XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 958

DRY MEASURE

1.  A. Lawrie: What’ll do for durra—me? Yes (anag. & lit.).

2.  S. L. Paton: The system standard at Winchester used my rear abominably (anag.; see Winchester in C.).

3.  C. J. Morse: As a test of capacity, you’ll find being off drink a strain (dry measure).

V.H.C.

W. G. Arnott: Yes, durra is threshed without me—but not computed (me in anag. & lit.).

J. A. Blair: It’s a means of getting volume, but it gives my ears rude shock (anag.).

C. O. Butcher: Empty bar? That expresses volumes—short of liquor (dry measure).

R. N. Chignell: Miller’s work may be gauged by this hash Surrey made (anag.; hash, imperative; ref. poss. Joseph or Frederick. M., early cricketers).

S. Goldie: Cor—that was one of my units in Israel, scattering Druse Army eastwards (anag. + E; ref. Six-Day war; cor²).

W. H. Johnson (New York): Systematic multiplying of volume? Yes, ear-drum split (anag.).

G. Johnstone: Surrey made runs having the capacity for mature innings (anag.; inning = harvest).

Sir S. Kaye: Prohibition? That couldn’t stop you getting a pint of this brew (dry measure; brew = variety).

Mrs E. McFee: A cab? My dear, that’s extravagant, without a doubt (anag. + sure; cab²).

N. A. Morley: This bulky volume is a dreary muse’s offspring (anag.).

F. E. Newlove: Where are the roomiest quarters? In here—reserved for Red Army use (anag.; re-served).

D. C. Pleece: Cornish table? Surrey-made, surprisingly (anag.; corn-ish).

L. Reece: Chop suey marred—find a means of checking quantity of rice (anag.).

L. T. Stokes: U.S. and Red Army disturbed over capital of Egypt: it indicates the volume of what has cropped up (anag.; ref. Six-Day War).

J. B. Sweeting: A formal stately dance is advisable if you have corns and a weight problem (dry measure).

H.C.

Miss V. K. Abrahams, J. C. Angell, C. Allen Baker, M. J. Balfour, K. G. Ball, Mrs D. Barker, R. T. Baxter, Mrs F. Begg, Lt Col R. L. Bell, E. C. Bingham, Rev L. Blackburn, E. Chalkley, D. L. L. Clarke, Mrs M. P. Craine, J. McI. Cruickshank, A. L. Dennis, J. A. Fincken, A. L. Freeman, F. D. Gardiner, L. H. Garrett, C. C. M. Giffin, S. C. Gilchrist, E. Gomersall, W. E. Green, H. Hancock, D. Hawson, P. T. Heath, Mrs M. Hiron, E. M. Hornby, K. R. Jenkins, L. W. Jenkinson, H. J. Kilpatrick, R. E. Kimmons, L. F. Leason, Mrs B. Lewis, Mrs M. MacAlpin, Mrs S. M. Macpherson, A. McIntyre, T. W. Melluish, D. P. M. Michael, E. J. Miller, W. L. Miron, L. A. Monro, L. W. G. Oxley, R. O’Donoghue, N. O’Neill, Rev A. Reed, J. S. Rowley, T. E. Sanders, D. G. Shipley, Mrs E. M. Simmonds, Sir W. Slimmings, J. P. Smith, A. Sudbery, H. S. Tribe, J. R. Whitelegg, Mrs M. Wishart.
 

COMMENTS:—About 425 entries, very few mistakes, but two disastrous slips accompanying clues which might well have been rewarded—SMALLAGG (J. B. Widdowson) and BEHMMOTH (G. P. Goddard). I mention their names, for otherwise they wouldn’t know they had done it. I am always sorry to have to rule out such obvious slips of the pen; but no other policy would be fair. The entry wasn’t quite up to our highest standard; perhaps it was a rather uninspiring subject—my fault. I should, I think, mention a few unsoundnesses. There were several clues with no proper definition, e.g. “Formal verse can be sure dreamy.” “Might it have been Prohibition that made rum dear? Yes.” The fact that a 2-word phrase is set doesn’t justify defining the two words separately and not the phrase. Then there was the old trouble about “I” and “me.” “I’m a cert” for ME-A-SURE is a particularly bad specimen; “me” is not “I”—still less is it “I’m”—nor, incidentally, is “sure” “cert.” “I have a certain” is another specimen, nearly as bad. Thirdly, I must protest again against the indication of an anagram by a noun, e.g. “Used a merry mixture”; this doesn’t, to me, say that “used a merry” is mixed. It’s common practice elsewhere, I know; but it’s against my principles. “Certain to put an end to dreamy romance “ is a worse instance; “romance” comes nowhere near to giving the required indication. I hope I’m not too fussy, but I insist that we must say what we mean.
 
I am always delighted when an old competitor, for some time absent, reappears. Welcome this time to Miss J. Fry and the Rev L. Blackburn (who date back, I think, to No. 1), and to J. A. Blair, who started a little later and was for a time very successful. Two of them are in the lists above, and I hope they will all continue—and have sent for slips, so that they receive this welcome back.
 
Finally, an appeal. Will you, please, take notice of my request for normal-sized pieces of paper for the entry? I have recently had it printed in heavy type, but even now lots of competitors still use either very large, unwieldy, sheets or tiny scraps—which, incidentally, may get lost. Surely this is not an unreasonable request? It would save me a lot of trouble if competitors would comply with it. I hope most of the “guilty” parties have sent for this slip.