CCCWC CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2013 competition results
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39 clues entered. 39 votes cast (31 competitors, 8 others).
CROSSWORD / CENTENARY (Rhyming Couplet)
A fitting finale to 2013 with yet another – his 4th – win for Mike Baker, which also seals the Annual Prize for the third year in a row! Fantastic stuff, Mike, you are still very much the one to beat!
The Christmas podium was then filled by some very experienced old hands. Don Manley showed a return to form, just back in second spot – his third top 5 finish for the year. There was a tie for 3rd place between David Harry and John Tozer, with Richard Saunders a little way back in fifth.
ANNUAL COMPETITION
As already mentioned, hearty congratulations to Mike Baker for taking top spot for the third year in a row – a magnificent achievement, and you will all have to try harder in 2014 to peg him back!
Margaret Irvine's excellent form earlier in the year enabled her to keep hold of 2nd place – well done for pushing Mike for so long!
Dave Parfitt was just 1/2 a point back in 3rd, and has had another very consistent year.
John Appleton takes fourth spot, returning to the Annual podium after being squeezed out to 6th last year.
Finally, Steve Randall makes a very creditable showing in his first full year of competition by completing the podium in 5th – well done Steve!
A big thankyou to everyone who has made 2013 another superbly entertaining one, and here's to 2014! – good luck to you all!!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Mike Baker | 100th year of grids to enter, can you solve the clues? This puzzle's century complete, send out the good news! | Centenary: ENTER CAN Y(ou); Crossword: C + (g)ROSS + WORD (century=c, complete=gross, news=word) | 50.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 25 | Don Manley | Oblique linguistic thing that keeps our minds alert Makes celebration now of Wynne a cert | cross + word, YNNEACERT | 43.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | David Harry | A kiss on couch? It fills our leisure needs "I'd like a hundred, Peter", Nancy pleads | Cross, word; word = to express in words = couch / pETER NANCY | 40.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 38 | John Tozer | This puzzle may give you a vexed expression Or entrance you – a hundred year obsession | vexed expression = cross word; ENTRANCE You, hundred year | 40.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 36 | Richard Saunders | This mental test can make you curse with rage, Or else entrance you with its noted age | curse (noun) with rage = cross word / entrance y[ou] | 27.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | Dave Parfitt | Arrange any recent celebration So crowds rejoice at Wynne's creation | ANYRECENT anag.; SOCROWDSR = letter mixture; Arthur Wynne = inventor of the crossword | 27 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | Clint Givens | It's puzzling, how crowds rose up to praise the gun Sad entrance to year that's this for World War I | Definition: It's puzzling; CROWDS ROSe -> CROSSWORD ENTRANCE* + Y[ear] = CENTENARY, which 2014 is for the start of WWI | 26.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | 13 | Margaret Irvine | Diversion to pass over information In many a recent timely celebration | Diversion : pass over (cross) + information (word). Timely celebration (DLM): (ma)ny a recent | 25 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | 29 | Chris Lear | Place an entry ten squares in Maybe "Chi" — a first for Wynne | plaCEANENTRY; 100 (=centenary) is the tenth square number "Chi" is a "cross word"; (Arthur) Wynne's was the first crossword. Can be set to the tune of Hark the Herald Angels Sing | 20 | 5 | 3 |
| 10 | 6 | sam wilkinson | Angry rumour? It's a puzzle you see – Why so many centre on this anniversary | (Cryptic – Angry (cross) rumour (word), puzzle – definition) – (DLM – Why so m(any centre) on this anniversary – definition) | 19.5 | 2 | 4 |
| 11 | 21 | Mark recent news: our venerable recreation A hundred years! Hence, teary night of celebration | CROSS+WORD heNCE TEARY Night (DLM) | 19 | 3 | 4 | |
| 12 | 16 | Got wind of banks collapsing, not a time for celebration Away from crowds or stress to grab a spot of recreation | First line, standard cryptic: [S]CENTE[D] + NARY def:"a time for celebration" Second line, DLM: def. "a spot of recreation", mixture in "CROWDS OR Stress" | 17 | 1 | 2 | |
| 13 | 35 | This angry utterance suggests a verbal puzzle to be solved. It's recent? Nay, we celebrate a century since it first evolved. | angry utterance: cross word then def. "recent nay" anag of "centenary" (celebrating 100 years) | 16.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 14 | 17 | Grid had rows sorcerer-spun perchance of ten-squared years ago still may entrance | Def: grid, reverse hidden (crossword) Def: of ten-squared years, LM theY ENTRANCE (centenary) | 13 | 2 | 3 | |
| 14 | 18 | It has lights and colors crowds behold, suffused with admiration; Can any tree when ornamented be denied a celebration? | First line: It has lights = definition; col[ORS CROWDS]. Second line: CAN ANY TREE anagram minus A; celebration = definition | 13 | 0 | 3 | |
| 16 | 26 | Oblique to hint, this grid doth all our lives enhance; one hundred years of such ineffably entrance. | CROSS (Oblique) + WORD (hint) – see Chambers. / YENTRANCE* | 12 | 1 | 2 | |
| 16 | 30 | Puzzle orders hundred rows without much hesitation – The hundredth may turn out to be an entry celebration | Line 1 Cryptic ('Crossword'): Puzzle = def and anagrind for 'ORDERS C ROWS' minus 'ER'; Line 2 DLM ('Centenary'): Hundredth = def; mixture in 'b/E AN ENTRY C/elebration'. ['Celebration' gives a passing nod to both the centenary festivities and also a successful competition entry] | 12 | 0 | 4 | |
| 18 | 8 | Arthur Wynne created this one hundred years ago; Come to pass, left out of 'World', the puzzle we all know | 10.5 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 19 | 10 | By entrance way to mark one hundred years In ceaseless war, this grid with clues appears | bY ENTRANCE = CENTENARY = way to mark one hundred years; ceaseless war (verb) = CROSs SWORDs; (iambic pentameter) | 9 | 0 | 2 | |
| 19 | 12 | Cunning unknown new entrance ten decades ago; These tricky puzzles tax decipherer crowds so! | Y + N + ENTRANCE (anagram) &lit def for CENTENARY DLM def = These tricky puzzles – deciphere[R CROWDS SO] | 9 | 1 | 4 | |
| 21 | 39 | Traverse Wynne's first – our oddly diamond across/down grid. And for one hundred years, scarce an entry invalid. | Traverse=cross+W+OR+D;+def(CROSSWORD). 100years=CENTENARY; invalid (mix)of scarCE AN ENTRY. | 8.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 22 | 15 | From its New York root, the puzzle grew, spellbinding generations; Thus, recording a win to the canny tree, is cause for celebrations. | 1st line is a simple cryptic definition; 2nd line spans crossword inventor A Wynne (in NY) to famed setter, the late Araucaria ('Monkey Puzzle' or 'CANNY TREE', anagram of 'centenary', "a cause for celebrations"). The couplet hopefully illustrates the evolution from simpler clues (1st line) to the more cryptic (2nd) & our enjoyment of them. | 8 | 2 | 4 | |
| 23 | 23 | Mephisto perhaps annoyed several letters One hundred years of tenancy regretters | There is NO padding with this clue, every word is necessary. Mephisto = definition by example; annoyed = cross; several letters = word. One hundred years = definition; (tenancy re)gretters = DLM | 7.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 23 | 28 | Pie eaten around noon in utter celebration By crowds so respectful of this daily relaxation | EATEN* (pie as verb) containing N in CRY (utter) /// CROWDS SO R | 7.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 25 | 24 | More tenancy issues; a hundred go spare – Annoyed with Scotch mist heading west to Times Square? | 1. moRE TENANCY; a hundred = def. 2. annoyed = cross; Scotch mist = drow (Chambers 2) (heading west = rev); Times Square suggests Times crossword | 6 | 1 | 3 | |
| 26 | 9 | As you connect year and see this special anniversary, So annoyed an expression does seem a puzzle to me! | Cryptic: Cross(annoyed)+Word(an expression), def = a puzzle DLM: D=special anniversary, LM="…nnect year" | 5.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 26 | 14 | For many, a recent anniversary may really enthuse one to fill in after solving its clues. | ma/ny a recent = centenary | 5.5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 28 | 2 | A celebration for grandma's hundredth anniversary And a giant puzzle to tease the memory | First line standard cryptic: hundredth anniversary= centenary Second line definition "puzzle" mixture in "tease the memory" | 5 | 0 | 6 | |
| 29 | 32 | Sabre's check, perhaps an oddly curious blade, Whose entry can conclude a tenth decade | Listener crossword number 2096 was Sabre's 'Check'; also 'check' is a pattern of cross lines forming small squares (Chambers) = def. of CROSSWORD; oddly CuRiOuS = CROS; blade = SWORD: whosE ENTRY CAN (letter mix) = conclude a tenth decade (def of CENTENARY) | 4.5 | 2 | 4 | |
| 30 | 5 | A puzzle that's best censor's crowd defers: Can Y enter cast in a hundred years? | A puzzle (that's best) = defn, (cen)sors crowd DLM CROSSWORD Can Y enter anag CENTENARY, cast = anag indicator , hundred years = defn | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 30 | 33 | Shout round about middle of winter's e'en, A time for a blessing from the Queen, When even Mordor's orcs do ween, Of the pastime on which I'm most keen. | 1. CRY round (NT inside EEN A) = CENTENARY (hundredth birthday when one receives a card from the Queen). 2. mordoRS ORCS DO Ween | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 32 | 19 | It puzzles me when George, perhaps, takes dope; 100 years the penance – try keep hope? | CROSSWORD: Def = "It puzzles me "; CROSS (George, perhaps) + WORD (dope, see Chambers Thesaurus). CENTENTARY: Def = "100 years"; pENANCE TRY. | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 32 | 34 | Stick to promise, dropping Eastern puzzle grid - It won't last 100 years, what Wynne created did! | 1. CROSSWORD: Stick = CROSS(E) + promise = WORD; def. puzzle grid 2. CENTENARY: wYNNE CREATed; def. 100 years | 3.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 34 | 3 | A hundred years sentence nary enow Is an oblique hint for our sacred cow | Def = A hundred years. Hidden in senTENCE NARY enow./ Def for crossword = our sacred cow. Combination of cross = oblique and hint = word | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| 35 | 37 | This poser is special square set in two lines, The anniversary of which perchance entry combines. | Standard clue: def + (S)pecial (S)quare set in two lines – CORD, ROW = C(RO(SS)W)ORD. DLM clue: DEF + perch(ANCE ENTRY) | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 36 | 11 | Charlie's birthday deserved a royal mention; crowds rose without ecstasy, upset by my intention! | CENTENARY: Charlie = C (phonetic alphabet) = 100 (RN) — "deserved a royal mention" ref: Queen's telegram. CROSSWORD: CROWDS ROS(e) (without ecstasy) — indicator = "upset" — def. "my (the clue's) intention!" >> clue is intended for the crossword. | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 37 | 22 | Maybe dash or blast across lights and down To the factory canteen, at a ton, for the best nosh in town. | Cross word (interjection)= dash or blast/across and down lights = crossword; ton =centenary/letter mixture in (facto)ry canteen. | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 37 | 27 | Our cruciverbal pastime now is to find an expeditionist in a motley crowd. In a hundred years from now it will be to find a racy teen not noisome foul. | DEF. "Cruciverbal pastime" Expeditionist Ross in ANAG. crowd. DEF. "Hundred years ….. will be" ANAG. racy teen (n). | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 37 | 31 | Puzzle requires dictionary Any recent solves took a century! | Double definition. any recent = letters of centenary, century = definition. | 0 | 0 | 7 |