| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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b) There were more reasonable candidates for points than I initially supposed on first reading - well over a dozen clues with significant merits, though most also had flaws and none was truly outstanding. Of the many anagrammatic approaches, quite a few (eg, "red mite" and "deer in mint") led to surfaces that were hardly convincing. And heavens above! All those gongs and bells announcing dinner - I hadn't realized that the domestic habits of the Edwardians were still alive and well in so many households in 2008.
3.5 points:
32. Out to lunch, then? No, entire mind's active!
This is marginally more successful that 19, which uses the same anagram, because the word "entire" fits the surface rather better. The definition is equally original, has the required question-mark and is (just!) on the right side of the border-line of acceptability.
3 points:
19. Fast reaching conclusion now entire mind's made up
A highly original and skillfully concealed definition (though it really needs a question-mark), and one can't fault the subsidiary indication. The only other (minor) shortcoming is that the phrase "entire mind" is slightly peculiar in this context, which weakens the surface.
2 points each:
22. Inn merited dressing up then? 23. Inn merited liquid lunch break
Both these are neat, economical and sound, but with slightly less sparkle than 19 and 32.
36. There'll be a piece of dessert and more in me after it's over
This is ingenious and neatly crafted (if one can stomach - and I can - the outrageous "more in" for "inner"!). I personally much dislike the "piece of dessert" for D device, but it is so widely accepted that it would be unfair to penalize it.
1 point each:
4. After work, tired men will eat at home when?
The "when?" at the end of this clue is rather inelegant, which is a pity, as, up to that point, both surface and wordplay are very neat. Something like "Now [ie, at the time in question], after work, tired men will eat at home" would, I think, have been a considerable improvement.
9. Big noise not to get Order of Merit? A gong is surely due now
A good idea, well executed, but "ne" for "not" without an indicator that it is an obsolete usage is a weakness. On the gong motif, see above.
0.5 point:
43. When Mr. Wolf calls, Red Ridin' and me (holding net!) lose colour and tremble
An original idea and a pleasing definition in the context, but the wordplay is rather strained, relying upon Little Red Riding Hood's becoming simply "Red Ridin'", "me" for "I" and an inconvenient "net" (with its unnecessary exclamation-mark) that, as I remember it, doesn't come into the fairy tale. |
| 2. |
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| d) 39 - Touch of class. 19 - Perfectly disguised. 9 - Another classy clue. 14 - Jolly good. 21 - Nice compound. |
| 3. |
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i) I thought this a disappointing collection - not so much in terms of unsoundness, more because of too many contrived anagrams and so clues that read clunkingly artificially. No doubt a student of social mores would find aspects of the entries to be of interest, given that some of the clues presuppose a midday meal while other contestants clearly eat dinner in the evening, or at least presume that others do so. My favourites were those that either attempted an &lit or found a misleading surface (usually gong-related; more for the sociologists?) My favourites (top to bottom) were
#19 "Fast" perhaps suggests a longer wait than is likely, end "entire mind" reads strangely, but the misleading definition is neatly sneaked in before you're aware of it, and even then needs some thought to clarify where it ends and the wordplay begins.
#4 Another clever construction. Turning the clue into a question is an attractive way of avoiding having to find a clumsy synonym for "time".
#9 "Order of Merit" is admirable. The weakness (and the reason why I didn't rank this higher) lies in "surely", needed for the surface but not the definition. Why not "a gong might..." or similar?
#5 I'm not sure about "peak" but I like the idea involved.
#2 The ? makes the gong much more acceptable. But however superficially attractive the surface is, in the end it's hard to see much sense in it. Elevation to the Lords, maybe, but an award? |
| 4. |
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| j) A tougher challenge than it looked. Sometimes when you see poorish clues (including your own) you can almost see brains struggling to produec a worthy effort, but when you see good clues all the brain machinery has beenn hidden behind the scenes, as it has in my first choice here : No 9. These others tag along behind and the jangling brains becomes very evident in places: Nos 10, 14, 21, 46. No 2 was nice at first sight but I couldn't quite persude myself to make dinnertime synonymous with an announcement |
| 5. |
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| l) This was an interesting clue-writing challenge with a friendly selection of letters offset by a damnably tricky word to define (especially as the word 'time' was not available for use within definitions). There was, as a consequence, an abundance of somewhat unsatisfactory clues as clue-writers struggled to find a misleading means of defining the word whilst maintaining accuracy. However, there was one totally outstanding clue, made to seem all the more special by the apparent difficulty that everyone else encountered - this was #19: a brilliantly misleading definition, masterfully joined to a thematically consistently and soundly realised wordplay part - my hat goes off to the clever so-and-so that thought it up! I ranked #4 second - a well constructed clue, tarnished by the awkwardness of the 'when', which plays no part in the cryptic wordplay. My top 5 was completed by #9, #34 and #15 all sound clues with passable surfaces. |
