ordStats| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. F. Naish | 34 | 4 | 2 | 28 | 45 | 40 | Nov 1982 | Dec 1993 | 11y 1m |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-1993 | ||||
| 1095 | STINK | VHC | —— can, in case of skunk, be offensive | tin in s, k, & lit. |
| 1087 | OLD SOLDIER | VHC | So to Lord Ridley, high Tory no longer present, this bottle is drained | anag. less Tory; ref. Nicholas R., d. Mar 1993 |
| 1084 | PIERCEABLE / SALESGIRL (DLM) | First | Choice pearl be kind, I’m not immune to caring, I serve thee ill? Nay, deem my faults less glaring! | |
| 1061 | MAGIC | VHC | Cambridge reforms bred such facility in spelling | comp. anag. |
| 1056 | ENTRAIN def. ASTHORE (Wrong Number) | VHC | What God did in Noah’s day, without a glimmer of sunshine, to get company on board | sunshine; (s)ent rain |
| 1048 | GALLOPADE | VHC | Tripping in this is, you may find, no palais glide | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1991-1992 | ||||
| 1039 | TOLERABLE | Second | Moderate elements on both sides of electorate ballot for change, squeezing right | r in anag. incl. e, e |
| 1034 | BURLAP | VHC | Coarse stuff drawing uncouth roar from drunken bar-parlour | anag. less anag. |
| 1000 | ONE THOUSAND | VHC | M1 has no U turns between either side of the road | one + anag. in t, d |
| 1990-1991 | ||||
| 965 | EARBASH def. NECKLET (Wrong Number) | VHC | Rattling a sabre, Bush needs no coach to chain an audience | chain; anag. + (Bus)h |
| 956 | SPEAR-SIDE | VHC | Air speed’s cut for line of descent missing spindle tree | anag.; see spindle side |
| 1989-1990 | ||||
| 939 | A-PER-SE / ESCROC (Right and Left) | VHC | Hammering score over ton he pulls a fast one with touch of exuberance right into far boundary of Oval – nonpareil! | anag. + C; e, r in apse (qv.) |
| 934 | LACE-UPS | VHC | Boots with eyes on novel way of dispensing capsule | anag.; ref. pharmacist |
| 930 | SABULOSE | Third | Carpenter was so blue, discounting suggestion of walrus such was the beach | anag. less w; carpenter vb. |
| 922 | REFORMADO | First | With bent forearm and old racket I lacked command in service | anag. + do |
| 908 | INDIGO (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Regarding grids, you’ll normally find a pla/n, although some ‘special’ puzzles lack symmetry | digonal |
| 1988-1989 | ||||
| 853 | DEBACLE | VHC | Taking last three for nought, Alec Bedser compounded collapse | anag. less ser; ref. Sir A. B., cricketer |
| 849 | VISITE | First | Old rig will be inspected again when Adair’s sealed it | (Re)visite(d); ref. Red Adair, Piper Alpha |
| 1987-1988 | ||||
| 814 | SPOUSAGE | VHC | Just a bit of outdated convention, having no kids before this? | sp + o + usage, & lit. |
| 809 | DOLCE VITA | VHC | A great life for holders of lire as dollar meets active trading | dol. + anag. |
| 1986-1987 | ||||
| 783 | CAMPESINO | VHC | Ploughing Latin maybe could produce some panic | anag.; panic2 = cereal grass |
| 779 | MISSING LINK | First | What makes blinking heap of stones a key to man’s development? | i.e. blinking missing link = bing; ref. e.g. Stonehenge |
| 1985-1986 | ||||
| 714 | MOTE | VHC | E.g. Caesar’s words of love to wife without a stain | (a)mo te |
| 709 | GINGER | VHC | Hot spice in egg flip recipe | anag. + r |
| 696 | ANTIMNEMONIC | VHC | Like the lotus, holding married men up a dreamy inaction | m + men (rev.), all in anag. |
| 692 | FIDIBUS def. PRICKET (Wrong Number) | VHC | Spike for splitting one bushel, revealing source of light | spike; fid I bus.; ref. Matt. 5:15 |
| 683 | BANISH | VHC | Expel British and one is hitting hooliganism at source | B + an + is + h; ref. England’s UEFA ban |
| 1984-1985 | ||||
| 644 | EASY STREET (or STAPELIA) | VHC | Ill-trained eye set star where nothing’s lacking | anag.; ref. error in competition |
| 1983-1984 | ||||
| 627 | AMBIENT | VHC | The sky’s the limit where space is involved | en in ambit |
| 585 | FLABELLIFORM | VHC | High life ball for maiden’s debut – like what Lady Windermere held? | anag. + for m; ref. ‘L. W.’s Fan’; high = drunk |
| 1982-1983 | ||||
| 572 | SNAKE-OIL | VHC | What quacks indicate is ducks in lake (Serpentine) | anag. incl. 0’s; indicate in med. sense |
| 564 | PARAMENT | VHC | Splendid outfit once – crack Division with top class troops! | A men in part |
| 559 | EMBASE | VHC | In translation ‘beam’ ’s the ultimate in bizarre – ‘lower’ ’s what the word means! | anag. + e; cf. lour |
| 556 | SWEAL (Misprints) | VHC | Sean from Wales? There must be some confusion | sear; anag. |
1993-1994
1128 CHRISTMAS PRESENT
1992-1993
1091 SAPSAGO (Spoonerisms)
1076 PARLOUR GAMES
1052 AGANIPPE
1991-1992
1043 PESTO (Printer’s Devilry)
1026 LET-OFF
1024 PRESENT (3 defs + sub. ind. of wrapping) (Parcels)
1017 SCHAPSKA / PEARMAIN (Right and Left)
1013 ALVEARY
1008 SPORTSCASTER (Misprints)
1004 OIL PAINTINGS
1990-1991
978 DOUBLE-CENTURY
947 SHOULDER-SLIP
1989-1990
926 NERD
920 CHRIST-CROSS-ROW
917 HOOLIGANISM
895 TONE DEAF
1988-1989
887 MONSTER
882 DOSSIER
878 MOUSEPIECE
874 BLUESTOCKING
869 HOLD-UPS
862 OFF-AND-ON
857 REDCAP / NICETY (Right and Left)
840 SONDE
1987-1988
827 MICKEY-TAKING
818 EMBUSQUÉ
805 LITOTES
796 UPHOLSTERY
792 DISTHENE (Printer’s Devilry)
1986-1987
770 HERMITS
764 CHILDERMAS
753 SHEEPDOG
740 ESCADRILLE
1985-1986
731 STRING
727 WELL-TO-DO
722 SUPERNACULUM
705 MUSICOTHERAPY
1984-1985
662 BARGE-COUPLE
657 SILLY-BILLY
653 INTERNUNCIO
640 MACHETE
1983-1984
581 SPADROON def. MAVERICK (Wrong Number)
1982-1983
558 MINCEMEAT (with one extra R) (Extra Letter)
552 NOURICE-FEE
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-1994 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1992-1993 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 1991-1992 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 2 | 7 | 29 |
| 1990-1991 | 0 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 1989-1990 | 2 (1, 0, 1) | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 1988-1989 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 1 | 8 | – |
| 1987-1988 | 0 | 2 | 5 | – |
| 1986-1987 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 1 | 4 | – |
| 1985-1986 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 1984-1985 | 0 | 1 | 4 | – |
| 1983-1984 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 1982-1983 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 20 |