XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 935

MALAPROP

1.  R. Postill: Matrimony: a little aversion initially has a supporter in her (M,a,l,a + prop, & lit.).

2.  Mrs E. M. Simmonds: Matrimonially a little aversion initially gets support from me (M,a,l,a + prop, & lit.).

3.  N. C. Dexter: She used PREPOSITION in an abnormal way. (In the normal—a PROPOSITION) (hidden, & lit.).

V.H.C. (extra prizes)

C. Allen Baker: One of the central characters in comedy—one taking up pages with oral blundering ((co)m(edy) + a + anag. incl. pp, & lit.).

R. Brain: For her 50 per cent of maladies stay—in the contagious countries? (mala(dies) prop; contiguous).

C. O. Butcher: Dame, popular, but lacking in good taste and precision (Ma + anag. less U, & lit.).

A. N. Clark: Female relative with old-fashioned look having part on stage lets fall bloomers (Ma la! prop, & lit.).

J. Coleby: She misinterpreted the confused Miss Languish and Anthony Absolute, initially, with stage effect (anag. of initial letters + prop, & lit.).

J. A. Fincken: Rather vulgar old lady has tongue with endless string of pearls (ma lap rop(e), & lit.; tongue, vb.).

E. M. Hornby: I might say I mix my sillabubs like an expert in exact middle of jam-pot (à la pro in ja(m-p)ot; syllables).

Sir S. Kaye: Circle with felicity forward or backward in geometric plan (as misclued by herself?) (lap + or (rev.) all in map; velocity, geographic).

Dr W. I. N. Kessel: I’m a virago: and so, I might say, is this puzzle (cryptic def.; farrago).

R. E. Kimmons: My stage bloomers are designed to knock back any man in the front row. (lam (rev.) + a prop; Rugby Union).

A. Lawrie: It’s a mile to the French shore—you should have someone ready with a gaff (m. à la prop; shore, vb.).

L. F. Leason: The one initially responsible for mistaken allusions—like “allegory”, “progeny”—rather outrageously perhaps (initial letters, & lit.).

Dr T. J. R. Maguire: Beginners in matrimony! A little aversion present relic oracularly proscribes? (initial letters, & lit.; relict, prescribes).

Mrs E. McFee: She’s played in comedy, the reverse of a hit before making a come-back in Softly, Softly (a lam (rev). + or (rev.) in p,p; ref. TV drama series).

C. J. Morse: Mum having an argument in liquor was notorious for her vocabulary (ma + pro in lap).

T. E. Sanders: It’s the dame who comes out with funny bloomers on stage. (On the dame a pair has to hang down loosely about) (ma + a pr. in lop).

Sir W. Slimmings: The original of priceless oral bungle, found in plot (anag. incl. p in map, & lit.).

D. J. Thorpe: “Softly, Softly” broadcast with a moral often uses questionable expressions (anag. incl. p,p; ref. TV drama series).

S. A. Wetherfield: A geometer dealt with contagious countries according to her polar map, wildly (anag.; geographer, contiguous).

H.C.

P. F. Bauchop, Mrs A. J. Bell, Mrs K. Bisset, J. M. Brown, A. J. Crow, J. Crowther, M. S. Y. Fowler, P. M. Fowler, J. Fryde, G. P. Goddard, J. W. Hammond, G. W. Hartshorn, H. C. Hills, C. H. Hudson, Maj G. J. Insley, G. Johnstone, N. Kemmer, Mrs D. M. Kissen, A. D. Legge, Mrs B. Lewis, N. A. Longmore, J. D. H. Mackintosh, H. S. Mason, E. L. Mellersh, T. W. Melluish, R. A. Mostyn, F. E. Newlove, M. Newman, Flt Lt L. W. G. Oxley, R. R. O’Connell, G. Perry, C. Quin, E. J. Rackham, Rev E. G. Riley, E. O. Seymour, T. L. Strange, F. B. Stubbs, J. B. Sweeting, G. L. Symes, G. R. Webb, J. F. N. Wedge, B. C. Westall, M. Woolf.
 

COMMENTS:—Over 500 entries, about 90 incorrect, nearly all through failing to understand my hint (or to look up “The Rivals”) and writing “alliterate”. My commiserations to these and also to those who wrote specialised clues (PD., etc.)—I should surely have said so if I meant a clue of one of these types—and to those who wrote a clue to Sheridan. There weren’t many of these, but there is certainly something to be said for their point of view. I think, though, that I should have said “author”, not “person”, if I had meant that. If I hadn’t had such a terrible rush to get the result out (only 140-odd entries arrived before the office shut for Christmas, not to open again till Wednesday), I might have regarded these clues as eligible. But comparing clues to different words is very difficult, and the time taken would have been prohibitive. I’m sorry about it. Many thanks for appreciative messages and greetings and the host of Christmas cards. No time for more—this slip will be late anyway. A happy New Year to you all.
 
P.S. Playfair:—The next puzzle of this type (overdue) will appear on Feb. 5. Two or three years ago a solver kindly sent me, at some length, his process of solution. I then unfortunately lost it. Recently I found it again and sent it to a solver who, I knew, found Playfairs difficult. He has generously had 50 copies typed for others who may like them. You will receive one if you send a large 6d. stamped addressed envelope to Miss Mesling, c/o The Observer, 160 Queen Victoria St., E.C.4. First come, first served.