SCRIBE *

SPECTATOR COMPETITION No. 464: Report by D. R. Peddy Competitors were invited to compose clerihews on words formed from initials, e.g.. WHO. NAAFI, ERNIE, SUNFED.

A SUBJECT which some appeared to find rather difficult; the entry was large, as is usually the case with clerihews, but inspiration rather hard to come by. There were, of course, the customary few who did not know what a clerihew was—for whose benefit I will quote my favourite example, which I think contains all the characteristics of that delightful verse form :

Cecil B. de Mille, Rather against his will, Was persuaded to leave Moses Out of The Wars of the Roses.

Some competitors tended to use groups of initials, like NUT or PAYE, which are referred to uu. initials and not as the words they make. These I could not really accept. There were some, I admit, which I had never heard of and 1 have to accept the assurance of Frank Pavry, who has at his disposal the Year Book of International Organisations, that 1SAW, IRTU, UIMP and 100TS not only exist but are pronounced as spelt!

On the basis of half a guinea per clerihew, I suggest prizes of one and a half guineas for H. A. C. Evans, one guinea for Allan M. Laing, and half a guinea each for Douglas Hawson, Rhoda Tuck Pook, J. Legg, R. A. McKenzie, J. A. Lindon, Gloria Prince, and Admiral Sir W. M. James. Runners-up are G. H. Baxter, P. W. R. Foot, Frank Pavry and Joyce John- son. Honourable mention also to Mrs. V. R. Ormerod, A. D. Hepburn, Agnes Kennett, Alas- tair Ross, James S. Fidgen, W. G. Daish, F. G. Cracknell, Nancy Gunter, Goodwill, and G. J. Blundell.

PRIZES

(H. A. C. EVANS)

There's no hidalgo In NALGO; Only clerks And chaps that look after parks.

When one of the Other Rankers

Gets jankers Or a strafe, he

Finds comfort with NAAFI.

Tribes Of scribes Are PEN Men.

(ALLAN M. LAING)

We may yet see ZETA Dancing the veleta : Surely some day Science will go gay?

* Spectator Competition Report Indicating Entries. Best The NAAFI Is a sort of caafi Where soldiers are rude About the food.

(DOUGLAS HAWSON)

FANY Was Mummy and Granny; Someone ought to have written 'The Yeowomen of Britain.'

(RHODA TUCK POOK)

Some folk consider NATO About as much good as a cold potato: Is there no way TO encourage a rechai4N?

(J. LEGG)

GATT: That Reminds me of tariff mathematics And sometimes of automatics.

(R. A. MCKENZIE)

Thought Macmillan : 'You've a name big

enough for shipment, Electronic-Random-Number-Indicator-

Equipment. I'd better turn 'e Into ERNIE.'

U. A. LINDON)

The next girl as hot as ZETA (When I meet her) Must expect The 'pinch effect.'

(GLORIA PRINCE)

Only a few know All the members of UN O. Burma is one, but who knew? U Nu?

(ADMIRAL SIR NV. M. JAMES) '

What I like about WHO Is no one knows what they do.

We still wait to he told The cure for a cold.