CCCWC August 2024 competition results
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42 clues entered. 31 votes cast (27 competitors, 4 others).
BLACKMAIL
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Steve Randall | Compelling demand sees Noel finally back with Liam performing | [noe]L+BACK+LIAM ref. Gallagher brothers | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | Oliver | Bond holds Miss Moneypenny’s head in squeeze (9) | BAIL = bond, holding LACK = miss + M. Squeeze is def. | 40.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 28 | Vinit Wankhede | Need millions in guarantee? That is extortion! | LACK+M inside BAIL | 31 | 0 | |
| 4 | 41 | Phil Stephenson | Trouble in pursuit of dirty money? | black, M, ail & lit. | 28.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 27 | Satyen Nabar | Need maiden in Bali possibly for immoral act | (LACK + M) in BALI* | 23.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | 24 | Nathan Townshend | It's a crime to send parcels by jet! | It's a crime = def; to send parcels = MAIL; by jet = next to BLACK | 23 | 0 | |
| 7 | 35 | Dhirendra Tripathi | Press release about deficit starting to mount | Direct: Press (as in pressurize) Indirect: BAIL (release) about LACK (deficit) M (starting to Mount) | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 16 | Charlie Oakley | Exact amount of money? | Cryptic definition | 14.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | 29 | Ramki Krishnan | Need money in large bundle, say, for ransom (9) | Need = LACK, money = M, large bundle, say = BAIL (homophone of BALE = large bundle) LACK + M in BAIL -> BLACKMAIL (ransom) | 13.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 40 | Nic Pursey | Threatening spy’s boss with trouble results in some serious arm-twisting | Charade: Black + M + ail | 12 | 0 | |
| 11 | 3 | British miss accompanied by man delivered milk | B/LACK/male homophone (indicator delivered); milk is definition | 10 | 1 | ||
| 11 | 15 | Doctor upset nurses want exact money? | BM (doctor/Bachelor of Medicine) + AIL (upset) contains (nurses) LACK (want) / def = exact money? | 10 | 2 | 1 | |
| 11 | 17 | Exact opposite of a white knight's investment? | Two meanings: extort a malefactor's pay-off / what a black knight wears. | 10 | 2 | ||
| 14 | 14 | Dismal Noel’s brother returns – it could be emotional | Dismal – BLACK; Noel’s brother returns – LIAM > MAIL (Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis); it could be emotional – def (emotional blackmail). Surface referencing the comeback of the band Oasis. | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | 37 | Security guards want money, this exact amount? | def: exact amount(exact = extort); BAIL(security) outside LACK(want)+M(money) | 8.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | 4 | British need correspondence to exact anything of value | B (British) LACK (need) MAIL (correspondence). Def – to exact anything of value | 8 | 0 | ||
| 16 | 31 | Need money to release a prisoner without ransom (9) | Need=LACK, money=M, to release a prisoner=BAIL, without=containment indicator, def: ransom | 8 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 39 | Threatening letters might be a way to secure payment (9) | Threatening = black , letters = mail + definition | 8 | 0 | ||
| 19 | 13 | Dirty post for extortion (9) | BLACK (Dirty) MAIL (post); extortion being the definition | 7 | 0 | ||
| 20 | 11 | Demand paper after bowel's beginning to void | MAIL(paper) after B(bowel's beginning)+LACK(void). To = beside. | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 21 | 25 | It's missing in second class post to be exact (9) | LACK in B MAIL. Definition EXACT. | 5.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 21 | 26 | Liam returned after dark with hush-money (9) | LIAM < after dark- black , hush-money= def | 5.5 | 0 | ||
| 23 | 19 | Extortion by post after champion kidnapped lady (9) | MAIL<=>B(L)ACK. Definition: Extortion | 5 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 18 | Excited almost like a lamb, about milk (9) | LIK(e)ALAMBC* Def: (to) milk | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 24 | 21 | Extortion in illicit correspondence | BLACK + MAIL | 4.5 | 0 | ||
| 26 | 23 | Force payment when short a grand in bond | definition = force payment, 'short a grand' = LACK M in bond = BAIL | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 26 | 32 | Not a red-letter event for Jim Crow, we’re told. | Not a red-letter (so black mail) [def] event for Jim Crow (cartoon character, created by Thomas Rice, as the archetypical black male [homophone] we’re told. | 4 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 10 | Demand money or heartlessly leak – a bold claim, maybe? (9) | heartlessly leak = L[ea]K + A + B[old] + CLAIM = anagram; Maybe = anagram indicator and definition by example (semi &lit) | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 28 | 12 | Dim man reported crime | BLACK (dim, see Chambers thesaurus) + MAIL (homophone) | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30 | 34 | Possible criminal extraction, bringing in money after shortage | 'money'=M, after 'shortage'=LACK, contained by 'possible criminal extraction'=BAIL (in the sense of extraction OF a possible criminal [from custody]). def = whole thing, if 'possible criminal extraction' is re-parsed as 'possible extraction [of money] BY a criminal'… | 3 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 5 | Coerce dismal guy on the radio | def=coerce: Black=dismal + Male/mail homonym | 2.5 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 36 | Scoop: Miss Malta held, money demanded! | LACK M held by BAIL; def = money demanded | 2.5 | 1 | ||
| 33 | 1 | B-boy reported crime | B = black, boy reported = homophone of male, definition = crime | 2 | 0 | ||
| 33 | 7 | Could be Idris Elba's in audition for Hitchcock classic | Idris Elbe (black male homophone)definition old Hitchcock film. | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 35 | 30 | Need money to fulfil pledge? Use force (9) | LACK(need) + M(money) inside (to fulfil) BAIL(bond). Def: Use force | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 35 | 38 | Threatening demand to boycott post. | Boycott -> black; post -> mail. | 1.5 | 1 | ||
| 37 | 8 | Crafty cabal's besieging king with a bit of Machiavellian, almost evil, coercion | [CABAL* surrounding K,M] + IL(L) (ILL as noun = evil); coercion = def | 0.5 | 1 | ||
| 37 | 9 | Defect in bachelor male, as reported, provoking vampire to do this? | LACK (defect) inside (in) a combination of B (bachelor) and a homophone (as reported) of MALE from the clue getting (provoking) BLACKMAIL (vampire to do this) – def. A vampire is a blackmailer | 0.5 | 0 | ||
| 39 | 20 | Extortion gets bail, assuming monetary deficit reversed | Monetary=M as in International Monetary Fund=IMF, deficit=LACK, assuming=taking in, hence B LACK M AIL. Defn=Extortion. | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | 22 | Extortion? Sounds like you act for a bulk claim capriciously. | Anagram of 'BULK CLAIM' with 'U' acting for 'A'; Anagrind = capriciously | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 39 | 33 | Pitch nightwear – They Say, "Squeeze" | BLACK+MAIL (knight-wear hom.) | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | 42 | With extortion by threats I may lack a limb ( 9 ) | Definition of "With extortion by threats" followed by anagram of "lack a limb" | 0 | 0 | 1 |