CCCWC March 2014 competition results
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53 clues entered. 43 votes cast (38 competitors, 5 others).
EXCALIBUR
This month brings another "fresh" look to the leaderboard. Congratulations go to Eddie Looby, a regular competitor, who achieves his first win – well done Eddie!
Second spot goes to James – a return to his form of a few years ago – more to come perhaps?
Bhalchandra mounts the podium for the second month running, sneaking up a place into third.
Fourth place is taken by Robert Vere – first podium for a couple of years, well done for climbing back up!
Final placing goes to jfnewson@yahoo.co.uk – whose name may be a bit of a mouthful but his/her artful clue was short and to the point – first time on the podium so congratulations!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Eddie Looby | I was heroically drawn direct from cold rocky burial | EX (direct from) + C (cold) + BURIAL*; ref the pulling of the sword from the stone by Arthur | 47 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 36 | James Glassonbury | Old bore heard this legend in the King's Arms | ex calibre (heard) | 36 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 8 | Bhalchandra Pasupathy | Beheaded king reportedly bore a legendary sword | EX(REX-R: beheaded king) + CALIBUR (~CALIBRE = bore, as in firearms) | 30.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | 30 | Robert Vere | It was set in stone that former captain would receive burial at sea | Ex C burial* | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 50 | John Newson | The point of Art? | Cryptic Definition — point = "the sharp tapering end of a pin, knife etc." (see Collins) — Art = commonly accepted shorthand for Arthur. — i.e. "The blade belonging to Arthur?" | 26 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | 49 | John Tozer | The legendary Sabre, perhaps, gives extra quality to the Listener | ex. + 'calibre'; ref. crossword setter | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 | sam wilkinson | A legendary brand of unknown quality, one hears (9) | A legendary brand – definition, unknown (x) quality (calibre), one hears – homophone indicator of 'x' + 'calibre' | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | 19 | Tom Borland | Fabulous strokemaker tops off Crucible max with flourish | *(c)RUCIBLE (m)AX; def. Fabulous strokemaker | 21.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | 17 | Kenneth Horne | Excellent cover story – "I've gone to the old city to get the king's sword." | Excellent = EXC; cover story = ALIB(I), I've gone; the old city = UR. + def. | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | 4 | Keith Williams | All aquiver, excitable Arthur could provide threat with this? | Comp anag [excitable + Arthur >>> threat + excalibur]:&Lit ref King Arthur | 20 | 3 | 2 |
| 11 | 20 | Famous steel cross pinched by incurable criminal (name withheld) | X in incurable* minus N; steel=sword | 19.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 12 | 15 | Dumped spouse I found in a club dancing with R Brand! | EX + I in ACLUB anag. + R; def. = Brand (literary word for a sword); ref. infamous Lothario and comic Russell Brand | 19 | 2 | 4 | |
| 13 | 10 | Brand no longer worth being listened to | 'ex calibre', ref. Russell B, since his offensive broadcast | 17 | 3 | 3 | |
| 13 | 42 | See a Liberal behind vote to stay in Europe? Steel as before | X c a Lib in Eur Lord S steel = sword (Ch) | 17 | 2 | 3 | |
| 15 | 38 | Old sword was of sound quality(9) | Direct = old sword. Was = ex, quality = calibur (caliber), sound = homophone indicator | 16.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 16 | 1 | A club one Rex once wielded? Yes and no! | ACLUBIREX* | 16 | 1 | 3 | |
| 17 | 35 | Mythical weapon Blair excuse largely involved | Anagram of BLAIR EXCU(SE) referring to Tony Blair's excuse for Iraq war. | 15.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 18 | 22 | Former chaplain regularly used to polish up famous sword | EX + alternate letters of C(h)A(p)L(A)I(n) + RUB< | 15 | 6 | 2 | |
| 19 | 33 | Massage, lubricate, kiss, no time for a shaft! | LUBRICA(X)E anag, & lit | 14.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 20 | 48 | Take exception to corrupt Blair protecting Sun – essentially a powerful hacker? | EXC[eption] + BLAIR* around [s]U[n]; def = "a powerful hacker?" – Excalibur often said to have magical powers. | 12.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 21 | 9 | Brand name that used to be set in stone? | DD, brand name = name of ancient sword, that used to be set in stone? = ref. Arthurian legend | 11.5 | 4 | 2 | |
| 21 | 29 | In short, extra quality, they say, shows in legendary brand. | Ex = extra (abbr – see Chambers) + calibur = calibre (homophone)/def (brand = sword). | 11.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 23 | 7 | Arthur's drawn blinds (9) | Cryptic whole clue definition. When Excalibur is drawn , it blinds Arthur's rivals. Deceptive surface reading. | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 23 | 13 | Cutter ending up in an arm of the lake (9) | Charade Cutter <> Sword <> type of boat an arm of the lake <> descr. of a stretch of water <> Lady of The Lake's arm emerged from the water to catch Excalibur in the air Arthurian legend (Mallory) – Lady of The Lake's arm emerges to catch Excalibur as it is hurled over the water after Arthur's death | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 25 | 6 | Arthur's brand new ex-Airmen's club has no gents! | Anagram: EX-AIRmen's CLUB minus men's (has no gents / men's toilet); def: Arthur's brand; [thefreedictionary.com: Brand: a sword: "So flashed and fell the brand Excalibur" (Tennyson)]. | 8 | 1 | 3 | |
| 25 | 18 | Fabulous brand of beer dropped from one's lips when kissing backside of old flame | fabulous = legendary & brand = sword; Kaliber (beer) homophone (dropped…lips) when kissing (touching) rear of ex (old flame) | 8 | 1 | 4 | |
| 25 | 25 | Heard tell this old weapon no longer cuts the mustard. | Sounds like ex-calibre. | 8 | 0 | 2 | |
| 28 | 12 | Cudgel axe and club? I take a sword | Anag. 'axe, club I R' | 7.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 29 | 53 | Was this got direct from stone as told, thrown back, to foreign lake returned? | Was this got (def – ref to legend of this sword being pulled from stone and thrown into lake) direct from (EX cf Chambers) stone 'thrown back' IBUR ie reversed so RUBI – sounding like ruby ('as told'), to (next to) foreign lake – LAC (French) returned (ie spelled backwards) &lit? | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 30 | 40 | Quality, it's said, once led the way – only a true king could have such steel | EX+CALIBUR (calibre hom.) | 5.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 31 | 34 | Murderous Alexi cleared by small sticking point and would be freed by King. (9) | ANAGRAM (ALEXI + C (CLEARED)) NEXT TO BUR (SMALL STICKING POINT) IS EXCALIBUR (SWORD THAT WOULD BE FREED BY THE FUTURE KING OF ENGLAND ACCORDING TO SOME LEGENDS) | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 32 | 31 | Legendary sword's formed club and axe I put before king | (CLUB + AXE + I)* + put before R | 4.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 32 | 47 | Take edges off fireaxe and meld with club to create legendary weapon | Take edges off fireaxe = IREAX; And meld (anagram indicator) with CLUB = EXCALBUR, Legendary weapon = definition | 4.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 34 | 11 | Crowning glory for freeing this? | According to legend whomever was able to remove the sword would be crowned king. | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| 34 | 24 | From stony confines this was liberated By one who then as king was celebrated. | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 36 | 46 | Sword of State almost split old stone up | Definition of wordplay. Sword = def.; State almost = cali(f) in old = ex; stone = rub; up = reversal indicator. | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 37 | 14 | Disused weapon is heard (9) | def : disused weapon disused weapon = EX CALIBRE | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 37 | 28 | Impassioned Rex: With a club, I hammered mythic sword | EX(CALIBU)R (Rex)* containing (a club I)* | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 39 | 43 | Semi-heroical king (Uther's first-born) managed to find his sword | (ICAL + REX + U + B)* [semi-heroical = ICAL; king = REX; Uther's first = U; born = B; AInd: managed; Uther was King Arthur's father] | 2.5 | 4 | 2 | |
| 39 | 51 | Topless sex nearly led to libido being halved – extremely unpopular for famous blade (9) | Famous blade = def Topless sex = EX Nearly = CA Libido halved = LIB Extremely unpopular = UR | 2.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 41 | 21 | Fighter pilot returns around 10:51, gets back massage, becomes legendary weapon | E(X)CA (Return of ACE "around" 10)+ LI (51) + BUR (back of RUB("massage")). | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 41 | 23 | Former lover with ability with mouth and legendary 'weapon' (9) | EX CALIBUR (sounds like CALIBRE). | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 41 | 52 | Was once of a suitable steely character we hear, being King Arthur's protector? | EX-CALIBRE… | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 3 | About to be surrounded, on reflection I left weapon half covered – in stone? | I L AXE reversed around C, BURied | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 44 | 41 | Romantic hero pulled this once talent was perceived | Once = ex, talent = calibre, perceived = homophone indicator | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 46 | 5 | Arthur's brand – example of non-fattening western curry | Arthur's brand=definition [brand=sword]; example=ex.; of non-fattening=one calorie=cal 1; western curry=rub [verb] reversed | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 46 | 37 | Old dog's a liberal legend, a kingmaker! (9) | EX+C(A LIB)UR. Surface is applicable to someone like Ted Kennedy for whom both epithets have been used. Excalibur in a way 'made' Arthur the king. | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 46 | 39 | One associated with club and axe swung by king? | Anag(ind by swung) & lit; (I+CLUB+AXE)+R(king) | 1 | 0 | ||
| 46 | 45 | Stone weapon? No, mythical blade from the same place dividing former state and ancient city. (9) | Definition: Stone weapon? No, mythical blade Wordplay: IB (= ibid = from the same place) dividing EX (former) CAL (state) and UR (ancient city) | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | 44 | Skipping tea, lubricate axe shoddily – what's the point? | (lubricate axe – tea) * | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 51 | 16 | Excellent assumed name, not as dog letter might be described like this legendary sword. | EXC. + (ALIAS – AS) + BUR bur = sound of r pronounced in the throat; dog letter = r (from its growling sound) | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 51 | 26 | I curb an axle, like a magic sword in king's hand! | Definition: Magic sword of King Arthur… Anagram: I curb axle ( Excalibur ) | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 51 | 32 | Magical blade – former despot disemboweled, slain even with rough edge! | Magical blade = definition (blade defined in Chambers as sword as well as cutting edge). EX (former) CA (despot disemboweled: czarina with innards removed) LI (slain even: 2nd and 4th letters) BUR (rough edge) | 0 | 0 | 3 |