XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 769

PENNY

1.  C. Allen Baker: Source of a clink, no? Only if one is dropped (pen³, n(a)y, & lit.).

2.  F. D. H. Atkinson: Change embraces it: shortly it could be dead (d., abbr., & lit.; ref. plans for decimalisation).

3.  A. Lawrie: I’m not worth much: dam near out of currency (pen² ny ( = nigh, obs.), & lit.; ref. plans for decimalisation).

H.C.

J. C. Brash: You’ll find me in the mint. Yes. Even if royal should follow me! (pennyroyal, & lit., proposed coin).

P. R. Clemow: Girl who sounds cheap but not if she’s pretty (cryptic def.; pretty penny).

Miss S. J. Coare: Red author almost out of fashion now (red cent: pen¹ ny (= nigh, obs.)).

N. C. Dexter: Stamped by mint—on reverse—with name and year (nep (rev.) + n + y, & lit.).

L. L. Dixon: “Little D”—a piece with dreadful associations (cryptic def.; d., abbr.; Little Dorrit; penny dreadful).

L. A. J. Duthie: I bear the stamp of mint with both royal head and tail (cryptic def.; Queen’s head; pennyroyal).

P. D. Gaffey: Weaver bird’s wing (2 defs.; Penelope, wife of Odysseus; wing²).

S. Goldie: The light breaks when it drops (cryptic def.).

E. Gomersall: Coin dam near out of date! (pen² ny (= nigh, obs.); ref. plans for decimalisation).

F. H. W. Hawes: The old bike has lost a small wheel. It drops, and you tumble! (penny(-farthing); tumble = comprehend).

T. W. Melluish: Webster, dear perhaps to classics lovers, but in this shorter form very cheap (2 mngs.; ref. Penelope, wife of Odysseus; webster (obs.) = weaver).

D. P. M. Michael: It used to be worth a lot more, once nigh on a pound (pen² ny (= nigh, obs.)).

C. J. Morse: Unit of expenditure—nearly obsolete ((ex)pen(diture) + ny (= nigh, obs.), & lit.).

D. A. Nicholls: Cheap, common piece, much discussed in a recent Report! (cryptic def.; ref. Halsbury report on decimalisation, and Denning report on Profumo affair).

R. O’Donoghue: Copper in front of Royal Mint (penny(royal)).

Rev E. G. Riley: Telly was too small, so she passed the time weaving (cryptic def.; ref. Telemachus, son of Penelope (the weaver) and Odysseus).

D. D. R. Sibbald: Her name still carries weight in Troy (double mng.; pennyweight, Penelope, wife of Odysseus).

J. B. Sweeting: A big D that we may not use (cryptic def.; ref. Captain’s song from H.M.S. Pinafore; plans for decimalisation).

L. E. Thomas: A pound or two makes a girl a bit in pocket (4 defs.; make² = mag³; penny = pound in nail weight).

J. F. N. Wedge: Guy’s reward atom scientist, we hear (‘Penney’; p. for the guy; Sir W. Penney).

RUNNERS-UP

T. Anderson, S. Barnett, T. E. Bell, B. Carlisle, A. R. Chandler, D. L. L. Clarke, J. Coleby, J. Crowther, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, W. Eite, L. E. Eyres, H. W. Flewett, D. Hawson, A. J. Hughes, T. P. Kelly, J. D. H. Mackintosh, P. H. Morgan, E. G. Phillips, E. R. Prentice, C. & V. Quin, Lady Reay, Mrs J. Robertson, A. Robins, H. Rutley, J. R. Scarr, N. E. Sharp, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, B. Darwin Smith, I. Torbe, H. S. Tribe, S. E. Woods.
 

COMMENTS: There were 162 entries, 131 correct—the smallest numbers for a long time, and no wonder. In spite of the fact that so many of you enjoyed the struggle and I received no abuse, I now maintain that it was a bad puzzle, calling for apologies. The trouble with this type is that if the variations are to be difficult enough to give pleasure, they are likely to be ambiguous, and therefore the solver, on reaching a possible solution, cannot be sure it is the right one: this, to my mind, ruins a crossword. Another weakness is that often specialised knowledge, not ingenuity, is needed. It is in no way culpable not to have read “Decline and Fall,” or not to know what stays in the plain where: it is even virtuous, and certainly wise, to be unfamiliar with one-armed bandits, alias fruit-machines. However, your comments seem to call for the continuance of this type, at long intervals: I’ll try especially hard next time to exclude ambiguity, but, if I succeed, I expect you’ll say the puzzle was too easy.
 
The cruellest thing was the possibility of Norman Wisdom, Michael Bentine and V·sa. There may be a comedian called V·sa for all I know; but as I don’t, I can’t accept him. The reason for this trouble was as follows:—Bentine was originally in the diagram, with Breslaw (sic) as the other variation. Discovering later my spelling mistake, I searched for a place where I could work in another comedian. Costa (instead of vista) nearly served, but he involved the awful word “ullos.” I couldn’t bear that, and eventually arrived at wisdom-teeth and dentine: further research unearthed vasa, ducts in teeth. I wish now I had accepted “ullos,” or even given Wisdom only one variation.
 
Another disaster I can and will remedy. Wisdom, Mentone and Vasa are all places in U.S. and all begin with abbreviations of states other than their own—Wis., Me. and Va. I have therefore allowed Mentone as an alternative to dentine.
 
I thought the standard of clues submitted very high, and that brings me to the new book-plate and trophy. The old inappropriate book-plate, depicting Pythagoras and not a bit like me, is being replaced by a speaking likeness of myself, tight lips, steady eye, middle-aged spread and all, taken from “Histoire du Ministère du Cardinal XIMENEZ, Archevesque de Tolede et Regent d’Espagne,” par Mr de Marsolier, Chanoine de l’Eglise Cathedrale d’Ulez, published in two small leather- bound tomes in Paris in 1704, avec privelege du Roy, now in the possession of the present incumbent. I do hope you’ll all win it and like it.
 
The trophy for the winner of the first prize is a small beaker of solid plate, with black plinth of solid deal, the whole some 5 inches tall and inscribed with the legend “Xim’s No. 1 Cup.” This, accompanied by a small book containing the names of all the winners of the first prize since the year dot, will be sent in early course to the latest winner—and who could be a worthier recipient? He will return them to me at the end of the week following the appearance of the next competition puzzle, having held them for about three weeks, and so on. The donor, who has no direct connection with The Observer, wishes to remain anonymous. I wish all the former winners could see them without having to win them again: I can only suggest that they should redouble their efforts and/or call on any future holder who happens to live near enough. Hollyhock Cottage, Milnathort, Kinross-shire (I hope C.A.B. won’t mind, my revealing his address) is a little far away for some of us, but perhaps next month t’ coop will come nearer.
 
No more news of ties and scarves: we can but hope.
 
In response to several enquiries, the dedicatee, P.J.I.M., is my younger daughter: P. is short for Jennifer, not for Penelope.
 
Finally, my apologies for clue to 15 in No. 767. I am told that Steenie was murdered in 1628, while the date of the Cabal was 1672. The Cabal Buckingham was, I find, Steenie’s son. The trouble is that my knowledge of Eng. Hist. is derived largely from the work of Sellar & Yeatman, and I don’t think they mention Steenie: if they did, they would probably call him Steevie, and say that he was unfortunately drowned in a cabal (or canal) of mimsy wine along with his Uncle Clarence or something, and I shouldn’t even then have got him right.
 
P.S. Apologies for the delay, owing to technical reasons.