22 DECEMBER 1939, Page 26

REPORT ON COMPETITION NO. 13

THE customary prizes were offered for nicknames coined from an abstract quality (on the model of " Capability " Brown) to fit any five of the twelve gentlemen whose names recur lower on this page. Of the twelve, Sir John Simon, Sir John Reith, and Lord Nuffield were the most frequently chosen, Messrs. Auden and Isherwood, Mr. Vic Oliver, and (surprisingly) Lord Beaverbrook the least popular. Sir John Simon's nicknames made rather arid reading, Legality, Frigidity, Suavity, Solvency and Sagacity being about the most

plausible of an obvious lot. Mortality was the most taking name for Mr. Charles Morgan, who was in other entries assigned Morality, Ideality, Prolixity, Since:_ty and Precocity ; Sensibility was the best for Mr. Gielgud, who was also given Sonority, Grandeur and Sensitivity ; of the many suggestionS for Sir John Reith, Propriety was much the most pleasant, with Uplift, Impeccability, and Radio-activity coming next ; Commander King-Hall was offered Correspondence, Psitti- cosity, Propaganda and (in about every second entry sub- mitted) Publicity ; Reverberation, Braggadocio, Quixotry, and Expressibility were about the best of the suggestions for Lord Beaverbrook, and Gratuity, Providence, Munificence, Subsidy and Inexhaustibility for Lord Nuffield ; Mr. Godfrey Winn disappointed expectations badly, acquiring (out of a peculiarly unimaginative lot) nothing of more moment than Fatuity, Banality, and Garrulity ; Anthologibility was the best that could be done for Mr. Auden, Collaboration the best for Mr. Isherwood, and Unity the best for the two of them together ; no one who attempted Mr. Vic Oliver hit the mark. It did not seem to the judge that there was any entry which deserved to be awarded the first prize. Prizes of los. 6d. are conse- quently given to M. R. Ridley, Stephen Bylansen, E. M. Bancroft, and H. A. Power, and the rest of the prize money is carried forward to an occasion when the merit displayed is in excess of the amount normally available to reward it.

Prize-winning Entries.

Legality Simon Ideality Morgan Hospitality Nuffield, Polish Gielgud Uplift Reith

M. R. RIDLEY.

Sagacity Simon Braggadocio Beaverbrook Anthologibility Auden Propriety Reith Inexhaustibility Nuffield STEPHEN BYLANSEN.

Suavity Simon

Reverberation Beaverbrook Providence Nuffield Ubiquity King-Hall Sensibility Gielgud

Mortality Morgan Gratuity Nuffield Fatuity Winn Grandeur Gielgud Urbanity Oliver

E. M. BANC:ROFT.

H. A. POWER.