XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 61

CREASY

1.  L. E. Eyres (York): Historian describing the rout of the Armada gives the credit to a midshipman (cr. Easy; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C., and fictional character Midshipman Easy).

2.  W. O. Robertson (Marlow): This war reporter fails to give full credit to the Midshipman (cr. Easy; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C., and fictional character midshipman Easy).

3.  L. W. Titman (Peterborough): Sir Edward Shepherd with many folds (2 mngs.; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C.).

H.C.

G. Bowness (N3): Most appropriate historian for The Hundred Years’ War (C + anag. of years; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C.).

Mrs Caithness (Ambleside): Railway smash—case burst open—contents crushed (anag. of Ry case).

J. V. Corduff (Sheffield): Comfortable wearing a Crown? Yes, but it makes you wrinkled just the same (cr. easy).

E. G. Durham (Liverpool): Credit’s easy here, but with inflation the balloon would go up, and it wouldn’t be so (cr. easy; inflated balloon no longer creasy).

Miss J. Fraser (EC4): State of the batsman’s trousers while making a century? (anag. of C years).

C. B. Joyner (Ringwood): Increases of clothing? Perhaps in 100 years! (i.e. in creases; anag. incl. C; ref. clothes rationing).

Mrs M. Kidner (Seaford): Case broken open on railway and contents rumpled (anag. of Ry case).

E. E. R. Kilner (Mirfield): Wrinkled with the effort of selecting his fifteen? (2 mngs.; ref. ‘The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World’ by Sir Edward Shepherd C.).

C. Koop (Ferring): In a hundred odd years I may be gathered into the fold (C + anag. of years).

R. Macleod (St. Andrews): I’ve got a lot of lines for getting the duration of the Hundred Years’ War wrong (and for mispronouncing one of its battles?) (C + anag. of years; Battle of Crécy).

T. W. Melluish (SE24): Should your bags be thus corrugated iron! (cryptic def.; corr. = wrinkled; iron, vb. imper.).

Maj D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Military historian describes some ancient fronts (2 mngs.; i.e. foreheads; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C.).

F. E. Newlove (SE9): Half crèche, half asylum—and due to revert to a laundry (cre(che) asy(lum)).

A. P. O’Leary (Rugby): Corrugated? Yes, iron (cryptic def.; corr. = wrinkled; iron, vb. imper.).

Rev E. B. Peel (Fleetwood): Historian of the Hundred Years’ War? (C + anag. of years; ref. Sir Edward Shepherd C.).

Capt G. T. Philip (N8): With a little credit it is not difficult to be full of doubles (cr. easy; double = crease).

Capt C. Tyers (Elstead): Double what you usually order from your tailor and you’ll get credit without difficulty! (cr. easy; double = creased, i.e. cloth).

W. R. Watson-Smyth (Ashford): Right contract yet minus a trick? 100 above, scored by doubling (C + r + easy; i.e. right contracted, not tricky).

Comments.—325 correct. A certain number missed Balkis, the Queen of Sheba, and some guessed “Indian” or “elide” through not seeing the point of “Dark Blue” (Indigo—indign) or of “the end of the beginning” (pr-elude). There were not many other errors.
 
It was more than usually difficult to pick the winners. There is little to choose between the first two, but the delightful picture of a midshipman routing the Armada just won the day. The 3rd prize clue is beautifully apt, its only weakness being that C.’s second name might be unfamiliar, so that appreciation would only come after research; but it was too nice to miss a prize.
 
Attempts to make a good clue out of the promising “Uneasy lies the head…” were not very successful, largely because in this case the head is the crown (cr.-easy) and cannot be said to wear it.
 
Some runners-up were:—C. Allen Baker, Rev L. Blackburn, Rev B. Chapman, H. J. Connell, C. W. Cundy, J. H. Deterding, J. M. Doulton, Dr J. N. Fell, P. Irving, A. S. King, C. R. Malcolm, D. J. Miller, C. M. Ralli, Mrs Shackleton, W. K. M. Slimmings, A. E. Smith, Miss E. Tulloch, and all the senders of “Wrinkled by the worry of a hundred years,” or words to that effect, who were legion.
 
Finally, many thanks for the voluminous and far too kind fawn-mail!