◀  No. 569 Clue list 20 Dec 1959 Slip image No. 573  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 571

PESTER

1.  R. R. Greenfield (Ruislip): Badger should be here: look closely about both ends of sett (s(et)t in peer; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace).

2.  N. C. Dexter (Corby): This would annoy any fellow, a saint included (St in peer, & lit.; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace).

3.  R. Levens (Oxford): To gain respect, solvers must use C.; without it, confusion breeds annoyance (anag. less C.; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace).

H.C. (extra prizes)

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, scorse, cosher).

F. D. H. Atkinson (Claygate): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

Lt Col P. S. Baines (Chatham): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

A. J. Barnard (Portsmouth): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

S. Barnett (Glasgow): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

P. A. Browne (SW1): (Clue not given; osmose, rooses, scorse, cosher).

C. I. Bullock (Bournemouth): (Clue not given; sopors, porose, corpse, rosace).

A. N. Clark (Portsmouth): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

R. M. S. Cork (Toronto): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

P. J. Dyer (W8): (Clue not given; compos, scampo, pomace, amorce (discussed below)).

J. D. Ede (Bath): (Clue not given; osmose, rooses, scorse, cosher).

Capt F. A. Fabel (Earley): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, scorse, rosace†).

A. J. Hughes (Sutton Coldfield): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

A. D. Izzard (N20): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, scorse, rosace†).

J. I. Logan (Edinburgh): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

Mrs E. McFee (Rhos-on-Sea): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

W. L. Miron (Nottingham): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

P. K. Nandi (Maidstone): (Clue not given; sopors, porose, corpse, rosace).

R. Postill (Jersey): (Clue not given; sopors, porose, corpse, rosace).

H. Rainger (SW6): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

K. Reed (Alvaston): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

N. E. Sharp (Edinburgh): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

J. B. Sykes (Abingdon): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

E. Taylor (Gosport): (Clue not given; osmose, smores, crosse, rosace).

K. Thomas (Liverpool): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

J. F. N. Wedge (Carshalton): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

M. Whitby (NW10): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, scorse, rosace†).

G. H. Dickson (Delgany, Co. Wicklow): (Clue not given; sopors, porose, corpse, rosace).

C. W. Willink (Eton): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

A. J. Wilson (SW11): (Clue not given; osmose, morses, crosse, rosace†).

RUNNERS-UP (1)

M. A. Anderson, H. M. Barclay, K. N. Bascombe, J. M. Bennett, R. Bryan, R. S. Caffyn, Mrs J. Chalkley, R. F. S. Chignell, L. P. Cook, H. C. Copeman, Rev J. W. A. Cowgill, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, J. P. Doncaster, L. E. Eyres, Mrs N. Fisher, T. P. Fooks, F. D. Gardiner, H. J. Godwin, J. F. Grady, Miss E. Griffith, J. R. Hamilton, M. Hodson, D. G. Hopkins, N. Hulton, Dr W. I. N. Kessel, Mrs R. D. Lemon, J. P. Lester, H. Lyon, H. C. Marshall, D. P. M. Michael, J. G. Milner, F. E. Newlove, I. J. Nicholas, A. E. North, Plt Off L. W. G. Oxley, Miss M. J. Patrick, K. Perry, Prof A. J. S. Pippard, E. J. Rackham, Rev E. G. Riley, H. R. Sanders, J. H. Scott-Wilson, H. R. Simpson, W. K. M. Slimmings, H. J. Snelgar, Mrs E. M. Strain, P. H. Taylor, Mrs J. Thomas, J. Thompson, K. I. Torrance, G. H. Wilde

RUNNERS-UP (2)

Mr & Mrs P. C. Barclay, Mrs A. L. Boorman, Mrs S. Brookes, P. R. Clemow, J. Coleby, W. F. G. Crozier, A. R. Davidson, J. H. Dingwall, L. Elstein, A. Fairhead, S. Goldie, D. Gribble, S. Holgate, V. Jennings, N. A. Longmore, Mrs Meeres, B. G. Midgley, H. C. S. Perry, Mrs J. Robertson, A. Robins, Miss Rogers, T. E. Sanders, A. J. Sobey, Mrs A. Speechley, R. Stephenson, J. G. Stubbs, J. A. L. Sturrock, A. D. Walker, E. F. Watling, M. Winterbottom, Canon R. J. Wood.
 

COMMENTS:—280 entries, 259 correct (plus, alas, 26 which arrived late: 5 of these would have won prizes). Hearty congratulations to all on an excellent entry, surmounting a very stiff climb. I made the awards by meticulous application of the preferences stated in the introduction, and the two lots of runners-up were very close behind the prizewinners. As foreshadowed, I only used the clues to PESTER to choose the first three prizewinners from 14 equal entries. I am quite convinced now that there is no solution exactly fulfilling the ideal I set up. My own best effort, arrived at after about an hour and a half when I had composed the puzzle, would have ranked among the “Runners-up (1)”!
 
My greatest headache was provided by Mr. Dyer, who produced what might well be regarded as the nearest to an ideal solution by using “scampo” from the supplement of the new edition of C. I hadn’t expressly ruled this out, but I don’t use words from it myself yet, as probably few solvers have got it, and I didn’t feel that this entry should be put at the top. My eventual decision was to give it an extra prize, which would do no one else any harm. I admitted “compos” as a singular (compos mentis), on the ground that it is in C. in the phrase and in quite common use by itself: I ruled out “roches” (also in C. in the phrase “roches moutonnées”), on the ground that it is not in common use by itself. I also ruled out “posher,” “mooses,” and “Epsoms”: I don’t think any of these is justified. Five unfortunate competitors joined up “stoups” instead of “spooms” with “chorea.” Most of the few errors were in the S.E. corner of the diagram.
 
No time for more: many thanks for all the appreciative comments and greetings: I am very glad the Ladder was enjoyed. And a happy New Year to all.
 
[Archive note: Competitors were asked to send as their entry words complete a ‘word ladder’, together with a clue to be used in case of a tie. All ‘ladders’ listed as H.C. received extra prizes. Those marked † were “in the running for first 3 prizes”. The others “were judged fractionally inferior, as including one more word with same initial letter as an end word: they also win extra prizes, but were not considered for first 3 prizes”.]
 

 
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