AZED CROSSWORD 644

EASY STREET (or STAPELIA)

1.  J. D. Moore: You’d find here a little alien after you’d worried about rates, yes? (anag. + ET, & lit.).

2.  C. J. Brougham: Star not right? Uncertain, I pale… a bloomer, and a stinker! (stapelia; sta(r) + anag.; ref. error in competition).

3.  E. Dawid: Rosy estate mine – in other words, I’m on —— (comp. anag. & lit.).

VHC

R. H. Adey: Where what consumers do can net new stereos for nothing a year (anag. with y for O in eat, & lit.).

M. Barley: ‘Affluent circumstances’ here required – yet see star, misplaced … Aye, setter’s bungled! (anag., anag.; ref. error in competition).

C. J. & M. P. Butler: Tars see t’ye properly in a comfortable berth (anag.).

P. R. Clemow: One with bizarre petal is stinker (stapelia; anag. & lit.).

D. A. Crossland: Definition’s no hardship, yet star – see – is out of place (anag.; ref. error in competition).

N. C. Dexter: Where there’s a high rate set? Yes (anag. & lit.).

P. Drummond: Flower with scent pleases? It can’t possibly! (stapelia; comp. anag.).

P. S. Elliott: Eye star set wrongly for place Azed desired – and his poor solvers (anag. & lit.; ref. error in competition).

J. F. Grimshaw: Without question, nice corner ensconced in peace! ((qu)easy + tree in st, & lit.).

C. Hobbs: Moving into —— can produce state o’ serenity (comp. anag. & lit.).

R. J. Hooper: Result of limitless bets involving a system always coming up? (a syst. + e’er (rev.), all in (b)et(s), & lit.).

M. Jones: In a puzzle, Plate is a flower of S.A. (stapelia; anag.; ref. R. Plate).

R. E. Kimmons: It’s pale, a wild flower of the veldt (stapelia; anag.).

D. F. Manley: Disastrous year with tests, English given a hiding, Lord’s grousing etc? (E in anag.; grouse v.).

C. J. Morse: Address worth more than one star – yet see, star is misplaced! (anag. & lit.; ref. error in competition).

J. J. Murtha: Rest, sate ye carelessly – not where you’d dine with Duke Humphrey? (anag.; ref. Brewer).

R. F. Naish: Ill-trained eye set star where nothing’s lacking (anag.; ref. error in competition).

T. E. Sanders: The rich live here on prime piece of real estate – yes? (anag. incl. r; on = getting drunk).

B. D. Smith: A blooming stinker gets Lamb after second knock (stapelia; s tap + Elia; ref. Allan L., cricket).

F. B. Stubbs: Making merry on this, you could have eaten oysters (comp. anag. & lit.).

HC

C. Allen Baker (E), D. R. Appleton (E), D. W. Arthur (E), E. A. Beaulah (E), J. D. D. Blaikie (E), R. S. Caffyn (E), P. Cargill (E), R. L. Chambers (S), C. A. Clarke (E), E. A. Clarke (E), M. Coates (E), Dr J. Crawford (S), J. McI. Cruickshank (E), L. J. Davenport (E), A. L. Dennis (S), D. M. Duckworth (S), E. G. Durham (E), M. Earle (S), C. J. Feetenby (E), O. H. Frazer (E, S), F. D. Gardiner (E), S. Goldie (E), I. F. & L. M. Haines (E), P. F. Henderson (E), V. G. Henderson (E), D. Hibbert (S), J. P. H. Hirst (S), S. Holgate (E), R. H. F. Isham (S), W. Jackson (E), J. I. James (E), G. Johnstone (E), C. L. Jones (E), J. R. H. Jones (E), F. P. N. Lake (E), A. Lawrie (E), J. H. C. Leach (S), J. P. Lester (E), A. Logan (E), J. P. Mernagh (S), D. P. M. Michael (S), C. G. Millin (E), T. J. Moorey (E), R. A. Mostyn (E), F. R. Palmer (E), R. J. Palmer (E), W. H. Pegram (E), Mrs A. G. Phillips (S), J. T. Price (S), D. Price Jones (E), Miss I. M. Raab (S), R. F. Ray (E), A. J. Redstone (E), Mrs H. J. Reid (S), E. W. Richart (S), A. J. Shields (E), Mrs E. J. Shields (E), M. Sloman (E), M. C. Souster (E), K. Thomas (E), D. H. Tompsett (E), A. J. Wardrop (E), G. H. Willett (E), D. O. Williams (E), S. Woods (S), M. Woolf (E).
 

COMMENTS
What a disaster! What happened was that the asterisk was correctly positioned on the first proof but got misplaced on the second in the correction of another clue entirely. I then omitted to check the second time round a clue which had appeared correctly on the first proof. The rest you know. Of the 336 entries received 167 were for EASY STREET, 143 for STAPELIA, with the rest, suspecting something wrong but playing safe, offering clues to both separately (or in one ambitious case a single clue applicable to either!). In the circumstances I had to accept clues to both, though even this wasn’t totally fair as EASY STREET offered undeniably better possibilities and, as someone commented, I’d already used up one possible treatment of STAPELIA. To be perfectly honest I was a bit surprised that so many didn’t spot the error. I never ask you to clue a word I’ve already clued in the same puzzle myself, and in any case the RULES AND REQUESTS clearly state that competitors must submit a clue to replace the definition asterisked. But I’m not seeking to evade (at least partial) responsibility for the fiasco. I only hope you will accept my chosen method of salvaging the competition. In the lists above it will be obvious which of the quoted clues belong to which word(s). In the Highly Commended list E stands for EASY STREET and S for STAPELIA. Despite being so ‘ill-starred’, the competition was a good one. Many who spotted the error took advantage of it in their clues – the best of these are quoted above. Only one of my clues seems to have caused special problems, that to INDITE. (The practice of listing solutions, unannotated and without a reduced diagram will not continue after the Superbrain competition puzzles have appeared, by the way.) The clue was ‘Compose diet? That’s condensed way of describing it.’ Explanation: in DIT, E gives DIET. A bit convoluted maybe, and you have to pause for that comma, but sound.
 
No more for now. I’m still rather behindhand and have to compile the special (15 × 15) puzzle for the final of the above-mentioned competition in December. (N.B. the two other Azed competitions in December will be unaffected by this event.)