Comments on: Guardian 23952/Rufus – it’s Christmas already http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/ Never knowingly undersolved. Sat, 25 May 2013 13:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: <![CDATA[ilancaron]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-456 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:12:39 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-456 Thanks to Rufus himself (and Peter Owen) for the waits and box clarification!

]]> By: <![CDATA[loonapick]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-453 Tue, 19 Dec 2006 11:07:06 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-453 4dn – Given the “fur”ore over Madonna’s jacket a few days ago, this clue may be more topical than was originally intended.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6220398.stm

]]> By: <![CDATA[Peter Owen]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-452 Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:32:53 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-452 In 24a the waits are (to quote Chambers) people who welcome in Christmas by playing or singing out of doors at night.

And a Christmas box is what you give on Boxing Day.

]]> By: <![CDATA[Dennis MacKinnon]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-451 Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:11:36 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-451 Collins asserts BOX to be a short form of ‘Christmas box’, while Chambers Online Reference is more generous, assigning it the meaning of ‘a gift of money to tradespersons etc’ outright.

Dull puzzle, I thought.

]]> By: <![CDATA[Rufus]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-455 Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:33:17 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-455 11a : A Christmas box is a gratuity, originally paid on BOXing Day for services – postmen, dustmen etc.

24a: Waits are groups of singers, musicians performing on streets at Chritsmastime

]]> By: <![CDATA[BenIngton]]> http://www.fifteensquared.net/2006/12/18/guardian-23952rufus-%e2%80%93-it%e2%80%99s-christmas-already/#comment-454 Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:53:45 +0000 http://fifteensquared.net/?p=130#comment-454 re 11a, a Christmas box is a tip given at the end of the year for services during the year. Quite a few years ago, I remember dustmen, milkmen, newspaper delivery boys etc knocking on my door near Christmas time and asking hopefully if I had anything “for the Christmas box”. It is a phrase I haven’t heard in a long time though.

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