XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 65

PIVOT

1.  F. C. MacIntosh (Edgware): Set-back to eminent personage, usually right in the front rank (to VIP (rev.); ref. military drill).

2.  C. B. Joyner (Ringwood): A potted Sherlock Holmes story might give you a turn (IV in pot; ref. ‘The Sign of Four’).

3.  H. J. Connell (Kirkcaldy): It can be turned on for making tea about four (IV in pot).

H.C.

Sir B. H. Bourdillon (Midhurst): It all turns on this—the Foreign Ministers’ Conference being preserved (IV in pot; potted = preserved; ref. ‘big four’ post-war conference of foreign ministers).

Cdr H. H. L. Dickson (Fareham): Depend upon it, a cup of tea about four is not enough (IV in pot).

H. L. Ford (Inverness): Molotov, I presume, will give you an indirect answer, but can one really depend upon it? (hidden rev.; ref. V. M. Molotov, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs).

M. E. Francis (W. Malling): Turning point in a spiv’s career—when he loses his money and turns to? ((s)piv + to (rev.); s = shilling).

P. G. W. Glare (Woodford Green): Piano quartet—sounds like Bax, too—the middle of the movement (p IV + to (rev.); i.e. ‘backs to’; Arnold B.).

S. B. Green (NW10): Pinafore potted—O.K. for sound! (i.e. pin, ‘a four’; IV in pot).

C. Koop (Ferring): You turn a revolver on me, and, depend on it—you’ll swing! (cryptic def.).

R. C. Macfarlane (Edinburgh): Out of the twenty-two over seven voted for the Axis (i.e. hidden in pi voted; pi approx. 22 / 7).

R. C. Reeves (Huddersfield): The officer i/c wheels? See the Transport Officer—a very important person—if he’s back (TO VIP (rev.)).

T. E. Sanders (Walsall): I always keep still at the point of a revolver, because I’m one against getting shot about (I v. in pot).

S. P. Shanahan (Spalding): To preserve the Big Four—everything turns on this (IV in pot; potted = preserved; ref. ‘big four’ post-war conference of foreign ministers).

O. Carlton Smith (Potters Bar): The turning point for the whole race is seen in page four of the Old Testament (Gen. 5. 2) (p IV OT; i.e., ball race; ref. creation story).

Miss A. C. Tatham (W14): Get what you want for tea round about four—that’s the important point (IV in pot).

Comments:—313 correct. Most of the errors were due to a failure to see the point of LANK—thin end of blank—or DICK—fine words and short for dictionary (see Chambers)—or DEB.-TED (deb-tee does not account for “to dry” in the clue).
 
The list of HCs is shorter than usual: there were many sound clues, but real inspiration proved rather elusive. Some runners-up were:—Miss Blamey, G. M. Butler, Mrs Caithness, Inst Capt J. Camp, W. A. Carson, Rev B. Chapman, J. M. Doulton, L. E. Eyres, T. C. Fitzpatrick, A. R. Fraser, J. T. A. Howard-Drake, P. Irving, A. McIntyre, D. A. Nicholls, Rev E. B. Peel, W. O. Robertson, I. W. Seaton, Mrs Shackleton, J. F. Smith, D. L. Tuckett, Miss E. Unger, J. B. Widdowson, W. J. Wright.
 
The leaders in the race for Consolation Prizes for the past half-year were:—R. H. Lemon with 5 HCs, F. A. Clark, A. Robins and Mrs Shackleton with 4, and C. Allen Baker, Miss J. Fraser, F. L. Usher and J. E. Smith Wright with 3.
 
The “championship” for the period is shared by Maj D. P. M. Michael and R. Postill with 3 prizes, 4 HCs. T. E. Sanders scored 2 + 3, Rev E. B. Peel 1 + 6, S. B. Green and Mrs Kissen 1 + 5, C. Koop 1 + 4, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, F. E. Newlove, W. O. Robertson and W. K. M. Slimmings 1 + 3.
 
The number of names on the “Honours List”—prizes and commendations—has just reached 500.
 
A Happy Christmas to all solvers.