XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 949

BROWSING

1.  Dr T. J. R. Maguire: The makings of Blandings’ top sow, quivering among the layers (B + anag. in ring, & lit.).

2.  Mrs B. Lewis: It may involve turning over new leaves—some will reach the bible and read (double mng.; bible, read, stomachs of ruminants).

3.  D. B. J. Ambler: Baby’s head is wrong, confound it: it keeps nanny occupied (anag.; ref. goat).

V.H.C.

C. O. Butcher: In the library it’s common to be vocal and get a b—— scolding over it (b row sing).

E. Chalkley: First of the beet grown is mashed for fodder (b anag.).

J. F. Coldwell: I build up neat pile stuffed with old rags (rows in bing; neat = cattle).

N. C. Dexter: Heffers don’t object to it—nor do heifers! (2 mngs; ref. Cambridge booksellers).

S. Goldie: Is it A. feeding B. speeding C. reading? B is wrong, quiet wrong (anag. & lit.).

A. H. Jones: Reading in a loose fashion described as the capital of Berkshire is wrong, quite wrong (B + anag.).

Sir S. Kaye: Working jaws into a rick? (rows in bing & lit.; rick¹; row³, jaw = a scolding).

G. J. Keir: Fodder for stores makes bins grow (anag.; stores = cattle for fattening).

A. Lawrie: Forage cap is wrong, quite wrong, with beefeater’s head (b + anag.; cap vb. imperative).

L. F. Leason: Cursorily studying shelves, perhaps, in a collection (rows in bing & lit.).

Mrs E. McFee: Eating sprouts from tip of butter-knife is wrong, quite wrong (b + anag.).

T. W. Melluish: With brigs now being re-adapted, what’s the skipper doing? (anag.).

G. Perry: Reading (parts of): transport system due to engulf south (S in BR owing).

R. Postill: B. Wooster’s companion for sluicing, oddly enough, is G. Brown (anag.; “browsing & sluicing”).

L. T. Stokes: Big rows blowing up about the start of nationalisation going through various readings (n in anag.; ref. British Steel Corporation).

F. B. Stubbs: This does often nibble the front part of the pen (brow Sing(-Sing); does = deer).

J. G. Stubbs: Dipping into novels in the library? Go for Scott without arguments (rows in bing²).

H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams, R. Abrey, Dr G. B. Arrowsmith, F. D. H. Atkinson, Col P. S. Baines, C. Allen Baker, Mrs D. Barker, R. T. Baxter, T. E. Bell, Mrs H. Billingham, A. J. Bisset, C. I. Bullock, P. R. Clemow, H. C. Copeman, Mrs M. P. Craine, J. Crowther, Cdr H. H. L. Dickson, L. L. Dixon, Miss K. Dowling, A. S. Everest, I. D. Ferguson, Mrs N. Fisher, J. Fryde, P. G. W. Glare, Mrs K. N. Graham, N. J. Hitchin, E. M. Hornby, C. H. Hudson, J. G. Hurst, Maj G. J. Insley, J. E. Jenkins, C. Jones, J. H. C. Leach, P. W. W. Leach, A. D. Legge, Miss A. M. Mackie, Mrs J. Mackie, H. MacRae, Mrs W. J. Mahood, J. P. Mernagh, D. P. M. Michael, E. J. Miller, C. K. Morgan, L. A. Moritz, P. Murray, F. R. Oliver, R. O’Donoghue, R. F. Pardoe, J. W. Parr, S. L. Paton, Miss M. J. Patrick, W. H. Pegram, D. C. Pleece, C. A. Sears, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, D. B. Sowter, A. Sudbery, J. B. Sweeting, H. S. Tribe, D. Warren, J. F. N. Wedge, P. B. G. Williams.
 

COMMENTS:—About 475 entries, very few mistakes. A few said the puzzle was harder than usual, a few commented on the unusual number of proper names; but the entry was still big, and I don’t think many got a proper name wrong. If proper names are at all recondite, I always, I hope, give a clear subsidiary clue; so there is really no need to worry if you can’t verify it. Occasionally someone seems to think that “C.’s Dict. is recommended” means that every word is in it; this is absurd, where proper names are concerned; when every word, as in some non-plain puzzles, is in C., I say so.
 
There was one—perfectly friendly—expression of a suspicion (this has happened before) that when I get stuck for a clue to a word, I use it for the competition word. Nothing, as I have already stated in former slips, could be further from the truth; the first thing I do on completing the diagram, before I write any clues at all, is to choose a suitable word for the competition, one with plenty of possibilities and not too difficult; I avoid intractable words and also those with only one very obvious possible treatment. This word, BROWSING, was certainly no exception, as the variety in the clues quoted shows; though “shoots and leaves” (as verbs) was used too often and with so little variety that its senders had to be relegated to the subsidiary list; for instance, well over a dozen sent “Shoots and leaves ranks in a heap”—neat, but I couldn’t print so many of them. “Is wrong, very wrong” was also popular, but here there was more variety of treatment, and I could choose the ones I liked best. One competitor sent a “Printer’s Devilry” clue—an eccentric thing to do when it wasn’t invited..
 
I was glad to receive several notes saying that “Gardening Tips” was enjoyed; one or two asked for more non-plains. But I know there are many who prefer plains, and I don’t think the present proportion should be changed. As to the “Def. and letter-mixture” type, I also know there are some (with whom I agree) who don’t like solving them. They are fun to compose, but I shan’t be deluded into serving up more than one a year of this type. For those who are calling for another “Printer’s Devilry,” there is one at the beginning of next month.