XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 297

CONTRAPUNTAL

1.  P. H. Morgan: With an air of crossness about the score, the other side kick the stuffing out of Arsenal! (contra punt² A(rsena)l).

2.  J. S. Young: Descriptive of a round flat-bottomed boat with aluminium stern and ‘V’ bows (contra punt¹ Al; v = versus).

3.  R. McD. Graham: N.U.R. plan to act in an unorthodox way, involving one line being played off against the other (anag.; ref. 1954 Western Region rail strike).

H.C.

E. S. Ainley: Contralto wanting to set about a lay, and getting the tones mixed up (a punt³ in contral(to); lay^1,4 = bet, song).

Maj P. S. Baines: Kind of bark with flat bottom A in deep-voiced lady unused to combining melodies (punt¹ + A in contral(to)).

J. W. Bates: This describes a setting of the “Nunc” with a florid alto part (anag. & lit.; ref. Song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32).

P. B. Chapman: Nocturnal and apt to become tuneful together; like the owl and pussycat? (anag.).

R. N. Chignell: With players putting on so many airs, can’t plan tour differently (anag.).

J. A. Fincken: Wedding tunes, looser than Canon allows! (cryptic def.; wed, vb., canon¹).

A. L. Freeman: Show Boat in a Carlton adaptation introducing additional melodies (punt in anag.; show, vb. imper.; C. Theatre, London).

E. Gomersall: Showing signs of additional strain in scoring? Stake a pound on the other side! (contra punt³ a L).

S. B. Green: First section of Nunc dimittis, with alto part added, might be so qualified (anag. of nunc alto part, & lit.; song of Simeon, Luke 2:29-32).

R. W. Hawes: Any popular cantata with diminished thirds may be arranged in this manner (anag. omitting every 3rd letter, & lit.).

M. A. Lassman: Interlock, like Bach’s combinations (cryptic def.; i. = trade (adj.) and material (n.)).

T. W. Melluish: Nocturnal tap dancing might give you a music qualification (anag.).

C. J. Morse: I’m half stupid after having to learn by heart a catch in the style of Byrd (con³ + trap + untal(ented); ref. William B., composer, b. 1540).

A. Robins: Presenting the Melody Combination in “Knock on the Door,” “The Nut Cracker,” and the Finale of “Parsifal?” (con⁶ + trap + anag. + (Parsif)al).

D. Slater: Sound products of this type require complicated staff work and repeated entries in the ledger (cryptic def.; ref. musical notation).

W. K. M. Slimmings: After Italian with gin, Aunt Lizzie’s head reels: a solitary Bass wouldn’t produce such an effect (con (= with, It.) + trap + anag. incl. L).

G. Stanhope-Lovell: Against a kick in the air the French back must be prepared for some combined play (contra punt² + la (rev.)).

RUNNERS-UP

F. D. H. Atkinson, C. Allen Baker, E. A. Beaulah, Mrs J. B. Coltham, P. M. Coombs, G. N. Coulter, W. Darby, C. R. Dean, W. J. Duffin, T. Dwyer, Mrs W. Fearon, Mrs J. O. Fuller, P. Holtby, L. R. Huxtable, E. G. Illingworth, Mrs L. Jarman, A. L. Jeffery, L. Johnson, C. Koop, B. J. McCann, F. E. Newlove, M. G. Powell-Davies, T. D. Powell-Davies, E. R. Prentice, E. J. Rackham, J. W. Ross, T. E. Sanders, J. Saunders, L. R. Seaborne, Mrs E. Shackleton, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, O. Carlton Smith, J. B. Sykes, T. G. Wellman, A. H. Wright.
 

COMMENTS—349 entries, 301 correct. The chief cause of errors was PYKNIC: Chambers was needed to make certain of the second letter, but “picnic” couldn’t possibly be right, making “by the sound of it” quite meaningless. The word set was not an easy one: the clues submitted included plenty of a goodish standard with none really outstanding, the judge’s choice being a difficult one. Once again an adjective led to much unsoundness in the definition part of the clue: I should think at least sixty were ruled out at sight for indicating other parts of speech, usually a noun. This is a most important point.
 
As I shall be away when these slips are sent out and shall not be sending them out myself, will those whose entries included notes or queries requiring an answer please excuse the absence of my occasional pencilled notes?