AZED CROSSWORD 609

LUCKY-BAG

1.  C. J. & R. S. Morse: Blessed crib where wondrous gifts lie hid (lucky bag; bag, crib = steal).

2.  D. Tompsett: Where you pay to fish alewife and mort (lucky² bag; a. and m. both fish and women).

3.  C. W. Laxton: One could discover properties of tar by caulking cracks in it (comp. anag.; discover = reveal).

VHC (extra prizes)

A. G. Bogie: Jammy stuff – kids dip into it eagerly (lucky bag).

Mrs A. R. Bradford: Bulgy pack done up as ‘Penny Dips’? (anag. less p, & lit.).

E. Chalkley: Holder of prize to boast about after success with X’s successor? (luck + Y + gab (rev.); ref. AZ comp; X = Ximenes).

T. Davies: Jammy pot: plum may be extracted from it (lucky bag; plum = something choice).

S. Gaskell: Is this jammy? Yes. Tart? Maybe – its filling is not revealed (lucky bag).

J. F. Grimshaw: You might see fool getting caught out and simpleton taken aback when its contents are revealed! ((c)luck + gaby (rev.), & lit.).

M. Jellis: Cram, going in front, is fair game for one prepared to chance his arm (lucky² + bag ; ref. Steve C., runner).

F. P. N. Lake: Sack, bulgy with surprises – albeit not Santa’s original (anag. less S, & lit.).

J. H. C. Leach: I make undignified departure with immoral woman – you’ll wonder what’s got into me (lucky + bag; lucky³ = departure).

R. K. Lumsdon: Bunter with jam to the fore and a picking of game pies (lucky + bag; bunter = low woman, pie = prize).

J. D. Moore: Bulgy sack rummaged when sailor’s cap goes missing (anag. less s, & lit.).

R. J. Palmer: Pick an unknown prize here having spent pence first ((p)luck + y + bag, & lit.).

H. R. Sanders: One can get a prize here by clue-making: this – mine – could produce it (comp. anag.).

A. Scott: Where, after departure, you’ll find what’s become lost at sea? (lucky³ + bag, & lit.; bag vb.).

J. B. Sweeting: Cram, after year pursuing fortune, is holder of unexpected prize (luck + y + bag; ref. Steve C., athlete voted Sports Personality of 1983).

D. G. Tallis: Wherein to find what’s left by guy back at sea? (I + anag., & lit.).

L. C. Wright: I’m dipped into jammy stuff (lucky bag).

Dr E. Young: One’s going to steal, so prizes drawers open (lucky³ + bag).

R. F. Zobel: This clue is going to win a sackful of prizes (lucky³ + bag).

HC

R. H. Adey, C. Allen Baker, D. Ashcroft, M. J. Balfour, M. Barley, E. A. Beaulah, Dr P. M. J. Bennett, Mrs K. Bissett, R. Brain, R. S. Caffyn, C. A. Clarke, G. P. Conway, A. F. Cotes, Mrs J. M. Critchley, P. W. Davenport, E. Dawid, N. C. Dexter, D. M. Duckworth, S. A. Fortey, B. Franco, H. Freeman, N. C. Goddard, D. A. Grassland, A. Hall, D. V. Harry, B. Harvey, P. F. Henderson, J. P. H. Hirst, R. P. Holdsworth, N. F. Holman, R. J. Hooper, E. M. Hornby, R. H. F. Isham, W. Jackson, Mrs D. B. Jenkinson, A. H. Jones, A. Lawrie, P. R. Lloyd, C. J. Lowe, D. J. Mackay, D. F. Manley, H. W. Massingham, K. M. McDermid, D. P. M. Michael, C. G. Millin, R. A. and A. G. Mostyn, F. R. Palmer, E. R. Riddle, Dr W. I. D. Scott, Mrs C. Shaw, W. K. M. Slimmings, M. C. Souster, L. M. Sturges, P. Thacker, G. A. Tomlinson, D. V. B. Unwin, A. P. Vincent, A. J. Wardrop, D. O. Williams, S. Woods.
 

COMMENTS
565 entries, few mistakes. These miscellanies, a throwback of course to those priceless Ximenean compendia of yesteryear, are clearly very popular and, contrary to the generally expressed belief, not that difficult to concoct once one has decided on the different clue types to be incorporated. The extra help I gave towards solving the Playfair code (BRAN-TUB and the title of the puzzle itself: SERENDIPITY) was clearly appreciated even if it did make the solving of the code a very simple exercise for most. It is important, I feel, that Christmas competitions should be more entertaining than most, but not more difficult. If my household is anything to go by there is on such occasions if anything less spare time for private mental work-outs than usual, despite the extra holidays.
 
Judging was particularly tricky (even when I was allowed a bit of peace and quite for it!). There were very many black guys and bulgy sacks (with e.g. no end of presents), from which it was very difficult to pick out clues worthy of mention. Pride of place in the end went to the three which struck me as offering the right degree of economy and crypticness, and in the case of the first prize-winners that extra dash of topicality – very nice.
 
Returning for a moment to the Playfair code, I can see that ZOONOMIA’s Z was a great help, it being a fair bet that it would appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the word-square. As a rule in Playfairs I enter the coded words first and build the grid around them. With so many other clue types to worry about I fitted them in this time as they came, usually when I had one or more pairings to work from. That’s also why NONG was forced upon me. You may be sure that the next Playfair won’t be such plain sailing!
 
Enough for now. Doublethink beckons.