◀  No. 962 Clue list 6 Aug 1967 Slip image No. 971  ▶

XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 967

CREMOSIN

1.  N. C. Dexter: Colour of the skie, perhaps, with Morne (sic) breaking (anag. & lit.; F. Q. 11, 3 “Early before the Morne with cremosin ray”).

2.  R. Postill: Amiss comes in fourth of course—and is ruddy well out (comes in r anag.; Dennis A., cricketer).

3.  C. O. Butcher: More muddling in Civil Service—because of antiquated sort of tape it uses? (anag. in CS + in (= because of)).

V.H.C.

W. G. Arnott: Colour of rims once afflicted with tears (anag. & lit.).

C. Allen Baker: “Bloody” no longer upsets censor, I’m without doubt (anag.).

J. W. Bates: Red out of date? What could be Doctors in nicer anyhow? (MOs in anag.).

J. A. Blair: No crimes could be as bloody as this was (anag).

E. Chalkley: You want the old red thick juice? A pity—right out of it (cremo(R) sin).

J. A. Fincken: That old colour that shows the rot starting in gross incomes (r in anag., & lit.; “in the red”).

A. H. Jones: What no crimes could be, though Lady Macbeth’s hand might well have made the seas so (anag.).

Sir S. Kaye: Foreign incomers often like the colour of a coronation (anag.; coronation = carnation, Spens.).

L. F. Leason: Doctor No’s crime—it was gory (anag.; doctor, vb; ref. James Bond).

C. G. Millin: I’m censor—shocked? I was blushing (anag.).

F. B. Stubbs: Incomers rekindled bygone colour issues (anag.).

M. J. Tomkinson: What was this dye made from? From insect with head and tail removed ((f)rom insec(t) anag., & lit.; cochineal).

Mrs M. Wishart: As blood was seen to be about, doctors in control (c + MOs in rein).

H.C.

R. B. Adcock, D. B. J. Ambler, J. C. Brash, J. H. Cleary, V. A. R. Cooper, Mrs M. P. Craine, J. H. Dingwall, A. S. Everest, M. B. Fisher, J. Gill, Mrs R. Harvey, E. G. Illingworth, G. Johnstone, C. Jones, R. E. Kimmons, A. Lawrie, Mrs C. Leach, P. W. W. Leach, Mrs B. Lewis, R. M. Lyons, J. D. H. Mackintosh, Dr T. J. R. Maguire, Mrs W. J. Mahood, C. J. Morse, T. Murray, T. N. Nesbitt, M. Newman, N. O’Neill, Miss M. J. Patrick, L. S. Pearce, G. H. Ravenor, J. S. Rioch, J. S. Rowley, P. Salvesen, T. E. Sanders, Sir W. Slimmings, E. B. Stevens, L. H. Stewart, Brig R. F. E. Stoney, G. R. Webb, J. F. N. Wedge, Rev C. D. Westbrook.
 

COMMENTS:—Just under 350 entries, hardly any mistakes. Comments varied very widely, from “I never expect to do a Ximenes in 12 minutes again,” through “acrosses too easy,” “easy, once the penny dropped, but it took a long time,” to expressions of utter mystification with no solution. I was glad the applause at an enjoyable moment of sudden illumination exceeded the groans of regret that it was finished too quickly. The intentional red herring “rictal” evidently did its work, though no one pointed out that the clue to it wouldn’t really have been sound; it doesn’t quite mean “agape.” I tried to work in more of these, but failed to achieve anything except parts of “clues.” Though these puzzles can be tantalising fun, and satisfying, when the penny drops, they inevitably suffer from tumbling out quickly in the end; and this one did so more than most. Still, I believe quite a number must have been baffled altogether, for the entry wasn’t large.
 
I thought the standard of clues sent in was rather below average, in spite of an outstandingly brilliant winner, a second nearly as brilliant and a very worthy third. Chambers gives the word as an adjective only; I hope those who took trouble to insist on this in their clues won’t resent my passing some clues which didn’t strictly conform with it; if I hadn’t, too many otherwise good clues would have been eliminated, and the list would have been dull. I wonder, anyway, whether C. is right? Not being a Spenserian scholar, I don’t know, and Webster doesn’t help, not giving the word at all. Some inexperienced competitors may be helped if I quote one or two terribly un sound clues, unsound because they would be almost useless to the solver:—“One fabric turning deep red when mangled” (anag. of one scrim). How could one use that? And no indication of obsoleteness. “Thus I turn head over heels in a mini-skirt. I should blush.” “Thus I turn” cannot mean “so me turns”; “mini-skirt” for “crin(oline)” is impossibly vague; and the definition is even more impossible; it can only lead to a person who should blush. “Add mystery ingredient to red tincture and stir—no longer red.” “Mystery ingredient” is no fair indication of M, and the indirect anagram of “sericon” would be completely useless. At least the definition is sound. Clue-writers should put themselves in the position of solvers before they pass their clues as reasonable.
 
I must return to “Rassendyll.” One or two competitors referred to the clue to him again and are unconvinced by what I wrote last month. On further thought I’m not sure they aren’t justified; I now think the clue was too hard. I was, I think, led astray by my own familiarity with the books. And finally I apologise for doubling the value of dandyprats in No. 965, which two competitors have pointed out.
 

 
Ximenes Slips by year
19451946194719481949
19501951195219531954
19551956195719581959
19601961196219631964
19651966196719681969
19701971