AZED CROSSWORD 692

FIDIBUS def. PRICKET

1.  Dr E. J. Miller: If Budd is running, Decker’s first to go: would point to a spill! (point; anag. less D; ref. Zola B., Mary D. incident in Olympics).

2.  R. J. Hooper: Get low impulses to spike punch before our party? It will set things alight (spike; id³ in fib² + us).

3.  C. J. Morse: Cheap lighter in sailors’ bar is about half a buck (buck; fid + bu(ck) in is).

VHC

D. W. Arthur: Paper spike, when fanned with rage becomes fire-bug’s aid (spike; comp. anag.).

Mrs K. Bissett: Lighter type of story about Princess – here’s where there’s a fast buck to be made (buck; Di in fib + US; ref. P. Diana).

A. G. Corrigan: You could light your pipe with this spike of wood, indeed – but without a pinch of tobacco? Have a pinch of snuff instead (spike; fid + I³ + bu(t) + s).

N. C. Dexter: Being holder of one, following half suck, I’d top of bowl lit (holder; I in anag. of f su(ck) I’d b, & lit.).

C. J. Feetenby: Point of flame I’d certainly convey (point; f I’d I³ bus, & lit.).

R. R. Greenfield: Slip of paper secured by spike, one advance payment sent back (spike; fid + I + sub (rev.)).

I. F. & L. M. Haines: I, having only half a buck and lurking in bars, will inflame a churchwarden (buck; I bu(ck) in fids; c., type of pipe).

D. F. Manley: One to stick in front of fire and offer around shreds of unlit shag? (stick; I in f + bid (rev.) + u s, & lit.).

K. McDermid: A collection of ls.1d farthing and half a buck might inflame churchwarden (buck; anag. incl. f and bu(ck); c., type of pipe).

T. J. Moorey: Stick one into ends of firewood – leads to its burning up slowly (stick; I in f, d + i b u s, & lit.).

T. W. Mortimer: Nucleus of NUJ will stick in if bid’s failed. This could get on wick when there’s a blackout! (stick; U in anag.; ref. BBC dispute).

H. B. Morton: Illuminating article I’d seen in Punch concludes where the buck is passed (buck; I’d in fib² + US).

R. F. Naish: Spike for splitting one bushel, revealing source of light (spike; fid I bus.; ref. Matt. 5:15).

R. J. Palmer: Stick I dip in fire for lighting endlessly (stick; I dib in fus(e), & lit.).

T. E. Sanders: A light one’s hiding inside a bushel should be put on a spike (spike; fid + bu. in I’s; ref. Matt. 5:15).

A. J. Shields: If I subbed creatively, after consigning leaders on banking and economics to the spike… could produce lighter paper (spike; anag. less b e).

B. D. Smith: Beginnings of fire in deanery? It’ll buck up sexton, might get a churchwarden going (buck; first letters; c., type of pipe).

Mrs M. P. Webber: Spike one applied to bowls under smokers’ noses (spike; fid I + b u s, & lit.).

HC

C. Allen Baker, S. Armstrong, F. D. H. Atkinson, Mrs G. M. Barker, M. Barley, J. Bunnell, Mrs D. M. Colley, P. Drummond, A. J. Duncum, A. E. Evans, N. C. Goddard, H. J. Godwin, R. M. Greenhalgh, A. K. Gregory, J. F. Grimshaw, D. V. Harry, E. L. Hayward, P. F. Henderson, Mrs R. Herbert, G. B. Higgins, J. G. Hull, C. L. Jones, Prof N. Kessel, F. P. N. Lake, J. R. Leete, J. P. Lester, J. D. Lockett, C. J. Lowe, R. K. Lumsdon, H. W. Massingham, J. R. C. Michie, S. H. Olorenshaw, F. R. Palmer, T. C. Perks, G. Perry, H. L. Rhodes, L. G. D. Sanders, W. J. M. Scotland, A. D. Scott, T. G. Swann, K. Thomas, A. J. Wardrop, R. J. Whale, Dr E. Young.
 

COMMENTS
About 310 entries, no mistakes – in the diagram, that is. As usually happens in W.N. competitions there were a number of failures to spot the right words to clue, not helped this time, regrettably, by the absence of the asterisk. I am (for once) entirely blameless for this. It was there in both stages of proofs, only disappearing at a stage over which I have no control. The printer was duly contrite. Actually, I think everyone realised the clue as a whole was required for FIDIBUS, which makes it even odder that as many as did failed to include the definition of PRICKET in their clues. Some (a handful, admittedly) even included the definition of another word of a different length altogether, thus remaining seemingly oblivious of a major part of the whole exercise. Never mind.
 
Good W.N. clues are hard to concoct (I speak with feeling). I chose a pair which I hoped would give a reasonable range of possible approaches but was, as it turned out, disappointed at the lack of inventiveness it produced – not your fault I’m sure. The choice of definitions for PRICKET proved rather limited and ‘spike’ won by several lengths given that it could be used to refer to either PRICKET or FID (a pity, this). The problem really lay in the fact that FIDIBUS, despite its appealing ‘shape’ does not it seems really lend itself to creative clue-writing. This tended to result in people trying too hard and in judging entries I found myself repeatedly admiring an idea but finding some detailed part of its manifestation to criticise. This is true even of some of the VHCs quoted above, though they were clearly superior to those more lowly ranked. It was therefore, perhaps, one of those competitions where a rigid adherence to basic principles of cluing and naturalness of wording scored over questionable flashiness. This is not meant as a snub to those who strove hard for originality, only as a cautionary note against what might appear as excessive contrivance.