CCCWC CHRISTMAS SPECIAL competition voters’ comments

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A clue to CROSSWORD / CENTENARY (Rhyming Couplet).
129 comments were received for this competition (from 11 competitors, 1 other)
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Here is the text

Comments on the competition
1.
A tough challenge and unsurprisingly clues were much of a muchness, so I divided my points among several
2.
Evidently not easy, a lot of the clues frankly didn't make sense. I ended up giving my marks to clues that I had reservations about – even 25 which has the best surface but has a possibly dodgy DLM definition (I didn't think padding was OK in DLM definitions). However, it is poetry, so I read 'Makes' as 'definition follows' and awarded my 5 there.
3.
A great collection of clues and despite the complexity and restrictions these seemed to be of a higher standard than the usual puzzles. A couple of clues did not conform to (or misunderstood) the requirements. Took a fair bit of time to evaluate the top entries. A few clues which were really great seemed to have minor flaws, would be a pity if they missed out due to that
4.
I'm not sure how many of the clues would pass muster in a poetry competition, but that of course is not part of our brief. So poetic quality has not, rightly, been among my criteria for a good clue – but it has been specified that the couplets should rhyme, and so I've discounted those that don't (27) and those where the rhyme feels unnaturally stressed (31 and 39). A number of clues, while the rhyming was fine and the instructions were followed, didn't really make much sense in the surface reading. So these fell down too.
5.
Whatever happened to scansion?

Comments on the clues

1. 100th year of grids to enter, can you solve the clues?

This puzzle's century complete, send out the good news!

1.	All nicely relevant and the rhyme is good but the lines don't exactly scan.
2.	'the' in 2nd line seems intrusive, wordplay can even be misleading. Could have been tweaked. But a fantastic clue, and my fav
3.	Worked well as a couplet and nicely thematic

2. A celebration for grandma's hundredth anniversary

And a giant puzzle to tease the memory

1.	Letter mixture for Crossword?
2.	There's no letter mixture for CROSSWORD
3.	Is there a DLM in the second line? Why 'Grandma'?
4.	does not scan very well, doesn't really rhyme
5.	Can't see either the wordplay in the cryptic or the LM in the DLM
6.	Sorry if I've missed something, but I can only see two definitions – no wordplay or letter mixture for either!

3. A hundred years sentence nary enow

Is an oblique hint for our sacred cow

1.	Rather an obvious DLM
2.	scans but when did you last say 'nary enow' to someone?

4. A kiss on couch? It fills our leisure needs

"I'd like a hundred, Peter", Nancy pleads

1.	An amusing surface reading and this is succinct,rhymes and scans, though Peter and Nancy (for the DLM)have little relevance.
2.	Fits the bill but doesn't 'pay homage' as some others do, so they get a preference.
3.	Fun and nicely constructed. Couch for word maybe a stretch? And DLM padding would ideally not be before and after definition?

5. A puzzle that's best censor's crowd defers:

Can Y enter cast in a hundred years?

1.	The DLM is somewhat clumsy and the rhyme is forced. The definition is stretched too.
2.	don't really get the 'Y' – who or what is it meant to be?
3.	The overall surface makes little sense to me.

6. Angry rumour? It's a puzzle you see –

Why so many centre on this anniversary

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Nicely succinct, though it is stretching things to make 'see' and 'anniversareeee' rhyme!
3.	does not scan very well
4.	Liked this, but unbalanced (it – not me, I hope)

7. Arrange any recent celebration

So crowds rejoice at Wynne's creation

1.	Letter mixture for Crossword neither starts nor ends with C or D
2.	Succinct and it rhymes and scans.
3.	scans but pretty bland
4.	A great effort, but I don't see how 'arrange' in the present tense can be applied to 'recent'.
5.	Succinct and elegant and did well to include Wynne reference

8. Arthur Wynne created this one hundred years ago;

Come to pass, left out of 'World', the puzzle we all know

1.	Letter mixture starts and ends mid-word
2.	A pity this one had no explanation to guide us to the DLM (I can't see it!)
3.	An explanation would have helped – but when I worked it all out I liked it.
4.	The LM doesn't comply with the competition rules
5.	Unfortunately the letter mixture does not meet the requirement of starting or finishing with a whole word.

9. As you connect year and see this special anniversary,

So annoyed an expression does seem a puzzle to me!

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Rather a forced DLM hidden in 'as you CONNECT YEAR'.

10. By entrance way to mark one hundred years

In ceaseless war, this grid with clues appears

1.	This rhymes and scans nicely but the DLM is rather forced.
2.	A bit tricky. Ceaseless = continuous or unending? Then again should you delete both last letters or just the very last one? Good one though

11. Charlie's birthday deserved a royal mention;

crowds rose without ecstasy, upset by my intention!

1.	The overall surface reading doesn't really fit the occasion.
2.	scrappy and tough to fathom
3.	Charlie = C = Centenary is not a valid way of defining something, in my book.
4.	Charlie = C = 100 = 100th is far too indirect for my liking. 'My intention' does not really define crossword.

12. Cunning unknown new entrance ten decades ago;

These tricky puzzles tax decipherer crowds so!

1.	Letter mixture for Crossword neither starts nor ends with C or D
2.	Faulty anagram in first line (3 N's)
3.	don't think that's an &lit definition – does not make sense to me. Can't make sense of decipherer crowds so – not exactly everyday English
4.	Surface reading makes little real sense.

13. Diversion to pass over information

In many a recent timely celebration

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Nicely succinct and the rhyme works but extra syllables in the second line slightly mar the scansion.
3.	Linkage not very strong, and just diversion as the definition seems a bit inadequate
4.	Succinct and well constructed but outdone by others with more thematic or entertaining surface reading.
5.	"Diversion" could be anything, really.

14. For many, a recent anniversary may really enthuse

one to fill in after solving its clues.

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Reminiscent of the limerick 'that my poetry doesn't scan/ because I try to fit in as many syllables into the first line as I possibly can …
3.	Second line appears to be just a definition
4.	scans badly. what's the wordplay in line 2?
5.	The rhyming is a bit off, and the connection between the lines not really apt
6.	There is just a definition for crossowrd here, not a standard clue

15. From its New York root, the puzzle grew, spellbinding generations;

Thus, recording a win to the canny tree, is cause for celebrations.

1.	Praiseworthy ambition to include so much but this becomes wordy and ponderous and is hardly a couplet.
2.	convoluted and confusing
3.	A great clue, but in the absence of true wordplay for the cryptic, seems a slightly easier way out. Can't see how 1st line is 'cryptic'
4.	I would have liked some wordplay for Crossword. The monkey puzzle idea would have been lost on me without explanation

16. Got wind of banks collapsing, not a time for celebration

Away from crowds or stress to grab a spot of recreation

1.	The definition is challenging but this rhymes and scans effectively.
2.	rhymes & scans but not totally happy with first line – nary probably needs a dialect / US indicator

17. Grid had rows sorcerer-spun perchance

of ten-squared years ago still may entrance

1.	I liked the clever use of the reversed definition. This rhymes and scans and is succinct.
2.	There is nothing to indicate the word is hidden
3.	nice reversal

18. It has lights and colors crowds behold, suffused with admiration;

Can any tree when ornamented be denied a celebration?

1.	Nicely misleading surface
2.	Lovely deceptive misleading use of lights. What a pity the scansion is marred by an extra syllable in the second line.
3.	what's 'be denied' doing in clue context? should be no padding in the plain cryptic part

19. It puzzles me when George, perhaps, takes dope;

100 years the penance – try keep hope?

1.	Rather a clumsy and obvious DLM insertion.

20. It's puzzling, how crowds rose up to praise the gun

Sad entrance to year that's this for World War I

1.	Deceptively misleading surface reading.
2.	Nice idea with WW1. A little too much padding in the DLM?

21. Mark recent news: our venerable recreation

A hundred years! Hence, teary night of celebration

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Succinct and it rhymes and scans but the DLM is rather clumsy and obvious.
3.	This otherwise promising clue has to be ruled out due to the LM not starting at the start or ending at the end of a word as stipulated.
4.	This almost scored points from me but unfortunately the letter mixture does not meet the rules

22. Maybe dash or blast across lights and down

To the factory canteen, at a ton, for the best nosh in town.

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	A rather forced DLM and the second line has lots of extra syllables – poor scansion!

23. Mephisto perhaps annoyed several letters

One hundred years of tenancy regretters

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Succinct with fine rhyming and scansion and surface reading, but the DLM is rather forced.
3.	the 'OF' is not necessary so it is padding

24. More tenancy issues; a hundred go spare –

Annoyed with Scotch mist heading west to Times Square?

1.	Clever but does Times Square really suggest the Times crossword?
2.	'in Times Square' would have worked better
3.	Times square a nice idea. The two lines don't hang together well though and not sure about DLM padding following definition hence only a mer

25. Oblique linguistic thing that keeps our minds alert

Makes celebration now of Wynne a cert

1.	Super relevant clue but what a pity that two syllables are missing from the second line – thus the scansion is flawed.

26. Oblique to hint, this grid doth all our lives enhance;

one hundred years of such ineffably entrance.

1.	Nice one that scans and rhymes. Was the archaic 'doth' necessary?
2.	Not exactly common parlance

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.

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Foul doesn't rhyme with crowd in my book.
3.	rhyme? long winded and does not scan well either
4.	A bit long and not really rhyming
5.	The overall surface is a bit bizarre here. I'm not convinced 'crowd' rhymes with 'foul'

28. Pie eaten around noon in utter celebration

By crowds so respectful of this daily relaxation

1.	Is the use of the split 'CRY' verging on an indirect anagram? Poor surface reading.

29. Place an entry ten squares in

Maybe "Chi" — a first for Wynne

1.	Subtle and effective.
2.	… and to several other tunes too. Scans ok
3.	Appreciated the thought of a tune. But chi really a cross letter rather than word?

30. Puzzle orders hundred rows without much hesitation –

The hundredth may turn out to be an entry celebration

1.	Letter mixture starts and ends mid-word
2.	Rather ponderous and the scansion is flawed – extra syllable in line 2 and different stress pattern.
3.	ER is not hesitation, it's an expression / indication of hesitation. Subtle difference but it matters. Scans ok
4.	The letter mixture does not meet requirements. I'm not keen on 'puzzle' doing double duty here

31. Puzzle requires dictionary

Any recent solves took a century!

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	Not really a double definition
3.	Flawed scansion – extra syllables in the second line and a different stress pattern.
4.	does not scan very well
5.	OK 2nd line could be either cryptic or DLM, but the first doesn't seem to fall in either category
6.	This is not a double definition, the rhyme is a bit iffy

32. Sabre's check, perhaps an oddly curious blade,

Whose entry can conclude a tenth decade

1.	Letter mixture for Centenary neither starts nor ends with C or Y
2.	The scansion is wobbly but this is succinct and effective.
3.	does not scan very well
4.	Not sure 'centenary' can be a verb

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.	Letter mixture for Crossword neither starts nor ends with C or D
2.	Not really a couplet
3.	A somewhat forced DLM. Is this one couplet or two? This poet reminds me of MacGonagall!
4.	The letter mixture does not meet requirements. Even as a Tolkein fan I think Mordor's orcs are a bizarre choice of subject here!

34. Stick to promise, dropping Eastern puzzle grid -

It won't last 100 years, what Wynne created did!

1.	Letter mixture starts and ends mid-word
2.	The first line is somewhat obscure. The second line works well.
3.	LM not complying with the competition rules
4.	Unfortunately the letter mixture does not meet the requiremtns of starting or finishing with a whole word

35. This angry utterance suggests a verbal puzzle to be solved.

It's recent? Nay, we celebrate a century since it first evolved.

1.	A straightforward clue but the scansion is flawed – extra syllable and different stress in line 2.
2.	does not scan very well

36. This mental test can make you curse with rage,

Or else entrance you with its noted age

1.	Lovely and succinct and it rhymes and scans. DLM nicely hidden. Rather a vague definition.
2.	The only really stand-out clue for me.

37. This poser is special square set in two lines,

The anniversary of which perchance entry combines.

1.	Is there an anagram indicator or insertion indicator in line 1? The scansion is flawed – different stress and no. of syllables in the lines.
2.	does not scan very well

38. This puzzle may give you a vexed expression

Or entrance you – a hundred year obsession

1.	Succinct and it rhymes and scans.

39. Traverse Wynne's first – our oddly diamond across/down grid.

And for one hundred years, scarce an entry invalid.

1.	How pleasing that all of this was relevant to the topic – and rhymed, scanned and worked.
2.	does not scan very well