CCCWC February 2017 competition results
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46 clues entered. 37 votes cast (35 competitors, 2 others).
FURPHY
It's not a rumour – we have a new Mr Consistency! Well done to Toby who returns to the number one spot after his win in December, and chalks up his 5th podium in a row, finding a neat way to reference the Australian tag.
Not far behind was Russ Cook, improving on his previous best of a third place with some clever wordplay to achieve a convincing surface.
Also not far behind, was another recently consistent performer, Steve Randall. I loved 'Fox coverage' for FUR to support the 'news' story!
John Tozer (again, not that far back) in fourth place was the highest placed cluesmith to employ the water carrier meaning with one that made me chuckle.
John Appleton completed the podium with a clue that cleverly linked the two meanings of FURPHY.
Well done to all for an entertaining and closely fought competition!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37 | Toby Robertson | Rumour raging round outskirts of Perth? | FURY around P[ert]H. Raging as noun e.g. the raging of the storm/sea. Perth ref. Australianism. | 47 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | Russ Cook | A scandal is, for example, King Edward giving up crown for female. | Scandal means both rumours and outcry. King Edward is an example of a potato = MURPHY with F replacing the M, crown i.e top of MURPHY. Ref Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson. (down clue) | 43 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 11 | Steve Randall | Fake news charge reportedly laid against Fox coverage | Charge reportedly=sounds like fee, Fox coverage=fur | 41.5 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | John Tozer | All I deliver is water – pub's in uproar | PH in fury; PH abbrev. in earlier Chambers | 38.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 25 | John Appleton | Maybe Victoria's water cart is a thing that doesn’t hold water? | Double def, Victoria = Australian state; "hold water" = "to be correct or well grounded" | 22.5 | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | 18 | John Hood | Harbouring a degree of sourness, vengeful woman creates rumour | PH inside FURY | 21.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | 20 | Rod Beards | Initially feeding us rumour, presidential hysteria yields fake news (6) | Initial letters of Feeding Us Rumour Presidential Hysteria Yields | 21 | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | 15 | Robin Gilbert | "Fry-up contaminated with heroin, it’s alleged" (The Australian) | (FRYUP + H(eroin))*. | 19.5 | 0 | |
| 9 | 28 | Colin Thomas | Outrage about possible human origins seen in Darwin's incredible report | FURY outside P[ossible]+H[uman]; reference to Darwin in Australia | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | 33 | Tom Borland | Rumour comic Eddie's to have a sex-change | F for M in MURPHY (Eddie); def. Rumour | 17.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | 17 | Gossip from Sheila, frumpishly dressed, not terribly slim | FRUMPISHLY anag. minus SLIM anag.; Sheila = Aus. indicator; dress = to set in order, prepare, arrange (Chambers) | 16.5 | 1 | ||
| 12 | 41 | Sydney's unreliable accounts hide charge for auditor | Sydney's unreliable accounts = definition (Australian rumour), hide= fur + charge for auditor = homophone indicator (fee for phy) | 13.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 13 | 12 | Finally Trump concludes speech in rage! Aussies can't believe it | P H in FURY; Ref: Trump lashing 'dumb refugee deal' with Australia | 12 | 1 | 2 | |
| 14 | 39 | Rumour that Irishman has changed sex? | F/Murphy | 11 | 2 | ||
| 15 | 36 | Rumour of fine potato crop (6) | Definition = 'rumour'. 'of' = deriving from; 'potato' = murphy; 'crop' = cut off the top. | 10.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 16 | 5 | Anger about acidity level gives rise to false report. | FURY + pH. | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| 17 | 8 | Aussie breeze: beginnings of fresh upwinds right in middle of zephyrs. | def.(breeze = rumour); f(resh) + u(pwinds) + r(ight) + (ze)phy(rs) *upwinds (noun)= winds blowing against ones course: Webster's Int. Unabridged | 9 | 1 | 2 | |
| 17 | 21 | Invention of digger unearthed transsexual potato | Australian falsehood. Murphy with F for M. | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 19 | 19 | Initially, fairly unusual report persuades hearers, yet is just another tale of Oz. | Def: tale (false story) of Oz (Aus.); w/ allusion to L. Frank Baum | 8.5 | 1 | ||
| 20 | 29 | Outrage over litmus test results in fake news | FUR(PH)Y [litmus test results = pH] | 7 | 2 | 1 | |
| 21 | 24 | Leaders of pro-Jacobite Highlanders, overcome by violence, lie in Perth | P+H in FURY; def = lie (n) in Perth (Australia) | 6.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 21 | 27 | Origins of far-fetched urban rumour, possibly hydrating you? | Initial letters and lit, with ref to Furphy water carts | 6.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 21 | 31 | Phoney one down under-fell for this? | semi &lit. FUR(fell, ref Chambers)+PHY(PHONEY-ONE)ie 'one' down; PHY coming 'under' FUR, assumed as down clue. Surface indicates 'false story (one=story/joke, ref Chambers),in Australia (down under), that may deceive' | 6.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 24 | 1 | A divine angry woman seen in the pub? On the contrary, it's just a rumour | divine angry woman – FURY, pub – PH >> FUR(PH)Y | 6 | 1 | 2 | |
| 24 | 22 | It is rumored that this Tiger Electronics toy uses polynomial hierarchy for its brain. (6) | TIGER ELECTRONICS TOY (FURBY) WITH "B" REPLACED BY "PH" ; DEFINITION FURPHY = "IT IS RUMORED" | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 24 | 23 | It's fake news if you honour Trump with decency finally! | Def: fake news (false report); last letters of iF yoU honouR trumP witH decencY; just my opinion! | 6 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 44 | Violent anger about dug out pitch is a rumour (6) | Definition: a rumour Wordplay: FURY (violent anger) is about PH (dug out PitcH) | 6 | 1 | ||
| 28 | 32 | Prophet of disaster undergoes sex change operation? Just a rumour (6) | Prophet of disaster = MURPHY (ref Murphy's law) undergoes sex change operation -> M becomes F def = Just a rumour | 5.5 | 1 | ||
| 29 | 10 | Darfur physicians smuggling rumour | Hidden word | 4.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 30 | 43 | Those that start farming upstream regularly produce higher yields, is just a rumour? | 4 | 1 | |||
| 31 | 6 | Anger about President finishing with truth, offering this? | P,h in fury & lit., ref. Trump | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| 31 | 34 | Rumour from Oz: King Edward could be undergoing sex change | Murphy with F for M; murphy=potato (Chambers) | 3 | 5 | 1 | |
| 31 | 35 | Rumour in Woomera of drunken start of hooligans' fry up | H(earty) FRY UP* | 3 | 0 | ||
| 34 | 30 | Oz rumour mill tip has young upper class Romeo following prince. | definition; anagrind(mill) of h(as) + yurfp | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 35 | 2 | A kite made oddly of four ropes – they don't need seven. | Kite (DEF). Odd letters "four ropes they" minus Seven | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 35 | 7 | Anger about publishing house's leaders telling story that's complete rumour. | PH in FURY (leaders = leading articles) | 2 | 2 | ||
| 35 | 38 | Rumour says the Australian stole the first half of the rubber. | Def ("rumour, says the Australian"); fur = stole + phy(sio) = "rubber"/masseur (also means "a set of matches"). | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 38 | 16 | Fury surrounding philistine leaders? It's fake news! | "ph" = philistine leaders, surrounded by "fury" = "furphy, fake news. | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 38 | 26 | Melbourne's story about animal covering local filly at the back | FUR (= animal covering)/PH(= local)/Y (= filly at the back); Melbourne, Australia for the definition; Melbourne Stud farm, UK for the surface | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 40 | 14 | Force starts with utterly ruthless Putin and ends with much utterly fake news | f + u r P + h y | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 41 | 42 | This football manager also carried the water (6) | Ref Ken Furphy manager at Watford F.C. and other clubs + Australian water carrier manufacturer.Double def. | 0.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 41 | 45 | What matters is distorted: replaced are shifty Trump's fake news | *FURPHY+MATTERS+IS = *ARE+SHIFTY+TRUMPS | 0.5 | 1 | ||
| 43 | 9 | Australian beer? Bull caca!(6) | Double definition. | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 43 | 13 | First of all, foxy, underhanded rumour-monger presented his youth's story | The initial letters (First of all) of Foxy, Underhanded Romour-monger Presented His Youth's give FURPHY (rumour or false story) | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | 40 | Rumour you heard – bit of fluff's going round with royal – Prince Harry's gutted (6) | rev(U F) – R(oyal) P(rince) H(arr)Y | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 43 | 46 | Word game for married female (6) | Word – definition. Game – MURPHY, for m (married) f (female) MURPHY-> F for M = FURPHY | 0 | 0 | 3 |