XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 954

CERATE (Printer’s Devilry)

1.  A. L. Dennis: Dan/ton is topless; head removed (after trial by tribunal).

2.  Mrs E. McFee: Ashes as li/es hot may be put into the nearest bunker.

3.  J. H. C. Leach: Who flung a boun/d, rich miller in the Test? (Edrich, Miller, cricketers).

V.H.C.

N. S. Barrett: If you have trouble with your vi/sa, ring to the Minister of the Interior might help.

N. Bickerdike: Adam had a boun/den duty to eject the serpent.

C. O. Butcher: Tut! Men can’t live well on meagre pie/s.

R. N. Chignell: Bertie Wooster needed a “Bra/very!” telegram from Aunt Dahlia.

Mrs M. P. Craine: Offer a red u/nder-grilled steak, but no chips.

L. A. Diehl: Blonde lad dressed in car/d: King with an air (Blondel, Richard I).

Mrs N. Fisher: Being mad on beef, must be a fa/n! Try to market going through.

Mrs E. J. Holmes: Their poor la/d faces mean assault and battery by armed thugs.

E. M. Hornby: We shall: releases aboun/d: rich who gets out (Wes Hall, Edrich).

G. Johnstone: We shall on delivering aboun/d—rich appeal shows that (Wes Hall, Edrich).

Sir S. Kaye: “P.D.” is a proper fa/st one—needs guts to complete.

G. D. Meddings: We shall let go. Aboun/d rich in the last over (Wes Hall, Edrich).

T. W. Melluish: I thought at Customs, “I’ll be in Car/diff—risked hell-spot, everything!”

L. G. D. Sanders: Miller used to spring—a boun/d rich in fun (Edrich).

E. O. Seymour: Will pri/son deter? Gents sink lower still.

M. J. Suckling: The champagne is secon/d best. Now a sweeter one is often preferred.

J. B. Sweeting: Evening performance off, and a n/ight’s hell. Make the feathers fly!

D. H. Tompsett: After slashes by savages, li/es badly cut (golf).

Rev C. D. Westbrook: In the Test, pollocks, lings, aboun/d—rich sports report 1965! (Edrich).

Dr E. Young: We shall deliver Ed another—boun/d—rich in the latest rubber (Wes Hall, Edrich).

H.C.

E. Anderson, F. D. H. Atkinson, Col P. S. Baines, C. Allen Baker, J. W. Bates, E. A. Beaulah, Maj A. S. Birt, W. Bonthrone, R. Brain, J. C. Brash, J. Brock, J. M. Brown, Miss M. P. Butler, J. H. Cleary, J. F. Coldwell, V. A. R. Cooper, R. B. Cruse, C. H. Devonald, E. G. Durham, J. H. Eyre, B. H. Ford, C. R. Gamble, L. D. J. Gatt, G. P. Goddard, H. J. Godwin, W. F. Goodman, R. J. Green, B. Holland-Martin, F. G. Illingworth, R. H. F. Isham, A. L. Jeffery, D. Jessel, J. F. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, G. G. Lawrance, A. D. Legge, Mrs B. Lewis, Mrs A. Lockett, J. D. Lockett, H. Lyon, Mrs H. MacAlpin, A. A. Malcolm, G. R. Mason, C. G. Millin, W. L. Miron, C. J. Morse, G. M. Neighbour, F. B. Newbould, F. E. Newlove, L. W. G. Oxley, F. R. Palmer, S. R. Parsons, S. L. Paton, W. C. Patterson, L. Reece, J. Riley, K. M. Robb, W. Rodgers, H. Rutley, D. E. Samuel, S. Sondheim, J. Sparrow, Mrs I. Stephens, L. T. Stokes, F. B. Stubbs, W. Thornton, R. Vincent, W. Whitelaw.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST FOR 13 COMPETITIONS:—1. N. C. Dexter (4 prizes, 5 H.C.s); 2. Mrs. E. McFee (3, 6); 3. Mrs. B. Lewis (2, 6); 4. R. Postill (2, 5), Sir S. Kaye (1, 7); 6. D. P. M. Michael (2, 4), C. O. Butcher (1, 6); 8, C. J. Morse (0, 7); 9. Dr. T. J. R. Maguire (2, 2). C. Allen Baker & A. Lawrie (0, 6); 12, J. W. Bates, E. M. Hornby, G. Johnstone, J. D. H. Mackintosh (1, 2), S. Goldie, L. F. Leason, F. B. Stubbs (0, 4).
 
ANNUAL CONSOLATION PRIZES:—C. J. Morse, C. Allen Baker, A. Lawrie.
 
Total different prizewinners to date:—426.
 
Total different prizewinners and/or H.C.s:—1492.
 
COMMENTS:—Not far off 600 entries, about 550 (at a guess) correct. Causes of mistakes were “racca” (non-existent) for BACCA, and “rangher” (also non-existent) for RANGIER. A few competitors were worried by the absence of RANGIER, and of DERING, from the Dictionary. But RANGY and the verb to DERE are there; one can’t expect regularly formed comparatives, participles, past tenses, plurals, etc., to be given, unless they have special meanings. For example, you won’t find tastier or hastier, or baring or caring, either. I think these worries were a little unreasonable.
 
I was metaphorically lacerated and macerated, and literally incarcerated for a long time, by this large and distinguished entry. Even more overworked than the above three words were piece-rates. I settled the first two prizes fairly quickly—I think the first one is quite exceptionally brilliant. The third, I thought, had to go to the best version of… but I won’t spoil your fun in finding out what it is! I finally chose the clue that I thought gave the best, quite different, sense in the devilled version.
 
Congratulations to our worthy new champion, to his very close runner-up—I think it is the first time a lady has come so near to being champion, but I write without verifying—and also to Mrs. Lewis on being the second lady in the first three; this I feel sure is a record. And I am delighted at the continued increase in the number of entries and of successful new competitors. Good luck to all in the next year.