XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 717

STAR-MAN (Misprints)

1.  Miss D. W. Taylor (Worthing): To lead the male astray—that describes my calling (astral; star man, & lit.).

2.  J. A. Sefton (East Grinstead): Beer or Guinness? (seer; Alec G., film star).

3.  K. Reed (Derby): A quick passer of a ball, Matthews is without peer (seer; arm in Stan; i.e. firearm, ball = bullet; ref. Stanley M., footballer).

H.C.

Lt Col P. S. Baines (Rochester): What lands part-time and seaborne soldiers in the sick-bay? Beer! (seer; TA, RM in san).

E. J. Brooks (Henley): Beer ran—mat’s in a mess! (seer; anag.).

P. R. Clemow (W5): Arms tan very patchily for one caught in sun for the first time (sin; anag.).

F. D. Gardiner (Halifax): Dress smart? It needs an expert on stays! (stars; anag. of smart an).

S. B. Green (NW10): A jolly good fellow first an’ last—let’s have a beer! (seer; St + a RM + an).

A. H. Jones (Manchester): I’m certainly not an old hag—slick an’ smart, that’s me! (lag; anag.; slick, vb.).

H. Lyon (Stroud): He’s uncommon smart, an expert unraveller of spy-secrets (sky; anag.).

D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Novice poisoner’s tin containing almost wherewithal to assist ascent into heavens! (prisoner; tarma(c) in Sn; runway).

C. J. Morse (SW10): Forecaster who studies his horses carefully—he’s only gone wrong once! (houses (astrology); 2 mngs.).

Miss M. J. Patrick (Lewes): Astral body? He’s only been astral once (astray; star man).

Rev E. G. Riley (Manchester): Saint, sailor, soldier, for him every scar has something to tell (star; S tar man).

R. E. Scraton (Hayes): Newcomer to rail is endlessly ruthless over staff (jail; star(k) + man, vb.; ref. Dr Beeching).

P. H. Taylor (Stratford-on-Avon): You need beer to provide strength if below standard weight (seer; st. arm an).

A. F. Toms (SW19): Star batsman out goes mad. He wasn’t leg before! (lag; star (bats)man).

J. F. N. Wedge (Carshalton): Lead Soldier is not a regular winner (sinner; star man).

RUNNERS-UP

C. Allen Baker, R. T. Baxter, J. E. Biggin, J. C. Brash, C. O. Butcher, A. R. Chandler, N. C. Dexter, L. E. Eyres, Mrs W. Fearon, R. R. Greenfield, R. W. Jakeman, Mrs L. Jarman, A. Lawrie, Miss J. S. Lumsden, Mrs W. J. Mahood, W. L. Miron, M. Newman, B. G. Palmer, W. H. Pegram, Mrs J. Robertson, A. Robins, T. E. Sanders, L. J. Sears, N. E. Sharp, W. K. M. Slimmings, Miss B. M. Smoker, Mrs J. Thomas, D. H. Tompsett, A. Turner, G. H. Willett, Mrs M. Wishart, Mrs A. J. N. Wood.
 

COMMENTS—150 entries, 129 correct. This is always a tough task; but two of the previous three produced larger entries than this one, while the one that produced a smaller entry was, I think, definitely harder than this. Of the 21 incorrect, ten had arrived at the wrong clue-word: those that plumped for a different across word must have erred in their checking, since there were already nine across clues containing misprints; and the use of LARUM as clue-word involved putting a misprint into PLIGHTER, which had an obvious misprint in its clue, “bath” for “oath”. In case anyone still thinks alternative clue-words are possible, I must point out that with the conditions given they aren’t, unless I write a misprint clue or clues that might work without correction: I am very careful not to do this, and I don’t think I can be accused of it this time. The hardest clue was, I think, that to DRUB: it evidently caused much trouble, and, with “burd” so little known, it might have been kinder to make the reversal more obvious. I am glad to read from so many that the struggle, hard as it was, was enjoyed so much.
 
Of the clues sent many failed through not making correction of a misprint absolutely necessary, e.g. “He can foretell what your future wife will be like (life)”. This is quite unfair. One or two much less flagrant offenders in this way are runners-up. For your possible amusement I haven’t indicated where the misprints occur in the clues above [added to archive explanations]: I don’t suppose many of them will puzzle you for long, but Mr. Morse’s might: his came very near a prize, but I thought it just too difficult. A really carping critic might accuse it of offending by not making correction necessary, on the ground that a tipster who puts a star against his nap selection might be called a star man! But this is, I think, too far-fetched. The same critic might also attack Mr. Michael on the ground that a poisoner is a criminal; but Mr. Michael could justly reply that not all novice criminals are novice poisoners. I don’t think any others could possibly be attacked. Mr. Sefton’s is, I think, the most brilliantly neat clue: it just missed first prize on the score of difficulty, and Miss Taylor’s clue is also extremely good and of just the right standard of difficulty. One or two competitors put their misprints in the subsidiary part of the clue: it does pay to read the conditions. Finally I must repeat my principle about “hidden” clues. They are so easy to write that I think their composers should be skilful enough to avoid redundant words (apart from “a” or “the”) in the hiding-place. A very good clue in other respects was “One of the first tigers behind bars is featured in the latest Armand and Michaela Denis series [timers]”. Here the four redundant words, in my view, ruin it from an artistic point of view.
 
[Archive note: The definition of STAR-MAN as a first-time prisoner is in earlier editions of Chambers.]