XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 832

PENNY-WISE (Misprints)

1.  G. H. Willett: How can you make “in the manner of Penelope” mean unwifely? (unwisely; i.e. Penny-wise).

2.  Mrs A. L. Boorman: Keeping an off-beat watch over the fence, copper-fashion (pence; i.e. penny-wise).

3.  J. A. Fincken: Keeping a check on speeding, like a copper (spending; i.e. penny-wise).

V.H.C. (extra prizes)

R. B. Adcock: The Swan-maiden must get abnormally sinewy—like a miner! (miser; pen + anag.).

H. M. Barclay: Unsuitably neat! Yes, new pin is not quite right (near; anag.).

J. W. Bates: Product of mint and sage given to husband with little pain (gain; penny wise).

A. J. Bisset: Peculiar sweep in N. Y. saving small lums but risking larger (sums; anag.).

Mrs G. Bonsall: Copper, having received information, exposes dean in improper situation (mean; penny wise).

C. O. Butcher: For meat like a goose you’ll need a bit (not very much) sage (mean; penny wise).

P. R. Clemow: Copper, discreet, for jealously guarding the peace (pence; penny wise).

P. H. Freeman: Copper, with good sense, using cosh sparingly (cash; penny wise).

J. Gill: Copper gets good description of one who’s tight but neglects rounds (pounds; penny wise).

L. Gorse: Waiting with good intentions, like Ulysses’ wife (wasting; Penny-wise; Penelope).

A. Lawrie: Wingate used to suggest “Fight with small units!” (tight; win = penny, gate = manner; cf. Chindits).

L. F. Leason: Female displaying down New York way, on improper occasions, rear (near; pen NY wise).

Mrs B. Lewis: Careful with the wash—especially the smalls—put in a copper the old way (cash; penny wise).

J. D. H. Mackintosh: Atomic scientist, one hears, experienced in preserving the peace regardless of cost (pence; ‘Penney’ wise; W. G. Penney).

C. G. Millin: A copper, with sagacity, guarding the peace (pence; penny wise).

F. E. Newlove: Guarding the peace the copper’s way (pence; penny wise).

E. R. Prentice: Low-priced style that’s close-fitted (fisted; pence; penny wise).

E. J. Rackham: After the manner of a copper neglecting the rounds (pounds; penny wise).

T. L. Strange: Nanny required (a bit experienced) for doing up weeny pins (canny; anag.).

P. H. Taylor: See X’s predecessor, pinny awry, nearly mounting the rhino! (counting; anag. incl. W).

H.C.

Dr G. B. Arrowsmith, F. D. H. Atkinson, C. Allen Baker, G. F. Bamford, N. S. Barrett, R. T. Baxter, R. Brain, J. C. Brash, Rev C. M. Broun, C. H. Burke, A. R. Chandler, A. N. Clark, Mrs M. P. Craine, H. W. Dancy, L. J. Davenport, N. C. Dexter, L. L. Dixon, T. N. Dowse, R. G. Fairbarns, J. C. Farman, Mrs N. Fisher, A. L. Freeman, F. D. Gardiner, S. Goldie, D. Hawson, N. L. Hindley, E. M. Hornby, E. G. Illingworth, L. Johnson, G. Johnstone, J. Hardie Keir, R. H. Kuttner, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, D. McFadyen, Mrs E. McFee, T. W. Melluish, D. I. Morgan, C. Morrison, C. J. Morse, J. J. Murtha, D. A. Nicholls, C. S. F. Oliver, Mrs N. Perry, R. Postill, D. R. Pownall, C. Quin, P. M. Raffan, D. Raper, T. E. Sanders, Mrs K. Slater, F. B. Stubbs, J. G. Stubbs, Rev L. M. Styler, J. W. Taylor, L. E. Thomas, J. Thompson, E. F. Watling, Mrs M. P. Webber, J. F. N. Wedge, J. R. Whitelegg, J. B. Widdowson, Cdr D. P. Willan, Dr D. W. Williams, Mrs M. Wishart.
 

COMMENTS:—About 350 entries: very few mistakes in solution, but a dozen or more clues to the wrong word; and unhappily two dozen or more failed to read the instructions, and either included the misprint in the subsidiary part of the clue, instead of in the definition, or wrote another D. L. M. clue to the word, instead of a Misprint one. In spite of these disasters there survived a very good lot of clues, and my original batch of possibles for mention included over a hundred. This is written rather late in the day, thanks to delays in entries reaching me; so I mustn’t write much more: I know you like to get your slips as early as possible. Three things I mustn’t leave out.
 
The first is an apology for my idiotic little slip over “Leo,” which wasn’t correctly “up.” A hasty glance, I suppose, instead of a careful reading. I know there have been too many of these in the last year, not many of them, I hope, seriously distressing to solvers; but they are seriously distressing to me. I’ll make a New Year resolution, but I can’t be sure that the flesh will not remain weak.
 
Secondly I must quote Mr. Melluish’s very amusing clue, which I reluctantly excluded from the prizewinners on the ground that it goes, I think, just outside the rules. He wrote:—"Fussy about Od.—like the little lady of Ithaca,” the misprint being “Od.” for “1d.” Now I know we allow “one” to represent the letter I in clues; but that is covered by Roman numerals, and one surely can’t use a Roman numeral in abbreviating “one penny.” It was most ingenious, but I couldn’t quite pass it.
 
Finally, thank you all very much for far too generous tributes, good wishes, and a greater abundance of Christmas cards than ever before: all these are greatly appreciated. A happy New Year to all.