ordStats| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. & N. Aspland | 66 | 1 | 4 | 61 | 126 | 71 | Mar 2003 | May 2022 | 19y 2m |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | ||||
| 2603 | TERAS def. PRATT (Wrong Number) | VHC | Term covering Kim’s rear: a singular monstrosity | rear; anag. less m + a + s; ref. K. Kardashian |
| 2582 | ACHITOPHEL | VHC | Unprincipled adviser Allegra’s front starts to cause harm – is the office party heralding electoral lynching? | A + first letters; ref. A. Stratton, Downing St parties |
| 2578 | VARIORU(M) (Letters Latent) | VHC | Leaders of very authoritative ringing institution officially reject unconventional sequence of changes | first letters |
| 2020-2021 | ||||
| 2560 | BOMBAST | VHC | Fiasco at Thanksgiving when opening of turkey reveals stale stuffing | bomb as t |
| 2543 | CABRETTA | VHC | What might be seen in soft shoe shuffle ‘cabaret’ including a bit of tap-dancing | t in anag. |
| 2534 | BOTTLE-WASHER | VHC | Throstles (WBA) surprisingly rejecting debut of star in favour of that of eager, unappreciated hard worker? | anag. less s incl. e; ref. West Bromwich Albion |
| 2530 | STUDENTY | VHC | Dust’s settling and effort’s beginning with undergraduate’s second and penultimate year – it’s typical for those in uni | anag. + e, n, t, y |
| 2521 | CHAMBERS | VHC | Master book at heart of search when there’s clueing to be done? | M b in anag., & lit.; clue2 |
| 2517 | LITERATIM | VHC | Showing tile playing art in Scrabble, I’m getting every letter just right | anag. + anag. + I’m |
| 2019-2020 | ||||
| 2512 | OSCITATE | VHC | Ring’s beginning in comfort – I bet that audience ultimately will be stifling a yawn | O’s + c + I + a in last letters |
| 2504 | UPBEAT | VHC | Cooking pub food that’s out of date and hoping for the best | anag. + eat |
| 2500 | ESPAGN(OLETTE STRENG)THENER (Half and Half) | VHC | What makes strong? What makes fast? Genes, heart and extremes of physical exertion are involved | anag. incl. p, n |
| 2464 | BRAINPOWER | VHC | What’s used to cover up boobs e.g. in Government intelligence | bra in power |
| 2018-2019 | ||||
| 2451 | CAPUT | Second | This is creature’s head, apparently, as expressed in Latin | c + ap. + ut, & lit. |
| 2447 | CONGENER | VHC | Conservative and Green (awkwardly) in a relationship | Con. + anag. |
| 2428 | SHEPHERDS | VHC | These are first in prostration alongside woman before her son embodying God | she + p + D in her s, & lit. |
| 2417 | ALTARAGE / PROPOSAL (Right and Left) | VHC | To support old salt, plan collection in church (sailor caught in a gale, suffering injury) | prop o sal; tar in anag. |
| 2017-2018 | ||||
| 2408 | LUNCHEONETTE | VHC | Being served up a cutlet? Then one could be at —— | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2386 | PENNY-A-LINER | VHC | Writer that’s hacked inanely to gain only a bit of remuneration? | pen + anag. + r, & lit. |
| 2382 | STRIPE def. HARLOT (Wrong Number) | VHC | Broad line’s seen as excellent after Stuart dismisses four tail-enders | broad; St + ripe; ref. England fast bowler |
| 2378 | PROPOSAL | VHC | Forward girl gets hold of a ring – to make this? | O in prop + Sal, & lit. |
| 2364 | COMPOST HEAP | VHC | Conservative MPs hope to spread around a resource to help green shoots? | C + a in anag. |
| 2360 | VIDENDA | VHC | In V&A I’d aim to find things it’s essential to see? | I’d end in V, A |
| 2016-2017 | ||||
| 2356 | PUBLIC SERVANT | VHC | Preparing club sarnie with slices of tongue, veal and pork (or TVP) makes one Master of the Rolls, perhaps? | anag. incl. t, v, p; see TVP |
| 2351 | RHAGADES | Second | Leaders of DUP and Government share in new arrangement and hide divisions? | anag. incl. D a G |
| 2322 | VENTRICOSE | VHC | Bulging erections found awkward after introduction of Viagra | V + anag. |
| 2318 | TIMENOPENNY (TIMENOGUY) (Penny for the Guy) | VHC | A makeshift leader in Trump I’m expecting initially to have no power overseas in New Year | T + I’m + e + no p en (Fr. etc) + n, y |
| 2309 | GLOBETROTTER | VHC | Get rotor belt fixed – one may need to do a lot of flying | anag. |
| 2015-2016 | ||||
| 2296 | IMPROPERLY | VHC | Declaration of profession by hooker, a lady wanting publicity in an unseemly way | I’m pro + per + l(ad)y |
| 2265 | ESPRIT FORT | VHC | I’m unfit for pi set, having what’s original in religious thought? | anag. + r, t, & lit. |
| 2014-2015 | ||||
| 2226 | DOUBLE-PARKING | VHC | Silly bloke in a Romeo beginning to draw up alongside Golf, i.e. ——? | anag. incl. R, d, + G, & lit. |
| 2220 | A twelve-letter ‘Christmas cracker’ (Christmas Cracker) | VHC | Star entering stable a long time back, Christmas carol said, lit up a king | STALLONE/LEONIDAS; STALNOELIDAS; eon (rev.) in stall; Noel + anag. |
| 2213 | SOLECISM | VHC | Awkward social mistake? One might find it aka —— | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2013-2014 | ||||
| 2191 | PLUG | VHC | Amalgam centrally fixed in canine? | l in pug, & lit.; tooth filling |
| 2178 | PARISON | VHC | Two incomplete vocal works by P. Glass about to be finished | P + ari(a) + son(g); ref. Philip G. |
| 2161 | FARRAGO | VHC | Scramble return of service before bit of rally and a pass? It could be Rafa and Rog playing! | RAF (rev.) + r, a go, anag.; ref. Nadal/Federer |
| 2012-2013 | ||||
| 2144 | INFERNO (Spoonerisms) | Third | For inner malfunctioning (not runs), one might be a fig buyer | big fire; anag. less r |
| 2139 | DE RIGUEUR | VHC | Term in etiquette and dress. Proper, socially acceptable and right? That’s about it! | e rig in due U r, & lit. |
| 2135 | LOB | VHC | What’s floated ball over? Laver ——, perhaps | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. Rod L., former Australian tennis star |
| 2126 | DESPERATE | VHC | Misprint of ‘separated’ with E for A makes one furious | anag. with e for a; ref. common misspelling |
| 2116 | YULETIDE (with jumble of COMEDO) (Christmas Devilry) | First | Pro Come Dancing star who is released from reality show duties around Christmas | anag. less anag. |
| 2109 | THICKETY | VHC | Hints of endearing traits in someone who’s daft as a brush? | e, t in thicky |
| 2011-2012 | ||||
| 2058 | ROBUST | VHC | ‘Constitutionally healthy’ EU denied by euro knockers | (EU)ro bust |
| 2053 | PERISHER def. ESTIMATE (Wrong Number) | VHC | Erring re prize, has AZ wrongly disregarded this cheeky one? | anag. less anag.; prize |
| 2010-2011 | ||||
| 2036 | AL CONTO | Second | Fixed cost of a meal in bar unexpectedly same if ——? | anag. less anag., & lit. |
| 2031 | EMBROIDERY | VHC | Get married with ‘obey’ involved: not a detail the spinster wanted adding? | anag. less a; spinster (obs) = spinner; ref. royal wedding |
| 2019 | OVERAWE / HENOTIC (Right and Left) | VHC | Demand respect from designs re a move involving West Ham’s ultimate decamping – that should pacify worried IOC, then | anag. incl. W less m; anag.; ref. WH’s more legacy-respecting bid |
| 1997 | FADO | VHC | Melancholy song that would be lame if transposed from minor to major? | i.e. fa-do in minor becomes la-me in major |
| 2009-2010 | ||||
| 1988 | PERIQUE | VHC | What’s US pipe require? Pure —— is misconceived, perhaps! | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. strength of tobacco |
| 1984 | ORWEL(L)IAN (Doublethink) | VHC | No backtracking about criminal war lie told by Mr Blair? | anag. in no (rev.) |
| 1979 | FAR-OUT | VHC | Avant-garde panned as ‘art fou’ | anag. |
| 1967 | SUBORDINATELY | VHC | Having no leads, Morse sat in pub and idly puzzled – as Lewis would do? | anag. less M s i p |
| 2008-2009 | ||||
| 1936 | LITMUS TEST | VHC | Let’s put this piece of measurement to work: one can get pH with —— | comp. anag. incl m, & lit. |
| 1918 | PALAMPORE | VHC | Pakistan’s opener advanced and hit ball right over head of extra cover | P a lamp O r e |
| 1914 | VE(S)TAL (Letters Latent) | VHC | Virginal playing gavotte got intermittently lost and left behind | anag. less got + l |
| 1906 | MORSE | VHC | Theme using this code’s to get turned into Some Mothers sig tune | comp. anag.; ref. TV series ‘Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em’, signature tune of which used Morse code |
| 2007-2008 | ||||
| 1849 | AUXESIS | VHC | Sex up bit of intelligence as fodder for awful USA exaggeration | sex (rev.) + I, all in anag. |
| 1836 | POSTHASTE | VHC | Disc having slipped, osteopath’s around immediately | anag. less O |
| 2006-2007 | ||||
| 1827 | AMAKOSI def. DENUDED (Wrong Number) | VHC | These tribal chiefs rend dresses, resulting in naked Maoris? | naked; comp. anag. |
| 1814 | HIPSTER | VHC | Cat hour: time spent by one having a nap? | h + (t)ipster; ref. catnap, nap3 |
| 1810 | HARE / POSEUR / SERINETTE (DLM) | VHC | Make haste to get teacher, a person who’d impress the need for pure sound on me, after I acquire interest in learning organ. | |
| 1788 | ETHEREAL OILS | VHC | Are these liquidised to capture essences of aloe and lily? | lo, il in anag., & lit. |
| 2005-2006 | ||||
| 1771 | PARTERRE | VHC | Rose displays (among other things) pert rear to doctor | anag.; ref. ‘Doctor Who’ |
| 1750 | PLOUGHMAN | VHC | Dash of pickle and half of loaf, united with hint of Gruyere and cured ham: the essence of lunch for me! | p lo(af) U G + anag. + n, & lit. |
| 1733 | PALESTRA | VHC | Develop per Atlas here? | anag. & lit.; ref. Charles A. |
| 2004-2005 | ||||
| 1719 | ANHELATION | VHC | One has to inhale with difficulty to show this | an + anag., & lit. |
2021-2022
2595 FIFTY YEARS
2591 GHAT
2586 BALDERDASH
2584 GIFT-WRAPPED (Cut & Paste)
2573 HANDS-ON
2569 BILBO
2020-2021
2564 CLEARING
2556 TOERAG
2551 SPAVIN (Spoonerisms)
2547 FILATORY
2539 TORSE (Printer’s Devilry)
2532 POTLA(TSUGA)TCH (Presents Round the Tree)
2525 PLACITUM
2019-2020
2508 CHARACTER (Misprints)
2490 DREAMSCAPE
2486 BRUHAHA
2482 VOX POP
2480 STOCKING FILLERS
2477 SPRAT-WEATHER
2473 INTERPLAY
2469 GUDDLE (Spoonerisms)
2018-2019
2460 TWEET
2456 TRACTOR / TORMINAL (Overlaps)
2443 ERATHEM (Printer’s Devilry)
2438 MONTE DI PIETÀ
2434 STONKERED
2430 CLERIHEW
2421 SPASMODICAL
2412 UBIQUARIAN
2017-2018
2399 CHARMEUSE
2395 PURITANISM
2390 POISSON D’AVRIL
2376 SOW(PIASTRE)ENS (Christmas Pudding)
2373 CACOGASTRIC
2369 FACETIAE
2016-2017
2343 RESTORE (Printer’s Devilry)
2338 TRUMP
2334 ALLELUIAH
2330 BRAZEN / MOPISH (Right and Left)
2324 CELEBRATIONS
2015-2016
2305 AGREE def. PATCH (Wrong Number)
2300 MISHMASH
2287 VALET
2283 BARGAIN
2279 CLEMENTINE
2274 SIMPATICO
2270 FENESTRA
2261 GANGSTERLAND
2257 BUST-UP / PIT-PAT (Right and Left)
2014-2015
2244 AVANT-GARDISTE
2235 CHOCK-A-BLOCK
2230 GATES OF DEATH
2218 FOREIGNER
2200 BRINDISI
2013-2014
2187 WEST
2183 SANGRAIL
2174 CHARET (Printer’s Devilry)
2165 OUT OF ORDER
2157 MELODRAMATIC
2012-2013
2122 NICETY
2118 BLOKEISH
2105 TITANIC / ICEBERG (Overlaps)
2100 A STITCH IN TIME
2011-2012
2087 ROCKET
2078 RÉCOLLET
2074 BENNET
2065 DERMESTIDAE
2064 COLD TURKEY
2062 APPLE-KNOCKER
2049 PARTY-POOPER
2045 CATENATE
2010-2011
2040 EASTER (Printer’s Devilry)
2027 THRENETICAL
2023 CHAMBRANLE
2014 HACKETTE
2012 BLOATING
2010 A COMING OF AGE
2006 GROAN (Spoonerisms)
2000 TWO THOUSAND
2009-2010
1975 SEPTENTRIONAL
1960 NGANA (3 defs + letter mixture) (Parcels)
1958 HANGDOG
1953 TRAUMA (misprint of T) (Misprints)
1949 PALFRENIER
1945 PRISON
1940 SCANT def. SNEAP (Wrong Number)
2008-2009
1927 TONSURE (Spoonerisms)
1910 BARPERSON
1908 WE THREE KINGS
1901 SANITISE
1897 WASH-OUT
1893 EARTHY
1888 RASTER (Printer’s Devilry)
2007-2008
1875 GOUTTE / UPREAR (Right and Left)
1871 FAIRY GOLD
1866 BINGE
1862 UNALIKE (Spoonerisms)
1853 ANTIQUITARIAN
1845 UPBRAID
1840 W(I)NN(I)E-THE-POOH (Letters Latent)
2006-2007
1831 MARGINALIA
1823 KISS
1818 POISSO(N) D’AVRIL (Letters Latent)
1804 CLOTHES SENSE (Spoonerisms)
1801 RUSE DE GUERRE
1792 APPALOOSA / ESTAMINET (Right and Left)
1784 TEARAWAY
2005-2006
1779 NEWIE (misprint of U) (Misprints)
1775 ROUGH-AND-READY
1766 GEST (Printer’s Devilry)
1762 DUDDERY
1752 MIDWINTER
1737 ANIMUS
2004-2005
1728 EIDOLA def. NULLAH (Wrong Number)
1711 MINUS
1700 FIVE-O’CLOCK SHADOW
1694 MISINTERPRET
1685 MINO (Printer’s Devilry)
1680 PILLOW-CUP
2003-2004
1663 ARMAMENTARIA
1659 SCAREDY-CAT
1650 SAPHENA
1637 AMNESIC
1628 ENCOMION
1624 BELAY
2002-2003
1606 TEOSINTE / INTELSAT (Overlaps)
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| 2019-2020 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 30 |
| 2018-2019 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 3 | 8 | 20 |
| 2017-2018 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| 2016-2017 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 2015-2016 | 0 | 2 | 8 | – |
| 2014-2015 | 0 | 3 | 5 | – |
| 2013-2014 | 0 | 3 | 5 | – |
| 2012-2013 | 2 (1, 0, 1) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 2011-2012 | 0 | 2 | 8 | – |
| 2010-2011 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 3 | 8 | 15 |
| 2009-2010 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 27 |
| 2008-2009 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 24 |
| 2007-2008 | 0 | 2 | 7 | – |
| 2006-2007 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 26 |
| 2005-2006 | 0 | 3 | 6 | – |
| 2004-2005 | 0 | 1 | 6 | – |
| 2003-2004 | 0 | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2002-2003 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |