◀  No. 13557 Jun 1998 Clue list No. 1363  ▶

AZED CROSSWORD 1360

BOG-ASPHODEL

1.  G. Johnstone: Behold, gapo’s flowering – with this? (anag. & lit.).

2.  J. R. Tozer: Investigating re —— growing wild, you’d probe galoshed? (comp. anag. & lit.).

3.  D. F. Manley: Toilet soap held with difficulty? It’s blooming alive in the water! (bog + anag.).

VHC

D. Appleton: This may try and flourish in good peaty land by marsh (comp. anag. & lit.).

J. R. Beresford: Verse penned by John (Poet Laureate) has upset Slough inhabitant (ode in bog + anag. incl. PL; ref. Betjeman: ‘Slough’).

E. Dawid: Strong smell, anyhow, helps a dog that’s weed on soggy ground (BO anag.).

N. C. Dexter: Slough-dweller in dubiously good shape in Betjeman’s first line (anag. in B I; ref. poem ‘Slough’).

P. D. Gaffey: Do plash be good for this rustic bloomer? (anag.).

G. I. L. Grafton: Old pa, he’s convulsed after W. C. Field’s feature, where old-style humour abounds (bog + anag.).

R. R. Greenfield: Slough, peat-bed or swale; there you may find this – true! (comp. anag. & lit.; swale 2 mngs.).

C. R. Gumbrell: Piece of Betjeman’s with line framing atrocious hope goads denizen of Slough? (anag. in B, l; ref. poem ‘Slough’).

F. P. N. Lake: Slough abode non-U? Positive it’ll do for me! (anag. less U incl. P, & lit.).

M. D. Laws: Wild growth, environs solely ‘pool-based’ (anag. incl. g, h, & lit.).

E. Looby: Plant produced by wild hag pool beds (anag. & lit.).

C. J. Lowe: Wrinkled old bags hope for burgeoning beauty from the mud! (anag.).

T. J. Moorey: Colourful Lily Savage blasphemed ‘O God! Strike me dead!’ (anag. less me d; ref. Paul O’Grady character).

R. Parry-Morris: Can one species hold out around middle of fen? This one does (bog a sp + e in anag., & lit.).

Mrs E. J. Shields: What may flourish in hag pool’s bed? (anag. & lit.).

P. L. Stone: If it’s wet I’m at home and blooming miserable, a good book helps (anag. incl. b).

D. Williamson: Plant associated with marsh birds? Ah! Poe’s Gold Bug initially involves that (anag. incl. B; ref. Poe short story).

HC

S. Armstrong, W. G. Arnott, D. Ashcroft, R. L. Baker, M. Barley, E. A. Beaulah, R. E. Boot, C. Boyd, Mrs A. Boyes, J. M. Brown, B. Burton, B. S. Clark, D. C. Clenshaw, G. P. Conway, Mrs J. M. Critchley, V. Dixon, A. J. Dorn, L. K. Edkins, C. M. Edmunds, Dr I. S. Fletcher, R. E. Ford, H. Freeman, M. Freeman, D. A. Harris, J. Hastie, R. Heald, R. Hesketh, A. Hodgson, R. Jacks, P. R. Lloyd, P. Long, R. K. Lumsdon, P. W. Marlow, Dr E. J. Miller, I. Morgan, C. J. Morse, F. R. Palmer, J. Pearce, R. Phillips, D. Price Jones, V. Seth, Mrs J. E. Townsend, A. P. Vincent, L. Ward, A. J. Wardrop, P. H. Watkin, M. H. E. Watson, P. O. G. White, Dr E. Young, R. Zara.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS)
1. C. R. Gumbrell (3 prizes, 8 VHCs); 2 (equal). N. C. Dexter (2, 8), C. J. Morse (3, 6); 4 (equal). M. Barley (2, 5), C. J. Brougham (2, 5), D. F. Manley (1, 7), R. J. Whale (2, 5); 8. J. R. Tozer (2, 4); 9 (equal). E. Cross (0, 7), R. R. Greenfield (0, 7), T. J. Moorey (I, 5); 12 (equal). E. J. Burge (1, 4), B. Burton (0, 6), H. Freeman (2, 2), F. P. N. Lake (1, 4), M. D. Laws (2, 2); 17 (equal). J. R. Beresford (1, 3), A. J. Dorn (1, 3), G. Johnstone (1, 3), R. Hesketh (0, 5), R. J. Palmer (0, 5); 22 (equal). D. A Campbell (0, 4), C. A. Clarke (1,2), Dr I. S. Fletcher (0, 4), G. I. L. Grafton (0,4), R. J. Hooper (1, 2), R. Jacks (1, 2), C. G. Millin (0, 4), F. R. Palmer (1, 2), P. L. Stone (0, 4), A. J. Wardrop (0, 4), Dr E. Young (0, 4). CONSOLATION PRIZES E. Cross, R. R. Greenfield, B. Burton, R. Hesketh, R. J. Palmer, D. A. Campbell, Dr I. S. Fletcher, G. I. L. Grafton, C. G. Millin, P. L. Stone, A. J. Wardrop, Dr E. Young.
 

 
Comments
 
310 entries and no mistakes. The clue word clearly proved difficult to define effectively despite its promising shape and array of letters, and despite its interesting etymology and associations in classical literature, etc. One competitor discovered (in the OED) that the plant is also called knavery, but decided, rightly I think, against using this as a definition since the reference is so obscure. The most recent citation in the OED is 17th-century. My attention was also drawn to the AA Book of the Countryside, which indicates a rural belief that if sheep ate bog-asphodel it caused their legs to weaken and break, giving rise to the species name Narthecium ossifragum. Using Slough in some way was a good idea, especially when it could be linked to John Betjeman’s rather unkind poem about that town’s architectural shortcomings. For those unfamiliar with this, it begins: ‘Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough!/It isn’t fit for humans now.’ One nearly-good clue used a nice anagram no one else did: ‘Dioxin source in Bhopal goes up – ‘plant of death’, perhaps?’ I do not accept that ‘dioxin source’ can indicate ‘d’, and have often mentioned my views on such usage in past slips. (I’m also not that keen on ‘up’ as an anagram indicator, though I know it can be justified by phrases like ‘What’s up?’ And does the bog-asphodel have the same connotations as the asphodel itself?) Similarly, ‘O-shaped construction’ won’t do (for me) as an anagram of ‘O-shaped’.
 
The Observer’s decision to repeat AZED No. 1,359 after printing it with the wrong diagram the previous week (even though I’d OK’d a correct proof) annoyed many of you, who had quite enjoyed constructing the diagram from clue numbers and lengths and then solving the puzzle. I’m sorry if many were thus made to suffer an Azed-less week and to wait an extra week for this month’s competition, but I do think it was a well-intentioned decision, to make amends for such a gross error, and there must have been a large number of solvers who gave up trying or simply didn’t have a go the previous week. I hope it won’t happen again, but know better than to promise. Another year of puzzles completed. Congratulations to all those on the Honours List, and especially to Mr Gumbrell who resumes the position at the top which he last held three years ago. Competition is as keen as ever, I’m pleased to say. For the benefit of newcomers, the points system is very simple: 2 for a prize (whether first, second or third) and 1 for a VHC. The thirteen competitions comprise one a month (normally on the first Sunday) and an extra one at Christmas. My thanks as ever to Mr Ron Dearden who keeps a running tally for me throughout the year.
 

 

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