◀  No. 128 Clue list 2 Apr 1950 Slip image No. 135  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 130

MODERN

1.  T. E. Sanders (Walsall): Current’s just right for the fleet to get under way (mode RN).

2.  S. B. Green (NW10): Far-from-ancient mariners following a decorative little piece! (mode RN; mode in lacemaking).

3.  B. W. Webster (SE23): Present-day way to join the Navy: just put R.N. at the bottom of the form (mode RN, twice).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley (S. Harrow): Does custom prevent sailors getting fresh? (mode RN; prevent = precede).

F. A. Clark (Croydon): Fall of Rome not dated? That’s right—not dated (anag. of Rome n.d.).

D. L. L. Clarke (Oxford): Small decorative piece the Navy’s after—quite unlike the girls of the old brigade! (mode RN; mode in lacemaking).

L. E. Eyres (York): This kind of German is absorbed in die Wacht am Oder nowadays (hidden; R. Oder, post-war German border [strictly, ‘an der Oder’]; cf. song ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’).

G. G. Lawrance (Harrow): Recent attempt to introduce monarchy broken by Communist rising (red (rev.) in mon.).

Mrs E. L. Lucas (Hove): Latest from Reno—750 couples reunited! (anag. of Reno MD; i.e. 2 × 750; ref. Reno, NV, divorce capital).

Miss I. F. Marchant (Llandudno): Latest fashion service—remake or mend (mode RN, anag.).

Lt Cdr W. G. Marshall (Rothesay): Mighty battleship of French Navy is present-day state secret (Mo de RN, Mo. dern2; ref. USS Missouri, “Mighty Mo”).

C. J. Morse (Norwich): It’s late, but never too late to mar or mend (anag.).

A. C. Okell (Blackpool): One who lives to-day would find even a short month dreadful in Shakespeare’s time (mo. dern2).

E. W. Padgett (Richmond, Yorks): Will make or mend so that you can hardly tell it from new (anag.).

E. J. Rackham (Totton): M.N.D. “O’er” should be amended. Instances of this kind in As You Like It (anag.; ref. AYLI II.7, “… wise saws and m. instances”).

A. R. Read (Sidcup): Up-to-date style navy two-piece ensemble (i.e mode and RN).

A. H. Taylor (Peterborough): Recent division reveals Minister of Health in hiding (MO dern2; M. of H. = doctor).

Capt C. Tyers (Elstead): Quite recent? Yes—just a month-dead-kidney disease (mo. d. + anag. of ren.).

 

COMMENTS—359 correct and a number of scattered mistakes: some of these showed a somewhat wanton disregard of clues, notably “ageing” for AGOING, which makes no attempt to account for “There’s nothing in getting out of date”: incidentally, Chambers doesn’t give this rather ugly spelling. There were some very good clues sent in and a close contest for 3rd prize; but many were rather unexciting and many, too, spoilt by loose definitions—e.g., a wrong part of speech—or loose wording—e.g., “It’s a way we have in the Navy” and “Bristol fashion.” These are far from sound clues to “mode-R.N.,” since the “mode” is not in “R.N.,” nor is the word “R.N.-mode.”
 
Several competitors used German in their clues. I occasionally use French—at least I hope it has usually been French—when it seems appropriate, feeling that most people know enough to be able to cope: I don’t know enough myself to become abstruse! But I have been sparing with other languages, since I should say that, while few educated English people know no French, there are many who know practically nothing of any other modern language, and in Latin people tend to become rusty. So I think occasional French, but not too much, and a very sparing and elementary use of other languages should he our normal rule, apart from familiar phrases: pp. 1185 ff. in Chambers are, of course, fair game. Mr. Eyres’s neat clue gets through on this score: even I can manage “die Wacht am Rhein,” though C. surprisingly omits it, and my German is negligible. For instance, I had no idea that “oder” means “or,” and I doubt if I am wrong in assuming that many solvers are in the same lamentable case.
 
RUNNERS-UP—G. R. M. Beadle, E. J. Bell, D. Connell, S. A. Cooper, E. Davies, J. H. Dingwall, Maj A. J. Douch, Mrs N. Fisher, B. Franco, Mrs D. Fuller, Mrs J. O. Fuller, C. C. M. Giffin, I. C. Gilchrist, S. Goldie, D. E. G. Irvine, Rev M. Jarvis, E. E. R. Kilner, C. Koop, Mrs F. Laing, A. F. Lerrigo, I. M. Newall, P. M. Newey, Rev E. B. Peel, G. W. Pugh, N. J. Reed, Mrs J. Robertson, E. O. Seymour, Rev F. R. Standfast, Miss D. W. Taylor, P. H. Taylor, Rev K. G. Thompson, H. S. Tribe, E. Wainwright, A. G. H. Walde.
 

 
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