CCCWC March competition voters’ comments

Back to competition result | Other competitions

A clue to SUMMER.
99 comments were received for this competition (from 11 competitors, 1 other)
Move your mouse pointer over any bold clue number to see the clue.

Here is the text

Comments on the competition
1.
I was happy to accept "before fall" etc as a definition, but wonder if others will be so generous and insist on "it's before fall"? The "harem" clues made me doubt my understanding of the word, as none made sense to me!
2.
Clue 66 is lovely, topical surface and great def!
3.
A lot of very good clue ideas here, some needing a bit more polish, but in general not enough points available to acknowledge the imagination displayed.
4.
Not sure why so many setters feel ‘before Fall’ is equivalent to SUMMER. On a generous day, I wouldn't mind “SUMMER = ‘comes before Fall’”. When enticed by an interesting surface, very few aspiring setters seem to have the courage to stand by the importance of matching the definition’s and solution’s part-of-speech.
5.
"Adder season" appeared in Sunday Times Cryptic 4199, so those clues get no points.
6.
Great minds might think alike but so many entries chose a variation of 'adder/ totter' or similar as to make originality hard to find. Use of the American 'fall' was also popular, as were short double definitions which tend not to provide entertaining surface stories. No real stand-out for me, but some good clues nonetheless.

Comments on the clues

1. A child of Mars ascendant with aspect of Mercury in age of Leo, e.g.

1.	The horoscope nonsense surface is a nice idea but I'm not keen on the definition or the weird trailing e.g.

2. A few picked up on face of Everest right before fall

1.	Not keen on this homophone as SUMM isn't a word
2.	A homophone is supposed to be an actual word. It can't spell out a non-existent word like SUMM.
3.	When using homophones, one should use real words (which "summ" is not). See clue 3.

3. A few reportedly starting to make everything ready for this season (6)

1.	'Starting to' is too much of a stretch grammatically
2.	should be "startings" for three words
3.	"starting" doesn't work in the cryptic grammar. Should be "startings" or "starts" (but of course those spoil the surface).

4. Adder biting back of arm, serum is administered

1.	Well spotted, but I think the surface reading of 9 is more smooth

5. Adder lurking in crem must upset

"crem"?

7. Adder season?

1.	2 word DD, where one shares its meaning with the surface possibly a bit easy
2.	A very good clue & votes from me. A shame it was repeated, otherwise this should have been up there. I hope it still is.

9. Adder venom finally treated with serum

1.	Best adder award
2.	Best of the adder clues
3.	My favourite of the adder clues but lacking the sparkle to receive lots of my points amongst a strong field

11. Adder's season

1.	A good clue with some votes from me. Most unfortunate that it's almost identical to two others. I hope it does well.

12. Amount the French drink in three months

1.	Nice surface and wordplay, def a bit loose
2.	Very good: simple and effective
3.	I liked this but it's spoilt by the inclusion of 'the' ruining the wordplay.

13. Arithmetician's theorem must be rejected, in part

1.	The presence of “be” makes the cryptic grammar awkward, I.e. ‘definition is fodder be rejected’
2.	First 3 words very nice but, I'm struggling to see how "(be) rejected" means backwards?
3.	'Be' in the wordplay is superfluous
4.	I had an almost identical clue but changed my entry at the eleventh hour. Votes here & will be most interested in your placing.
5.	Best of the hidden word clues.
6.	Original wordplay and well-disguised hidden solution

14. "Beam me up Scotty," mission leaders ordered; sounding hesitant.

1.	why the semi-colon?
2.	Gusset dampeningly funny, accurate & one of the best clues for me. Live long & prosper!
3.	Why would they be hesitant?
4.	A pity the plural 'mission leaders' does not sit well with the singular 'me' in this otherwise original clue.

16. Bring me rums for the watermelon season.

1.	No anagram indicator
2.	no anagrind
3.	You'd say 'bring me rum' not 'rums'
4.	"Bring" doesn't work for me as an anagrind.

17. Byron's year in Italian estate (6)

1.	Unfair to expect knowledge of Italian

18. Calculative device, naughty ruse to capture two maidens?

1.	Not sure 'calculative' = 'calculated'

19. Counts the cost when we go on holiday perhaps(6)

1.	'He counts the cost' would make D1 grammatically correct

22. Fresh rums sustain me when the weather's hot (6)

1.	"Fresh" doesn't feel very convincing in the surface
2.	"Sustain" doesn't work for me as a containment indicator.

23. Go through difficulties with males replacing females for a season (6)

1.	I don't understand what the surface is supposed to mean?

24. Harem muses about giving up when the days are long and hot

1.	Not totally convinced convinced by the surface but I do like “muses about giving up”

26. Hot time with couple of maidens in sack? Sure!

1.	Nice surface but I’m not sure that “in” works before an imperative anagrind: ‘solution with letters in mix up fodder’?
2.	Wordplay needs 'sacked sure'

27. Hub of ancient civilisation doubled in period prior to fall

1.	Nice surface, but wordplay a little obscure
2.	Good idea, neatly executed

30. Indian comes between Arab and Cheyenne, perhaps?

1.	Too obscure (Cheyenne Autumn).

31. It appears before fall in quantity only, mostly (6)

1.	What does the surface mean?

33. Lazy, hazy days of endless surf and Emma!

1.	No anagram indicator?

34. Madame indicated wee is drunk by her on ninety odd days each year

1.	Quite tricky I think but cleverly constructed and worthy of points for innovation
2.	A clue about a woman who drinks urine? No, thanks

35. Months lying in endless sun and sea in France?

1.	Lovely & lit.
2.	Original and entertaining wordplay and surface story.

36. Mum's trip bordering Equator could be a hot one.

1.	'bordering equator' ≠ 'borders of equator'
2.	I don't buy "bordering" as indicating "the borders of."

38. Number by Motörhead and Queen in time for rock festival?

1.	Good luck getting the Ximeneans to accept this lift-and-separate clue.

40. One solves maths problem essentially numeric?

1.	The "one who sums" definition disappointing when same sense of sum is in wordplay. Like "One who chops tree part German (6)" for logger.
2.	Meanings of 'sum' and 'summer' are the same, and I think 'essentially' can only indicate the middle letter(s) of a word

41. Plaintiff gets millions… and 6-9 months?

1.	The implied surface doesn't make sense: Why would a plaintiff get a prison term?

43. Resume unfinished motorway repairs when hot weather is expected

1.	Surface clue reads exceptionally well

45. Season some possum merguez

1.	I like the definition but not the wacky recipe
2.	This only happens in crossword clues

48. Second unpleasant situation after deposing leader midyear (6)

1.	Nice clue but a weak definition

50. Sigma in a maths book?

1.	I'm struggling to see any misdirection – it doesn't seem very cryptic to me?
2.	Not cryptic enough for a crossword clue
3.	Sigma is a notation to sum; it is not one that sums.

51. Some Like It Hot: Marilyn Monroe initially taken in by absurd ruse

1.	Very clever
2.	Nicely done
3.	Definition a tad weak, however, a superb surface & a great 'stock cube' review of the film so this gets some useful votes. Best of luck.

52. Someone like S. Ramanujan, Indian type received warmly in US (6)

1.	Ramanujan prayed to Shiva for inspiration. Did you take similar counsel?

54. The best time calculator? (6)

1.	Good &Lit. Why the superlative ‘best’ when “good” would have worked fine for the surface without condemning Summer to such high expectations

55. The happiest of times, making one beam?

1.	One of the better double defs

57. This season, Sheffield United’s manager made everyone rehearse headers.

1.	"Season" def and "headers" indicator in a football clue very nice. You don't need the full stop.
2.	Amusing, clever, & votes from me. Will this hit the back of the 'onion sack'? Good luck.
3.	A pity 'rehearse' isn't really the right word
4.	Never easy to come up with a plausible surface story using first letters of six consecutive words – let down here by 'rehearse'.

58. Time for the evening meal, with musk melon starters instead of peas, I hear

1.	another wacky recipe
2.	A good clue, let down by the sub-optimal definition of Summer as 'time', I feel

60. Totter before fall

1.	Top Totter Award
2.	Simple but effective

63. Turkey escaped – not one for plucking, I reckon!

1.	This would work better with a different word order

64. Vivaldi's second perhaps, but who's counting?

1.	Nice surface, but I'm never keen on 'but' as a joining word in a clue
2.	What’s the point of ‘but’?

65. Wacky bummers missing Black Adder (6)

1.	I'm familiar with Blackadder but not Black Adder
2.	Unsavoury reference to ‘bummers’ apart, excellent construction. Loved the reference to Atkinson’s greatest has-Bean character!

66. What precedes fall of Moscow’s leader: entering historic region

1.	Topical surface
2.	Good clue – in my top few – with extra half mark added for topicality
3.	Historic region is too vague to clue Sumer.

67. When Frenchwoman bathes in south of Spain?

1.	I really like "south of Spain"
2.	Good & lit. idea
3.	A point for a nice picture

69. When stranger removes top at the first sign of sunshine ?

1.	Best of the & lits
2.	Why does ‘before Fall’ = SUMMER? “Summer” can be used as an adjective, but are we forgetting that ‘before Fall’ is an adverbial?

70. Worried mum’s right about pride ultimately; it comes before a fall (6)

1.	Clever congruity with the proverb
2.	Good surface, though beaten by some more concise ideas
3.	Nice clue except for 'ultimately' being a bit obvious. Is 68 better?