XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 172

GARNISHER

1.  L. E. Thomas: Though there’s only a piece of fish in store for him, he’ll dress for dinner ((f)ish in garner).

2.  F. P. N. Lake: I supply the finishing touches to the dish, and collect things to put around it ((d)ish in garner, & lit.).

3.  H. C. Pilley: Decorator—among the leaders of Germany—ran amok over liberty (anag. of ran + ish in Ger(many); ref. common belief that Hitler was a house painter).

H.C.

C. A. Baker: One who provides only fancy dishes causes husband to have his inside upset! (anag. of his in garner [see comments]).

B. K. Bernau: If it is his duty to adorn, why does he keep her in rags? (anag.).

S. B. Green: A jar of “gran.” is standing on her kitchen dresser (anag. of gran + is her; gran. = granulated sugar).

C. H. Hudson: I advise you not to pay her under a shilling: I rang—line out of order—before (anag. of I rang + s + her).

F. G. Illingworth: Dresses for dinner, with a wry grin as we find her adding the last touch of make-up (anag. of grin as + her).

E. W. Lee: Fish isn’t presentable to her without a bit of titivating (gar nis¹ her, & lit.).

D. P. M. Michael: As herring pickled makes nicer eating, is pike nicer pickled? (anag., gar nisher (drunken pron. of nicer)).

C. J. Morse: A short sherry laced with gin is a good one to set dinner off (anag. of a sherr(y) gin).

H. B. Ridley: Red herring, as a trapper of course (anag.; red²; trap⁴ (vt.)).

L. A. Roberts: Rings hare when cooked (anag. & lit.).

F. B. Stubbs: Never is he in need of a recipe to give the finishing touch (garn is he + r., & lit; garn! (sl.) = go on! (expressing disbelief)).

H. S. Tribe: She makes a tasty-looking dish till she changes—then you see her in rags! (anag.).

RUNNERS-UP

E. S. Ainley, M. L. Anderson, J. A. Blair, G. Bowness, D. L. L. Clarke, D. L. Clements, P. M. Coombs, W. W. Cove, J. A. Crawley, J. H. Dingwall, Brig W. E. Duncan, J. A. Fincken, Mrs N. Fisher, B. Freedman, W. E. Green, J. P. Hancox, P. T. Heath, E. L. Hillman, C. W. Hoad, L. W. Jenkinson, C. Koop, J. R. Lloyd, Mrs Lucas, M. B. McIlroy, Mrs E. Morgan, F. Moss, F. E. Newlove, D. A. Nicholls, Mrs A. M. Osmond, Rev E. B. Peel, H. J. Phillips, R. Postill, E. R. Prentice, R. D. Prior, G. W. Pugh, H. Rainger, N. J. Reed, M. C. T. Reilly, W. O. Robertson, A. Robins, E. O. Seymour, G. A. Shoobridge, A. H. Taylor, Miss D. W. Taylor, A. Thomas, Miss D. M. Thorne, H. L. Tinkler, Capt C. Tyers, J. Vallely, W. H. Victory, J. Walton, G. R. Webb, W. R. Webster, Sqn Ldr G. Wright, R. F. Zobel.
 

COMMENTS—365 correct and not very many mistakes. The puzzle, as intended, proved an easyish holiday Playfair. Few brilliant clues, but a lot of goodish ones—hence the comparative length of the two lists. I shan’t look a herring in the face happily for some time to come: I don’t want to have lunch with Mr. Michael or a drink with Mr. Morse! Portmanteau clues (“& lit.”) are becoming very popular, but some aspirants should note that the whole clue really must work in both ways. A passable one happened to occur to me—not quite like any of those submitted— so I’ll do what I’ve never done before and offer a possible “fair copy” after “marking the exercises”:—“Coarse fish is by no means as it was before with her to add the finishing touches.” (I think “her” is justifiable in defining, since female garnishers must by far outnumber male ones: and I think the obsoleteness of “nis” is better indicated). I should have given first prize to Mr Baker, if I were not doubtful of “husband” = “garner”: I should say that one husbands what one has already garnered. But it is far too good a clue to be robbed even of an H.C. for this reason. Contrary to the wishes of one or two solvers, I maintain that a brilliant clue with a slight unsoundness is as well worth an H.C. as a good, sound one which isn’t quite in the prize class.
 
Many thanks for good wishes for my holiday. I must stop this now, or I shall never get packed!