◀  No. 604 Clue list 4 Sep 1960 Slip image No. 612  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 608

CUSTOMER

1.  V. Jennings (Reading): It’s implied that I can do no wrong, but copper gets me pinched in shop when something’s missing! (Cu me in stor(e) & lit.; “the c. is always right”).

2.  J. W. Bates (Westcliff): I’ve only a passing interest in the closed shop? T.U.C.’s more concerned! (anag.).

3.  Rev C. M. Broun (Edinburgh): Butcher courts me, for one (anag. & lit.).

H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): Those characters at the rear of the counter are there to take me in! (me in (aba)cus to r. & lit.).

D. B. J. Ambler (Midgham, Reading): Person commonly seen in market of Pas-de-Calais town preceded by copper (Cu + St. Omer).

D. J. Ball (N12): Wanton Elizabethan woman whose heart has a male in continual employment, her ends being of little credit (Tom in use in cr & lit.; customer = prostitute (obs.)).

Miss P. M. C. Cain (Crawley): More cuts in mincemeat suit the housewife at the grocer’s (anag.).

V. A. R. Cooper: One whose appearance might well mean more cuts being effected by the butcher (anag. & lit.).

W. J. Duffin (Hull): Did she show promise around a high-class street? (U St. in comer, & lit.).

S. B. Green (NW10): Housewife who falls for brush salesman perhaps just loses head with anyone who comes round ((j)ust in comer).

A. Lawrie (Cheltenham): For a body who may seek to bargain, T.U.C.’s disorganized—following is more undisciplined (anag. + anag.).

P. H. Morgan (Torquay): A crooked one may present a stumer, leaving the company short! (anag. of Co. stumer, & lit.).

C. J. Morse (SW10): There’s a lot of advantage—as far as I’m concerned—in a little credit (us(e) to me in cr & lit.).

Mrs N. Perry (Willingdon): A vagabond courts me, but I’ve fallen for a counter-attraction (anag.).

R. Postill (Jersey): ’Twould be no good to me if there weren’t a little credit around! (U/S to me in cr, & lit.).

Mrs J. Robertson (W5): Kind of chap doctors cure most successfully (anag.; doctors, vb.).

A. Robins (Manchester): “I’m All Right Jack!”—this would be quite unthinkable without Sellers! (ref. Peter S. film; “the c. is always right”).

F. B. Stubbs (Nottingham): The old solicitor is always right (2 mngs.; “the c. is …”; customer = prostitute (obs.)).

Mrs J. E. Townsend (St Albans): A traveller entreats my favour, and courts me subtly you’ll see! (anag. & lit.; i.e. travelling salesman).

J. Ward (Birmingham): Bind U.S. to Middle East in Credit Squeeze? Just what trade wants! (US to ME in cr).

J. F. N. Wedge (Carshalton): Promising chap embodying superior type of virtue, in short, one of invariable rectitude! (U St in comer).

M. Woolf (W9): There’s a lot of use to me in a little credit! (us(e) to me in cr & lit.).

RUNNERS-UP

A. W. Aspinall, Lt Col P. S. Baines, J. Brock, R. N. Chignell, E. F. Clayton, P. M. Coombs, Capt D. W. Cox, A. E. Crow, W. Darby, J. H. Dingwall, B. L. H. Ford, E. J. Griew, Mrs E. J. Holmes, B. J. Iliffe, G. Kirsch, C. Koop, A. F. Lerrigo, J. D. Lockett, Dr T. J. R. Maguire, A. A. Malcolm, W. L. Miron, A. E. North, Miss M. J. Patrick, H. C. S. Perry, E. G. Phillips, Maj J. N. Purdon, B. G. Quin, Rev E. G. Riley, B. W. Sayer, E. O. Seymour, F. Sutton, Miss D. W. Taylor, J. Thompson, Capt C. Tyers, A. D. Walker, J. B. Walters, G. R. Webb.
 

COMMENTS:—This proved another hard puzzle: 219 entries (exactly the same number as last month) and 202 correct. There were several enquiries about “Minoru”. I gave a fairly easy subsidiary clue, as I thought some solvers might not have heard of it. It is (or was) a gambling racing game, called after a famous horse: I can remember playing it once or twice in a misspent youth. As it is a proper name I did not indicate its absence from Chambers.
 
The standard of clues sent was much higher than last month—very high, I thought. As there were many successful, and some unsuccessful “& lit.” clues, I will write something on this subject. There are two types for which I use this name:—(1) the complete, in which the whole clue is to be read in two different ways, one giving the definition, the other a subsidiary indication: (2) the partial, in which one way of reading the clue gives a definition in two parts, the other gives a brief definition plus a subsidiary indication, the brief definition being common to both ways of reading the clue. The clues of Mr. Jennings, Mr. Ball and Mrs Townsend above are of the second type, “It’s implied that I can do no wrong”, “Wanton Elizabethan woman” and “A traveller courts my favour” being the brief definitions common to both ways of reading. The others quoted are of the first type, which I do not necessarily regard as superior to the second. There is a danger, in attempting such clues, of producing something which doesn’t fully work in one of the ways in which it is to be read. Here is an example:—“The astute store courts me with a reduction”. This is perfectly sound as a straight definition: but when one reads “courts me with a reduction” as an anagram, one is left with “the astute store” as a definition, and it isn’t one. This danger should be watched. Finally, some competitors keep putting “& lit.” at the end of clues which merely give a definition and a subsidiary indication side by side, apparently thinking “& lit.” merely means that part of the clue is a literal definition: if that were so, all sound clues would be “& lit”! I hope I have succeeded now in making this technical point clear.
 
There were unfortunately three good clues, which might well have gained mentions, accompanied by incomplete solutions (one square not filled in). There are nearly always a few such blanks in solutions, and I often wonder whether they are due to slips.
 

 
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