XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 975

HALE

1.  A. A. Malcolm: Almost stop with the end of a cue, producing drag (hal(t) + (cu)e; ref. snooker, billiards).

2.  Mrs B. Lewis: You need to pull your weight—I’m well in with a leprechaun (hidden; 2 defs.; l. does drudgery).

3.  Mrs R. Harvey: Get well in with a leader to get “pull” (hidden; 2 defs.).

V.H.C.

Mrs K. Bissett: I call for an answer on sound (i.e. hail, & lit.; ref. quiz-master, Lionel H.).

C. O. Butcher: To function as drawers bloomers should be light round figures—not O.S. (hal(o)e(s); 2 defs.; bloom in health).

J. Crowther: In top form, Harold always leads Edward—the polls show it (first letters; polls = heads; ref H. Wilson, E. Heath).

F. D. Gardiner: Perhaps she wrote initially … had a little ewe? (first letters & lit. S. J. Hale, Oxf. Dict. Quot.).

L. W. Jenkinson: Something like strapping is essential to teach a lesson (hidden).

G. Johnstone: Caught by breath—ale-washed … fit to drive? Quite the reverse (hidden; 2 defs.).

A. Lawrie: Well that would become a source of oil with Shell’s capital (i.e. S(hell) + hale = shale).

L. F. Leason: Where’s the Cheshire cat? It’s gone in with a leap—we’ll have to drag well (hidden; 3 defs.; Hale in Cheshire).

J. D. H. Mackintosh: Sound that member of school makes when the head’s away (i.e. (w)hale).

H. S. Mason: Sound of health formerly and still sound of health (2 defs.; hail², obs.).

C. J. Morse: With a hogshead you should get beer to draw well—and strong (h(ogshead) + ale; 3 defs.).

R. F. Pardoe: Well, sunk, in the ground, yields oil (i.e. hale in soil = shale oil).

T. E. Sanders: Hardy revealing what the “Two on a Tower” do? (2 mngs.; ref. book by Thomas H.).

J. Sparrow: In triumph a leek is fit. (Henry the Fifth) (hidden, Hal +e (fifth letter): Hen V IV.7).

L. T. Stokes: Sound track (2 defs.; track²).

J. T. Stringer: This well might be a drink as potent as a bomb (H-ale; cf. H-bomb).

H.C.

C. J. Anderson, J. W. Bates, J. Brock, Rev C. M. Broun, R. S. Caffyn, D. L. L. Clarke, E. F. Clayton, P. R. Clemow, Mrs M. P. Craine, N. C. Dexter, L. A. Diehl, F. E. Dixon, G. H. Du Boulay, J. A. Fincken, A. L. Freeman, G. W. Hartshorn, R. H. F. Isham, E. G. Jones, A. F. Lerrigo, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, Mrs E. McFee, T. W. Melluish, R. Postill, E. J. Rackham, Sir W. Slimmings, F. B. Stubbs, J. G. Stubbs, A. Sudbery, P. H. Taylor, A. F. Toms, B. C. Westall.
 

COMMENTS: A harder puzzle than usual—just under 350 entries—no mistakes in the solutions I scrutinised. Very few wrote “Kalotypist,” which is a possible, but unnecessary, alternative.
 
The short word to clue was given by special request for a change. It produced plenty of variety, but I thought competitors as a whole were inclined to be over-elaborate and to try to get too much in. The first prize clue, if not wildly exciting, is, I think, an ideally simple, neat and brief one for a short word.
 
There was a terrible lot of unsoundness, and there is room this month for me to quote several examples; I hope this may be helpful. (1) I have mentioned many times, but seem unable to convince competitors, that it is no use writing “live leader” for “L.” What is wanted is “live’s leader” or “leader of live,” and “live leader” simply doesn’t say that. There were dozens of these. “Heal disorder” won’t do to indicate an anagram; “heal’s disorder” or “disorder of heal” or “heal disordered” is quite different. “A hearty companion” does not indicate “companion of hearty.” And I cannot agree with a very seasoned and often successful competitor that “whale’s belly” can indicate “hale”; to me it only indicates “hal” or “a”; for “hale” I should want “belly of whale’s.” (2) “A draw” is quite impossible as an indication of a verb. “To be healthy” is equally impossible as an indication of an adjective. (3) Then we come back to the old trouble of indirect anagrams, which just don’t help the solver. “It upsets the moneylender’s wife”; was Shylock the only moneylender, and do we all know his wife was called Leah, anyway? A much worse example was “Well inside a lump of zinc-blende, when the exterior jungle of bracken has been cut away” (sphalerite, pteris). I think it is no exaggeration to say that this whole clue except for the first word would be absolutely useless to the solver. We really mustn’t be so hopelessly complicated and obscure. (4) Finally a smaller point: do avoid, in “hidden” clues, those inartistic and useless redundant words in the hiding place, e.g. “Sound in earnest with a lecture!” “Earnest” is redundant. Incidentally, why an exclamation mark at the end? This isn’t a very sensational sentence. I hope it will be understood that these remarks are meant to help—they are not meant as abuse.
 
Again an apology for a mistake in the last slip; “furiously” was omitted from Mr. Hughes’s clue.
 
I am asked to give you a preliminary notice that a Dinner is being organized to celebrate No. 1000, which is due on March 24. The probable date is Thursday, March 28. Full details will be given in the paper in due course.