XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 45

RATTENED

1.  D. I. Randell (Woking): Scabotaged? (cryptic def.; rat = scab = strike-breaker).

2.  Mrs D. M. Kissen (Lanark): More than picketed: pickpocketed? (cryptic def.; i.e. had tools taken).

3.  Rev E. B. Peel (Fleetwood): Trade winds about four bells in the first watch smashed the tackle (ten in anag.; four … watch = 10pm).

H.C.

F. A. Clark (Croydon): Paralysed labour: revolutionary packs up at No. 10 (at ten in red).

F. E. Dixon (Dublin): When treated thus even the worst worker has only himself to blame (cryptic def.; “A bad workman blames his tools”, r. = had tools taken).

T. H. East (Greenford): Implemented by strike action? Just the reverse! (cryptic def.; i.e., implements sabotaged).

S. Holgate (Durham): Punished by union—for being an irregular attender? (anag.).

F. P. Hussey (Dublin): Irregular attender deprived workers of tools (anag.).

R. B. S. Instone (W8): Stopped production upsets the net trade balance (anag. of net trade).

Mrs M. James (NW3): Irregular attender suitably rewarded? (anag.).

L. Johnson (Llandudno): Damaged braces, etc., offered by trade (net) (anag. of trade net, brace=boring tool).

C. Koop (Ferring): No tool in the hands of the independent labour party after this! (cryptic def.; ILP MPs defected to Labour Party in 1947).

Mrs B. A. Mallett (Lowestoft): Ten among the accused were guilty of sabotage (ten in rated).

T. W. Melluish (SE24): How the scab was treated, the person in attendance being dissipated (anag. of attender).

Maj D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Punished, for example, by breaking hammer or taking away sickle, failure in a Communist to dance attendance (attendance less dance in red; ref. Communist symbol).

F. E. Newlove (SE9): Acted on the slogan “Give us the tools or they’ll finish the job!” (cryptic def.; ref. Churchill’s 1941 speech, “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”).

R. Postill (Jersey): Irregular attender of trades-union meetings may be (anag. of attender).

R. C. Reeves (Huddersfield): Defiled a scab (de-filed, i.e., took away the file from).

Mrs E. Shackleton (W. Wickham): The bad workman who was treated thus had only himself to blame! (cryptic def.; “A bad workman blames his tools”, r. = had tools taken).

Miss A. C. Tatham (W14): A P.M. asked that the contrary should be done: he lived—see inside (i.e. at ten is inside rattened; ref. Churchill’s 1941 speech, “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”, 10 Downing Street).

Comments:—220 correct: most of the errors were made by people who were not discreet enough to know—or discover from Chambers—that “tace is Latin for a candle”; they showed too much tact. A one-word clue tops the bill this time—a most attractive portmanteau. Many used the obviously convenient “irregular attender,” and their clues were none the worse for being obvious; the neatest of these have been selected for mention—several others ran them close. Mrs Mallett’s equation, rate=accuse, is a little dubious, but hers was a pleasant idea and the clue passes with a shove. Maj Michael was ingenious but lengthy. Some made strange use of the word “union” when they hoped that “trade union” indicated an anag. of “trade”: surely an anag. smacks rather of disunion? Others, more soundly, said that the trade union was shattered.
 
Finally, a hint to competitors—revise your work! Every time there are two or three solutions with one letter incorrectly filled in through a slip, e.g. “caroitis” for “carditis.” These have to be counted wrong—a sad waste.