XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 1100

BEAU(C)LER(C)

1.  G. J. S. Ross: U eel-bar ruined me (anag. & lit.; ref. surfeit of lampreys).

2.  J. Crowther: After wreck, a blue, lettered English king (anag. + E R, & lit.; lost heir in shipwreck, 1120).

3.  N. C. Dexter: It makes poor Abel rue he had a ruddy brother (anag.; ref. Gen. 4, Wm. Rufus).

V.H.C.

W. G. Arnott: What a rude chap swallows may cause deletion—Henry King? (ule in bear: ref. Belloc poem).

A. J. Barnard: Extraordinary Blue era succeeded Red (anag.; Wm. Rufus).

R. M. S. Cork: Airline rule broken: he piloted Britannia while still a clerk (BEA + anag.; B. type of aircraft).

C. G. Farmer: Royal scholar’s French style cracks are blue (anag.).

A. B. Gardner: King lacking primary right to succeed recognised way to get into Europe (BEA + (r)uler, & lit.).

L. W. Jenkinson: The original Henry (King) chewing this could produce bale and rue (anag.; ref. Belloc poem).

G. Johnstone: What one at No. 11 usually is, we hear; responsible for the Exchequer (‘bowler’ (in batting order); Downing St.; H. started Exchequer).

A. H. Jones: Victor at Brémule, a Brémule with a thousand lost in conflict (anag. less M; ref. battle, 1119).

T. H. Keeley: Air-line chief wants top organiser of circuit trials (BEA (r)uler; eyre).

D. F. Manley: A blue, upset English king (anag. + E R, & lit.; lost heir, 1120).

C. G. Millin: Learned monarch, extraordinarily blue—reason: losing male heir (anag. less son; lost heir, 1120).

C. J. Morse: “The Scholar”, a rebel and leader of university rioting (anag. incl. u).

R. Postill: Royal scholar who had moped habitually cut hall to have a drink outside (aul(a) in beer; moped = bicycle).

N. E. Sharp: Case holding rubber, ruler and pen (ule in bear²; pen = writer).

T. A. J. Spencer: A blue, upset English king—a ruler whose letters were not latent (anag. + E R; lost heir, 1120).

D. J. Thorpe: Changed to become a blue English king (anag. + E R, & lit.).

H.C.

R. H. Adey, C. Allen Baker, M. J. Balfour, J. W. Bates, P. F. Bauchop, R. T. Baxter, J. M. Bennett, J. Brock, C. O. Butcher, R. S. Caffyn, D. L. L. Clarke, P. M. Coombs, J. Dawes, W. P. M. Field, J. Fryde, G. P. Goddard, S. Goldie, W. F. Goodman, Sir S. Kaye, N. Kemmer, R. E. Kimmons, A. Lawrie, Mrs B. Lewis, J. C. Leyland, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, Dr T. J. R. Maguire, L. May, Mrs E. McFee, T. W. Melluish, D. P. M. Michael, W. L. Miron, A. M’Intyre, M. Newman, Mrs E. M. Pardo, S. L. Paton, W. H. Pegram, Mrs N. Perry, E. W. T. Richart, A. Rivlin, G. R. Scott, D. J. Short, K. C. Slater, Sir W. Slimmings, J. Sparrow, L. T. Stokes, R. F. E. Stoney, Rev L. M. Styler, K. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, M. E. Ventham, J. F. N. Wedge.
 

COMMENTS:—Back to nearly 500 entries, few mistakes, mostly the result of not verifying in C. that 1 dn. was CALICHE, not “calache”, which doesn’t exist: “one pound” can be £1 (LI) as well as AL. I was disappointed that so many competitors disregarded instructions. Lots wrote indications of BAUCLRC—I hate to suggest that they don’t know a vowel from a consonant! Lots wrote normal clues to BEAUCLERC. Fewer, but some, used connecting words between the parts of their clues. It does seem a waste of much skill in solving not to heed instructions. But there were many good clues and, I think, a beautifully neat winner; I will forestall queries by saying that I know lampreys are not eels, but they are like them and might well, I think, be on sale at superior eel-bars, being “delicacies”—I admit I haven’t tried one. The sound of bowler was the most commonly used idea; as BEAULER is not a word, I don’t especially like it, but I have given mentions to those I thought best. There wasn’t much unsoundness, but things like “final smile” for E and “first born” for B still turn up in spite of my frequent protests that they don’t say what they mean. I’m very glad the puzzle was enjoyed; many thanks for appreciative comments. In actual fact this type is not nearly so difficult to compose as some imagine—certainly easier, for instance, than “Printer’s Devilry”, the type, I am now engaged on, which confronts one with the difficulty of excluding words—and there are masses of them—that won’t be “devilled”. There is a “Playfair”, which is overdue, for April 5; I know enthusiasts will be pleased, and I hope some who have not succeeded in coping with it before will become converts.