XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 868

DANDER / TOUPEE

1.  W. K. M. Slimmings: It’s shown by blasting and then turning crimson where you drive, smothering ball completely: to avoid it, keep your head down! (anag. + red (rev.) & lit.; O up in tee, down = hair).

2.  C. Allen Baker: Monkey, clad in a red-backed jacket and passing the hat round for all to see, may make application for a nut (and in red (rev.); U in topee; m. = temper).

3.  Maj A. S. Birt: Displayed by loser of hair? Darned silly to raise the same point twice. Displayed by loser of hair? (anag.; to up E, E).

V.H.C.

R. B. Adcock: Something to adorn a dome (about nothing on top)—to comb backwards around one would be madness! (0 up in tee³, & lit.; and in red (rev.)).

T. Anderson: Scalp complaint is darned awful for anyone in a hat—a wig is what’s needed (anag.; U in topee).

J. H. Cleary: Press in driving area results in topping: it’s the end of Snead and also of Palmer—there’s anger among Americans (OUP in tee; (Snea)d and (Palm)er; ref. J. C. S., Arnold P., US golfers).

N. C. Dexter: A wig—when you’ve nothing on top what you aim at is concealing it!—may fall from your head, making you darned embarrassed (0 up in tee (= mark aimed at); anag.).

H. W. Flewett: Loss of hair? I’m darned worried. There’s a small patch to cover forward towards the top—with a couple of mousetails? (anag.; to up e, e).

A. L. Freeman: Dr. Dean’s concoction for scalp trouble conceals baldness and is a must for curling; nothing amiss included (anag.; 0 up in tee).

G. P. Goddard: Loss of hair? That’s darned bad! Try “Topknot,” a mixture of repute, right away; nothing more (anag.; anag. incl. 0 less r).

T. P. Kelly: In the States it’s all the rage to back-comb round an artificial topknot: here it’s “done” to appear in exotic head-gear (an in red (rev.); U in topee).

A. Lawrie: Scurf’s untidy and Red Indian people, we hear, find it on the occasional scalp (anag.; ‘Tupi’; find, imper.).

Mrs B. Lewis: “Cinders,” an Edinburgh production, has darned surrealistic—to a United Presbyterian eye—transformation (anag.; to UP ee; dander³).

J. D. H. Mackintosh: Loss of temper can be darned awkward. To suffer, we hear, may give the appearance of keeping our hair on (anag.; ‘to pay’).

Mrs E. McFee: Monkey’s darned ill—a scratch, perhaps: a monkey must eat nothing with points (anag.; 0 in tup + E, E; scratch wig).

P. H. Morgan: Duke and the Queen stroll on Deeside, thence to drive circling round northward for a tour (D and ER; O up in tee; dander²; tour = border of false hair).

Miss M. J. Patrick: To smear with tar, we hear, is a remedy in cases of alopecia, and in the early stages of dermatitis and dandruff (‘to pay’; d and der(matitis); pay²).

E. J. Rackham: Darned uncomfortable in the heat? The sun-hat to suit all inside, decorative tuft on the top (anag.; U in topee).

Rev E. G. Riley: Hat with posh inside fringe, red and twirly, is the rage of New York (U in topee; anag.).

F. B. Stubbs: Darned tricky gang calmly conceals capital deficiency; a couple take the rap, we hear (anag.; ‘two pay’; dander², gang, vb.).

J. W. Taylor: In “Bond and Eroticism,” one finds passion for head gear—hat with a snob label in it (hidden; U in topee).

H.C.

Dr C. Alexander, D. B. J. Ambler, Col P. S. Baines, J. W. Bates, R. T. Baxter, E. A. Beaulah, C. O. Butcher, P. R. Clemow, P. M. Coombs, Mrs M. P. Craine, A. E. Crow, J. Crowther, F. E. Dixon, L. H. Garrett, W. F. Goodman, Mrs E. J. Holmes, C. H. Hudson, F. G. Illingworth, L. W. Jenkinson, T. E. S. Jobson, A. H. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, L. F. Leason, T. W. Melluish, C. G. Millin, C. J. Morse, F. E. Newlove, M. Newman, L. S. Pearce, Mrs N. Perry, B. A. Pike, R. Postill, W. Rodgers, T. E. Sanders, I. R. Scott, P. J. Scott, D. J. Short, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, P. G. Stephenson, J. B. Sweeting, P. W. Thacker, Mrs J. Thomas, F. T. Walton, J. F. N. Wedge, Mrs M. Wishart.
 

Comments—About 330 entries and very few mistakes. I thought that as a whole a very fine effort was made at the difficult task of concocting a clue both sound and coherent. I haven’t commended any of those who took the easy way out of using a “straight” clue to either or both of the words: I don’t think that would be fair to those who achieved the harder task. As before, some competitors spoilt their entries by using redundant connecting words between the two parts: this is foreign to the idea. Nor do I much like clues in which a direct reference is made in one part to something in the other part: each part should be complete in itself. I insisted that the Scottish nature of dander (1) and dander (3) should be indicated, because I don’t think they are in familiar English use; but I didn’t insist on the Americanism of dander (2), because I do think it is in familiar English use. Many thanks for kindly comments: I’m glad the puzzle seems to have been enjoyed, as this sort usually is. There have been requests for another “Printer’s Devilry: I am keeping it for the Christmas puzzle, when I am going to use it in a new and, I hope, tantalising way!