Comments on: Azed 1918 – an enigma

By: bridgesong

bridgesong — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:37:12 +0000

Sidey

Yes, I see what you mean. I usually click on the link to the pdf rather than use the interactive online version; it tends to be more accurate. In this case it did include nucleator.

Incidentally, Wil Ransome’s query about the rules for compound anagrams has led to an interesting discussion on the Crossword Centre’s message board – there’s a link from the bar at the top of the page.

By: Sidey

Sidey — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:05:43 +0000

Thanks for the blog bridgesong.

This was the first Azed I’ve really struggled with for a long time. 16d, although I could get the answer was a real baffler as ‘NUCLEATOR’ doesn’t appear in the online clue.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:29:44 +0000

I absolutely agree with you, Richard. There was another example recently of a perfectly good VHC, as well as his own 9dn in this competition, that didn’t in fact obey Azed’s maxim that there must be some sort of a split. My point is that in my opinion this is fine, but why has he so often said in his slips that there should be this split?

By: Richard Heald

Richard Heald — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:56:52 +0000

Re Wil’s comment above: I don’t think there are any hard-and-fast rules governing the structure of composite anagrams – it just happens to be the case that the vast majority of them do contain linking material (in the form of words or punctuation) separating the two sides of the anagrammatic “equation”. The only criterion is that the syntax of the cryptic reading must be correct, and (though I don’t recall it word for word) I do remember thinking that the DAIS clue seemed perfectly fine in that respect. As another example, consider N C Dexter’s prizewinning clue to WELL-TO-DO: “It’s this Littlewoods could make you” – there is no linking material between the two sides of the anagram, but I don’t think anyone could question its grammatical soundness.

By: liz

liz — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:11:18 +0000

Yes, I remembered Amahl and the Night Visitors from an old children’s anthology. Didn’t get 19dn, though. Azed used to be impossible for me but 15/2 has obviously sharpened me up. I really enjoy this site.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:21:25 +0000

The comp. anag. at 9dn: this seems perfectly OK to me, in fact rather a good clue. But isn’t Azed breaching his own regulations? He tells us that we should have some sort of break or linking word between the two parts to be anagrammed, yet here there is none. I think I have it right: the letters of [dais or] being the same as the letters of [radio's].

I cannot see why Azed makes this requirement: in a normal anagram clue part of the setter’s art is to meld it all together as seamlessly as possible. Why should it be any different with a comp. anag.? Once I asked him why, suggesting he devote part of a slip to the reason. But he hasn’t done so — understandable of course with all those entries to deal with. But it would be interesting if some expert who reads this could give the answer.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:04:24 +0000

In 20ac I think there’s nothing wrong with “m-message” = “c-cable”. It doesn’t always work this way though – sometimes it would be “m-cable” (or something along the same lines that was actually part of a word).

1dn – it could be “a tear” = “per claw”, (as in “50p a pound”=”50 per pounds”), with “with” being just a joining word.

“Amahl and the Night Visitors” has been shown on television around Christmas a few times, though not in recent years, I think. The “Night Visitors” are the Magi, who call at the boy Amahl’s house on their way to visit baby Jesus.

By: PaulD

PaulD — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:44:43 +0000

I believe “batting repeatedly” is just an indicator for multiple anagrams.

Ah, that popular Christmas classic that I have never heard of. Not the same as “Emil and the Detectives” I suppose.

Ditto on 6 dn Things are getting very sloppy over the last few weeks.

I did like 11 ac.

I think 20 ac. is fair enough (for seasoned Azed solvers). I always wonder with such clues whether it indicates the addition or subtraction of a duplicated letter.

By: Richard Heald

Richard Heald — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:18:44 +0000

7 Dn is a (to my mind rather loose) & lit. with a cricketing theme. This one reminded me very much of Brian Greer’s classic clue to ENIGMA VARIATIONS: “Terrific score that could bring me gain in game”.

The wordplay for 28 Dn is AMAH(l), which eluded me for a long time until I typed ‘AMAH’ in Wikipedia and came across Amahl and the Night Visitors, a one-act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti which was first performed in 1951 and is now (apparently) “a popular Christmas classic”.

Like you, I thought ‘bark’ in 6 Dn might be a misprint of ‘barb’.