CCCWC Christmas Special 2015 competition results
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45 clues entered. 41 votes cast (34 competitors, 7 others).
A “FIVE GOLD RINGS” word
Congratulations to Steve Randall. After numerous podium finishes, including two earlier this year, he finally makes it to the top of the pile! It must be a brilliant feeling!
Tim Moorey snatches 2nd spot – also choosing BRAVURA – with some neatly constructed wordplay.
Simon Shaw takes 3rd place with a cleverly simple &lit. for FAVUS.
Two entrants tied for 4th – Tom Borland chose DEJA VU (the first thing that came to my mind when setting the competition) and constructed a convincing surface. David Harry unearthed one of the more obscure options with A VUESTRA SALUD and managed a very short and snappy clue to it!
Well done to everyone and thank you for the wonderful range of words you chose to clue!
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2016 ANNUAL COMPETITION
Luciano Ward already had the Annual Prize sewn up before the final competition of the year, and with his 3 wins and 2 other podium finishes ended up 6 points clear of the field – very well done indeed Luciano!
Dave Parfitt was in 2nd place with what was an amazing record. No wins, but 6 podium placings and only once in the whole year did he finish outside the top 10! Fantastic consistency!
Tom Borland just pipped John Tozer for 3rd spot and Margaret Irvine took 5th place. All three had 1 win and 3 podiums so it was no surprise that they were so close together for 3rd-5th.
Many thanks to all entrants for your support throughout 2015 – and the very best of luck to everyone for 2016 – Luciano's there for you to aim at now!
Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | Steve Randall | Brilliant feeling after Britain secures victory | BRAVURA(adj) – (AURA after BR) secures V | 47 | 3 | 6 |
2 | 40 | Tim Moorey | Top of the bill: Gunners v United with Gunners giving a brilliant display | BRAVURA: b RA v U RA Gunners = Arsenal, United = Man U | 40 | 1 | 6 |
3 | 22 | Simon Shaw | Fungal affliction visible upon scalp primarily (5) | Initial letters, & lit. (FAVUS) | 38 | 1 | 4 |
4 | 4 | David Harry | A US star, valued after transforming “Cheers” (1,7,5) | A VUESTRA SALUD ('to your health' in C.): anag. | 36 | 2 | 6 |
4 | 5 | Tom Borland | Afflicted Judea is the setting for very familiar story? | DEJA-VU; V=very in *JUDEA; def. familiar story? | 36 | 1 | 6 |
6 | 35 | Dave Parfitt | Somewhat impromptu, van unwisely reverses in icy location | NUNAVUT (Canadian territory); hidden rev. in (impromp)TUVANUN(wisely) | 24 | 0 | 4 |
7 | 1 | Philip Sant | A familiar feeling when looking back – it sounds like you've aged? | DEJA VU, being a feeling of familiarity. It is UVAJED, when looking back, which perhaps could be pronounced: "You've aged" | 21 | 0 | 5 |
8 | 41 | Paul Coulter | Travelling south to have a very merry holiday | SH(A+V)UOT south* Shavuot is traditionally marked by merriment. | 20 | 3 | 3 |
9 | 30 | Don Manley | Photographic image of destruction round ancient Middle Eastern city | GRAVURE: Ur in grave | 18 | 2 | 5 |
10 | 15 | Luciano Ward | Distended at one end, copper cladding can start to look corroded | CLAVULATE: [CU around LAV (can = toilet)] + L(ook) + ATE (corroded) | 16 | 4 | 4 |
11 | 14 | Digital growth leads to computerised libraries acquiring virtually unlimited storage (6) | CLAVUS, i.e. a corn (see Collins) = Digital growth; acrostic | 15.5 | 5 | 4 | |
12 | 19 | Forcefully remove criminal values | AVULSE; VALUES* | 15 | 0 | 4 | |
13 | 23 | Fungal affliction viewed upon scalp, chiefly | FAVUS: first letters (chiefly) and &lit | 14.5 | 2 | 5 | |
13 | 33 | Relatively nice? | AVUNCULAR Cryptic Definition | 14.5 | 0 | 2 | |
15 | 10 | Contents of boat yard swept away by river Plate (7) | GRAVURE; grav(y) + Ure; gravy boat; printing plate | 13.5 | 3 | 4 | |
16 | 3 | A quick break off of 50 from an in form O'Sullivan. | AVULSION: A quick break off = def, 50 (L) from (deletion ind.) in form ( anagrind ) O'SULLIVAN – L = AVULSION. Ref: Ronnie O' Sullivan. | 12.5 | 2 | 6 | |
16 | 9 | Conflicting values cause break up (6) | AVLUSE; VALUES* | 12.5 | 1 | 4 | |
16 | 39 | The Northwest Territories bear the beginnings of unfrozen northern Arctic – vastly uninhabited land. | NT holds (unavu) + land = NUNAVUT. (In Canada in 1999 Nunavut, pop. 32,000 and slightly larger in area than Mexico pop. 124 million, was separated from the Northwest Territories pop. 64,000 + a mention in clue of global warming.) | 12.5 | 2 | 2 | |
19 | 16 | E.g. Holst's wind section involves a very unusual opening | Answer: GUSTAVUS – (A V U)nusual inside GUST S | 10 | 2 | 3 | |
19 | 37 | Spirited supporter describing a very topsy-turvy game (7) | BRAVURA; a v <RU in bra (down clue) | 10 | 1 | 4 | |
21 | 36 | 'Special value' crackers take a hard pull to snap | Clued Word: AVULSE. Def: take a hard pull to snap. Wordplay: anag[s + value] | 9.5 | 0 | 5 | |
22 | 44 | Virginia's half rude, naughty underwear showing at the front in daring display | BRAVURA BRA/{VA/RU(de)}* | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
23 | 43 | Vigour healer applied – picture the relief this achieves?(12) | HELIOGRAVURE – Anag – method of photo engraving using relief plates | 8.5 | 2 | 3 | |
24 | 2 | A foreign premier cut Dave out coarsely, getting endless stick. | Chosen word: [Ahmet] DAVUTOGLU (Prime Minister of Turkey): Def/Dav(e) + out (anag)+ glu(e)= stick. | 6.5 | 2 | 3 | |
25 | 18 | Forced it out in lav used straining (7) | AVULSED; anagram | 6 | 1 | 5 | |
25 | 27 | Maybe Santa has a very common problem brought on by pressure? | CLAVUS=corn on the foot=common problem brought on by pressure. Maybe Santa = CLAUS; has a very = contains a V. Ref stress or drinking problem for Santa?! | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
27 | 17 | Five gold rings in bowl for Jewish festival | Five gold rings [A(V)U] in bowl (SHOT) gives SHAVUOT, the Jewish festival | 5.5 | 1 | 3 | |
28 | 6 | After 96 hours of delivering various birds, my sweetheart despatched a handful of Heavy Metal bands | After 96 hours (4 days) of delivering (sending) various birds (1 partridge, 2 turtle doves, 3 french hens, 4 calling birds) my sweetheart (my true love) despatched (sent to me) a handful (five) of Heavy Metal (gold) bands (rings); clue to FIVE GOLD RINGS | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
28 | 13 | Czech story about five golden rings seems awfully familiar to me, like I've heard it before! (6, 2 words) | DEJA VU; DEJ (CZECH WORD FOR "STORY") + AVU (GOLD (AU) AROUND FIVE (V)), DEFINITION "SEEMS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO ME, LIKE I'VE HEARD IT BEFORE". | 5 | 1 | 8 | |
30 | 8 | Bush, perhaps, set back by average rating — have we seen this before? | DEJA VU; JED (Bush) rev, AV(erage) U (film rating). | 4.5 | 1 | 5 | |
30 | 21 | Frog is delving dementedly to find glittering seasonal gifts | (Frog is delving) – fodder, dementedly – anagrind, glittering seasonal gifts – def.; clue to FIVE GOLD RINGS | 4.5 | 0 | 6 | |
30 | 26 | Massage by foot won't eventually hurt much; avail it to be cured (8,8) | CHAVUTTI THIRUMAL – Anagram of T+HURT+MUCH+AVAIL+IT; Anagram indicator – to be cured | 4.5 | 1 | 4 | |
30 | 42 | Unoriginal material derived from King James Bible found in new reading of Jude | DEJA VU (= “unoriginal material” – see Chambers). AV inside JUDE*. | 4.5 | 0 | 2 | |
34 | 11 | Corn boil (6) | clued word: CLAVUS. Double definition: corns on toes also known as boils. (surface: corn boil as with corn roast!) | 4 | 0 | 5 | |
34 | 20 | Friendly, just like Uncle Remus (9) | AVUNCULAR; Double definition | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
34 | 25 | Light gets a Jedi (missing one) to return: haven't we seen that somewhere before? (4,2) | DEJA VU: UV (light) + A JED(I) all reversed. Reference to Star Wars films and (spoiler alert) the latest episode – The Force Awakens | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
34 | 28 | Northern Territory sister picking up Australian television broadcast | NUNAVUT (Canadian territory, partially in Arctic Circle); NUN + (AU TV)* | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
34 | 29 | Perverted, I'll lay 16 year old? | LAGAVULIN; Perverted I'll lay = Islay; A famous Islay 16 year old (malt whisky) is Lagavulin, the 16 year old being the standard malt from the distillery. ('Slàinte mhath' to all at CCCWC) | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
39 | 12 | Cunningly enter scrubbed surprisingly rejuvenated old stuff | Déja vu = Old stuff/ REJUVENATED* less ENTER* | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
39 | 24 | Gloved by mistake, caught! Dismissals are a Christmas Day gift | Anagram of gloved (vegold) inside syn of dismissals (firings); clue to FIVE GOLD RINGS | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
39 | 34 | Somewhat club-shaped veal cut with the French broth. | def of CLAVULATE + anag(broth) of vealcutla | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
42 | 32 | Present five gold rings in payment for holiday in Israel (7) | SHAVUOT; Present …. in = inclusion indicator, five gold rings a(v)u inside shot= payment + definition = holiday in Israel. | 2.5 | 1 | 4 | |
43 | 45 | You may see a couple in Tel Aviv shout and dance around on this occasion? | SHAVUOT = Jewish Festival……SHOUT(anag)..…Tel(AV)iv | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
44 | 31 | Pluck off perfidious values (6) | Definition: pluck off Word play: values* anagram indicator – perfidious Five gold rings word: AVULSE | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | |
44 | 38 | Teachers bag posh guide of northern territory | NUNAVUT – a very big area. NUT (teachers) around u (posh) and nav. (short for navigator). | 0.5 | 0 | 3 |