All Parcels Competitions

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About this clue type

From the preamble to Azed No. 1960

Parcels consist of two words which when placed side by side form a third word between them. Thus SPAR and CELLO form PARCEL, PARCEL being the contents and SLO being the wrapping. In this puzzle clues are of two types.

With the exception of 32, Acrosses lead to contents (i.e. real words). Each contains definitions of the three words involved in the parcel (e.g. SPAR, PARCEL and CELLO in the above example) and a consecutive jumble of the contents + wrapping (e.g. SPARCELLO), beginning at the beginning or ending at the end of a word in the clue (or both). The definitions may come in any order but do not overlap with the letter-mixture.

Downs lead to wrappings (not real words). Each contains definitions of the three words involved in the parcel (in any order) and a subsidiary indication of the solution to be entered. The subsidiary indication may occur before, after or among the three definitions.

Competitors should submit with their solutions a clue in the style of the other Acrosses to replace the asterisked definition at 32, using words of their own choice containing this as the contents. Please add a note clearly indicating all the words in your parcel.

Variations

In Azed Nos. 1024 and 1284 the clues are in the style of the Down clues described above. In 1024 the competition word represents the parcel Contents, and in 1284 the word represents the Wrapping.

In Azed No. 868 the clue consists of two full cryptic clues to the words comprising the Parcel (in either order), separated by a one-word definition of the given Contents.