Eighteen Shades of Red Quiz Puzzle - Answers

On Friday we posted another guest puzzle, supplied by Frank Paul, Author of The Cryptic Pub Quiz  and Quiz Master at The Mill in Cambridge.

Find the names of eighteen shades of red or pink hidden in this poem.  They may be written forwards or backwards, separated by spaces, punctuation or line breaks (for instance, “the grim agent agreed” would reveal “magenta”.)  Each shade of red or pink is at least four letters long.

Should I, like a demure poetess, urge, “No, no,

Don’t spill literal coffee on my denim racing kimono!”?

Or am I to say, “Never mind!  Such sweet slips

Tickle my ribs and wiggle my hips!”

No!  Smirch his coffee cup with unclean oil!

I’m revenge personified, my rage does boil,

My malicious desire cascades like an avalanche,

Thoughts flailing like a polar octopus on a branch.

From Hounslow to Hamburg, undying hate is my plan...

I – Draco and the Malfoys’ biggest fan –

I – making H.H. Holmes or Ted Bundy look Pollyanna-ish –

Cuff him, dent his car!  Lethal as a jellyfish

I am, ferocious as a cougar.

Netherworlds of my mind would horrify Freddy Krueger.

Here are the answers

1. Russet (poetess, urge)
2. Claret (literal coffee)
3. Carmine (denim racing)
4. Maroon (kimono!”?/Or am)
5. Lipstick (slips/Tickle)
6. Crimson (No! Smirch)
7. Puce (coffee cup)
8. Vermilion (unclean oil!/I’m revenge)
9. Cerise (desire cascades)
10. Lava (avalanche)
11. Coral (polar octopus)
12. Burgundy (Hamburg, undying)
13. Cardinal (plan.../I – Draco)
14. Flame (the Malfoys’)
15. Rose (Holmes or)
16. Fuchsia (Pollyanna-ish –/Cuff)
17. Scarlet (his car! Lethal)
18. Garnet (a cougar./Netherworlds)

You can see people’s attempts (successful and unsuccessful) at the answers in the comments on this website, on Facebook, or on Twitter @quizmastershop.