CCCWC April 2023 competition results
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50 clues entered. 47 votes cast (40 competitors, 7 others).
GODFATHER
A comprehensive victory for Luciano in this competition, with a surface that beautifully disguised the definition! That's the second win for Luciano this year and catapults him into the lead for the annual competition.
Simon Griew bags his first podium of the year with a nice reference to the film for second place.
There's a tie for third place – Vinod grabbing a second podium of the year with a neat &lit – and John Hood maintaining his consistent start to the year with a third podium finish, another neat &lit with no surprise for the tie as the two clues were very similar!
Fifth spot went to another who has started 2023 well – that's also Vinit's third podium finish – another effort at an &lit.
Thanks to all as ever for the entertainment – good luck with MACGUFFIN!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Luciano Ward | Don Giovanni’s principal character…hated for fooling around? | G + [HATEDFOR anag]; def = Don (re Mafia) | 74.5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 20 | Simon Griew | Get a dead horse's head for maddening him? | (GET A D H[orse] FOR)*; semi &lit | 54.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 30 | Vinod Raman | Leader of gang hated for evil? (9) | &Lit; Leader of gang=G, HATEDFOR*, "evil" is the anagrind | 35 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | 32 | John Hood | Leader of group hated for corruption | &lit – G(roup) (HATED FOR)* | 35 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 24 | Vinit Wankhede | He got far and finally became the boss (9) | Anagram of HEGOTFAR+D (and finally). the Boss = Godfather. BECAME as ANAGRIND has been used in standard published crosswords. 16 November 2022 – The Evening Standard's Cryptic Crossword puzzle – "The architect Hans became (4)" 18 December 2020 Mirror Cryptic Crossword puzzle – "Crib too became mechanical (7)" | 33 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 | 31 | Satyen Nabar | Leader of gangsters, arranging for death? | &lit. G(-angsters) + (FOR DEATH)*, anag ind: arranging. | 32.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | 41 | Steve Randall | Patriarchal role for the aged criminal running out of energy? | FORTHEAGED*. less E. semi&lit | 31.5 | 3 | |
| 8 | 6 | Charlie Oakley | 'Changing of the Guard' rejects universal sponsor | Changing – adjectival anagrind. {OFTHEGUARD – U}*. Sponsor – definition. | 26 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | 12 | Seerat Hazir | Don golf dress, head for tee (9) | G HEADFORT*, Anagrind: dress (Chambers). | 26 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | 44 | Tony Harker | Perhaps this crime boss shies from horse's head gift. | GODFATHERSHIES anag of HORSESHEADGIFT. | 20 | 3 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 | Arranging Hallelujah’s intro, forget da capo | anag *(H + forget da); def = capo. | 15.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 11 | 23 | Haakon VII to King Charles: "Changing of the Guard not suitable for all" | OFTHEGUARD* -U (suitable for all in film certificates) | 15.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 13 | 10 | Death of naked ogre baffled the mafia boss | Anagram (baffled) of DEATH OF oGRe (naked). Def. the mafia boss | 15 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 42 | Patron of Rada perhaps ? (9) | Patron = definition Ra = God , da (locally) = father | 14.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 15 | 9 | Criminal gang’s leader with a regular trend for hiding horse’s head? | &lit. Anagram (indicator=Criminal): G (gang’s leader) + A + T_E_D (regular trend) + FOR hiding H (horse’s head). | 13.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 15 | 50 | Who could make the little daughter go far? Her sponsor? | anag incl. d | 13.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 17 | 8 | Criminal family's first head, grimly taking on rival leaders (9) | Anagram of (F + HEAD + G T O R), criminal is anagram ind, whole clue as def | 13 | 3 | 1 | |
| 18 | 5 | Capo of goodfellas with title essentially for head criminal? | g + (t for head)* &lit. capo1 | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 18 | 17 | For the baby I will stand by Jove | “For the baby I will stand by” = definition of “Godfather” Jove = Zeus = father of the gods = godfather So, double definition | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 20 | 2 | Allah Almighty! Obese woman's in picture! | GOD + FAT + HER | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
| 20 | 18 | Frog death? Plastic film! | Anagram of FROGDEATH. Anagram indicator plastic. | 9 | 1 | 2 | |
| 20 | 39 | Michael Corleone ordered a hit, finally taking out Fredo | (A H + G T + FREDO)*; H=hit in baseball (Collins); As the head (godfather) of the Corleone crime family, Michael orders his brother Fredo's death (but not until their mother has died). | 9 | 3 | ||
| 23 | 1 | _Fargo: the Director's Cut_ loses the plot of famous crime movie (9) | Underscore denotes italics; [FARGO THE D(irector's)] anagram ("loses the plot"); "famous crime movie" is definition. | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 23 | 16 | Faith I lost in deity returned on sponsor taking his vow (9) | GOD + FA(-i)TH + ER (on returned). Definition = "sponsor taking his vow." | 7.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 23 | 19 | Gangster Grandpa had too many drugs | G(Grand) OD (too many drugs) FATHER (pa) | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 26 | 48 | Sponsor of drinks first to dance in club | {G[O(D)F]ATHER}; OF outside D, contained in GATHER(club); def = sponsor; Chambers | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| 26 | 49 | Sporting fedora, thug managing to avoid Untouchables – but only at first? | &lit ref Al Capone; (fedora thug)* – u | 7 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 22 | Gosh! Priest could be new dad. | Gosh! = God. Priest = father. Godparent might have to take on role if child's parents die. | 6 | 2 | 2 | |
| 28 | 28 | Key christening participant starts grimacing at dearth of refinement | Letter G (starts Grimacing) + anag DEARTH OF, anagrind = refinement. | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30 | 25 | He speaks promisingly for a baby – put in a special font | Cryptic definition: a godfather makes promises on behalf of the baby while he/she is placed in the baptismal font | 5.5 | 3 | ||
| 30 | 33 | Leader of the drag races | OFTHEDRAG* | 5.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 32 | 15 | Don's monstrous fart he'd crack by way of introduction | FARTHED* (monstrous) with GO (crack~attempt) first (by way of intro). Doubtless his preferred salutation | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | |
| 33 | 13 | Don King on high before cure | Don = definition (mafia). King on high = GOD. Cure = father (priest). | 4 | 2 | 3 | |
| 33 | 14 | Don revered one rich, hot queen | GOD+FAT+H+ER | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 | 46 | Shadow around hotel after changing sponsor (9) | DOG(shadow v)<<<(around)+ anagram(changing) of (HAFTER)*. Def: Sponsor | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 36 | 47 | Someone like Vito, half-taught, with a fancy fedora (9) | Godfather= Someone like Vito Half-taught= ght with a fancy (anagrind) fedora* | 3.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 37 | 38 | Man at the christening is a criminal boss ( 9 ) | Double definition clue… | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 38 | 4 | Assemble around regularly good force, an influential leader | GATHER around (g)O(o)D F | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 39 | 35 | Leading exponent of Goth fared… awkwardly | Anagram of 'Goth fared' | 2 | 1 | ||
| 40 | 40 | Pan, perhaps, gross female influencer | Pan, perhaps = GOD, gross = FAT, female = HER; influencer = definition | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 40 | 43 | Patron’s (not mostly aged) extraordinary heart of gold (9) | Patron: definition. Mostly aged = Ol(d). (HEART OF GOLD – OL)* | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 42 | 27 | He's involved in name-calling when dirty hog farted? | cryptic def + when = link, indicator, fodder. So cd + anagram clue | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 42 | 29 | Last of ad breaks from parting rally sponsor (9) | D in OF (last of ad breaks from) in GATHER (parting rally); "sponsor" | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 44 | 7 | Creator’s original Torah with notes | (Torah + D,E,F,G)* | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 21 | Get round poor Dom; transitioning means she can't have this role | Get = GATHER; round = surroundicator; poor Dom = ODM; transitioning = ODF; means = link; she can't have this role = definition | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 44 | 26 | Heavyweight with heart of gold got disheartened then hammered | * heart of gold minus 'ol' | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 34 | Leading exponent forged that fake with time to spare | Leading exponent = def; fake = anagrind; forged that – t* | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 44 | 36 | Mafia boss getting pop idol to trade places, will sponsor a child. | god=idol…father=pop…..reverse order. | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| 44 | 37 | Mafia don shattered her good faith, rubbing out ultimate inamorato (hot Italian!) | anagram of [her good faith] minus H I and O | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 45 | Run down on inventor of film | Run = GO Down = D Inventor = Father Film = definition | 0 | 1 | 1 |