AZED CROSSWORD 430

TEGULA

1.  C. G. Millin: What the fiddler might have played on, in the film (gu in tela, & lit.; ref. Fiddler on the Roof).

2.  Mrs D. M. Colley: Thatcher’s first rule – right’s going for what’ll keep wet out of house (T + (r)egula).

3.  R. Dean: Scale of wing needs volunteers to hold glider up (luge (rev.) in TA).

VHC

W. Anderson: An insect’s scale is what sticks for the most part in the web (gu(m) in tela).

R. P. Brown: Old model. Even Rolls Royce omitted to give top cover (T + (R)egula(R)).

C. A. Clarke: Thatcher has no use for this endless legal bickering with Trade Union (anag.: lega(l), TU; bicker = quiver).

A. J. Crow: It could be made from gault, protecting top of edifice (e in anag., & lit.).

R. V. Dearden: Gaulter provides ingredients for this – no recipe needed (anag. less r, & lit.).

N. C. Dexter: Get climbing on hall if there’s one missing from top (get (rev.) + (a)ula, & lit.).

P. S. Elliott: Small scale version of Vulgate Vatican vetoed (anag. less V).

J. Grainge: A rooting tile ends in dust beside grating, one dislodged from top of hall (last letters + (a)ula).

B. Greer: Bit of tiling, say for top of hall (aula with t e.g. for first a, & lit.).

C. L. Jones: Roofing tile made of English gault (anag. incl. E).

D. F. Manley: Informal bit of grub and ale with leaders of trade unions? Thatcher does without it (anag. incl. g, TU).

C. J. Morse: Fiddle wrapped in tissue: Nero must have had one loose! (gu in tela).

W. Murphy: The purged scourings of healthy-bowelled birds land on me! (t(h)e + (r)egula(r)).

D. S. Nagle: What can let in ugly weather? Why – er – this if broken (comp. anag. & lit.).

P. G. O’Gorman: ‘Thatcher doesn’t need me.’ Ted’s cut throat (Te(d) + gula; ref. T. Heath).

F. R. Palmer: Getting at glue, you’d appear to have one loose (anag. & lit.; ref. glue-sniffing).

R. J. Palmer: An appendage turning up at base of wings of tsetse? (t, e + a lug (rev.), & lit.).

D. R. Pitcher: Fancy tile? If it slips, the answer could be ’at glue (anag.).

M. Postlethwaite: It may be made of English gault (anag. incl. E, & lit.).

C. P. Rea: Pull up when there’s drink around – more than one gives footing for riotous behaviour! (lug (rev.) in tea; ‘on the tiles’).

D. R. Robinson: A slide shortening the ascending scale (a luge t’ (rev.)).

T. E. Sanders: Secure a bit of cover over ’ead – glue ’at on! (anag.; on = tipsy).

W. J. M. Scotland: Sickly gateau – long for one overlapping small plate? (anag. with l for a).

R. J. Whale: To be seen by anyone – nearly everyone, from below, get up on this (get (rev.) + U + al(l) (rev.), & lit.).

Miss J. Wight: Put up a sleigh-t? More like a slate (i.e. a luge-t (rev.)).

HC

G. M. Adams, Mrs E. Allen, T. Anderson, D. W. Arthur, F. D. H. Atkinson, M. J. Balfour, P. R. Best, Rev C. M. Broun, A. J. Bulman, E. J. Burge, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, P. R. Clemow, M. Coates, G. Cuthbert, J. V. S. A. Davies, C. J. Feetenby, Dr I. S. Fletcher, F. D. Gardiner, N. C. Goddard, J. F. Grimshaw, B. Hancock, R. B. Harling, P. F. Henderson, V. G. Henderson, B. K. Kelly, R. E. Kimmons, F. P. N. Lake, A. Lawrie, M. D. Laws, J. H. C. Leach, C. Loving, Lieut Col D. Macfie, W. F. Main, H. S. Mason, L. May, K. V. Mays, J. McGhee, D. P. M. Michael, Dr R. G. Monk, J. J. Moore, T. J. Moorey, R. A. Mostyn, I. Myles, G. B. Oxendale, J. C. Parsons, S. L. Paton, W. H. Pegram, E. W. Richart, N. Roles, A. D. Scott, Mrs E. J. Shields, C. C. D. Shute, W. K. M. Slimmings, L. M. Sturges, J. C. P. Taylor.
 

COMMENTS
520 entries, no mistakes. An easier competition than usual, I think, producing a whole crop of new competitors, whom it’s always pleasant to welcome. The clue-word itself proved rather troublesome, I suspect, difficult to do anything really interesting or arresting with. There were for example large numbers of rude violins with scales of two notes (not, I think, possible by definition) and still more vague or ungrammatical definitions to the ‘tile’ meaning of the word. ‘Up on the roof’, ‘look up’, ‘over one’s head’ etc. won’t do to indicate a noun. They are, respectively, a prepositional phrase, a verbal imperative or infinitive, and a prepositional or adverbial phrase, and can only indicate corresponding parts of speech. I know loose usage of this kind will persist and those who are careful to avoid it may wonder why I go on drawing attention to it. The point is that with only a very little manipulation it can be tightened up and thus made acceptable. ‘It is (or better, ‘it may be’) up on the roof’, ‘look up at it’, ‘it’s put over one’s head’ etc., etc. are examples of what’s needed, shifting the emphasis to ‘it’ in each case: a pronoun which can stand for a noun, which is what TEGULA is. This is such a fundamental part of clue-writing that it bears repeating endlessly.
 
Is a tela a film? I examined this question very carefully before putting Mr. Millin’s excellent clue top of the pile. Since I found the Chambers definition somewhat inadequate, and even the OED hasn’t yet included it, I turned to the new Collins English Dictionary for the reassurance I needed. There TELA is defined as ‘any delicate tissue or weblike structure’ and FILM, among other definitions, as ‘a gauzy web of filaments or fine threads’ and ‘an abnormally opaque tissue’. From this I conclude that to define TELA as ‘film’ is OK, though there must be occasions when a tela is not a film and vice versa. Perhaps a question mark at the end of the clue would at least have indicated that the author was aware of the borderline nature of this definition.
 
Many regulars expressed concern about the future of the Azed series if the Observer closes down. I simply don’t know at this stage and prefer to remain cautiously optimistic that a settlement will be reached before the worst comes to the worst. Thank you, though, for your support and encouragement.
 
Finally a reminder that I still have small stocks of Azed ties, all three colours. The price is now £3 each inclusive of VAT. Orders, complete with a large (long) stamped addressed envelope and cheque payable to Jonathan Crowther, should be sent to AZED. Don’t forget to specify how many ties you want and of which colour(s).