XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 73

RHODESIA

1.  E. A. G. Junks (Dollar): Comment on the Cambridge crew heard outside the Union? (‘rowed easier’; R. outside Union of S. Africa).

2.  D. L. Tuckett (N1): Where plain English, in official jargon, is of capital importance (cryptic def.; Salisbury, capital of R., and S. Plain).

3.  L. P. Cook (Sheffield): Land of the comparatively easy going? (i.e. ‘road easier’).

H.C.

W. Darby (SE21): Cecilia? No! Does hair differently! (i.e. Rhodes-ia, anag.; Cecil R.).

A. V. Gill (Manchester): You may find travelling less difficult in this South African region—so I heard, usually (‘road easier’, anag.).

J. P. Lloyd (Swansea): Philip’s wife does a turn in the Empire. Her daughter had plenty of S.A., too (anag. of Herodias; ref. Luke 3:19; British Empire; S.A. = South Africa, sex appeal).

J. R. McLaren (Buxted): Macadam’s contribution to colonial development? (‘road easier’; ref. tarmacadam).

T. W. Melluish (SE24): Power monkeys around with a British territory (od in rhesi + a).

Mrs E. Rowlands (Bangor): After you, Wilfred? No! After you, Cecil (W. Rhodes, cricketer and C. Rhodes; catchphrase from radio comedy ‘ITMA’).

T. E. Sanders (Walsall): An old style high explosive raid wrecked the Empire State building (anag. incl. OS HE; state of S. Rhodesia created under British Empire in 1923).

L. C. Wright (Selby): Do I share in the settlement? After you, Cecil (anag.; catchphrase from radio comedy ‘ITMA’).

Comments—99 correct: a terrible tale of woe! Almost half the competitors were left without a bean! Was it such an unkind clue as all that? Red current, perhaps—scarlet runner, perhaps—bean: it seemed a simple sequence of thought, but perhaps it isn’t if you don’t know the answer! At least the “beans” outnumbered by far any one other version—gean, Dean, rean, etc.—and one or two of those who got it said they liked it; so we hope the clue was fair—but who are we to judge? None of the other versions pass muster. There is a “red” Dean, and there is a small river called Dean Water in Scotland; but so little known a river would have required something less vague than “current,” and surely the “red” Dean is not quite so important that he can be expected to leap to the mind when “red” is mentioned? One part of a double clue may be vague, but not both parts as vague as this! Even if you take the view that the clue is a bad one to “bean,” it is surely a much worse one to “Dean”! “Rean” is a gutter, but a gutter is not a current, though it may contain one; and why red? “Gean” is a cherry, but not, I am told, a red one; and what about current? These three were the commonest of the wrong versions:’ the others are even less apposite.
 
As if this were not enough, the spelling of Munychia, near ancient Athens, caused many errors, too, in spite of a clue designed to prevent mistakes If the word should prove untraceable—“sound suitable…” made it certain that “Munich-ia,” with the correct spelling of Munich, couldn’t be right: if it were, why “sound”?
 
Very few other mistakes appeared, but these were enough to make incorrect solutions outnumber correct for the first time. Apologies, if they are due: we leave it to you to judge!
 
In a small field the Honours List is short. A few runners-up: D. Ashcroft, Rev L. Blackburn, D. L. Clements, Dr J. N. Fell, L. B. Hutchings, C. Koop, A. P. O’Leary, Rev E. B. Peel, D. W. Reed, W. K. M. Slimmings, Mrs A. L. Stevenson.