XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 911

DRAGON

1.  C. O. Butcher (E4): With the scent I’ve got on many romantic blades have made passes at me (drag on).

2.  N. C. Dexter (Market Harborough): One that often walks round to ward against silver being pinched (Ag in Dr on, & lit.).

3.  D. P. M. Michael (Newport): Drake’s for scrap when Spaniard’s about! (rag in don; drake²).

V.H.C.

C. Allen Baker (Milnathort): Nothing less than an armed horseman could do for me (drago(0)n, & lit.).

R. T. Baxter (Wallington): Sail? There’s the reverse of agreement about it; stores being depleted it would ruin the country (rag in nod (rev.); rag = sail; ref. dockers’ strike).

E. A. Beaulah (Felsted): Unusually heavy rider shed nothing; and the scales gave him away! (drago(0)n).

R. Brain (Surbiton): An early bird was saved from this early worm, by George! (cryptic def.; arch. mngs.).

W. F. Goodman (Ickenham): Sail in, proud Spaniard—Drake’s here! (rag in don; drake²).

F. G. Howes (Ruislip): The kite has no cause to rise after the end of the wind (d + no gar (rev.); gar² = cause).

G. Johnstone (Alnwick): I made it hot for George at the Treasury—it’s stop—go again! (drag on; ref. G. Brown; drag, stop = obstacle).

Sir S. Kaye (SW10): Monitor: one who shows skill keeping horseplay within bounds (rag in don (= adept)).

A. Lawrie (Cheltenham): A monitor’s the fellow to keep horseplay in check (rag in don).

J. H. C. Leach (NW3): Pull to leg soars in the air—floored, by George! (drag on, 2 defs.; kite).

J. D. H. Mackintosh (W. Wickham): It calls for the use of a bit of force when flying high (drag + on (= drunk, high), & lit.; kite).

Dr T. J. R. Maguire (Dublin): Duke in progress without a shred of clothing, horrifying watcher, in fairy-tale (rag in D on).

C. J. Morse (SW10): Drake, with an eye on treasure, would set sail into the Spaniard’s midst (rag in don; drake²).

D. J. Short (Havant): I’m watching stars move slowly by (drag on, 2 defs.; Draco constellation).

J. R. Stocks (SE3): Flighty bit of stuff in fellow’s embrace? Not while I’m around! (rag in don).

D. J. Thorpe (Ainwick): Philistine monster used to pinch queen—had hot pants! (R in Dagon).

A. F. Toms (SW19): He reacts fiercely against coming under American influence (drag on; drag in Suppt.).

A. Turner (Rickmansworth): Just the thing for a sail in the river at Aberdeen (rag in Don, & lit.; class of yacht).

J. F. N. Wedge (Carshalton): Suzie Wong might get me on the tiles in the drawing game! (drag on; ref. mah-jong and novel/film ‘The World of S. W.’).

H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams, J. Alderson, F. D. H. Atkinson, A. J. Barnard, Col R. L. Bell, A. J. Bisset, J. Brock, R. S. Caffyn, J. Coleby, Mrs M. B. Craib, T. Davies, F. E. Dixon, Flt Sgt J. Dromey, J. A. Fincken, J. Flood, R. P. C. Forman, J. Foster, J. Fryde, P. D. Gaffey, H. Galazka, A. B. Gardner, S. Goldie, J. Gowing, M. B. Harrison, F. H. W. Hawes, Mrs E. J. Holmes, A. J. Hughes, Mrs L. Jarman, A. H. Jones, P. W. W. Leach, T. C. C. Leach, J. P. Lester, Mrs B. Lewis, Mrs J. Mackie, F. McNeill, D. S. Milford, E. J. Miller, C. G. Millin, A. C. Morrison, P. K. Nandi, M. Newman, S. L. Paton, Miss M. J. Patrick, Mrs N. Perry, D. C. Pleece, R. Postill, A. J. Redstone, L. Reece, H. Rutley, T. E. Sanders, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, Sir W. Slimmings, S. Sondheim, D. B. Sowter, E. B. Stevens, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, F. B. Stubbs, A. Sudbery, J. W. Taylor, B. C. Westall, G. H. Willett, G. Williams, Mrs M. Wishart.
 

COMMENTS:—This was intentionally an easier competition puzzle than usual, to follow the difficulty of Misprints; but the entry wasn’t exceptionally large—about 450, with very few mistakes. I haven’t much to say about the clues sent in, which showed plenty of variety. One or two people mentioned that this word came rather soon after SNAPDRAGON—I had quite forgotten this. But the clues sent weren’t in many cases reminiscent of those sent then; the two words call for quite different treatment. The chief cause of unsoundness in the entry was an old one—The use of “back” or its equivalent in a clue to a “down” word.
 
May I close with another plea that competitors will conform to my request—printed with the rules—for a normal sized piece of writing paper, about 7 inches by 5? Dozens of competitors still ignore it, and the very large and very small ones make the entry a nuisance to handle.
 
The book, I gather, really is, after many delays, available this week—title, “Ximenes on The Art of the Crossword” (Methuen).