XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 69

MISANTHROPE

1.  C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): Like Scrooge, he rouses the phantoms’ ire (anag.).

2.  T. W. Melluish (SE24): Puts no more trust in man than in a promise broken (anag. in anag.).

3.  W. R. Watson-Smyth (Ashford): Faithless soul exemplified otherwise than in a broken promise (anag. in anag.).

H.C.

A. H. Ashcroft (Bath): A surly fellow who by upsetting orphan mites may account for mother’s pain (2 anags.).

A. Barkas (Whiteleaf): Umpteenth showing of “Rope” with Alastair Sim back in the lead—a great comedy part (A. Sim (rev.) + nth rope; ref. Hitchcock’s 1948 film and Molière’s “Le Misanthrope”).

D. L. L. Clarke (Steyning): Ah! mon esprit troublé! Tant je hais tous les hommes! (anag.; ref. Molière “Le M.” Act 1. Line 118, modified from “Non, elle est générale, et je hais tous les homes”).

W. T. Clift (Manchester): Rise phantom! “Thou com’st in such a questionable shape … I’ll call thee Hamlet” (anag.; ref. Hamlet I.4.43).

F. L. Constable (Bridgnorth): He hates to find another M.P. is dividing his constituents! (anag).

J. Duffill (W2): He’s enough to make a phantom rise, as Dickens did for his prototype Scrooge (anag.).

Mrs N. Fisher (Stroud): He dislikes the Two-legged Race, but gives all he’s got in a sprint home (anag.).

W. E. Green (N10): When Scrooge beheld the phantom rise/he found himself in other guise (anag.).

S. Holgate (Durham): Maybe he is no tramp, but he is certainly a very suspicious character (anag.).

D. Malcolm (Stirling): He can no more trust anyone than promise he will reform (anag.).

J. Marshall (Glasgow): A mixture of saint, hero and politician; not exactly a socialist (anag. of saint hero MP).

D. Murray (Cookham): Seraph? Timon rejoined “I am not of that feather” (anag.; ref. Timon of Athens I.1.104).

D. A. Nicholls (Prescot): Just the man to maltreat orphan mites and give mothers pain (2 anags. & lit.).

E. W. Padgett (Oakham): Mr Crossman M.P. is another to be converted (anag.; Richard C., Labour MP; i.e. cross man).

G. Perry (Cambridge): Mixing metaphors in society is anathema to him (anag.).

H. J. Phillips (NW2): This man is warped; he hates everyone. He is bound to come to a sticky end (anag. of this man, ending with rope).

J. A. Plowman (Lane End): Maybe I’m the parson: maybe I’m the Gloomy Dean (anag.; ref. Dean Inge of St. Paul’s, known as the G. D.).

D. I. Randell (Woking): He would sooner form no friendships than promise to reform (anag.).

W. Rennie (Newcastle): Rope’s end for suspicious character stowed away on H.M.S. Pirate (anag.; ends with rope).

J. A. Skehan (Barnsley): It spoils a sprint home when this man stumbles over the last twenty feet. He’s lost faith in the race (anag., anag. + rope; rope = 20 ft.).

G. Stanhope-Lovell (Chessington): Mr A. Hope isn’t to be confused—with Dean J. Swift for instance—it shouldn’t be difficult! (anag.; ref. authors Anthony Hope, Jonathan Swift).

R. E. Stephens (Barnet): He’s literally a man with a broken heart (i.e. man + anag. of heart = man-hater, & lit.).

Comments:—404 correct. Two main errors, neither of them in large numbers—“dieting” for “dietine” and the barbarism “eventerates.” The word was of the type which invites anagrams. When this is so—and it isn’t always, by any means—it is probably unwise to resist: there is no justification for regarding an anag. as invariably a pis aller. But it should be realised that anags. whether single or multiple, are of no merit in themselves: they must be appropriate, neatly worded and not too obvious or easy. “Phrase Timon” had the first merit in full measure, but was apt to fail over the last point. The multiple anagram has never before been so prevalent—one competitor. apparently seriously, incorporated ten! It usually fails and has to be very good to come off: many of those submitted were mere accumulations, but the type did find its way into the Honours List—an achievement. It once won the first prize—for SPONGE—but it is a dangerous thing to attempt. It may also be wise to repeat that clues gain nothing by being in verse: Mr. Green gets his H.C. in spite of this feature, not because of it. We question Mr. Clift’s view of Hamlet but that is a matter of opinion and his clue is a good one.
 
The “denture” clue seems to have tickled many competitors. One wittily writes: “When I think of the time I spent studying commentaries on P.L.—and with the answer in my head all the time! “ Another deplores the fact that the quotation was from P.L. and not from the more appropriate Paradise Regained!
 
Runners-up who came very near the H.C.s were—S. Bell, Rev L. Blackburn, R. P. Collett, J. B. Graham, J. Grant, W. E. Green (Ulverston), T. E. S. Jobson, J. Hardie Keir, E. E. R. Kilner, J. P. Lloyd, M. F. O’Sullivan, Rev E. B. Peel, R. Postill, Dr D. E. Sharvill, Mrs A. L. Stevenson, A. H. Taylor, P. H. Taylor, Miss Telfer, E. H. Williams. Space forbids mention of many others who came almost as near.
 
(Note: An unfortunate misprint occurred in Mrs Kissen’s clue In the slip to No. 68; for cure read cover, of course).