I have not checked the exact numbers, but I believe a greater proportion of people entering the quiz this year also put forward an entry for the sayings competition (section H of the quiz.) This may have been because there were more letters than last time, and they appeared more “friendly” than usual. In fact they created as many problems as ever for those of you who tried to construct a saying that made reasonable sense whilst (broadly) following the requirements of English grammar. Congratulations to those who managed to meet the challenge and, of course, especially to our winners. One entrant claimed that the number of letters grows each year and pleaded for a reduction. In fact the number varies up and down, but for a change I think I will pare the number down a bit next time.
Whilst no two entries were word for word the same, a great many of them this time involved men with white beards, or merry wives/widows, or people who are not safe/suitable to marry. In the end the judges chose as winners two entries that did not involve any of those combinations.
The prize for the winning proverb went to a competitor from Bedfordshire with: A man’s worth will be honed through integrity, not secured through money.
The prize for the most inventive or ridiculous saying went to a competitor from Petworth with: Always medicate with wine, because hoping things improve naturally seems total madness.
We look forward to hearing from you again next Christmas.
Andrew Brooke