AZED CROSSWORD 913

ARCHIBALD

1.  D. Ashcroft: Entertainer in unfamiliar form; ad lib playing by Shakespearean principal (arch² + anag.; ref. Olivier as Archie Rice).

2.  R. S. Morse: Fly by one undisguised? That could be that! (arch I bald, & lit.).

3.  A. G. Ray: A beginner engaged in playing Bach air (D) aims high (anag. incl. L).

VHC

M. Barley: Striker (tricky one) exposed defence with powerful rising shot (arch I bald, 2 defs.; ref. Steve A., footballer).

E. A. Beaulah: Supreme leader in battle, one left within island’s confines – being a threat to Wellington (arch + b a l in i, d; ref. Napoleon, W. bomber).

E. J. Burge: After discharge I had empty barrel going up in the air (arc + anag. incl. b(arre)l, & lit.).

B. Burton: Retreating gunnery force, reproved about shot dropping short, means to fire upwards (RA (rev.) + bal(l) in chid).

E. Chalkley: What could have finished one British lad up in the air? (arch² + I B + anag., & lit.).

D. B. Cross: Cannon shooting high-flyers had calibre adjusted (missing centre of net) (anag. less e; ref. circus act).

N. C. Dexter: It makes you crash? Bail out with seconds to go before ending up dead! (anag. less s + d, & lit.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: Circling about Heathrow initially is a common means of bringing down aircraft (c. H in a ribald).

J. F. Grimshaw: Strip characters of widespread renown in Charlie Brown and dashing enemy of Red Baron? (anag. less anag.).

F. P. N. Lake: Hairless? After treatment for hair – see! It shoots up! (anag. incl. c + bald).

J. C. Leyland: Had calibre, possibly, to see off last of Luftwaffe (anag. less e, & lit.).

R. K. Lumsdon: Free-range laid, bar a couple from chicken battery unit (anag. incl. ch).

M. A. Macdonald-Cooper: Camel had rib smashed if you fired me! (anag. less me, & lit.; ref. WW1 aircraft).

D. F. Manley: What could zap bird, alack? Rather thrush’s end than erk’s! (anag. with h for k, & lit.).

R. Phillips: A racy champion splits: one invariably shoots up (Ch. in a ribald; ref. drugs in sport).

H. L. Rhodes: See hair, dishevelled and unadorned – a pompon might suit (anag. incl. c + bald).

F. W. R. Stocks: Descriptive of card I exposed, one that brought down ace (arch I bald).

P. D. Stonier: Broken chair, threadbare, arm pointing upwards (anag. + bald).

G. A. Tomlinson: Shooter dislodging bail, hard initiation for colt (anag. incl. c).

A. J. Wardrop: Ace, chief in base, scourge of enemy flyers (A + Ch. in ribald).

HC

D. W. Arthur, M. J. Barker, Mrs A. R. Bradford, C. J. Brougham, Dr J. Burscough, D. A. Campbell, C. A. Clarke, Mrs M. P. Craine, E. Dawid, R. Dean, R. V. Dearden, S. C. Ford, B. Franco, R. R. Greenfield, O. Greenwood, P. F. Henderson, R. J. Hooper, J. G. Hull, E. C. Hunt, A. H. Jones, A. Lawrie, R. Lawther, C. W. Laxton, J. D. Lockett, C. J. Lowe, P. W. Marlow, H. W. Massingham, J. R. C. Michie, Dr E. J. Miller, T. J. Moorey, C. J. Morse, T. W. Mortimer, R. A. Mostyn, S. J. O’Boyle, D. R. Robinson, H. R. Sanders, N. E. Sharp, W. K. M. Slimmings, D. Stanford, P. A. Stephenson, J. Stokes, D. H. Tompsett, Dr I. Torbe, Dr E. Young.
 

COMMENTS
328 entries, more than a few with SITES for SITUS. The latter (same plural as singular) is a new word in the 1988 edition of Chambers. It was, I suppose, bound to happen sooner or later that such a word would turn up, with its trickily placed unchecked letter, to fox those still using the old edition. I wasn’t being wilfully awkward and do now feel free to use any of the words in the current edition of C. Those still battling on with the old one may care to drop heavy hints to prospective Christmas present givers.
 
By common consent this was quite a hard puzzle, as the lowish entry figure suggests. A few complained that the clue word was too limited in meaning, but in situations like this clever handling of the wording of the definition can usually be resorted to with effect, as many of the successful clues demonstrate. And I had no objection to the word being treated simply as a name if it was done well (which really meant choosing a particular Archibald, as a forename or surname, rather than referring to the etymology of the name from the back pages of C. But see Gilleasbuig on p. 1778 for a curious titbit of information about it.) There was a plethora of Arab children (with or without Camels!) and quite a number used ‘pompom’ as a definition of ARCHIBALD. Strictly speaking this won’t quite do. An Archibald was (is?) any type of anti-aircraft gun; a pompom is a particular type. Thus it would be permissible to define a pompom as an Archibald, but not the other way round. An ‘e.g.’ or a ‘possibly’ or a ‘perhaps’ or some such device is called for (see Mr Rhodes’s clue above).
 
I hope it’s not too early to wish you all a happy and restful Christmas and to thank you as another year ends for helping to make the Azed series for me such a rewarding and enjoyable task.