The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

Competition clues by Steve Randall

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Steve Randall has 64 clues

CompClue wordClueExplanationPosPoints Merits  
2023 Annual Competition271.5  
October 2023GRANGERMore rum's good for extremely smart farmerstranger (more rum) with G for ST914.53  1 
April 2023GODFATHERPatriarchal role for the aged criminal running out of energy?FORTHEAGED*. less E. semi&lit731.53 
March 2023PANDEMICPressure for old comedian to travel worldwideCOMEDIAN* with P for O, definition (adj.) worldwide917.52  2 
 
2022 Annual Competition89  
Christmas Special 2022BULGE/HOMER (Right & Left)Poet in Reading Gaol, initially blue, turns out swellHOMER(poet) = HOME (in) + R (Reading is one of the three R's) / BULGE(swell) = G[aol]+BLUE* (turns out)3341 
March 2022SUMMERAmount the French drink in three monthsSUM (amount) + MER (French for sea)242.53  3 
February 2022DOLCE VITACopyright violated in remake of The Good Lifeanagram (in remake) of C + VIOLATED435.53  5 
 
2021 Annual Competition97.5  
September 2021CICERONESource of information on recce trips?I+ON+RECCE* &lit237.54  4 
April 2021ODYSSEYLengthy rags to riches story, unpredictable and ultimately moving?anagram (moving) of final letters &lit9281  3 
March 2021CORNFLAKESMeal alfresco finally OK, lockdown relaxedanag of ALFRESCO [o]K [lockdow]N536.51  4 
January 2021DISTAFFDetective thanks fellows after charges finally stickDI(detective) TA,FF (thanks, fellows) after charge[S]4393  2 
 
2020 Annual Competition128.5  
November 2020SUBMARINEFan base in Trump case disappearing – it needs to be watertightanag (fan) of BASE IN [t]RUM[p]825.51  1 
October 2020GLORIASorting marigold borders out forms part of the service[m]ARIGOL[d]*3382  3 
September 2020SEVEN (Printer’s Devilry)Despair at the man I actually trusted to run the countryDespair at the maniacs eventually trusted to run the country2491  1 
August 2020OXHEADI'm horny over ten hours each dayO + X + H + EA + D1612  5 
June 2020THE YOUNG ONES60s film not sexy enough when sloppy kiss cutNOTSEXYENOUGH* – X153.51  4 
April 2020OPENAffair destroying relationship? Not if marriage is this!OPE[ratio]N4281  4 
February 2020ATONEMENTMan on tee excited having finally got putting rightMANONTEE* + [go]T1821  3 
January 2020TWO-FACEDThe week officially starts having coffee brought round with a couple of mugs (3-5)Initial letters for TWO + DECAF<2370  2 
 
2019 Annual Competition126.5  
Christmas Special 2019Christmas Cocktails (Right & Left)Actioner shot around posh part of cosmopolitan region has hero Cagney robbing banksACTIONER* around U (posh) = COINTREAU (part of cosmopolitan) / CHAMPAGNE (region) has CHAMP (hero) + [c]AGNE[y]9120  2 
November 2019GENTLEMANGuy rope at the back replaces one in faulty alignmentE replaces I in anagram of ALIGNMENT157.50  2 
October 2019GULESColour found on arms and legs with limitless sun aroundanagram of LEGS with [s]U[n]335.50  2 
September 2019ASTER (Printer’s Devilry)A cook wishing to impress will frequently boastA cook wishing to impress will frequently baste roast1019.53  1 
August 2019STERNUMCheck over navy uniform, it's in the chestSTEM (check) over RN (navy) U (uniform – NATO alphabet)4330  1 
July 2019NEVER SAY DIEBash on New Year's Eve in doubt at firstanagram of YEARSEVEIND2471  5 
May 2019MERCURYPity about lack of love for our planetMERCY around [o]UR237.50  4 
April 2019SUCKER-PUNCHJab unexpectedly delivered as doctor runs check-upanag (doctor) of RUNSCHECKUP433.51  1 
March 2019NARCISSUSSelf-admirer rubbishes hint of collusion with Russiansanagram of C with Russians1531  5 
January 2019PINKHighest degree helps to fill gap in knowledgehidden clue9231 
 
2018 Annual Competition412.5  
Christmas Special 2018TURKEY (STONES) (Wrong Number)When finally released, UK entry rocks the countryAnagram of UK ENTRY minus [whe]N529.52  1 
November 2018HUMMINGBIRDHumid days bring out tiny hovering creatureHUMIDDBRING*231.52  6 
August 2018FAIRY / POINT (Right & Left)Holding in beer gut, aim rather to shed pounds for sylph-like figureIN in POT = POINT, def:aim, FAIRLY sheds L (pounds) def: sylph-like figure5261  1 
May 2018IRELANDA country flat where one's gone for styleIRONED, replacing ONE with ELAN626.51  1 
March 2018SEAWATERBritain's quitting, rebate was sadly a drop in the oceanRE[B]ATEWAS* (sadly)8236  1 
February 2018DRUNKENNESSA source of slurs and unkind sneers circulating when one's awayunkindsneers* – I1401  2 
January 2018ARGENTRegret unevenly donning fake tan seeing colour on armsReGrEt in tan*; def as heraldic colour630.50  3 
 
2017 Annual Competition127.5  
Christmas Special 2017ARCHER (Printer’s Devilry)Contented tourists return from a fishing tripContented tourists return from afar, cherishing trip1494  1 
November 2017FATHER-LASHERHealth fears start to reflect plastic found in fishanagram of health fears r244.52  5 
October 2017EQUIPOISEArm police regularly to keep society in balanceEQUIP + [p]O[l]I[c]E to include S156.50  3 
August 2017HALFPENNYForeign banks help with any dodgy cashanagram of ForeigN HELP ANY3331  2 
July 2017FIDDLERDiscarded empty rifle shot Kennedy perhapsAnagram of D(iscarde)D RIFLE, ref Nigel Kennedy1531  6 
May 2017MICKEYMegadeal in China initially decisive for Rooney?MIC(acrostic) + KEY(decisive) (Mickey) Rooney? – def by example9171 
February 2017FURPHYFake news charge reportedly laid against Fox coverageCharge reportedly=sounds like fee, Fox coverage=fur341.50  5 
January 2017CASHMERECountry singer sticking to simple material(Johnny) CASH + MERE (simple)4312  2 
 
2016 Annual Competition612  
Christmas Special 2016TWELVEMONTH / A thematic word of your choice (Right & Left)Period of lament when losing a vet who sadly died before treating escaped deerTWELVEMONTH: Period L[a]MENTVETWHO* (sadly) PREDECEASED:died before ESCAPEDDEER* (treating)3323  4 
November 2016TURNOVERBusiness needing dough foldeddouble definition6221  3 
September 2016GREASEPAINTApplication to play a genie's part?A genie's part (anag)330.53  1 
May 2016DISMAYEDDragons originally turned my ideas downanagram of D[ragons] my ideas1561  5 
February 2016LIFEBOATCraft turning profitable as publicity gets outDefinition: Craft – Wordplay:(PR)OFITABLE*922.56  4 
 
2015 Annual Competition613.5  
Christmas Special 2015A “FIVE GOLD RINGS” wordBrilliant feeling after Britain secures victoryBRAVURA(adj) – (AURA after BR) secures V1473  6 
November 2015LOCK STOCK AND BARRELFake bank card crook tells allanag (fake) of bank card crook tells8172  1 
August 2015CHESTERFIELDSitters here caught by the fielders easily (12)C + THEFIELDERS* (easily)628.52  2 
July 2015POUNCEEagerly seize parking spotEagerly seize=pounce, parking=P, spot=OUNCE243.50  4 
June 2015PARLEYVOONice chap in A&E very poorly treatedNice chap = Frenchman, anag of A E V POORLY334.52  5 
April 2015CHOKEYBoring job about to become crucial in prisonCHO[RE] substituting KEY for RE8182  3 
 
2014 Annual Competition233.5  
September 2014TASER (Printer’s Devilry)Bogofs fill the shelves in Colombian supermarketsBogota serfs fill the shelves in Colombian supermarkets8231  2 
July 2014SHOESTRINGHe's sorting out a reduced budget (10)HESSORTING* + def526.55  1 
May 2014BINGLERubbing leg reveals bump down underbump down under – def, rubBING LEg – hidden522.52  2 
February 2014REALITY TVDemonstratively evicting bad guys enlivened Big Brother perhapsDefinition: Big Brother perhaps Wordplay: (demonstratively – demons)* (enlivened)7230  2 
January 2014HOLMESIANAs an expert in pipework he mans oil supplyDef + anagram of "he mans oil" (supply: in a supple way)1020.55  4 
 
2013 Annual Competition512.5  
October 2013DOLMADESSad mole wanders around taxidermy centre and leaves stuffedSADMOLE* around taxi[D]ermy. Definition – leaves stuffed8241  3 
September 2013LION-HEARTBrave man endlessly upset mother-in-lawanag (upset) of [M]OTHERINLA[W] (endlessly) Definition: Brave man439.57  6 
July 2013PEAR (Printer’s Devilry)Aiming toe scares the flies offAiming to escape arrest he flies off352.52  7 
June 2013FLESH POTThese mostly flop about in topless bar perhapsAnagram (indicated by 'about') of THES[E] (mostly) + FLOP.3334  5 
May 2013MORGUELate arrivals get a cool reception here (6)Cryptic definition2481  3