XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 443

HALF-SEAS-OVER

1.  C. R. Dean: “Ah for a vessel” that’s not right; what comes before “full of the warm South”? (anag.; ref. Keats, ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, “Oh for a beaker”).

2.  E. O. Seymour: Is merry—sort of—has several to get in this state (anag. & lit.).

3.  G. Perry: In mid-ocean—Drifting—S.O.S.—Have flare lit up (anag., 2 defs.; lit up = drunk).

H.C.

R. F. S. Chignell: Havers of ales can get thus (anag. & lit.).

A. E. Crow: A sheet in the wind! Ho! Vessel afar! Put about! (anag.; see a s. in the w. under sheet²).

F. H. W. Hawes: He fears Oval’s ruined, would not stand up to test, bring well soaked (anag.).

Mrs L. Jarman: Rendering the lash: verse of a medley between ports? (anag. & lit.; port wine).

J. Hardie Keir: At the “point of no return,” between one harbour “bar” and another? (double mng.; ref. to drinking).

H. Lyon: Have far less, love! If you mix it you’ll be getting ——! (anag. incl. 0, & lit.).

C. J. Morse: Amazing! Safe solver foully misrepresented—clued as semi-inebriate! (ha + anag.; ref. last puzzle [see comments]).

E. J. Rackham: Consuming more than share of ales—five more, to be exact (anag. + V, & lit.).

A. Robins: Roaming afar, she loves being at the point—or pint!—of no return (anag.).

T. E. Sanders: If you push the boat out this far, you’ll get wet! (double mng.; wet = drunk).

Mrs E. M. Simmonds: I’m somewhat top-heavy—others (reduced to a skeleton) have false busts (anag. of o(the)rs have false; top-heavy = tipsy).

W. K. M. Slimmings: One may come to blether about a self-created wrong in this condition (anag. of a self + so in haver, & lit.).

L. E. Thomas: A point one is likely to reach eventually in passing from port to port (double mng.; port wine).

A. J. Young: Between shores, or having to be propped up (2 mngs.; ref. drinking; shore^1,2).

J. S. Young: Sixpence each and a shilling to spare—a bit tight! (half s. ea. s. over).

RUNNERS-UP

C. Allen Baker, P. C. Barclay, Miss R. L. Benn, E. Boyce, C. M. Broun, C. O. Butcher, Mrs F. L. Care, P. R. Clemow, A. H. Clough, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, Dr W. M. Easther, J. A. Fincken, A. L. Freeman, E. Gomersall, H. Greenberg, V. Jennings, R. J. Lawrence, A. F. Lerrigo, Dr T. J. R. Maguire, A. D. Mattock, I. McGivering, W. L. Miron, J. J. Moore, A. P. O’Leary, R. Postill, Capt W. H. W. Ridley, L. T. Stokes, F. B. Stubbs, J. Ward, M. Woolf.
 

COMMENTS—241 entries, 226 correct. This was evidently more difficult than usual, and the entry was reduced, though there were few, and very scattered, mistakes. I think most of the difficulties are cleared up in the notes, but there were some enquiries about RECUR: I thought I had used R.U.R., Capek’s “Robot” play, almost ad nauseam, but probably I’m mistaken. As usual with a word (or phrase ?) whose use is adjectival, there was much loose wording in the definition parts of clues sent in, and the popular anagram “of several has” led to failures to indicate the anagram soundly. Here is an entry which illustrates both points at once:—“You’ve been mixing your drinks—a mixture of several has made you quite fuddled!” The first part is not a sound definition: the second half only works if one reads it as “a mixture of several has made you …”: one can’t be expected to double words like this. The setter must say what he means! Another competitor ruined an excellent idea (referring to Omar Khayyam stanza II) by not indicating his anagram at all and also giving an unsound definition: he writes “Has verse, loaf, and has had quite enough wine.” This was a terrible pity: if he had written, for instance “In the wild has verse, loaf, after a flask of wine,” he would probably have won a prize—his idea is very like that of the excellent first prize winner, and a version quite as good is certainly possible: as it was, he couldn’t qualify for mention at all. A first-rate idea is nothing without sound wording.
 
Many thanks for the most gratifying reception of “Libel,” both from victims and others. I’m sorry about the disappointment (which is expected) of non-victims! Various factors governed my choice, notably exigencies of composition and clueability of names: it may comfort non-victims to know that several of them were in my diagram at one time only to be excluded when they wouldn’t fit! Many excellent “retort” clues to “Ximenes” have been sent, but the one that really comforts me (in case proceedings should be instituted!) is “The jury’s a man short, and it’s the end of the assizes!” You ask for more: perhaps I might one day try a “Soft Soap” puzzle instead of “Libel”: then I might dare to include the ladies! Please forgive me for not answering all the queries: there are too many and the slip can’t go on for ever. But I must mention that the Aylmer included is Felix Aylmer, the famous actor, who has entered for the competitions, though very intermittently, since the start and has had 5 H.C.s, the last one as recently as last December (No. 415). His clue could almost have been risked, I think, in a Plain! I have received a most amusing “retort” from him, but it is too long to quote.