Competition clues by Luciano Ward
Other competitors | Competition results
Luciano Ward has 75 clues
| Comp | Clue word | Clue | Explanation | Pos | Points | Merits | 2024 Annual Competition | 5 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2024 | CONSTITUTION | Legal system is against, not for, offering sex for money | CON (‘against’) + PROSTITUTION minus PRO (‘for’); def = legal system (system of laws) | 2 | 33 | 0 | |
| July 2024 | SPLASH | Climbing European mountains with mum creates a sensation! | ALPS rev ('climbing', down clue) + SH (mum = 'silence!'); def = sensation | 9 | 17 | 4 | |
| June 2024 | BARNACLE | Seafood, raw, infused with salt | BARE (raw) with NaCl (sodium chloride = salt) inside; barnacles are edible | 4 | 20.5 | 1 | |
| May 2024 | EVEREST | Most extreme peak to fall off? | SEVEREST ('most extreme') with top ('peak' (down clue)) removed (falling off); &lit | 7 | 18 | 1 | |
| April 2024 | BARBERSHOP | Main location of Sweeney Todd, a US composer’s ultimately ghoulish work? | (Samuel) BARBER'S + H + OP | 2 | 29.5 | 0 | |
| 2023 Annual Competition | 1 | 18 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2023 | SPARROW/TITANIC (Right & Left) | Small singer fights huge singer in a heated opening to Carmen | SPARROW: small singer (songbird) = def; (examples of) fights = SPAR & ROW. TITANIC: huge = def; singer (songbird) = TIT; in a heated = ANI; opening to Carmen = C | 3 | 24.5 | 1 | 1 |
| September 2023 | MUNGO | Low-quality fibre leads to one making ugly gastrointestinal noises, unfortunately | anagram ('unfortunately') of first letters ('leads'); low-quality fibre = def | 6 | 19 | 1 | 4 |
| July 2023 | SATISFACTION | Content of a tin is cast all over the place | OFATINISCAST anag (‘all over the place’); content = contentment, satisfaction | 2 | 42 | 0 | 2 |
| May 2023 | MACGUFFIN | Blighted with fungi, the heads of my flowers are crumbling—a feature of various plots | Anag (‘blighted’) of FUNGI & MFAC (first letters); ref both garden and movie plots | 7 | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| April 2023 | GODFATHER | Don Giovanni’s principal character…hated for fooling around? | G + [HATEDFOR anag]; def = Don (re Mafia) | 1 | 74.5 | 1 | 4 |
| February 2023 | DIMPLES | Misplayed shot always leaves dents on golf ball | MISPLAYED anag (‘shot’) minus AY ('always'); dents on golf ball = def (golf balls are covered in dimples) | 1 | 43.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 Annual Competition | 32 | 1.5 | |||||
| November 2022 | PAPILLON | Scattered contents of ballpoint pen start to perturb small pet | Anagram of letters in '(b)ALLPOIN(t)' enclose ('pen') (P)erturb | 8 | 24.5 | 1 | 1 |
| October 2022 | HOOVER | Former president Bush finally starts to oppose Obama's very erratic reforms | H (last letter) + OOVER (first letters); def refers to (Herbert) Hoover | 10 | 19 | 2 | |
| January 2022 | UNDERGROUND | Behind closed doors, frisky nude starts to rouse gents with dance | NUDE anag + R+G + ROUND (kind of dance); def = behind closed doors | 8 | 27.5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2021 Annual Competition | 25 | 3 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2021 | A Christmas Boxed Set (Anagram) | 1. I SEND 2. PRESENTS 3. 2 U | SNIDE (punk rock music, it seems), SERPENTS (deathcore music, it seems), U2 (a rock and roll music ensemble, it seems) | 3 | 44 | 2 | 3 |
| 2020 Annual Competition | 11 | 5.5 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2020 | A Christmas List (Anagram) | Jazz CD, retro hot pants (Boss), lingerie, kirsch, mints | 6 | 34 | 4 | 4 | |
| June 2020 | THE YOUNG ONES | Teen song you associate with Richard, essentially? | (TEEN + SONG + YOU + H) anagram; &lit. ref to Cliff Richard song | 5 | 29 | 2 | 5 |
| March 2020 | WARTIME | A term WWI heartlessly represented? | Anag ("re(-)presented") of ATERMWI (WWI heartlessly = WI); &lit. | 2 | 35.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019 Annual Competition | 8 | 8 | |||||
| November 2019 | GENTLEMAN | Elegant male…knight, possibly? | Anagram ('possibly') of ELEGANT + M ('male') + N ('knight'); &lit | 2 | 41.5 | 0 | 2 |
| September 2019 | ASTER (Printer’s Devilry) | Though I don't like to boast, this rump of mine is still exquisite! | Though I don't like to baste roast, this rump of mine is still exquisite! | 7 | 23.5 | 2 | 1 |
| June 2019 | FLUTTER | What flautist deploying tip of tongue produces? | FLUTER deploying T = FLUTTER (trilling sound on wind instruments, produced by deployment of tongue): &lit | 7 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| April 2019 | SUCKER-PUNCH | Doctor runs check-up; result delivers unexpected blow | RUNSCHCHECKUP anag; def = unexpected blow | 3 | 36 | 0 | 3 |
| 2018 Annual Competition | 9 | 9.5 | |||||
| October 2018 | OPAL (Printer’s Devilry) | I shot at coop to get chicken and eggs | I shop a lot at co-op to get chicken and eggs | 4 | 31 | 2 | 4 |
| September 2018 | JOANNA LUMLEY | Piano Melly played when entertaining upper-class model and actress? | piano = JOANNA; [MELLY anagram] entertains (holds) U; def = model and actress; ref George Melly (showing my age…) | 5 | 27 | 3 | |
| August 2018 | FAIRY / POINT (Right & Left) | Cook eats a slice of incredibly delicate meat stewing in pot | FRY eats [A + I(ncredibly)], def delicate (fairy as adj); INPOT anag ('stewing'), def = meat (as in the meat (point) of an issue) | 2 | 35 | 2 | |
| July 2018 | VINDALOO | What might be very hot served alongside a bit of dhal and potato? | V + IN (hot, popular) + D(hal) + ALOO (potato in Indian cooking) | 10 | 18.5 | 1 | 2 |
| June 2018 | UNION | Consortium partly backed casino in Utah | hidden ('partly') reverse ('backed'); def = consortium | 9 | 24 | 2 | |
| May 2018 | IRELAND | One would briefly take in Larne when moving here? | would briefly = 'D'; I and D take in LARNE anag ('when moving'); def = here (ref. Larne being the ferry destination for many travelling on to Ireland) | 8 | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| April 2018 | SOLITAIRE | Very fancy retail stores start to introduce singular gemstone | very = SO; fancy retail = LITARE; start to introduce = I; LITARE stores I = LITAIRE; def = singular gemstone | 8 | 21 | 2 | |
| March 2018 | SEAWATER | What constitutes most of Earth, as we perceived when flying? | EART(h)ASWE anag; &lit | 9 | 19 | 2 | 4 |
| 2017 Annual Competition | 31 | 1 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2017 | ARCHER (Printer’s Devilry) | A classicist is familiar with Pluto’s Persephone, Zeus' Hera, etc. | A classicist is familiar with Plutarch, Eros, Persephone, Zeus, Hera, etc. (by sheer luck…EROS is example of ARCHER) | 8 | 21.5 | 4 | 5 |
| June 2017 | COLLOP / SURTAX (Right & Left) | Right in USA upset by additional levy rasher leaders of liberal legislature introduced as part of 'collectivist enterprise' | SURTAX: def = additional levy; RT in USA* + X ('by' as in 2 X 4 = 8); COLLOP: def = rasher (as in bacon); L+L in CO-OP | 9 | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| 2016 Annual Competition | 10 | 5.5 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2016 | TWELVEMONTH / A thematic word of your choice (Right & Left) | One year from now, the elm starts to turn very terribly bare, stunted and reduced to tatters | NOWTHEELMTV* (T&V first letters); UNDECORATED (bare): ANREDUCEDTO* (AN(d) 'stunted'); (tatter = vb (intr)) | 6 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| July 2016 | BANJULELE | At hootenanny I'm often plucked from bar, drink unfinished, and led away finally | At…plucked = def; from = link to wordplay; bar = BAN; unfinished drink = JULE(p); led away (gone, absent) finally = LE(d) | 9 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| April 2016 | LEONARDO DICAPRIO | See nasty old A. Pacino and R. De Niro spurn a new movie star | OLDAPACINORDENIRO* less an N; def: movie star | 3 | 31.5 | 4 | 4 |
| March 2016 | IMARI (Printer’s Devilry) | As per US generals: fight lots, force their capitulation | As Peru's generals fight, Lima riots force their capitulation | 10 | 16.5 | 2 | 2 |
| January 2016 | PLAIN-JANE | Even houses in Japan's capital are basic | PLANE (even) contains [IN + J + A(abbrev for are)] | 5 | 31 | 0 | 5 |
| 2015 Annual Competition | 1 | 23.5 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2015 | A “FIVE GOLD RINGS” word | Distended at one end, copper cladding can start to look corroded | CLAVULATE: [CU around LAV (can = toilet)] + L(ook) + ATE (corroded) | 10 | 16 | 4 | 4 |
| October 2015 | MONTGOLFIER | Conveyance I get on from ground with line secured | Conveyance = def; L (line) in IGETONFROM* (anag indic = ground) | 2 | 42.5 | 0 | 7 |
| September 2015 | SOUNDER | Fitter undoes screws close to dishwasher | UNDOES* (indicated by 'screws') + R (close to dishwasheR) | 2 | 39 | 3 | 4 |
| August 2015 | CHESTERFIELD | Child feels tired after bouncing around sofa | CH + [FEELSTIRED*] | 1 | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| May 2015 | MARKET (SPONGE) (Wrong Number) | Start to make bum take bottles back to liquor store | M + [R in TAKE*]; M (start to Make); AKET (bum TAKE); inclusion indic = bottles; R (back to liquoR); store = def; extra def = bum | 1 | 44.5 | 1 | 2 |
| January 2015 | GREEDY GUTS | Pig in sty buggered off — source of bacon’s gone! | STYBUGGERED* without B(acon) | 1 | 62 | 0 | 6 |
| 2014 Annual Competition | 3 | 13 | |||||
| August 2014 | EATANSWILL | Where dodgy seat is occupied by one with influence? | [AN in SEAT*] + WILL (vb = influence (Chambers)); &lit | 8 | 20.5 | 1 | |
| July 2014 | SHOESTRING | Chickenfeed hens got is tainted and brought about runs | HENSGOTIS anag brought about R; chickenfeed = small amount of money | 3 | 31 | 2 | |
| May 2014 | BINGLE | Arrangement of locks, being flawed, restricts completion of canal (6) | Completion (ending) of (cana)L in BEING* | 2 | 30.5 | 3 | 2 |
| April 2014 | MESMERISE (Letters Latent) | Rivet I fixed in buggy seems fastened to me | MESMEISE; ME+[I in SEEMS* ('buggy')]; def = rivet | 1 | 35 | 0 | 4 |
| February 2014 | REALITY TV | Shows like Big Brother corrupt laity with time, clergyman claims | [LAITY T anag] in REV (clergyman) | 6 | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 Annual Competition | 30 | 1 | |||||
| April 2013 | NEBULAR | Oil that's spread over backs of certain heavenly bodies? | LUBE (oil) that has (that's) RAN (spread) over (about) = RALUBEN; RALUBEN backs = NEBULAR; def = of certain heavenly bodies | 5 | 34 | 1 | 8 |
| 2012 Annual Competition | 26 | 2 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2012 | XMAS Stocking Filler (2 defs. + wordplay) | In a manger, he's found./With love, hearts pound. | To be read as a couplet. OXMASH: in a manger, he's found = OX; pound = MASH; OH (with love (O), hearts (H)) | 6 | 19.5 | 2 | 3 |
| November 2012 | DICKEY | Rocky's tricky boxing KO's number one | Rocky (shaky) = def; DICEY (tricky) enclosing (boxing) K (KO's number one) | 5 | 21.5 | 0 | 3 |
| July 2012 | JUSQU'AUBOUTISTE | Struggling, I just about half finished usquebaugh, but I won't give up | Anagram of I JUST ABOUT USQUE(baugh) | 10 | 19.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 Annual Competition | 10 | 7 | |||||
| November 2011 | DEGRINGOLADE | Fall sees leaves orange and seeds glide all over the place | Def = fall; SEES 'leaves' ORANGE & SEEDS GLIDE anag ('all over the place') | 8 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
| September 2011 | CLANDESTINE | Client, bursting, pulls chain in privy | CLIENT* "pulls in" ANDES (chain = mountain range) | 6 | 24.5 | 4 | 5 |
| July 2011 | TRUNCHEON | What's cracked head of criminal on the run? | Anagram of C ON THE RUN; &lit. | 1 | 45 | 2 | 4 |
| March 2011 | SPRINGTIME | When branch gets new shoot at its tip, I'm finally here! | SPRI(N)G + shoo(T) + I'M + her(E); for 'tip,' see Chambers; &lit. | 10 | 12.5 | 0 | 2 |
| February 2011 | SHERLOCK | Busy bottle-washer locks bottles up (8) | Hidden; busy (n) = detective | 6 | 31 | 2 | 5 |
| 2010 Annual Competition | 7 | 12.5 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2010 | NATIVITY (Letters Latent) | Work expressing the birth of Christ? | N; ATIVITY = ACTIVITY (work) expressing C (birth of Christ); &lit. (as in work of art) | 8 | 20 | 0 | 3 |
| November 2010 | PASTEBOARD | Five of hearts…four of clubs…or a spade taken at random? | Anag. of T (hearTs) + B (cluBs) + OR A SPADE; &lit: alternative examples of a playing card | 5 | 21 | 0 | 4 |
| October 2010 | CAPTURE | Cop put vagrant in custody | PUT* in CARE; cop (vb) = def. | 3 | 32.5 | 0 | 3 |
| August 2010 | SPELUNKER | Who's slithered about extremities of deep cave on back? | SLUNK (slithered) about PE (extremities of deeP cavE) + ER (re (on) reversed); who = definition by implication | 2 | 40.5 | 0 | 5 |
| July 2010 | PUG | Pooch thrusting against part of one's leg gets carried away | PUSHING ('thrusting against') with SHIN 'carried away' | 2 | 37.5 | 0 | 4 |
| 2009 Annual Competition | 8 | 8 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2009 | CRIMBO (Misprints) | Male in bed with sweet Fanny Adams is a beast | M in CRIB + O; FEAST | 7 | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| October 2009 | DUCKSHOVE | Bird protecting what’s left of unhatched chicks kills savage herring gull | DOVE 'protecting' U+C+K+S+H (left (left side) of next five words); 'gull' vb = 'cheat' | 4 | 29 | 0 | 2 |
| August 2009 | CABOOSE | Galley: printer’s tray containing text mostly | CA[BOO(k)]SE; printer's tray = case; text (of a musical, etc.) = book; galley = def. | 3 | 33.5 | 0 | 2 |
| July 2009 | MENO (Printer’s Devilry) | Barf ten times? Have flu? I’d such. A swine | Barmen oftentimes have fluid such as wine | 9 | 26.5 | 0 | 3 |
| June 2009 | OSCAR | In Oz, tin man’s name figured among those of Toto, scarecrow | Hidden: Tot[o scar]ecrow. Two defs: 'In Oz, tin' (In Australia, money); 'man's name'. | 10 | 25.5 | 0 | |
| February 2009 | MCJOB | Subway gig maybe leads to Clapham Junction being besieged by crowd | MOB surrounding C+J (leads to Clapham Junction); Subway gig = musical performance at station OR job at (maybe) Subway outlet | 9 | 27.5 | 0 | 1 |
| January 2009 | TOKAY | To what is gecko's tail attached? | Answer: to kay (letter 'k'); 'gecko's tail' = 'o'; &lit. | 5 | 31 | 0 | 4 |
| 2008 Annual Competition | 2 | 19 | |||||
| Christmas Special 2008 | CRACKER / VINTAGE (Right & Left) | See King and Queen guzzling tipsy cake, a savoury biscuit, fine wine, a slice of venison, tea, gin, nuts… | C (see) + R(CAKE*)R ('tipsy cake' – see Chambers); V + TEAGIN* | 5 | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| November 2008 | WILD MARE | The plank occupied by playful kids, we beheaded admiral at sea | WE(A)DMIRAL*; the plank occupied by playful kids = wild mare (seesaw) | 3 | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| September 2008 | SWATS | Heads for sure would applaud these students! | Initial letters; &lit. | 2 | 75.5 | 0 | 7 |
| May 2008 | PHAT (Printer’s Devilry) | Is any mall beautiful, woman? | Is a nymph a tall, beautiful woman? | 3 | 30 | 0 | 5 |
| March 2008 | DINNER-TIME | After work, tired men will eat at home when? | IN ('at home') inside TIREDMEN* ('after work') | 3 | 28 | 0 | 6 |
| February 2008 | TETRA | Chromatic scales are a feature of this 'retro' quartet? Without question! | Chromatic...this = def.; QUARTET reversed minus QU | 1 | 44 | 0 | 6 |