◀  No. 703 Clue list 5 Aug 1962 Slip image No. 712  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 708

HEARTS

1.  T. E. Sanders (Walsall): The Rear Admiral’s on the quarter-deck and gives encouragement (anag. incl. RA’s, 2 defs.; on = getting drunk; deck of cards; heart, vb.).

2.  C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): What comes at the end of every sentence in a stag-party? “Cheers!” (e in harts).

3.  L. E. Eyres (York): They’re more valuable than diamonds: one kind is worth more than a whole tiara (2 mngs.; suit rank; i.e. one that is kind; ref. Tennyson, “K. h. are more than coronets”).

H.C.

R. J. Atkin (Bromsgrove): These grow with ease—Viola tricolor—related to the pulses (heart’s(-ease)).

Rev C. M. Broun (Glasgow): They beat others one-nil, possibly (anag. with a for 0, & lit.; football team).

B. Burton (Stockport): Stags surrounding English does form a solid mass (E in harts; does, vb.).

A. L. Freeman (Norwich): Leftish organs circulating red material among members (cryptic def.).

S. Goldie (Enfield): Elastic-sided pumps—everyone’s wearing them; last you a life-time; half-heel, semi-straight back (he(el) + stra(ight) (rev.)).

Mrs S. Macpherson (Newtonmore): Pay attention to trumps! Discard the remnant: four are enough for game (hear t(rump)s; ref. bridge).

Dr T. J. R. Maguire (Dublin): We of the leather-coat class generated old-time russets (middle letters, & lit.; ref. apples, cores containing pips).

C. J. Morse (SW10): Spurs’ equivalent among the Scottish clubs—you won’t find clubs ranking higher than them! (2 mngs.; spurs, vb.; football teams).

R. E. Scraton (Hayes): Jack Tars must be properly dressed for the quarter-deck! (he + anag.; jack = male; deck of cards).

T. L. Strange (Colwyn Bay): Bosoms that set the pulses throbbing—have a squint at hers! (anag., 2 defs.; squint, adj.).

F. B. Stubbs (Crook): Spirits for the quarter deck—cheers! (3 mngs.; deck of cards).

P. H. Taylor (Stratford-on-Avon): Beaters may cause flush and perhaps draw the game—in Scotland, of course (3 mngs.; football team).

Miss D. W. Taylor (Worthing): Organs are often played in the Ambassador Theatre. (If one fails, you might fall back on the piano!) (HE Arts, 2 defs.).

G. R. Webb (Pevensey): He leads ace with little strong backing in the suit (he A + str. (abbr.) (rev.)).

RUNNERS-UP

T. E. Bell, Capt A. S. Birt, R. S. Caffyn, A. R. Chandler, A. E. Crow, G. H. Dickson, L. L. Dixon, T. Dwyer, J. A. Fincken, K. Gibson, J. Goldman, E. Gomersall, W. F. Goodman, R. G. Hamilton, R. W. Hawes, D. Hawson, J. G. Hull, F. G. Illingworth, Mrs L. Jarman, V. Jennings, Capt G. Langham, F. A. Lara, A. Lawrie, P. W. W. Leach, P. H. Morgan, M. Newman, Mrs N. Perry, E. R. Prentice, A. Robins, W. Rodgers, A. G. Rowlinson, R. J. Steel, J. B. Sweeting, G. H. Willett, M. Woolf.
 

COMMENTS:—262 entries, 249 correct. I had rather a job with the judging this time: some of the most ingenious clues called, I fear, for the censor’s blue pencil, and others I regretfully decided were too difficult. (Dr. Maguire’s was one of the latter, but too clever to be robbed of an H. C.). I should like to mention two clues among the Runners-up: both had neat and original ideas but fell down over wording. (1) “Aylesbury’s capital, in a fine county. Bucks.” (bucks, vb.). Why a fine county? I don’t want to denigrate Hertfordshire, but is it notably finer than other counties? This seemed to me to spoil the clue with a red herring. Perhaps “Bucks, a county in which you’ll find Aylesbury’s capital” might serve. (2) “Singularly possessing cockles and mussels, we hear, continually on the move.” (ref. Molly Malone’s barrow). I like this too, but it hardly leads naturally to a noun, nor do I think that “singularly” is quite sound. The idea is presumably to suggest Molly, one person. I can’t think of any sound way of doing this in a clue to a plural word, so I shouldn’t try to, and might content myself with “Having cackles and mussels, we hear, they keep on the move like Molly.” But I expect the author will think this spoils it.
 
Two solvers point out that Partridge says old Mossyface is the Ace, not the King, of Spades. I could swear I have heard the name applied to the King; but when one thinks one is right and a book of reference wrong, one usually finds one has to surrender in the end; so I must apologise for the error. It doesn’t seem to have worried many people. (Anyway, the Ace hasn’t got a face!).
 
Many thanks for a lot of appreciative references to “Anonymous.” As I expected, it proved very difficult, but apparently the struggle was enjoyed. Next time I think I shall give the number of letters in each surname, which should make the subsidiary clues more helpful.
 
P.S.—Why didn’t one of you get a prize for last week’s Brain-twister? It was right up our street!
 

 
Ximenes Slips by year
19451946194719481949
19501951195219531954
19551956195719581959
19601961196219631964
19651966196719681969
19701971