XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 734

NASALITY

1.  F. G. Illingworth: One result of the continued cold—nearly all stay in, well wrapped up (anag. incl. al(l); ref. harsh winter of 1962/3).

2.  F. P. N. Lake: Article about pen, a “51” included, is characteristic of Parkers (a LI in an (rev.) + sty; Parker 51 pen; nosey parker).

3.  J. A. Fincken: You’ll find me in North American speech—& lit! (lit in NA say, & lit.; American accent).

H.C.

Lt Col P. S. Baines: Sound characteristic of North America, perhaps (incl. lit!) (lit. in NA say, & lit.; American accent).

T. E. Bell: Analyse it as you will, keeping out the English is the burden of de Gaulle’s speech (anag. less E; French accent; ref. resistance to UK membership of Common Market).

N. C. Dexter: End of negotiation—one where French retire, interrupting talk—is entailed in pronouncement of de Gaulle’s “no”! (lit (= bed, Fr.) in (negotiatio)n a say; French accent; resistance to UK membership of Common Market).

I. D. Doak: Spiteful about a Long Island accent characteristic in Tennessee, for example (a LI in nasty).

Mrs N. Fisher: It distinguishes North America’s speech (& lit included) (lit. in NA say & lit.; American accent).

J. Gill: I’m little more than half alive, and very disagreeable about it; a sign of a cold in the head (ali(ve) in nasty).

A. H. Jones: Phenomenon observed in French pronunciation of “Latin,” say (anag.; French accent).

Miss J. S. Lumsden: Litany, as rendered in Prioress’s vocal style (anag.; ref. Madame Eglentyne, Canterbury Tales “entuned in hir nose”).

J. D. H. Mackintosh: In New York, put one in a slot—it’s essential for a trunk call (a in a slit, all in NY).

C. J. Morse: The litany meanders about so, it tends to make people drone! (as in anag.).

B. G. Palmer: No engaging “oomph” either side of fifty? Pop-singer’s not “with it” without it! (L in SA + it, all in nay).

B. A. Pike: One result of a cold could be a long stay in (anag. incl. l.).

E. J. Rackham: What was a prominent feature of de Gaulle’s speech? Brief answer, it lay in disunity (anag. incl. ans.; French accent; resistance to UK membership of Common Market).

Rev E. G. Riley: Speaking down one’s nose was not formerly a settled end of oratory (nas (Spens.) a lit (orator)y).

Mrs J. Robertson: In a last stormy meeting de Gaulle’s there—sound character he possesses (anag. + y (= there, Fr.; French accent; resistance to UK membership of Common Market).

R. E. Scraton: A twang that surrounds one in New York (I in a salt, all in NY & lit.; see twang²).

M. C. Souster: A “N” lays it, scrambled, and exhibits it (anag.; nasal ‘N’).

T. A. J. Spencer: Broken-down analyst I can still be of use in identifying gases (anag.).

RUNNERS-UP

C. Allen Baker, S. Barnett, J. W. Bates, J. C. Brash, J. A. Bulley, B. Burton, C. O. Butcher, A. R. Chandler, A. N. Clark, D. L. L. Clarke, P. R. Clemow, P. M. Coombs, R. V. Dawson, T. Dwyer, J. H. Eyre, H. W. Flewett, E. Gomersall, S. B. Green, J. S. Hatton, D. Hawson, C. H. Hudson, Mrs L. Jarman, L. Johnson, T. P. Kelly, G. G. Lawrance, A. Lawrie, Miss A. Malcolm, G. R. Marshall, Mrs E. McFee, J. W. M. Morgan, F. E. Newlove, M. Newman, N. O’Neill, R. V. Penycate, E. G. Phillips, R. Postill, A. Robins, T. E. Sanders, Mrs E. Shackleton, W. K. M. Slimmings, Dr E. Sunderland, M. A. Vernon, G. R. Webb, J. F. N. Wedge, A. J. Young.
 

COMMENTS:—I’m sorry my attack of flu has made this so late: I succumbed when I had just settled the awards, and only now, five days later, am I sane enough to produce this austerity slip, dictated in bed. That is why there are no notes on the clues above, which would have been too complicated for dictation. I am only going to discuss here the one thing which really must be discussed, namely the soundness of the puzzle! Through an infuriating mistake of mine, not of the printers, the tree included in TILLER-ROPE was given in the notes on Feb. 10 as TIL. It should have been TI: TIL, which equals sesame, is definitely not a tree (nor, incidentally, is TILLER). Nowhere else among the theme-words does any tree appear more than once: so by implication TI should not be used a second time. But with TIL as the tree at 34, TI would be available for 32, and that would make TIRED a possible alternative to FIRED and would ruin the soundness of the puzzle. I hope this makes the position clear: with TI needed for 34, FIR is the only possibility for 32. Fortunately FIR is so much better known than TI that few will have been worried, but I apologise to any who were. Apart from this muddle I feel the puzzle was a success, in that I seem to have struck about the right standard of difficulty for most people with the theme, not too easy, like the first one, nor too hard like the second. There were 301 entries, 265 correct. I’m over the worst of the flu and shall be up in a day or two.