ordStats| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
Also listed as | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Barker | 35 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 99 | 38 | Jun 1985 | Mar 2022 | 36y 9m | M. J. Barker |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | ||||
| 2573 | HANDS-ON | VHC | In part selfish and so not getting involved | hidden |
| 2020-2021 | ||||
| 2532 | POTLA(TSUGA)TCH (Presents Round the Tree) | VHC | It’s descriptive of an expanded waistline, muscles caught wobbling | pot + lats + anag. |
| 2525 | PLACITUM | VHC | Legal response requiring a touch of finesse to make it potentially impactful | anag. less f |
| 2019-2020 | ||||
| 2464 | BRAINPOWER | First | This country’s losing it – report of impact on the Queen is what gets us all thinking | Br(it)ain + pow + ER |
| 2018-2019 | ||||
| 2438 | MONTE DI PIETÀ | VHC | Here one pledges to state time appointed for settlement when short of a penny | anag. less p, & lit. |
| 2017-2018 | ||||
| 2373 | CACOGASTRIC | VHC | Australia caught MCC going all to pieces: it could be this mauling triggering heartburn | comp. anag. incl. c |
| 2016-2017 | ||||
| 2347 | ASLEEP | VHC | Poor Pelléas, one left abandoned, dead | anag. less l; ref. Debussy opera |
| 2343 | RESTORE (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Gourmet reminiscing: Ca/membert his epicurean treat | |
| 2324 | CELEBRATIONS | VHC | Beanos etc I left right smashed? | anag. incl. l, r, & lit. |
| 2015-2016 | ||||
| 2265 | ESPRIT FORT | VHC | Blair finally to be cleared in redraft of first Report? I’ve an open mind | anag. less r; ref. Chilcot |
| 2014-2015 | ||||
| 2200 | BRINDISI | VHC | Ultimately lacking nothing in spirit, I’d sing no end drunkenly – this? | bri(o) + anag. less g |
| 2013-2014 | ||||
| 2178 | PARISON | VHC | Require this be moulded for opera ‘bins’? | comp. anag. & lit.; bins = binoculars |
| 2152 | STUFFED SHIRT | VHC | One standing on ceremony, this duffer’s possibly adhering to the core of punctilio | anag. + t |
| 2148 | ZOLLVEREIN | VHC | Zone involved with levies and rules – see us potentially leaving one such | anag. less anag.; ref. promised EU referendum |
| 2012-2013 | ||||
| 2139 | DE RIGUEUR | VHC | What fashion demands a designer guru meddled with, overlooking potential snag | anag. less anag. |
| 2135 | LOB | VHC | Familiar Coalition member’s making nothing of one party regarded as clownish | Lib with 0 for I; ref. Ukip |
| 2131 | DIVES / MALIK (Right and Left) | VHC | One who has featured in scam, a likely fat-cat, craftily goes to ground | hidden; 2 meanings |
| 2011-2012 | ||||
| 2083 | BEWITCH | VHC | Hex, black magic ultimately mixed with white | B + c in anag. |
| 2010-2011 | ||||
| 2036 | AL CONTO | VHC | Against consuming a lot particularly ordered? Quite the opposite, dining thus | i.e. con in anag. |
| 1992 | FOULARD | VHC | A fogle/sudary might be (eg) this, say | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2009-2010 | ||||
| 1960 | NGANA (3 defs + letter mixture) (Parcels) | VHC | Painful horse disease – ‘nag clinic’ has a gentle painkiller | ACHING ANALGESIC |
| 1953 | TRAUMA (misprint of T) (Misprints) | VHC | First signs of horrid reaction after undergoing major accident? | torrid; first letters & lit. |
| 1940 | SCANT def. SNEAP (Wrong Number) | Third | Pinch: character Pecksniff takes to heart with hypocritical platitudes | pinch; s + cant; ref. Tom P. in ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’ |
| 2008-2009 | ||||
| 1888 | RASTER (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | The Treasury thinks it’s not fai/ling; crisis may result from dollar ‘credit crunch’ | |
| 2007-2008 | ||||
| 1853 | ANTIQUITARIAN | VHC | I ain’t tranquil with changes, left appearing as a traditionalist | anag. with a for l |
| 2006-2007 | ||||
| 1823 | KISS | VHC | Sign of affection absent in Saki’s stories? On the contrary | hidden |
| 1792 | APPALOOSA / ESTAMINET (Right and Left) | VHC | Site meant for redevelopment as ‘Café Paolo’ unexpectedly cased by a public authority – a breed normally spotted taking someone for a ride | anag.; anag. in a PSA |
| 2005-2006 | ||||
| 1766 | GEST (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | ‘Uncle’s ample: d/on your fullest support’, says George, familiarly | Blair, Bush |
| 1733 | PALESTRA | VHC | PT’s a real shambles? Not here, one hoped | anag. & lit. |
| 2004-2005 | ||||
| 1728 | EIDOLA def. NULLAH (Wrong Number) | Second | Bride’s eager assertion given in style, having to ditch last name – such appearances may be deceptive | ditch; ‘I do’ in ela(n) |
| 1707 | GALENA (Definition of Anagram) | VHC | First signs of growth appearing – lichen’s elementary new archegonium? | anlage; first letters, & lit. |
| 1995-1996 | ||||
| 1247 | PREDICANT | VHC | Dominican priests could have organized mission with me | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1989-1990 | ||||
| 934 | LACE-UPS | VHC | As distinct from P.E. casuals, possibly | anag. less as, & lit. |
| 926 | NERD | VHC | Eastender’s volte face about end of affair? A graceless fellow, he! | r in (Dirty) Den (rev.); ref. soap opera storyline |
| 922 | REFORMADO | VHC | Unruly RAF demo involving other ranks? They made me leave the service | OR in anag. |
2021-2022
2595 FIFTY YEARS
2586 BALDERDASH
2582 ACHITOPHEL
2578 VARIORU(M) (Letters Latent)
2020-2021
2564 CLEARING
2556 TOERAG
2019-2020
2500 ESPAGN(OLETTE STRENG)THENER (Half and Half)
2490 DREAMSCAPE
2482 VOX POP
2018-2019
2456 TRACTOR / TORMINAL (Overlaps)
2434 STONKERED
2421 SPASMODICAL
2412 UBIQUARIAN
2017-2018
2403 SWALE (Spoonerisms)
2395 PURITANISM
2390 POISSON D’AVRIL
2360 VIDENDA
2016-2017
2338 TRUMP
2334 ALLELUIAH
2322 VENTRICOSE
2313 PERFECT
2015-2016
2300 MISHMASH
2274 SIMPATICO
2257 BUST-UP / PIT-PAT (Right and Left)
2014-2015
2248 WAISTLINE
2235 CHOCK-A-BLOCK
2222 OBJECT LESSON
2218 FOREIGNER
2209 (O)CT(O)BER (Letters Latent)
2013-2014
2196 SEMANTRA / TRABEATE (Overlaps)
2187 WEST
2174 CHARET (Printer’s Devilry)
2170 SAYONARA
2157 MELODRAMATIC
2012-2013
2126 DESPERATE
2122 NICETY
2105 TITANIC / ICEBERG (Overlaps)
2096 TRICK
2011-2012
2078 RÉCOLLET
2070 MISTREATMENT
2065 DERMESTIDAE
2062 APPLE-KNOCKER
2058 ROBUST
2045 CATENATE
2010-2011
2040 EASTER (Printer’s Devilry)
2031 EMBROIDERY
2023 CHAMBRANLE
2019 OVERAWE / HENOTIC (Right and Left)
2012 BLOATING
2010 A COMING OF AGE
2000 TWO THOUSAND
2009-2010
1984 ORWEL(L)IAN (Doublethink)
1979 FAR-OUT
1975 SEPTENTRIONAL
1971 WATERMANSHIP
1967 SUBORDINATELY
1958 HANGDOG
1949 PALFRENIER
1945 PRISON
2008-2009
1927 TONSURE (Spoonerisms)
1918 PALAMPORE
1910 BARPERSON
1906 MORSE
1901 SANITISE
1893 EARTHY
2007-2008
1884 FREELOADER
1879 LITTER BASKET
1871 FAIRY GOLD
1866 BINGE
1862 UNALIKE (Spoonerisms)
1858 HUMONGOUS
2006-2007
1831 MARGINALIA
1814 HIPSTER
1806 INEBRIANT
1801 RUSE DE GUERRE
1784 TEARAWAY
2005-2006
1758 BIMBETTE
1752 MIDWINTER
1750 PLOUGHMAN
1746 ENTOMIC
1741 LORD NELSON
2004-2005
1689 SYNOD
2003-2004
1676 CRINGE-MAKING
1993-1994
1128 CHRISTMAS PRESENT
1122 BASILIAN
1992-1993
1074 DEMIREP
1069 (P)OSTICHE (Headpieces)
1991-1992
1021 BEARD
1017 SCHAPSKA / PEARMAIN (Right and Left)
1013 ALVEARY
1008 SPORTSCASTER (Misprints)
1000 ONE THOUSAND
995 STASIMA (Printer’s Devilry)
1990-1991
982 ALMANAC
947 SHOULDER-SLIP
1989-1990
913 ARCHIBALD
900 (C)HARLATANIS(M) (Letters Latent)
1985-1986
718 FLO(GG)IN(G) (Letters Latent)
683 BANISH
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 0 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 2019-2020 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2018-2019 | 0 | 1 | 4 | – |
| 2017-2018 | 0 | 1 | 4 | – |
| 2016-2017 | 0 | 3 | 4 | – |
| 2015-2016 | 0 | 1 | 3 | – |
| 2014-2015 | 0 | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2013-2014 | 0 | 3 | 5 | – |
| 2012-2013 | 0 | 3 | 4 | – |
| 2011-2012 | 0 | 1 | 6 | – |
| 2010-2011 | 0 | 2 | 7 | – |
| 2009-2010 | 1 (0, 0, 1) | 2 | 8 | 27 |
| 2008-2009 | 0 | 1 | 6 | – |
| 2007-2008 | 0 | 1 | 6 | – |
| 2006-2007 | 0 | 2 | 5 | – |
| 2005-2006 | 0 | 2 | 5 | – |
| 2004-2005 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2003-2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1995-1996 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1993-1994 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1992-1993 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1991-1992 | 0 | 0 | 6 | – |
| 1990-1991 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1989-1990 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 1985-1986 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – |