James Leonard - Telegraph Known to his friends and to readers of The Listener as "Mr Lemon," and to aficionados of the Telegraph Toughies as "Citrus," Leonard edited more than 1,000 puzzles for Enigmatic Variations, for which he adopted the pseudonym "Rustic." This was a reflection of twin loves of wordplay and country life ("Rustic" is an anagram of "Citrus," and the Enigmatic Variations series had its origin in Country Week magazine). Every crossword submitted for Leonard's attention had to adhere to strict Ximenean principles, established by the Observer's Derrick Somerset Macnutt ("Ximenes") during his 32 years as crossword setter. These demand that the setter must be fair to the solver at all times, avoiding ambiguous punctuation, indirect anagrams and imprecise definitions. A typical Rustic clue for Enigmatic Variations ran: "Bishop, outside, is beginning to imbibe port (7)." Answer: Brindisi. Famously economical in his communications, Leonard's efficiency as an editor occasionally bordered on curtness. Chris Lancaster recalled receiving an email from Leonard, two days after making his first submission to the Enigmatic Variations. It read simply: "Send more. James. There followed a further gap of two days, before a second communication: "Very soon. Encouraged, Lancaster wrote a lengthy reply, including his second puzzle. Leonard's response came through the next day: "Sound puzzle. James Leonard was born at Barnstaple on May 12 1940, the eldest of three children of a judge, and educated at Eton. He read Mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford, where he showed himself skilled in tennis and rackets. From 1964 until his retirement in 1989 he worked as a broker and underwriter for Lloyd's. Later he acted as an expert court witness, advising businesses on insurance and reinsurance. A highly talented embroiderer and upholsterer, Leonard was also a passionate ornithologist, and would spend one week in every four observing species on the isle of Lundy, off the north coast of Devon. A number of his grids and clues were ornithologically inspired, neatly linking two central strands of his life. He was unmarried. James Leonard, born May 12 1940, died April 28 2013