XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 31

APRIORIST

1.  R. Postill (Jersey): Wanted. Reasonable performer for Paris Trio. Experience not essential (anag.).

2.  S. B. Green (NW10): No doubt the judgment of Paris, confused with the trio, would have a German philosopher’s approval (anag.; i.e. Kant).

3.  Maj D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Follows logically after Mar. 1 or 31st (Apr 1 or 1st).

H.C.

J. Chubb (NW8): I look askant at philosophy (cryptic def.; i.e. as Kant).

J. M. Doulton (Orpington): I can perceive the trio, Paris judged, without resort to experience (anag.).

Mrs D. Fuller (NW3): Canon to right of me? Canon to left of me? Kant is my führer (i.e. I between a prior and St).

L. Johnson (Llandudno): Disorderly rip in the past, now attached to a reputable German school (anag. of rip in aorist).

Mrs J. Kennedy (Sutton): A religious head is branded thief by one who reasons from known facts (a prior is T; i.e. thief marked with a T).

C. Koop (Ferring): A spirit or otherwise, I’ll follow my leader anywhere in reason (anag.).

Lt R. H. Lemon (SE18): Philosopher shows two ways to write All Fools’ Day (Apr 1 or 1st).

C. R. Malcolm (SW7): A philosophical disciple is a religious leader first (a prior 1st).

W. Rennie (Newcastle): Follower, in Paris riot, finds leader in overturned tank (anag.; i.e. anag. of Kant).

W. O. Robertson (Marlow): Philosopher’s disciple alternatively expressing All Fools’ Day (Apr 1 or 1st).

H. L. Tinkler (N2): A wrecked German tank has taught him not to put the cart before the horse (cryptic def.; i.e. anag. of Kant and pun on Descartes).

P. Walton (Dollar): “Is’t not All Fools’ Day, or is’t?” “Kant say” (Apr 1 or is’t).

E. F. Watling (Sheffield): As a previous winner (or first after less than a month) I naturally believe in intuition (a prior 1st, Apri(l) or 1st).

W. H. J. Wheeler (Wembley): His knowledge comes direct from Heaven, or a spirit maybe (anag.).

Comments:—Correspondence suggests that solvers found this one harder than usual: 227 correct. A good many failed through misspelling COVENTREE, and a fair number missed OMOHYOID (for both, see Chambers).
 
X. expected All Fools’ Day to be the most popular theme for prize clues, but not many used it. Mr Watling’s clue was hard to assess: the subsidiary parts are delightful, but the definition seems inaccurate: surely intuition excludes any form of reasoning? With a sound definition he would have won. Mr Doulton came near to a prize, but his punctuation is a little too misleading: certain liberties are legitimate, but this goes too far. “Paris Riot” was the most popular anagram; Mr Rennie was the best of this bunch. The winner gave X. his best laugh, apart from Mr Watling, and he must be given full marks for soundness as well; Mr Green managed Mr Doulton’s good idea without the punctuation weakness; Major Michael’s definition is a trifle vague but not unsound, his idea is a good one, and he has the merit of brevity.
 
The number who have reached the Honours List is now well past 300.