CCCWC July 2013 competition results
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51 clues entered. 50 votes cast (45 competitors, 5 others).
PEAR (Printer’s Devilry)
A fantastic turnout for this PD challenge, not everyone's cup of tea, but a record entry for our Printer's Devilry competitions – many thanks to all.
A clear favourite this month and incredibly Margaret's third win of the year! Hearty congratulations Margaret, certainly on top form at the moment, and well done for raising many a smile with your clue!
Second place goes to Barry with his clue that cleverly switched senses between devilled and undevilled – only one previous podium before – a 5th back in 2011 – so well done Barry for achieving your highest placing to date.
Third spot goes to another form horse – this is Steve's third podium finish in a row! – commendable consistency, and creating such a wonderfully bizarre devilled image I thought!
Fourth place for Tom – first podium of the year for this regular high finisher – with the best of the "shopping" clues.
And the final podium position goes to another familiar name, Mike fighting hard to maintain his annual position and still displaying tremendous consistency.
Well done to everybody who took part in cluing and voting!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Margaret Irvine | Canings – that's my remedy for greedy bankers! | Cap earnings – that's my remedy for greedy bankers | 78 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 49 | Barry Solomons | Toners will leave skin richer. | Top earner's will, leaves kin richer.………………(To/P EAR/ner) | 61.5 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | Steve Randall | Aiming toe scares the flies off | Aiming to escape arrest he flies off | 52.5 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | 18 | Tom Borland | For Christmas, to be at the Masses is holy | For Christmas, to beat the masses I shop early | 51.5 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | 47 | Mike Baker | To be at the Masses, at them all, is holy | To beat the masses at the mall I shop early | 32 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | 27 | John Tozer | Madonna was named 'a stoner' by the music press | Madonna was named as top earner by the music press; (top grossing act of 2012) | 30.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 7 | 35 | Vinit Wankhede | Rarest of the parliamentarians, Tory of the year! | Undevilled version: Rape arrest of the parliamentarian, Story of the year!: Ra(PE AR)rest. Ref. arrest of Nigel Evans | 28.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | 8 | Brian Dungate | Avoids kids – wise! | Undevilled version: – Avoid skids! WiPE ARse! | 27.5 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 | 29 | Andrew Mulholland | Miliband: "Canings for fat-cat MPs" | Miliband: "Cap earnings for fat-cat MPs" (9 July) – devilry suggests tougher policy after Guardian poll (15/7) shows Cons up 7% | 26.5 | 4 | 5 |
| 10 | 32 | James Glassonbury | Our shared Jack Russell outsmarts any burglar alarm | Our sharp-eared Jack Russell outsmarts any burglar alarm. (sharp-eared in Collins, OED and others) | 26 | 4 | 3 |
| 11 | 45 | This is no tap, it is treasonably asserted | i/t: This is not a pipe, artist reasonably asserted, ref. Magritte's painting | 22 | 1 | 2 | |
| 12 | 23 | Is holy for Christmas but not for Easter | I shop early for Christmas but not for Easter | 21.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 13 | 51 | Witness great poise at Vatican | Witness great pope arise at Vatican | 18 | 4 | 2 | |
| 14 | 44 | The printing industry needs toners to work efficiently. | The printing industry needs top earners to work efficiently. | 17.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 15 | 40 | Some homies will lay down their weapons | Some hope armies will lay down their weapons | 16.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 16 | 46 | To avoid masses is holy? | To avoid masses I shop early | 15 | 3 | 2 | |
| 17 | 9 | Badlands cat should be dumped in the bin | Bad landscaPE ARt should be dumped in the bin | 13.5 | 7 | 4 | |
| 17 | 37 | Sex pest felt the urge to groom any woman. | Undevilled version: Sex pest felt the urge to grope a Romany woman. | 13.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 19 | 2 | A fruit reaped! | A fruit reappeared! Each version refers to its state. | 12.5 | 0 | 6 | |
| 20 | 30 | Military craftsmen’s hat is a ‘narrow-head’ | Military craftsmen shape artisan arrowhead | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| 20 | 50 | Using strong language, the Pogues song is blasphemous | Using strong language, the Pope argues song is blasphemous | 12 | 0 | 1 | |
| 22 | 1 | A big printer's toner can seem very expensive | to/ner: A big printer's top earner can seem very expensive | 11.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 23 | 33 | Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" is the best Christmas song | Pope argues "Fairytale of New York is the best Christmas song" | 11 | 1 | 2 | |
| 24 | 25 | Keening — that's how I will honor Marley's passing, Scrooge resolved | Keep earning — that's how I will honor Marley's passing, Scrooge resolved | 10.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 25 | 31 | Only reapers reaping early / in among the bearded barley, / wraithlike like the ghost of Marley, / see crop circles mark the spot | Only reapers reapPEARing early / in among the bearded barley, / wraithlike like the ghost of Marley, / see crop circles mark the spot. With apologies to Alfred Lord T. | 10 | 0 | 4 | |
| 26 | 19 | George and Harris knocked July as it was time for their boating trip (4) | George and Harris knocked J up early as it was time for their boating trip (4) Ref: Three Men in a Boat. | 9 | 3 | 2 | |
| 27 | 34 | RAF stoners are real high-fliers! | RAF's to/p ear/ners are real high-fliers! | 8.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 28 | 6 | An Italian pot fully supplied with Chianti | An Italian po[pe ar]tfully supplied with Chianti | 8 | 0 | 1 | |
| 28 | 10 | Butchered stomachs resulted in triaging success. | Butchered stomachs resulted in tripe, a raging success. [In 2012, the UK Tripe Marketing Board campaigned to persuade people to try tripe, resulting in a reported 300% rise in sales in some areas. (source: Wikipedia)] | 8 | 1 | 2 | |
| 30 | 7 | As sad rebels losing, Homs will be supplied by US | Assad rebels losing, hope arms will be supplied by us | 7.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 31 | 12 | Chews mint gum : Chew Spearmint gum ! | None required…right?! | 5.5 | 0 | 6 | |
| 32 | 15 | Early silver miner in Arizona | EarP – EARly silver miner in Arizona | 4.5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 33 | 13 | Comes after getting a strait-jacket: one's cat is tripping one up! | Comes after getting a strait-jacket on: escape artist ripping one up? | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| 33 | 21 | I house works that others can appreciate. | Clue contains hidden "pear": I ho(pe a r)use works that others can appreciate. Undevilled version: I hope a ruse works that others can appreciate. | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| 33 | 38 | Shake seed, it ionises part of olio made using grass | Shakespeare edition is 'esparto folio', made using grass. Esparto is used for paper-making. | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| 36 | 24 | Is that 'Twirl' in the TV ads somewhat 'Flaky?' | Is that twirp 'Earl' in the TV ads somewhat flaky? (Ref. Cadbury's old TV ads for the very similar 'Twirl'&'Flake' and the annoying 'Wonga' ads) | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 37 | 3 | Acting Professors named with resolution | Acting Professor Sna/pe armed with resolution [Familiarity with Harry Potter 7th book needed for context] | 1.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 37 | 20 | Hope, aping with Bing, made many Road movies. | Hope, appearing with Bing, made many Road movies. | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 39 | 16 | Early visitor shot gallery (Open) – sin, morning at eight | Early visitors hope art gallery opens in morning at eight | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 39 | 17 | Following city riots Met chief sends cops to Goa, resting everyone under the sun | Following city riots Met chief sends cops to go ape arresting everyone under the sun | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 39 | 28 | Michael Stich's in germankind's best | Michael StiPE: ARch-singer, mankind's best. | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 39 | 36 | See the children mocking Amy's every move. | Undevilled version: See the children, mocking, ape army's every move. | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 43 | 41 | Spot, Alan D's cat, working litter that's tacky | Spot a landscape artwork in glitter – that's tacky! | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 44 | 4 | After a year of training, toners see a rise of many pounds | After a year of training, to/p ear/ners see a rise of many pounds | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 14 | Drop earing, and use a pendant instead | A pear drop is a type of pendant | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 44 | 22 | Is corn cob ash in glass? | I scorn cop earbashing lass. In the clue, corn cob refers to a corn cob pipe. | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 44 | 26 | Ma dates cat; is to keep him in the bag | Mad at escape artist? O, keep him in the bag! | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 39 | Show man's hip not. That's vulgar. | Undevilled version: Showmanship? Nope! Art that's vulgar. | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 44 | 42 | Star impresssionist's aping at The London Palladium tonight | Star impresssionist's appearing at The London Palladium tonight | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 44 | 43 | The partridges came, backs to nest, searching for the fruit of love. | The partridges came back! Stop earnest searching for the fruit of love. (Ref: 1st day of Christmas) | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 44 | 48 | To demonstrate prowess, draws hat displayed publicly | To demonstrate prowess, draw shape: art displayed publicly | 0 | 0 | 2 |