XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 764

SHIMMY-SHAKE

1.  S. Goldie: A hop in the days of Prohibition would make m-me s-say h-hik! (anag.; hop^1,2).

2.  L. A. J. Duthie: A vibration of the chassis before rock (shimmy + shake, & lit.).

3.  J. Flood: I’m near a breakdown. She’s my hakim (qualified) (anag.; breakdown = NA dance).

H.C.

R. B. Adcock: What to do if partner’s trembling and bust makes him shy! (anag.).

Dr R. L. Bell: Flappers’ step in for sheikhs! If shy, kamis hem flutters showing trembling knees! (anag.; 2 defs.; in = fashionable; ‘shakes’).

J. M. Bennett: It was the vibration of Pickford’s van which put that man of mine in a d-dither! (him + my in s-shake; see van²; ref. Mary P.; Pickfords removal co.).

Rev C. M. Broun: Only a half of whisky and Shem, Ham and I are fuddled—that made all the couples seem to wobble! (anag. incl (whi)sky; ref. Noah’s ark).

P. M. Coombs: A slip—crack! My inside, too! Bit old for modern dancing! (my in Shim + shake; shim = slip²; shake = render).

L. D. J. Gatt: A sort of twist split my slip from back to front (i.e. shake my shim; shim = slip²; shake = render).

E. Gomersall: My inside shivers in foretaste of the Twist! (my in shim, shake (both= shiver); see shiver²).

R. McD. Graham: Mike-shy hams are enough to give one the shivers! (anag.; radio hams).

J. Harwood: I’m attached to Bond’s boss and shy about it—if Heska gets involved too, there will be a dance ( I’m + M in shy + anag.; James B’s boss = M).

H. A. Hayes: Mike-shy hams sent old jiggle (anag.; radio hams; poss. ref. to Morse code).

A. Lawrie: Granddad’s twist is thin-cut plug—horrific—gosh, object about it! (shim + H in my! sake¹; H, film classification).

Mrs S. M. Macpherson: Dad’s version of the twist! Mum! I’m shy twisting in formation (sh! I’m + anag. in make).

Dr T. J. R. Maguire: De Havilland’s thrilling. Valentino’s sound for some thrilling dance (shimmy² + ‘sheikh’; thrilling = shaking; de H. aircraft; ref. Rudolph V. in film “The Sheikh”; Olivia de H., actress).

Mrs E. McFee: Quaker should be able to do this kind of Fox-trot! Twisting makes him shy (anag.; ref. George Fox, founder of Quakers).

D. P. M. Michael: Sheikh and helpless maids may wanton in abandoned dance (anag. incl. m(aid)s).

C. J. Morse: A pulsating romantic role for Valentino (we hear) made the Twenties shiver with delight! (shimmy² + ‘sheikh’; ref. Rudolph V. in film “The Sheikh”).

S. E. Morton: A seductive dance needing only a chemise—and a cocktail perhaps for good measure (shimmy¹ shake).

Flt Off L. W. G. Oxley: Hashish, dead leaves, sprinkled with rum makes my supply original twist! (anag. of h(ash)ish makes my; ash = corpse; twist of tobacco).

Mrs N. Perry: Twisting Sheikh Sammy performed at flappers’ hops (anag.).

E. J. Rackham: “Restless ecstasy” might provide clue for solver. Pass him my Shakespeare—let him look in that! (hidden; ref. Macbeth III.2).

D. W. Reeds: I make my sh-sh-shivers show (anag. & lit.).

T. E. Sanders: The sort of measure that makes feminine underwear split (shimmy¹ shake & lit.; shake = render).

J. R. Scarr: What Katy did, according to her brother? Ask him. My! She’s crazy (anag.; ref. song ‘I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate’ [see comments]).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: His Highness may kiss me? That’s enough to produce shudders from a slip of a girl! (anag. incl. HH, shimmy² + shake).

F. B. Stubbs: Black-bottom? Not exactly. Pardon my slip—I take that back! (shim my shake, shake my shim; shim = slip²; shake (hands) = settle differences).

Miss D. W. Taylor: An affair of wriggling hams, with sobbing mikes and syncopated harmony (anag. incl. h(armon)y, & lit.).

RUNNERS-UP

Miss V. K. Abrahams, T. Anderson, Col P. S. Baines, C. Allen Baker, R. T. Baxter, Mrs K. Bissett, D. Burgess, C. O. Butcher, Miss S. J. Coare, D. Couldwell, J. McI. Cruickshank, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, H. F. Dixon, Mrs D. M. D’Eath, Mrs D. Foley, A. L. Freeman, Mrs J. O. Fuller, A. B. Gardner, G. Garrett, Mrs M. H. Gray, E. J. Griew, Mrs M. Henderson, K. Hunter, Mrs M. I. M. Hunter, Mrs L. Jarman, J. E. Jenkins, D. S. Johnson, A. H. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, C. Koop, F. P. N. Lake, Mrs M. Tyrrell Lewis, R. R. McKillen, P. H. Morgan, R. O’Donoghue, B. G. Palmer, Wren M. J. Patrick, B. A. Pike, Mrs H. Podesta, R. Postill, C. J. B. Prince-White, A. Robins, E. L. Russell, D. D. R. Sibbald, G. Bowman Smith, Mrs I. G. Smith, L. W. Stanton, N. D. Stein, L. T. Stokes, T. A. Stout, J. W. Taylor, Ven K. G. Thompson, H. S. Tribe, Mrs M. Wishart, M. Woolf, Mrs M. Wrench, N. D. Young, P. Young.
 

COMMENTS: Thank you for the best lot of laughs a competition has ever given me, for reminding me of my sister Kate, a nice girl whom I had forgotten, for indirectly causing me to read the 23rd chapter of the First Book of Samuel, for reminding me that my French is weak (appris) and for making only one mistake, and that an obvious misprint, in the 88 solutions that I had to check. There were about 400 entries, 50 qualifying under the new rules. (Don’t forget that this arrangement will delay slips). To enquirers about Toltec I would reply that he is a proper name and doesn’t have to be in C. Talking of C., I hear there is a new edition: have no fears that you will have to buy it. To enquirers about my golf, I would reply that I not only cut up rough but ploughed the fields and scattered, explored every avenue and left no stone unturned. (Brancaster is a seaside course).
 
I have encouraging words for those who can’t cope with Playfair. A solver has sent me a lucid explanation which he is going to publish in a learned periodical (I think he said). I have asked for his permission to have some copies printed for any of you who would like one. (Don’t write yet). This, plus a careful study of Dorothy Sayers’ “Have His Carcase,” ought to help a lot.
 
I hope you will all win prizes on the second and fourth Sundays of every month. This new idea, suggested by a dining member for the sake of (a) those who don’t fancy themselves as clue-writers and (b) those who still believe that the monthly competition is a closed shop, which it isn’t, interests me because it may enable us to make a wild guess at the number of habitual solvers. It won’t be anywhere near, but hitherto it has been impossible to guess at all. I hasten to add, lest there be alarm and despondency, that the normal competitions will be unaltered.
 
Don’t forget that ties and scarves have been promised by T. M. Lewin & Sons, Ltd., 106 Jermyn St., S.W.1. for next month. Send them your order NOW!