XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 612

CARGO (Misprints)

1.  P. Brown (Blean, Canterbury): Ford ahead? Then try wading! (lading; car go!; Ford car).

2.  E. O. Seymour (Gerrard’s Cross): Prefect perhaps wants energy—spends most of the time in the hols lying about (hold; car go; Ford Prefect car).

3.  J. F. N. Wedge (Carshalton): Minor, for example, having an affair, can be married at sea (carried; car go; Morris Minor car).

H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): To bet, and start off by backing the first three in a race?—that’s some laying! (lading; rac(e) (rev.) + go).

D. B. J. Ambler (Midgham, Reading): Bus stop’s opposite: this might make lighter loads for the shopper (shipper; car go; bus = car (sl.); go = opp. of stop; lighter = type of barge).

J. K. Anderson (Edinburgh): Ford perhaps needs energy for wading (lading; car go; Ford car).

G. F. Bamford (Harlech): Fading carpet, half worn away, needs a turn (lading; car(pet) + go).

C. O. Butcher (E4): Portion of snails à la française on chips—it’s the goods! (ships: hidden in escargots).

J. Coleby (Buckley, Flintshire): Tram fare found under a tramp’s patches (hatches; car go; tramp steamer).

H. W. Flewett (SW15): Loan floated: contracting company has small silver holding (load; arg. in Co.).

A. B. Gardner (N21): Loan sought by tramp to provide tram fare? (load; car go; tramp steamer).

S. B. Green (NW10): Shoppers’ goods carried, tram-fare being what it is! (shippers; i.e. car-go).

A. Lawrie (Cheltenham): Motorists’ organization returns to work; tally clerks chuck it! (check; RAC (rev.) + go).

T. N. Nesbitt (Newcastle-on-Tyne): This tram-fare should make the trams pay (tramp; car go; tramp steamer).

G. Perry (Newcastle, Staffs): What’s driven with energy should reach the hole (hold; car go; ref. golf).

R. Postill (Jersey): Hoad’s content. Colleagues, Rosewall, Olmedo, Anderson, Gimeno, shake their heads! (hold’s; anag. of C R O A G; ref. Lew H., Ken R., Alex O., Mal A., Andrés G., tennis players).

E. R. Prentice (Clifton): Use driving club with back swing and energy. It’ll go into the hole! (hold; RAC (rev.) + go; ref. golf).

E. J. Rackham (Totton): Carried in boot, it will make the vehicle speed along (boat; car go).

RUNNERS-UP

E. S. Ainley, A. W. Aspinall, F. D. H. Atkinson, A. J. Barnard, J. W. Bates, Capt A. S. Birt, J. Brock, P. R. Chapman, R. F. S. Chignell, R. N. Chignell, P. R. Clemow, Rev J. W. A. Cowgill, G. H. Dickson, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, J. H. Dingwall, Miss S. Dorrington, P. G. Drazin, Miss J. Fry, S. Goldie, E. Gomersall, E. S. Gordon, Dr G. P. Hartigan, Lt M. J. Hickman, E. M. Hornby, A. J. Hughes, Dr T. O. Hughes, V. Jennings, Miss J. S. Lumsden, Miss G. M. May, Mrs E. McFee, D. P. M. Michael, P. H. Morgan, C. J. Morse, S. L. Paton, L. S. Pearce, C. Quin, G. H. Ravenor, A. J. Redstone, H. R. Sanders, R. E. Scraton, H. J. Snelgar, J. Sparrow, Miss D. W. Taylor, J. Thompson, M. A. Vernon.
 

Comments:—235 entries, 195 correct: about 30 of the 40 incorrect solutions involved the writing of a clue to the wrong word. In case any of the disappointed solvers are wondering if alternatives were possible, I would remind them of the last requirement in the introduction to the puzzle, that half the across and half the down clues, exactly, were ultimately to contain misprints, and also of the fact that every misprint clue must be answered by a correct solution and every correct clue by a misprint solution: I think they will find that these requirements rule out all alternatives. I am glad so many solvers seem again to have enjoyed this very tough assignment. In making the awards I have preferred simplicity of ideas to tortuosity, and I have been stricter than usual in ruling out clues of what seemed to me excessive difficulty, which is especially unwelcome in this type of puzzle. I thought great ingenuity was shown, and I took some time to choose the prizewinners. Congratulations to all those mentioned above and to all who battled successfully with the solution.
 
Two purists, rightly, suggested that my clue to 1 down was more appropriate for an adjective than a noun: I agree and apologise.
 
P.S.—I am now told by the composer, a Ximenean, that the “crossword championship” in the periodical called “Comp,” to which I referred in the August slip, is to start in the number to be published on Monday, October 24, and to continue fortnightly till the end of November, after which there may be a short break before the final round or rounds. There is to be a large prize for the ultimate winner and some smaller ones for runners-up.