XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 730

ARCH-PIRATE

1.  Dr T. J. R. Maguire (Dublin): For a whimsical version of me in a libretto, read Barrie. Capt. Hook (anag. of (b)arriecapth(ook), & lit.; ref. Peter Pan (1954 Musical)).

2.  W. H. Pegram (Enfield): One was the creation of Barrie (Capt. Hook), but you don’t need the book for that! (anag. of (b)arriecapth(ook), & lit.).

3.  K. Gibson (Hucknall): A leader of robbers, having each trip routed with an eye to the main chance (anag. incl. a r(obbers) & lit.).

H.C.

Dr R. L. Bell (Woking): Shrewd sanctimonious class of seaman; his subordinates board with him (arch pi rate).

C. O. Butcher (E4): Roguish leading seaman who turns up to divide the spoil (arch + tar (rev.) in pie & lit.).

T. Davies (Hereford): Leading seaman up in plunder? (arch + tar (rev.) in pie & lit.).

N. C. Dexter (Corby): Rovers’ captain discovered endlessly hard ground with part ice (anag. incl. har(d); ref frozen football pitches, winter of 1962/3).

S. B. Green (NW10): One pre-eminently prized roguish standard without “sanctimonious part” (pi in arch rate; ref. “Pirate King Song,” from P.s of Penzance).

R. W. Jakeman (Donnington): Disreputable patriarch has to anticipate the same end as Smee’s (anag., plus e, & lit.).

F. P. N. Lake (Ruislip): Hook, perhaps, with curved part coming to a point. The last four got away, I reckon! (arch p(oint) I rate; ref. angling).

J. D. H. Mackintosh (West Wickham): Cunning vermin encountered in the mess may be “Major Water-Rat” (arch + rat in pie, & lit.).

N. C. Mahony (Dublin): Fred’s skipper? Dexterous type, rather peculiar manner (arch pi rate: ref. Frederic in P. of Penzance, Ted D., England cricket captain, and F. Trueman, bowler).

D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Chief one of those leaving ship in confusion (arch + rat in pie, & lit.).

C. J. Morse (SW10): Pre-eminently one of the roving kind—jolly good value for a Paul Jones, according to his enemies! (arch pirate, arch pi rate; ref. John P. J., privateer and Paul Jones dance).

R. Postill (Jersey): Crafty chief, and one who may leave a sinking ship in confusion (arch + rat in pie, & lit.).

Mrs J. Robertson (W5): Ravishing shipboard menace in first class—ditch her at Capri! (anag.; first class = of highest rank).

R. E. Scraton (Hayes): Roguish sailor showing ascendancy amongst disorderly types (arch + tar (rev.) in pie & lit.).

E. O. Seymour (Gerrards Cross): See Never-never land in an uncommon rare Act I. Captain Hook plays his villainous role (HP in anag.; never-never = hire purchase).

L. E. Thomas (Bangor): He might invest a packet, making take-over bids in the main. Possibly a rich pater helps! (anag.; cryptic def.; invest = besiege, packet = ship).

Mrs V. Webb (Dublin): Car the pair smashed may lead to gang leader (anag.).

W. E. White (Harlington): Confused type follows head to front of class. Made leader of boarders (arch pi rate).

A. H. Wright (Lyndhurst): Hook, perhaps, or curved part, i.e. part warped (arch + anag.).

A. J. Young (Gravesend): Hook, for example, a sharp curve, after exaggerated hip movement ending in drive by railing! (arc + anag. of hip + rate²; ref. golf).

RUNNERS-UP

R. B. Adcock, A. W. Aspinall, F. D. H. Atkinson, G. F. Bamford, J. W. Bates, E. A. Beaulah, T. E. Bell, J. M. Bennett, N. H. Bingham (Nairobi), Rev C. M. Broun, R. S. Caffyn, Mrs J. Chalkley, P. M. Coombs, F. E. Dixon, L. L. Dixon, Mrs N. Fisher, H. W. Flewett, L. G. Fluke, P. H. Freeman, F. D. Gardiner, C. E. Gates, S. Goldie, W. F. Goodman, H. A. Hayes, C. H. Hudson, J. G. Hurst, Mrs L. Jarman, A. H. Jones, T. P. Kelly, A. Lawrie, Miss J. S. Lumsden, Mrs E. McFee, T. W. Melluish, W. L. Miron, P. H. Morgan, D. F. Paling, Miss M. J. Patrick, L. S. Pearce, G. Perry, Mrs N. Perry, Rev E. G. Riley, A. Robins, E. L. Russell, F. G. Smith, T. L. Strange, J. B. Sweeting, G. R. Webb (Minden), J. F. N. Wedge, P. G. Williams, M. Woolf.
 

COMMENTS:—301 entries, 267 correct. The commonest error was “arm-hold,” not, I think, a common compound, and “hold” is hardly possible for “prepare to shoot,” as “load” is. A few failed to get “tubs” or “gena.” To the solver who wrote “Gena is a guess. I don’t know a lady of that name, but hope there is one” I would lyrically reply:—

• There isn’t a lady called Gena,
• Or, if there is, I’ve never seen her;
• But gena, the cheek,
• You will find, if you seek
• In Chambers. (Your search should be keener).

This puzzle was the first for some time to be described as more difficult than usual by a good many solvers; but the word set was a very tractable one and produced a spate of ingenious clues, so the lists above are justly long. Some of the best, though, were a bit long-winded. Extreme brevity is not, I think, a great virtue in itself, but I do prefer a good shortish one to an equally good longish one, and twenty words or more are seldom justified. I preferred clues which specifically led to “arch-pirate” to those whose definitions could have been equally well satisfied by “pirate.” The only one of the latter among the H.C.s is, I think, Mr. Thomas’s, and that was too good otherwise to be excluded. I don’t think I have anything else noteworthy to say except that it’s too cold to write any more.