ordStats| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. R. Gumbrell | 119 | 8 | 14 | 97 | 41 | 141 | Dec 1977 | Sep 2004 | 26y 9m |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2005 | ||||
| 1685 | MINO (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Play-goers boo ha/rder to show disapproval of bad acting | |
| 2003-2004 | ||||
| 1676 | CRINGE-MAKING | VHC | Segment of worm found in cold mutton, a piece of poor quality | ring in c em a king |
| 1659 | SCAREDY-CAT | VHC | In raddled decay, star gets chop – no spring chicken | c(hop) in anag. |
| 1654 | CRESCENT / ENTHRALS (Overlaps) | VHC | Chapter about trail growing hard (one penned by travel writer) is absorbing | c re scent; H + a in RLS; ref. Stevenson’s ‘Travels with a Donkey’ |
| 1650 | SAPHENA | VHC | A vein, shape distorted? That’s possibly this, i.e. with bit of varicosity | comp. anag. incl. v, & lit. |
| 1641 | GADGETEER | VHC | Read e.g. rave about hit in Q? | get in anag.; ref. music magazine and James Bond character |
| 1637 | AMNESIC | VHC | Answer comes with rendition of second part in playing of fugue | a + anag. less o; rendition = surrender |
| 1633 | EMPATRON / WINTERLY (Right and Left) | Second | Bleak victory, Troy prematurely discounting a bad omen about trap, managed back in days gone by | win t e(a)rly; anag. in anag. |
| 1628 | ENCOMION | VHC | See cracking person recalled by flatterer, in bidding farewell, with this? | C in one (rev.) + m(in)ion, & lit. |
| 1624 | BELAY | First | Hearts of sailors applauded in the old book Westward Ho! | l, a in ye b (rev.); ref. Charles Kingsley novel |
| 2002-2003 | ||||
| 1619 | GISMO (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | ‘Yesterday’, a short lyric, also n/oted as arguably the Beatles’ best | |
| 1615 | RUGATE | VHC | Urge to move seizing characters heading to America, going west like old Auden | t A (rev.) in anag.; ref. Auden’s emigration, and his face in later years |
| 1611 | LEISLER | First | It’ll need sonar to get about, fluttering and not going astray | anag. less anag., & lit. |
| 1606 | TEOSINTE / INTELSAT (Overlaps) | VHC | System of links tailored to Net is electronic | anag. + e |
| 1602 | FENESTRA | VHC | Oriel, for example, term for institution established in early part of fourteenth century? | n est. in f era; O. College, Oxford, founded 1326 |
| 1598 | PHRASEMONGER | VHC | No epigram is he doing without each one being overwrought? Right | anag. less I, I + r, & lit. |
| 1596 | GENISTA (Definition of Anagram) | VHC | Core of Lavengro? It’s provided, in substance, by a gypsy | tsigane; en in gist + a; ref. book by George Borrow |
| 1593 | MANSUETE | VHC | Cook first to traverse with seamen central part of South Pacific, historically | anag. incl. t, u; ref. Captain C. |
| 1589 | JOKESMITH | VHC | Joint with smoke all over the place avoided by weak person noted for wheezes | J + anag. less w |
| 1585 | SHIATSU | VHC | Get enthusiastic massaging etc in this? | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1580 | MARGENT def. BEETLES (Wrong Number) | VHC | Man, going after runs, with early show of vigour striking six – a boundary | runs; (vi)m + r + gent |
| 1576 | FACADE | VHC | A character abandoned by king must wear iron mask | a ca(R)d in Fe; ref. Dumas novel |
| 2001-2002 | ||||
| 1567 | QUEEN | VHC | Singular noun representing Regina | queer with n for R, & lit. |
| 1563 | SLYBOOTS | VHC | Dodger? Term for Dawkins, boy that’s rifled many pockets | s + anag. in lots; ref. Artful D. |
| 1559 | THEOLOGASTER | VHC | Broadcast rated ‘God slot’ showing no signs of depth when he’s involved? | he in anag. less d, d, & lit. |
| 1554 | PEARL | VHC | One cuts through middle of shellfish to get it | a in per + l, & lit. |
| 1544 | PATROL (with jumble of RAPTORES) (Christmas Devilry) | VHC | Round spot of tundra shot spear ruffled polar bears | t in anag. |
| 1541 | CHUPRASSY | VHC | Orderly form of pyramid, such as we see amid desert | anag. less amid |
| 1533 | MASTER-MARINER | VHC | I’ll have tar name me ‘sir’, being trained right | anag. + r, & lit. |
| 1528 | STROP (Spoonerisms) | VHC | Sort blasted by leader of prohibitionists’ band downed red-eye | round dead-eye; anag. + p |
| 1524 | INGRATITUDE | VHC | What’s shown by throwing aid in gutter? | anag. & lit. |
| 2000-2001 | ||||
| 1515 | SNIDE | VHC | Malicious end Iago’s evolved, since being passed over | anag. less ago; ref. Othello |
| 1511 | DEEP-SEATED | VHC | Old-fashioned fencing involved épées? That’s firmly established | anag. in dated |
| 1506 | BARE(-)BONES | VHC | More than one old rake must have been so aroused after undoing of bra | anag. + anag. |
| 1502 | RAPPEL | First | What’s given by drum if end of truce is approved? | app. for e in reel, & lit. |
| 1500 | GIT (on board ship) (Ship of Fools) | VHC | One engaged in operation of tiller at rear of boat | COGITLLIER; cog + I in anag. |
| 1494 | MARATHON | VHC | In this you’d find Mota ran fantastically, capturing hearts | H in anag., & lit.; ref. Rosa M., former Portuguese marathon runner |
| 1492 | The year that Columbus discovered America (Anagram) | VHC | A hero, very much admired, set sail to Cuba etc. | |
| 1489 | FRONT-BENCHER | VHC | See Benn linked with Thatcher for having worn this hat | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1485 | BOURSE / TIFOSO (Right and Left) | VHC | Exchange ‘Born to Run’? Not about to if, stirred by pieces of Springsteen’s, one’s a fan | b + (c)ourse; anag. + S o |
| 1480 | SAMARITAN | VHC | In a bad way, a man at end of his tether finally rings one | I in anag. incl. s, r, & lit. |
| 1476 | LIGNIPERDOUS | VHC | Evil is purged, lion bringing about destruction of witches | anag.; witch2; ref ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ |
| 1467 | CANAPÉ | VHC | Something offered by restaurant, appropriate for start of feast? | nap for f in café, & lit. |
| 1999-2000 | ||||
| 1463 | REVERSIONAL | VHC | Going back in history, Stephenson’s foremost character seen to be in on rail’s development | ever S in anag. |
| 1459 | GREATEST (Spoonerisms) | Second | What must feature bit of gunplay on a screen? Oater must | uttermost; g re a test |
| 1450 | PRETENDANT | VHC | Charles Edward Stuart? Prince linked with giant alarm, historically | Pr. eten dant; ref. Bonnie Prince Charlie |
| 1446 | NEWSPAPERDOM | VHC | See cod wrapped in some piece of its output | anag. less i, & lit; cod adj. |
| 1441 | Word containing MM displaced by a bug (Millennium Bug) | VHC | Puzzle was beset by bugs! | flummox / wasp; was in flu pox |
| 1439 | JOHN CANOE | Second | In this would you find how a jocund Noel is observed abroad? | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1433 | NEANDERTHAL | VHC | What sadder than end Lear comes to, being an old man? | anag. |
| 1428 | CRICETID | Third | You’ll find this one’s done in once rodenticide’s worked | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1424 | HEIST | VHC | Job? He knew no end of sorrow | he (w)ist |
| 1419 | SPLODGE | VHC | Spa – place for a splash? | spa with lodge for a |
| 1998-1999 | ||||
| 1411 | LOOK-SEE | VHC | Gander can remain, with positive flying, around front of skein | loo + s in kee(p) |
| 1406 | CHASSEPOT | VHC | Type of rifle distributed to chaps suppressing last traces of Paris Commune? | s, e in anag.; ref. events of 1871 |
| 1402 | PENTOSE (Definition of Anagram) | VHC | In Swan Lake’s finale you’ll see most of cast dance | one-step; tos(s) in pen e |
| 1398 | PERMETHRIN | VHC | To make hemipterans rare, scatter areas with this | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1394 | BERGAMOT | VHC | It’s to NW Africa (passing hot) we may turn for citrus fruit | to Mag(h)reb (rev.) |
| 1387 | Dylan Thomas: A Child’s Christmas in Wales (Anagram) | First | It has charm, this Swansea man’s cold idyll | |
| 1385 | PANTRIES | VHC | Spence and suchlike characters starting postwar architecture with new aims | p a + n tries; ref. Sir Basil S. |
| 1380 | RAPPORT (Misprints) | VHC | Confection soft and yellow in spongy part | connection; p or in anag.; spongy = drunken |
| 1376 | LOGO | VHC | What, with regular showing of ad, becomes prime stimulus? | lo(ad) go(ad), & lit. |
| 1372 | MASTERSTROKE | VHC | In which one’s pulled off staggering sortie and queen mates king? | anag. incl. R, K, less I, & lit. |
| 1367 | SANBENITOS | Second | Covering things in an auto is a bonnet’s work | anag.; work vb |
| 1363 | MAVIN def. THONG (Wrong Number) | VHC | Adept guitarist releases inmost character of G-string | G-string; (Hank) Ma(r)vin |
| 1997-1998 | ||||
| 1360 | BOG-ASPHODEL | VHC | Piece of Betjeman’s with line framing atrocious hope goads denizen of Slough? | anag. in B, l; ref. poem ‘Slough’ |
| 1355 | DIACATHOLICON | VHC | Had it a colonic’s outcome if drunk? | anag. & lit. |
| 1351 | NEATEN (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | At the Eisteddfod it’s possible a competitive alto’s rendition’s outdo/ors | |
| 1346 | PHARISEE | Third | Mount in bad shape not having heart for lusty canter | rise in anag. less s |
| 1342 | ALIENS / RAPINE (Right and Left) | Second | Deals in uncommonly striking Dutch transfers taking Gunners to peak? | anag. less D; RA pine; peak2; ref. Arsenal stars Bergkamp and Overmars |
| 1338 | SMART ALEC | VHC | A star, me, clever without ever being fazed | anag. less ever, & lit. |
| 1336 | STOCKING | VHC | Providing this is loaded go, St Nick! | anag. & lit. |
| 1334 | CATACHRESTIC | First | In which fashion see the cold as ‘artic’ | anag. incl. c, c, & lit.; cf. arctic |
| 1325 | UPROOTAL | VHC | What can make mandragora yelp out? There’s danger this may | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 1316 | FINGERLICKIN’ | VHC | Toy with whip I name top | finger lick I n |
| 1312 | REST-CURE | VHC | What’ll have a patient repose on middle of bookshelf – ‘Trent’s Last Case’? | re s t cure2 |
| 1996-1997 | ||||
| 1307 | AGILE (Spoonerisms) | VHC | What a lovely wine is red Aigle! | lively one; anag.; red2 |
| 1303 | PONIARD | VHC | Do in with a prod? | anag. & lit. |
| 1290 | NITERIE | VHC | You’ll find playing in here hit releases each of the small hours? | anag. less h, h, & lit. |
| 1286 | CHALET | VHC | A little house, Alpine, out of wood etc. built | anag. incl. h, less pine, & lit. |
| 1284 | STALE (3 defs. + sub. ind. of wrapping) (Parcels) | VHC | What introduces Scrooge? Story, short one specifying season | STA(TER SE)LE; S + tale |
| 1281 | ABLUTOMANE | VHC | One drawn to balneum? | a + anag., & lit. |
| 1277 | NOVE(M)BER (Letters Latent) | Third | In which we find the end of autumn again about to occur | n + be in over, & lit. |
| 1268 | ARGIE-BARGIE | First | Clay with left wiped out energy Joe put into raw set-to | argi(l) E + GI in bare; ref. Cassius C., J. Frazier |
| 1995-1996 | ||||
| 1255 | CATAFALCO | Second | What you might see at head of cortège, a focal structure | anag. incl. c, & lit. |
| 1242 | KNOCKERS | VHC | We’re to fill cups? Top tip of Khayyam’s, drunk reckons | K + anag. |
| 1234 | AVANT-PROPOS | First | Thus is French scholar expressing Schwarz’s opening piece for Chambers? | (s)avant pro pos, & lit.; ref. Chambers page vi |
| 1232 | The world is too much with us; late and soon (Anagram) | VHC | A wise lot must not show a child unto Herod. | |
| 1229 | GRUPPETTO | VHC | Grace Darling in forefront of rescue got up in a storm | pet in anag. incl. r |
| 1225 | CURRY | VHC | Fiery stuff to consume prey of Old Scratch? | 3 mngs. |
| 1220 | CASSANDRA | VHC | With horse, and heading for ruin, people came – ignoring me | ass and r in ca(me), & lit.; people vb |
| 1212 | HILDING | VHC | In escape you’ll find, instead of women, he’s first? | h for w in wilding, & lit. |
| 1207 | EPOCH-MARKING | VHC | See graphic in comic dealing with Mekon as characterizing an era? | anag.; ref. Dan Dare in the former ‘Eagle’ comic |
| 1203 | CLERICALISM | VHC | It is clear Columba could spread this about | comp. anag. & lit.; St C., missionary abbot |
| 1994-1995 | ||||
| 1200 | Nine letter word (C and T latent) (Letters Latent) | VHC | The leading part in England’s lies on Illy | SELE(CT)ION; anag. incl. E, & lit.; ref. R. Illingworth, nicknamed Illy |
| 1194 | DONET | Second | What introduced one to cases, and noted imperfect and perfect tense? | hidden, anag., done t, & lit. |
| 1190 | DENARIUS | VHC | Sum earned vineyard labouring amounts to this d every man? | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. Matthew 20, 1-10 |
| 1186 | GRISELDA | VHC | ‘Patience’ typified G & S: antiquity, in song, sent up | G + S eld in air (rev.); ref. opera |
| 1180 | COLD TURKEY | VHC | What’ll have one off coke and truly suffering? | anag. less an, & lit. |
| 1178 | BOOTLEG | Second | Cooper perhaps equal to Clay with good boxing until up-ended | to (rev.) in bole g; cooper2 |
| 1169 | BLITHE / URSINE (Right and Left) | VHC | Having Baloo’s humour animated ruins ultimate character of ‘Jungle Book’, turning high tension in story merry | anag. + e; b + HT (rev.) in lie; ref. Disney’s treatment of Kipling |
| 1161 | ADIAPHORON | VHC | A drop I, Noah, drunk – there’s no need to observe me | anag.; ref. Gen. 9:21-25 |
| 1156 | TERPSICHOREAN | VHC | So one might dub the Twist novel re orphans etc Dickens’s second | anag. incl. i; ref. ‘Oliver Twist’ |
| 1152 | PARACETAMOL | Third | What might be given orally, one having felt upset inside? | ace + mat (rev.) in parol, & lit. |
| 1993-1994 | ||||
| 1147 | MAYDAY | VHC | For which we set up the pole to go round yearly, in good time off? Yes | y(early) in mad + ay, & lit. |
| 1143 | DEATH (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Was he, who’s given the world’s pa/in, Man’s creator? He was | ref. D. Hammett |
| 1126 | CHEATERY | VHC | Result when mouth bones the ape developed provided Piltdown’s head parts | anag. less P in cry, & lit.; bone = seize; ref. ‘missing link’ fraud |
| 1122 | BASILIAN | First | Tuck among outlaw film’s central characters, is a round, monkish type | (f)il(m) is a (rev.) in ban; ref. Friar T. |
| 1117 | STAMNOS (3 Consecutive Letters) | VHC | Such, to be filled with what ends thirst, man fashioned back in Athens | t + anag. in so + s, & lit. |
| 1113 | EMPLASTRUM | Second | Possibly Romans put me, imbued with spot of liniment, on cut | l in anag. less on, & lit. |
| 1104 | BURYING-PLACES | VHC | Turning which, Gray’s pen dealt with bucolic company passed over | anag. less co, & lit.; ref. Gray’s ‘Elegy’ |
| 1100 | CONCORDANCE | VHC | What’ll restrain Mandela’s followers, closing the rift in race | cord ANC in cone, & lit. |
| 1992-1993 | ||||
| 1091 | SAPSAGO (Spoonerisms) | VHC | Heed chars, chiefly wise in the working of soap | hard cheese; sag(e) in anag. |
| 1084 | PIERCEABLE / SALESGIRL (DLM) | VHC | As I’m easily thrilled, when you peel bare I cheer – Is there bliss large and lovely in store for us, dear? | |
| 1078 | KIRBEH | VHC | What carries drink man extracted from brook? | kir b(rook) eh?, & lit. |
| 1074 | DEMIREP | VHC | I’m presumed (without substance) wanton | anag. less sum, & lit. |
| 1065 | TANDOORI | Third | Grub that’s come from east to west and encapsulated a taste of India | and in root (rev.) + I & lit. |
| 1048 | GALLOPADE | VHC | Activity getting everyone involved to foot it with energy | all in go + pad E, & lit. |
| 1991-1992 | ||||
| 1043 | PESTO (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Thatcher won’t be amateur o/pposition if federalists prevail | |
2004-2005
1680 PILLOW-CUP
2003-2004
1672 IMPASTOS (Spoonerisms)
1667 CLARINI
1648 MAGIC LANTERN
1646 BLACK
2002-2003
1572 SHIELD-MAY
2001-2002
1550 MEMORITER
1546 TRANSPARENT
1537 CAFTAN
1519 CARRY-ON
2000-2001
1472 TORAN (Printer’s Devilry)
1999-2000
1454 GET-UP
1437 MISTLETOE
1415 MANATI (Printer’s Devilry)
1998-1999
1389 ALL-OVERISH
1997-1998
1329 PITHOS
1322 CARPET
1996-1997
1300 OXFORD (extra O) (Extra Letter)
1294 TRANSENNA
1273 SIPOREX
1264 TREDRILLE / FERVOROUS (Right and Left)
1260 OUT-AND-OUT
1995-1996
1250 SONEOCARDIA (STENOCARDIA) (Ten to One)
1247 PREDICANT
1238 ELASTIN (Printer’s Devilry)
1216 CHAPERON
1994-1995
1174 DINGLE-DANGLE
1993-1994
1139 BENJAMIN
1134 TOVARICH
1130 AGRESTAL
1128 CHRISTMAS PRESENT
1108 GREEN
1992-1993
1095 STINK
1087 OLD SOLDIER
1076 PARLOUR GAMES
1069 (P)OSTICHE (Headpieces)
1061 MAGIC
1056 ENTRAIN def. ASTHORE (Wrong Number)
1052 AGANIPPE
1978-1979
362 SEA-SOLDIER
1977-1978
300 SLINK-BUTCHER
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2005 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2003-2004 | 2 (1, 1, 0) | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 2002-2003 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001-2002 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
| 2000-2001 | 1 (1, 0, 0) | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999-2000 | 3 (0, 2, 1) | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 1998-1999 | 2 (1, 1, 0) | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997-1998 | 3 (1, 1, 1) | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 1996-1997 | 2 (1, 0, 1) | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 1995-1996 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 1994-1995 | 3 (0, 2, 1) | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1993-1994 | 2 (1, 1, 0) | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 1992-1993 | 1 (0, 0, 1) | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 1991-1992 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1978-1979 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1977-1978 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |