perfect agreement despite the abuse of the veto in the Assembly? (anag. in Dáil; ref. President’s power of veto).

J. C. B. Date: All the peacemaker has behind him to bring the two sides together is a doubtful vote in the Assembly (dove tail, anag. in Dáil).

N. C. Dexter: Feather-brush for use in the corner (dove tail; feather = birds collectively).

W. J. Duffin: Given a tonic by the doctor before indisposition, you should find yourself nicely fit (do vet ail; A1 = do (mus.)).

F. D. Gardiner: A joint of this kind is a devil to rent (anag. & lit.).

J. A. Maxtone Graham: How to hold your drawers together—make a gusset with a little elastic over the seat! (do ‘V’ e tail).

S. B. Green: Did a dive in New York follow the way of a common joint in Trafalgar Square? (dove3 tail; ref. T.S. pigeons).

E. J. Griew: Knit two together: make five: decrease gradually to end of needle (do V e tail).

P. H. Morgan: Though apparently a gentle bird and a bit backward, I keep members of the Cabinet in their place! (dove tail).

C. J. Morse: Get fit the artisan’s way—treat first and diagnose the disease afterwards (do vet ail).

F. E. Newlove: Veto misused in Assembly: take joint action or it’s the end of Peace! (anag. in Dáil, dove tail).

D. A. Nicholls: A bit of craftsmanship in the construction of the Cabinet has brought Macmillan’s sleep back! (dove2 tail; ref. PM Harold M., Cabinet reshuffle, 1957).

J. W. Parr: Homer’s Ilium, not the later capital, is the vicinity for a stable fit for a wooden horse (dove tail; homer = a pigeon; ilium = haunches).

R. Postill: It’s a devil to put together—and a devil to pull apart! (anag. & lit. [see comments]).

K. Reed: A neat chiselling job: mark the two sides in a vice, finish off with a file and join end to end (do3 v(ic)e tail, 2 defs.).

C. Tilden Smith: Wedded state contrived by correspondence: personal expression of endearment to follow (dove tail).

J. G. Stubbs: American dived in front of the train. Fit? Exactly! (dove3 tail).

H. S. Tribe: Wooden wedding resolves violated (anag.).

J. F. N. Wedge: Joint veto exercised in Assembly—end of peace hope? (anag. in Dáil, dove tail).

RUNNERS-UP

J. A. Adamson, R. B. Adcock, J. P. H. Allon, F. D. H. Atkinson, J. W. Bates, R. Baxter Phillips, E. A. Beaulah, Miss M. Behrent, Mrs F. A. Blanchard, Mrs G. Bonsall, Mrs F. R. Burrow, J. D. Campbell, W. C. Cartner, P. Carwardine, Rev B. Chapman, R. N. Chignell, A. N. Clark, P. R. Clemow, P. M. Coombs, T. Davies, P. W. Dennis, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, J. H. Dingwall, F. E. Dixon, L. A. Dunn, Dr W. M. Easther, H. H. Elliott, J. B. Filburn, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, E. Gabbitas, E. Gomersall, W. B. Jamieson, J. W. Jenkins, V. Jennings, C. Kauffman, C. R. Kennaby, C. Koop, A. Lawrie, P. W. W. Leach, M. C. Leaf, J. S. Leishman, A. F. Lerrigo, R. W. Lerrigo, C. J. Lowe, Miss J. S. Lumsden, Miss J. Meakin, E. L. Mellersh, T. W. Melluish, J. G. Milner, S. H. Moore, A. A. O. Morrison, K. Neale, D. A. Nelson, Sgt L. W. G. Oxley, G. W. Pugh, Maj J. N. Purdon, E. J. Rackham, H. Rainger, A. Robins, A. J. C. Saunders, C. M. Sherrell, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, W. K. M. Slimmings, J. E. Smith Wright, E. B. Stevens, Miss D. W. Taylor, S. N. Taylor, L. E. Thomas, C. T. Tulloch, Capt C. Tyers, B. J. Wain, A. D. Walker, J. O. Ware, Cdr D. P. Willan, Dr D. G. Wilson, M. Woolf, J. S. Young, Flt Lt N. D. Young, also B. J. Iliffe, who entered by cable from Capetown, provided his solution (to follow) is correct: the other cabled entry (from Rio) was not quite up to R.U. standard.
 

COMMENTS—641 entries, 590 correct, most of the errors being “sisterhood.” A very big, and very good entry: I did get a little tired, however, of votes and vetoes in the Dáil. I hope I have done justice to the best worded of these: there must have been a good 150 of them! The “a devil to” anagram was also very popular, and its varied treatment is of interest. Clues like the first two prizewinners, which indicate the anag. with a participle, are clearly superior to the much commoner type which involves suppression of punctuation, eg “This joint is a devil to carve up,” “A devil to shift,” “A devil to pull apart,” etc. In these, one has to pause and take the verb as an imperative: this is permissible, but it should be avoided when better alternatives offer. “A devil to get apart” does avoid it, but this time the indication of the anag. is questionable: can “get apart” mean “with letters mixed”? (“An adverse vote” is a similar case). Mr Postill’s clue above is one of the neatest of this type, but I preferred the prizewinners because I think “put together” is also a little questionable: “put together again” (with the other half of the clue first) might, perhaps, be an improvement, taking “again” in the sense of “in a new way.” No time or room for more after these very long lists.
 

 
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