XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 98

HUMERI

1.  C. Allen Baker (Wishaw): We start to murmur … our anger rises … then we’re up in arms! (hum + ire (rev.)).

2.  G. E. Denyer (Rickmansworth): The love-lorn nymph holds me in her arms (me for 0 in houri).

3.  T. W. Melluish (SE24): Nought would make him rue? These arms might (anag.; ref. King John, V.7, closing lines).

H.C.

J. R. Burton (Barnsley): Embrace me, nymph of Paradise—you’ve nothing to lose in my arms (me for 0 in houri).

D. Connell (Glasgow): They’re up in arms when anger rises under an imposition (hum + ire (rev.); hum = imposition).

P. M. Coombs (Burgess Hill): We are a bit inclined to lift the elbow: he and I are quite fuddled with rum (anag.).

A. J. Croft (Birmingham): Strangely hesitant opening to a speech straight from the shoulders (i.e. “Hum, er, I …”).

Dr J. N. Fell (Coichester): If you fracture these and shake out mats you may well get rheumatism (comp. anag. incl. mats, & lit.).

Mrs N. Fisher (Stroud): Resentment is rising under the imposition of arms (hum + ire (rev.); hum = imposition).

C. H. Hudson (Oxford): These may make him rue appearing in shirt-sleeves (anag.).

J. P. Lloyd (Swansea): Two applications of humus, made before there’s a risk of frost, provide ideal surroundings for marrow cultivation (hu(mus) + anag. of rime; bone marrow).

S. B. Lucas (Ilkley): Rheumatism! Shake out the mats and you will find your bones all right (anag. less mats).

R. Postill (Jersey): They’re up in arms. The imposition has roused keen resentment (hum + ire (rev.); hum = imposition).

W. H. Thorne (Jersey): Roman shoulders arms? This would sound singularly funny (Latin; humerus (sing.) sounds like ‘humorous’).

J. S. Young (SE21): Though our comrades in arms are the funny ones, we sound singularly like them (humerus (sing.) sounds like ‘humorous’).

COMMENTS.—243 correct and a large crop of incorrect solutions, most of them giving either “rusty” for RESTY or “elegance” for ELEGANCY. “Rusty” can mean “refractory” and might, with a shove, be passed as meaning “lazy”; but it doesn’t begin to account for the rest of the clue. RESTY, on the other hand, is given by Chambers as meaning “restive” (i.e., “refractory”) in Spenser (hence “as Paridel”—F.Q.) and “indolent” in Milton (hence “as Bellal”—P.L.). “Rusty” is certainly an inferior answer and cannot be upheld. There seems far less reason for “elegance”; surely the elegy (dirge) about a broken can is decisive? These mistakes, unhappily ruled out a number of good clues, but a select band of worthy ones survives. Mr. Lloyd nearly lost his mention through being rather verbose.
 
Several clues had to be ruled out this time for either (a) making “me” do duty for “I” or (b) making “I am” do duty for “I is.” The remedy is easy:—“I can be seen after …” may replace either “You’ll see me after …” or “I am seen after …”, meaning much the same and avoiding both kinds of inaccuracy.
 
Runners-up:—E. S. Ainley, K. W. Andrews, Rev L. Blackburn, Mrs Caithness, R. Clark, A. E. Clayton, D. L. Clements, W. Darby, G. Davis, J. M. Doulton, J. F. Dow, A. R. Fraser, Miss J. Fraser, I. C. Gilchrist, D. Godden, S. B. Green, J. D. Hastings, Surg Capt J. M. Heyes, P. Irving, C. B. Joyner, C. Koop, Capt G. Langham, G. G. Lawrance, T. A. Martin, F. E. Newlove, A. I. Oldaker, D. G. Owen, H. C. Pilley, Mrs D. M. C. Prichard, H. Ingram Rees, T. E. Sanders, R. A. Sutton, A. H. Taylor, E. Ward, J. B. Widdowson.