XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 74

DEODAR

1.  C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): Dreadnought, going into a storm, raises cones (anag. of dread, 0: cone = weather signal, in contemporary ed. of C.).

2.  T. E. S. Jobson (Dublin): Got sight of a bustle in a scarlet wrapper and reversed into a tree! (ado in red (all rev.)).

3.  Maj H. L. Carter (Worthing): Spare a copper for a distressed mountain nymph seeking a shady tree! (d. + anag. of oread).

H.C.

W. K. Angus (Corbridge): One didn’t sing over the dead or decayed (anag.; ref. song ‘Under the Deodar’).

M. Cassel (WC1): After I hid in the tree I called back to Sparks (i.e. I in deodar (rev.) = radioed; Sparks = radio operator).

H. Chown (Sedlescombe): Divine growth which can materialise dead or otherwise! (anag.).

F. L. Constable (Diss): Dreadnought torpedoed! Radioed back one missing! A native of Coney Island? (anag. of dread 0, rad(I)oed (rev.); grows cones).

W. J. Couper (Thurso): Rodeo daredevil’s “lonesome pine?”—Starlit (hidden; ref. song, ‘Under the deodar, lit by the evening star’).

E. C. Double (Dartford): A branch establishment for refitting a dreadnought (anag. of dread 0).

S. B. Green (NW10): An ordinary seaman, if in earnest, will not be deprived of leaves (OD in dear).

W. E. Green (Ulverston): Genealogical table of the Gods? Spenser read the dictionary backwards for it (rad¹ OED (rev.); i.e. tree of the Gods).

D. Hawson (Malton): One of many branches of rodeo daring? (hidden).

S. Holgate (Durham): I crashed into a tree and radioed back for assistance (i.e. I in deodar (rev.) = radioed).

J. McIntosh (St. Andrews): A dreadnought made of wood? Quite the reverse! (anag. of dread 0).

R. Postill (Jersey): Dreadnought sabotaged leaving Indian ’arbour, so I ’ear (anag. of dread 0; ‘arbor’).

Miss A. C. Tatham (W14): Disintegrated or dead, it’s still evergreen (anag.).

L. E. Thomas (Bangor): Fuel provider who might give a twopenny dam! (anag. of a dd roe (f. red deer)).

Comments—178 correct. Curse for Curie and nolls for nulls—perplexed guesses?—were the commonest mistakes, but incorrect solutions were not numerous. It seems to have been a tough proposition, but many of the successful solvers, at least, appear to have enjoyed it, and an unusual number of interesting and encouraging notes are duly acknowledged with thanks, including those from champions of “bean!”
 
The most popular ideas were the “adored” anagram, which was a trifle obvious and tended to pall, “rad(i)oed back,” which, someone reminds me, was once used by Torquemada—I expect its users followed the master unconsciously—and the “dreadnought” anagram, of which Mr. Allen Baker, whose clue stands out a mile, made by far the best use.
 
The more frail wolves have had rather a thin time lately, so No. 75 is intended to be a more easily digestible morsel—but one never knows!
 
Some runners-up:—Dr Aspinwall, R. P. Collett, Cdr Dickson, T. C. Fitzpatrick, Maj Giles, H. C. Hills, Miss Horner, C. B. Joyner, S. M. Kahn, R. C. Macfarlane, F. E. Newlove, Mrs Reid, W. Rennie, A. J. C. Saunders, P. H. Taylor, Miss Telfer, H. D. Wakely, F Lt Watson-Smyth.