XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 500

MOTHERS-IN-LAW

1.  R. H. Ashworth: Conjugal relations suffer when it’s moral to be remarried (anag.; suffer = allow, marry = unite).

2.  L. T. Stokes: While matrons must conform to the New Look, they are reputed to favour long stays! (anag.).

3.  Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: They become ours automatically when we marry; what’s more, most of the linen comes from them (anag. of what’s more lin(en), & lit.).

H.C.

Mrs P. L. Baynton: These old battle-axes may be discovered in an array of arms in the low (anag.; low³ = tumulus).

F. J. Clark: A smile thrown carelessly can make more than one husband’s life a relative misery! (anag.).

R. M. S. Cork: When it comes to morals and quarrels, we traditionally give advice (anag. of when it morals (indicated by ‘quarrels’), & lit.).

F. E. Dixon: They like to visit Maternity Hospitals and deal successfully with almoners (anag. & lit.; deal = distribute).

E. G. Durham: How tram-lines, improperly laid, can undermine transport and lead to parting of ways (anag.; transport = emotion).

T. E. Faber: After you’ve got married you’ll need rest in order to consummate it. So don’t take one of these on the honeymoon! (m. + others in law).

J. A. Fincken: You can’t get him to snarl properly? We’ll help! (anag. of him to snarl we, & lit).

Rev D. Ford: When legal considerations apply, widowers can’t marry them: when moral, it’s otherwise—or is it? (anag.).

F. G. Illingworth: Set up by a previous contract in hearts, they call too often and spoil their own slam (anag.).

A. H. Jones: There are witty sayings about the lady by the score: they bore our better halves! (her in mots + in + law; law² = score).

D. Jones: Gruelling race, say grooms, especially when they make the home stretch—enough to make horseman wilt (anag.).

R. Levens: What are untidy menials worth? A trial in the home? a laugh in the theatre? (anag.).

C. H. Macmillan: Mortals whine pitifully, but the gods laugh at them (anag.; i.e. gods in theatre).

S. Maunder: You can get extra marital relations from Harlot Mews, N.1. (anag. incl. I).

F. E. Morgan: A pithy phrase and an expression of surprise about woman’s depravity are part of a low comedian’s stock-in-trade (her sin in mot + law⁵).

P. H. Morgan: You’ll get us as extra after you’ve got married, and you’ll have the Devil’s own job to stick to all our rules! (m. other sin law, & lit.).

C. J. Morse: They irritate husbands and bore their wives (or vice versa) (cryptic def.; bore = gave birth to).

R. Postill: How can you describe them? Moralist when adapted offers “Dams with faint praise”! (anag., 2 defs.; ref. A. Pope, ‘Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot’).

Miss Telfer: Matrons, while in an interesting condition, do not embarrass bachelors (anag.).

J. B. Widdowson: Makes horseman wilt and grooms shudder, the way the chestnut goes! (anag.; chestnut = stale joke).

RUNNERS-UP (1)

C. Allen, S. Beale, R. Brain, M. Cassell, M. C. Copeman, H. F. Dixon, Mrs J. O. Fuller, A. P. Gardner, T. E. Girdlestone, J. A. Maxtone Graham, Mrs K. M. Harre, Lt Cdr R. F. Hatton, R. N. Haygarth, I. A. Herbert, M. J. Hickman, P. J. Higgins, R. Hills, C. H. Hudson, Mrs L. Jarman, V. Jennings, E. A. Jones, S. M. Kahn, J. Hardie Keir, E. King, A. Lawrie, P. W. W. Leach, A. F. Lerrigo, Mrs P. R. Longyear, C. R. Malcolm, A. D. Mattock, G. M. May, Mrs E. McFee, Mrs P. Meakin, W. L. Miron, J. J. Moore, R. J. Munnings, G. M. Neighbour, J. B. Neilson, F. E. Newlove, D. A. Nicholls, Mrs V. M. Palmer, Mrs J. Robertson, W. Rodgers, T. G. Wellman, A. J. Young

RUNNERS-UP (2)

Mrs E. N. Adlington, E. S. Ainley, Capt H. B. Akrill, Rev R. E. Allsopp, M. A. Anderson, D. Ashcroft, C. Allen Baker, T. E. Bell, T. Bilsborough, K. Bird, Mrs G. Bonsall, A. Bristow, E. J. Brook, V. E. Brooke, H. Brown, P. Brown, R. Bryan, E. J. Bushell, C. O. Butcher, A. G. Callely, Miss E. J. Campbell, W. R. Chalmers, R. F. S. Chignell, A. J. Cohen, C. N. Collis, E. J. Collman, Mrs T. Connell, J. McI. Cruickshank, C. R. Dean, L. L. Dixon, P. S. Elliott, L. E. Eyres, Mrs E. M. Fowler, F. D. Gardiner, J. H. Gawler, K. Gibson, E. Gomersall, Rev R. M. Grace, Rev J. G. Graham, P. Graystone, S. B. Green, R. R. Greenfield, R. F. Pardoe, Miss O. B. Parks, T. J. Pimbley, S. Plumb, E. R. Prentice, E. J. Rackham, C. P. Rea, H. R. Reade, K. Reed, G. A. Rimmer, W. G. Roberts, A. Robins, T. E. Sanders, J. M. Sharman, Mr & Mrs C. Sheffield, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, W. K. M. Slimmings, Mrs A. H. Smith, R. E. Smith, J. C. W. Springbett, G. M. Tarpey, Miss D. W. Taylor, J. Thompson, Dr N. W. Thompson, W. H. Thornton, Capt C. Tyers, R. R. Tyler, J. Vallely, S. Walters, J. Walton, L. T. Whitaker, P. J. Whitcombe, C. E. Williams.
 

COMMENTS:—802 entries, about 750 correct! Tuesday’s final batch was over 600, so I had no time to check the solutions of those that I didn’t pick out for possible mention: my approximation is based on the number incorrect in the previous batch, all of which I did check: And of course all of those mentioned above were checked.
 
Congratulations to all the senders of this vast and accomplished entry! I had no idea it could be so tractable and that so many would even beat bogey, though I did say to myself when writing the clues “They mustn’t be too hard, with all these complications,” and also there were fewer rare words than usual. But I have no regretful thoughts that it was too easy: it was meant to be a puzzle that as many as possible could enjoy, and comments for which very many thanks, seem to show that it succeeded. I had at one time thought of making it “Carte Blanche” as well, but I’m glad on the whole that I didn’t, and I expect a good many of you are, though I don’t doubt that the entry would still have been big. As it was, it fell 77 short of the record (No. 300).
 
The choice of prizewinners was a very hard one: I am terribly conscious that there is a lot of luck in it, and that no two people would choose alike. There were 43 in my short list: the 20 unlucky ones are those under the heading “Runners-up (1).” And I had a job even to choose the “Runners-up (2).” though there are 100 of them. Many of these are up to normal H.C. standard, especially those based on the two favourite anagrams, “Woman Hitlers” and “Relations whom (minus O).” There were so many of these of almost equal merit that they were perforce excluded from prizes: only outstandingly skilful treatment could have got them in, and none stood out far enough.
 
I was very glad to have so many entries from afar—Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Toronto, Oslo, etc. The extra days, I know, help these, but I fear I can’t do it regularly: normally Sunday must be my day for adjudication, as mid-week is impossible in term time: and a result 3 weeks after the puzzle would be, I think, too stale. But I hope to repeat this extension regularly for the Christmas competition puzzles.
 
Again many thanks for all the kind messages, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Café Royal on September 5.