XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 386

CLEITHRAL

1.  Dr W. M. Easther: Certainly well-covered up above—call it her “bust,” perhaps (anag.).

2.  J. S. Young: How the Abbey National draw customers with their call to build anew (anag.; ref. building society logo, a couple under a ‘roof’ umbrella).

3.  C. J. Morse: As a variation, “hermetical” would do with a little latitude for me (anag. with l. for me, & lit.).

H.C.

J. W. Bates: Badly built cellar having indirect hit may need repair to make it so (anag. & lit.).

Mrs G. Bonsall: A bridge opening is thoroughly slated—ruined their call! (anag., 2 defs.).

A. H. P. Cardew: I’m ill and the car all smashed up—but I’m completely covered (anag.).

P. M. Coombs: Call it her being “restricted by overheads,” if you like, but “broke” it is, really! (anag.).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson: 100% of the rich all live in such a house: 90% could build it (anag. less h, & lit.).

L. E. Eyres: Even poor men would dislike a home that was not so, and to nearly all the rich it would be shattering (anag. less h).

J. A. Fincken: Ill applied to the car that’s convertible (anag. & lit.).

C. E. Gates: With half the ceilings in need of repair, it’s endless drudgery keeping a roof over one’s head (anag. of ceil(ings) + thral(l)).

S. B. Green: Their call for having The Way to the Stars banned must be thrown out (anag.; ref. 1945 film).

F. H. W. Hawes: All the Dublin policemen blown up under one roof! (anag. incl. RIC; ref. British police force in pre-independence Ireland).

T. W. Melluish: “Quite over-canopied …” With luscious woodbine? No! You spoil it all—With half cheroots! (anag. incl. cher(oots); ref. M.N.D. II.1.251; w. cigarette brand).

N. Pensam: Like wrens in a nest, making their call (anag.; canopied nest).

E. J. Rackham: With roof intact, includes h. and c.—but the rest is a literal ruin! (anag. of h c literal).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: Quite unlike the Open Air Theatre—taking their call disgracefully (anag.).

M. Woolf: Opening pair, making 150, hit runs in real abandon—that’s the kind of stand appreciated at Old Trafford! (CL + anag. of hit real; ref. rainy cricket ground).

RUNNERS-UP

J. P. H. Allon, F. D. H. Atkinson, C. L. Bartram, M. Boyse, R. W. H. Brunswick, C. O. Butcher, R. Caffyn, Mrs Caithness, R. F. S. Chignell, A. H. Clough, W. J. Duffin, H. H. Elliot, Mrs N. Fisher, S. Goldie, E. Gomersall, D. Henderson, Miss D. Hill, D. W. H. Jackson, M. J. Kelley, E. King, P. W. W. Leach, A. F. Lerrigo, H. Lyon, D. P. M. Michael, W. L. Miron, P. H. Morgan, F. E. Newlove, D. A. Nicholls, D. V. Northey, Mrs D. W. Perry, K. Perry, Maj J. N. Purdon, H. Rainger, G. H. Ravenor, A. J. C. Saunders, E. O. Seymour, J. M. Sharman, K. C. Sherwood, W. K. M. Slimmings, J. B. Sykes, W. Watts, H. F. C. Williams, S. E. Wilson, Mrs M. Wrench, H. T. Young.
 

COMMENTS—This again proved quite difficult—259 entries, 238 correct. Once more an adjective caused much unsoundness in the definition part of clues submitted: here are some examples of definitions which could not possibly suggest an adjective:—“… you will raise the roof.” “… That’s put the lid on it!” “… you have a roof over your head.” “This structural requirement …”. There were quite a large number like this. There was an “& lit.” clue which failed for same reason:—“It’ll reach all over the place”: this is perfectly sound in the anag. sense, but it is not a definition. A runner-up wrote:—“With protection from the sun—it’ll reach all over the place. (anag. & lit.)”. This is a sound clue, but the “& lit.” claim is not justified, since the second part doesn’t work in the definition sense. Though the general standard (for not a very easy word) was lower than that of recent competitions, there were some extremely good clues, I thought.
 
I was waiting to see how many solvers had long enough memories to notice that the clue to “guinea” was Mr. H. Rainger’s 1st prize winner from No. 170 (July, 1951). I haven’t done this before: I thought it might be an interesting experiment. Only two solvers mentioned it: perhaps more noticed it and didn’t. Mr. Rainger himself was perhaps too modest! Anyway I hereby acknowledge the debt.