XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 219

SOCIALIST

1.  Mrs L. Jarman (Brough): Disliking “blue” performances, I give monologues from Winnie the Pooh (cryptic def.; i.e. I pooh-pooh Churchill’s speeches).

2.  L. R. Smith (Doncaster): A decomposed cat turned into well-dug soil is a fine pea-nut grower! (anag. of cat soil is; ref. Labour govt’s ill-fated Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme 1946-51).

3.  M. G. Powell-Davies (Cardiff): As for the introduction of politics in a puzzle, it makes one see red (anag. with as for p).

H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): What makes many people cross at times is coal—it’s so rocky (anag.; i.e. cross on voting paper).

Rev B. Chapman (W1): An equaliser scored by the left-half (soccer)—without any dispute it appears! (soc(cer) + a lis in it; lis = dispute in law, see OED).

F. A. Clark (Croydon): What does old-time privilege lead to? I answer, “Cant!” (soc I a list, & lit.; a. = answer).

W. J. Duffin (Hull): I, with a hankering after a lot of soccer, could be called an Association fan (soc(cer) I a list; association football, trade unions).

Rev J. G. Graham (Aldershot): Conflict of class—I love it! (anag. incl. 0, & lit.).

Dr G. P. Hartigan (W8): Indeed! No trumps doubled, is it? I call for a fresh deal! (so + laic (rev.). + is’t; lay³ = not trumps).

C. T. Hatten (Richmond): Wanted Lab. worker who will examine critically properties of any substance (cryptic def.; Labour; properties = private possessions).

R. W. Hawes (Arlesey): Soccer left-half, with first-class back heel, agitates the opposing right wing (soc(cer) + A1 (rev.) + list).

C. Higham (SW1): I love it when you mix and class is out (anag. of class I 0 it, & lit.).

B. J. Iliffe (Liverpool): I cast soil of a muddy variety (anag. & lit.; political mud-slinging).

J. Hardie Keir (Galashiels): Type inclined to the left, as inverted italics (so + anag.).

L. R. Mansell (SW2): Soccer left half back a slow mover—but given the inclination he may upset opposing wing’s tactics (soc(cer) + ai (= sloth) (rev.) + list; opposing, i.e. right wing).

T. A. Martin (Watford): Bourgeois type is hardly suitable for this, so italics could be used (so + anag.).

Miss D. W. Taylor (New Malden): The Left Foot is such a Member (cryptic def.; ref. Michael F., Labour MP).

D. H. Tompsett (Stafford): So Conservative, I must head what Ko-ko’s got if he’s this! (so C I a list, & lit.; ref. Mikado, ‘I’ve got a little list’).

RUNNERS-UP

E. S. Ainley, T. E. Bell, D. L. L. Clarke, R. M. S. Cork, C. H. Devonald, J. A. Fincken, J. A. Flood, B. Franco, Mrs D. Fuller, C. E. Gates, S. B. Green, W. E. Green, V. L. Harrison, H. C. Hills, P. Holtby, P. W. W. Leach, C. J. Lowe, P. J. Meade, E. J. Miller, A. D. Mitchner, E. G. Phillips, Mrs M. G. Porter, R. Postill, G. W. Pugh, Maj J. N. Purdon, C. P. Rea, A. R. Read, N. J. Reed, W. Rennie, W. Rodgers, F. G. Rogers, M. H. Sands, A. E. Sharp, W. K. M. Slimmings, J. F. Smith, O. Carlton Smith, Miss R. E. Speight, F. B. Stubbs, J. A. L. Sturrock, H. G. Tattersall, F. J. Walker, W. G. Webb, J. F. N. Wedge, M. Winterbottom, M. Woolf, A. J. Young.
 

COMMENTS—346 correct and more mistakes than in any recent puzzle, the large majority being “enmarbling” for EMMARBLING. Both are given in the old Chambers, which remains our standard, but the clue suggested “gramme” clearly enough to make the choice of “enm-” indefensible. Many thought it a difficult puzzle, some said it was easier than usual. The clues submitted were great fun to read! The list of H.C.s is as short as it is because many ingenious competitors forgot what an easy word they were dealing with: many otherwise excellent clues were far too easy and simply screamed the answer! This was particularly true of the “& lit." clues: it was very difficult to write such a clue without giving the game away too obviously. I quote two examples from the many among tite runners-up:—“If he is listless, then a first-class Tory is returned.” “After Coal is bungled, I make a start on Steel—Nationalisation is my policy.” The second of these especially is a clever study, but the solution of it is almost an insult to the intelligence! This is a trap to beware of when the clue-word is a very familiar one: subtlety in the definition should be the main aim. (But I prefer the too-easy to the too-tortuous!).
 
A solver asks “How far are ‘bitty’ clues to be deprecated?” He means, of course, the type of clue which splits a word into a large number of small parts, by using abbreviations, etc. I have a preference for clues that don’t do it, but I think “bittiness” can justify itself by the cleverness and unity of the result, provided that it isn’t too long. I also think it is easier to justify when the word is it hard to treat in other ways. I of then do it myself when hard pressed, and I expect others to, though I don’t think it often produces an absolutely ideal result. In short, I think it is a slight weakness, but one that may be condoned.
 
Finally, I like the winner as well as any for a very long time.