XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 1123

MAXIMIST

1.  N. C. Dexter: I must take endless time with Xmas crackers (anag. less e, & lit.).

2.  Flt Sgt J. Dromey: I’m an uncrowned wit connected with Xmas crackers (anag. less w, & lit.).

3.  P. Hurst: Xmas crackers are my forte—I’m “it” with Xmas crackers (anag.).

V.H.C.

D. B. J. Ambler: After an early gin I become muzzy, I talk sententiously (max I mist).

E. A. C. Bennett: Haze follows gin before one conceives gnomes (max I mist; pause after “one”).

R. E. C. Burrell: Who writes pithy mottoes? I’m it—Xmas crackers (anag.).

A. A. Calland: I’m it—Xmas crackers; crackers need me (anag.).

A. J. Crow: Truth, nothing less, is found within the bounds of my precept, I would have you believe (axi(o)m is in m, t, & lit.).

J. A. Fincken: Saw producer with opera girl having a kiss in street (a X in Mimi + St; saw³).

G. P. Goddard: After the old gin I become hazy, I pontificate (max I mist).

Mrs R. Harvey: I lay down the rules—next season’s wear must go with its weather (Maxi mist; Keats, “Season of Mists”).

J. Langton: I might produce a principle lacking nothing in condensation (axi(o)m in mist, & lit.).

Mrs B. Lewis: I’m touching no more strong drink—it’s raging, so one has said (max + I’m + anag., & lit.; Prov. 20:1, King James Bible).

H. W. Massingham: Saw man’s dampened air—after a fashion down-at-heel (Maxi mist; saw³).

J. J. Moore: My saws sparkle: the rule is to leave nothing out in the damp (axi(o)m in mist; saw³).

R. Postill: Long skirt reduced visibility; one probably imagined more than one saw (Maxi mist; saw³).

Mrs I. G. Smith: Queen of Sheba fell for one new-length veil (Maxi mist; Solomon).

L. H. Stewart: Have I a habit of excessive length and lack of clarity? Surely not (Maxi mist).

L. T. Stokes: Full-length skirt to obscure the view—I’m all for using a saw (Maxi mist; saw³).

H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams, W. G. Arnott, Col P. S. Baines, C. Allen Baker, M. J. Balfour, T. E. Bell, J. M. Bennett, Mrs A. Boyes, Mrs M. P. Craine, J. Crowther, Mrs W. Fearon, Mrs N. Fisher, A. L. Freeman, S. Goldie, G. N. Guinness, R. B. Harling, A. Harrington, R. A. Harvey, C. H. Hudson, G. Johnstone, J. H. C. Leach, P. W. W. Leach, J. C. Leyland, Mrs J. Mackie, A. A. Malcolm, Mrs E. McFee, D. P. M. Michael, C. G. Millin, D. I. Morgan, P. H. Morgan, C. J. Morse, F. R. Oliver, Mrs K. Orr, F. R. Palmer, K. Reed, C. A. Sears, Sir W. Slimmings, J. Sparrow, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, J. G. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, D. H. Tompsett, J. F. N. Wedge, H. J. L. Withrington.
 

COMMENTS:—Nearly 450 entries, few mistakes, the puzzle considered easier than of late. The “Xmas crackers” idea seemed to me the neatest, and I liked Mr. Dexter’s wording best, but I believe I would have put Mr Hurst top if he had simply sent the second half of his clue; this makes a perfect “& lit” clue, and the first half, though perfectly sound, isn’t really needed. Mrs Craine used the same idea but didn’t quite make it work, I thought: she wrote “I’m it! Xmas crackers spread my works abroad.” In the anag. sense, “my works” has to signify “my letters, or contents”, which I don’t quite like One other H.C. clue, Mr. Crowther’s was nearly very good—“One who produces an apopthegm that omits nothing about another is.” (axi(o)m is in m(o)t, & lit.). Here for the first sense one has to make “another” mean “another apopthegm that omits nothing”: this seems to me a little strained. Both of these came near to V.H.C.s. I greatly enjoyed the second parts of Mr. Postill’s and Mr. Stokes’s clues, but I thought their maxis were indicated a little too obviously for them to displace any of the prizewinners. Several clues, using “mist”, implied that maxims are normally obscure; I don’t think this is true. Nor could I agree to equating maxims with clichés, still less with puns. It was an entertaining entry and a big one for holiday time.