CCCWC April 2017 competition results
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47 clues entered. 34 votes cast (32 competitors, 2 others).
CORVUS
Some new names in the frame this time round! Michael Brannigan makes the podium for the first time – straight to number one spot! – well done indeed Michael!
Tony Harker was a close second. Tony has made the top 5 before, but this is his best showing to date – congrats to Tony!
Bhalchandra Pasupathy has podiumed before, three or so years ago, so good to see him back grabbing 3rd spot.
John Doylend commenced competition with us only last year so an excellent effort to make his debut on the leaderboard in 4th place.
Completing the podium this month is Satyen, so along with his first place back in January, that puts him at the top of the current Annual Honours List – he's the one to catch!
Thanks to everyone and good luck for May!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | Michael Brannigan | The crow's body? Five for a penny. | Crow (CORVUS) body (CORPUS) five (V) for penny (P) | 33.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 10 | Tony Harker | Crews overcame Roman vessels using such at the prows. | Initials (prows) C(rews) O(vercame) R(oman) V(essels) U(sing) S(uch): whole is definition. Entry 2 in Chambers is a bit vague: Wikipedia description is better. | 29.5 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 17 | Bhalchandra Pasupathy | Endless scorn poured over United following very militant boarding system | SCORn* outside V U (Very/United); Corvus: boarding device in early naval warfare(ref Wiki/GK); topical ref to recent United Airways imbroglio | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | 16 | John Doylend | Device for pulling birds | double definition | 23.5 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | Satyen Nabar | At the borders of Virgo and Crater, roughly turn south to find me! | (VO + CR)* + U + S; semi-&lit… Ref: Corvus is bordered by the constellations of Virgo & Crater to the northeast and west | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | 32 | Russ Cook | Ram constellation. | Double def. | 16 | 2 | |
| 7 | 14 | Kathy Martin | Crow or raven? Viewers usually stumped. Beginners provide an answer. | "Beginners" a clue to first letters – crows and ravens are both of the corvus family. | 15.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | 30 | Rod Beards | Party leader's half against American naval weapon | COR(byn) Versus US | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | 19 | Don Manley | Firm Republican opposed by American that would put paid to wall | Co.+R+v.(=versus)+US, ref. USA-Mexico border controversy | 14.5 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | 26 | James Glassonbury | Lettuce sandwiches remain virtually undisputed starters for this stellar group | ref cos lettuce. CO(RVU)S | 14.5 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | 42 | Taking old cure for scurvy curtailed what sailors grappled with | O in * SCURV(Y); def. what sailors grappled with | 13 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 | 6 | "Company" foremost in reviews under "Sondheim", receiving five stars | V in Co r u s; Company, Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical | 12.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 12 | 21 | Free vouchers he lost to see several stars | ((VOUCHERS)-(HE))*;(free = *); several stars = def.. | 12.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 12 | 28 | OMG! Reversing Chelsea tractor I bashed into a wall! | cor! + SUV rev. | 12.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 12 | 33 | Ram my Range Rover? It's flipped! | Def ("a hooked ram for destroying walls" [Chambers])/cor = my (exclamation)+ SUV reversed. | 12.5 | 0 | ||
| 16 | 18 | Ensemble without Henry entertaining Victor and a group of stars. | Ensemble = chorus – H around V; def. | 12 | 2 | 3 | |
| 16 | 37 | Some stars flaunting curves expressly on debut for Oscar (6) | CURVES with E (expressly on debut) for O (Oscar); flaunting – anag. ind. | 12 | 2 | 1 | |
| 18 | 1 | A legendary flyer in the night, monstrous bird makes its comeback against mankind | COR+V+US (roc rev.) | 11.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 19 | 36 | Seeing stars after my car is shunted backwards (6) | Seeing = definition indicator , stars = definition my = cor car = suv (reversed) | 11 | 1 | 1 | |
| 20 | 8 | Costa Rica getting nothing against United States's southern stars | (CR around O) + V[ersus] + US; def = southern stars | 10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 21 | 45 | Uncle Sam's coming, after conscientious objector first refuses to join Vietnam's front, and then crows. | US comes after co + r + v; crows describes def. genus "Corvus", as well as, boasts. | 8.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 22 | 34 | Ram right into business by reversing vehicle | R into CO (= business) + rev. SUV; reference to ram-raiding | 8 | 2 | 1 | |
| 23 | 3 | Black bird in the sky | Double meaning; corvus is genus of crows; it is also a constellation in the sky | 7.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 23 | 12 | Crow almost south under Virgo, initially twinkling | CRO(w)SUV* [anagrind, twinkling]; &lit; [Collins: 'the Crow or Raven, south of Virgo'] | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 25 | 27 | Old Hungarian king's not featuring in stellar gathering? | CORV[in]US. Matthias Corvinus – C15 king of Hungary. Corvus is a constellation next to Virgo. | 6.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 26 | 39 | Star group at heart sounds very American | homophone of CORE (sounds) + V + US | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| 27 | 4 | Blimey! Very centrally focussed group of stars | COR + V + (eff)US(ive) | 5.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 27 | 15 | Crows or rooks, very unusual species, initially | first letters of first six words | 5.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 27 | 35 | Ram trampled vouchers that man dropped | VOUCHERS anagram minus HE (that man) | 5.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 30 | 22 | From Company recreational vehicle on west coast of the United States, observe constellation south of Virgo | CO+RV on west coast of the United States (on the left of US) when observed together gives CORVUS; definition: constellation south of Virgo | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 30 | 38 | Squadron very unhappy at first to replace president's family of scavengers | squadron = corps, p (president) replaced with vu (very unhappy at first). def = family of scavengers | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 30 | 44 | To start, chair of Vanderbilt University shall crow in Latin! | Initial letters | 5 | 1 | 8 | |
| 30 | 47 | What'll shift an elephant? Turning a truck with special grip backwards as a hook. | ROC = elephant lifting bird, reversed (turning) + SUV (truck with special grip, ie four wheel drive) reversed (backwards). HOOK = def. | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 34 | 23 | Having to fashion a suit from various cuts, was something to grapple with? | (anag) various cuts..minus 'a suit'…Corvus = grappling hook. | 4.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 35 | 11 | Crossword genius hides clue for this answer! (6) | CROSSWORD GENIUS "hides" the clue "CROW GENUS" which is CORVUS. | 4 | 0 | 7 | |
| 35 | 20 | Flying airborne this may be carnivorous rook. | Def: crow genus; comp anag (with rook = r) | 4 | 0 | 6 | |
| 35 | 25 | Homer, with what could be a Range Rover, turned back for a group of birds | COR (=homer, Hebrew measure) + SUV all reversed | 4 | 0 | ||
| 38 | 29 | On air, flying ducks slaughtered carnivorous Crow (6) | Definition: CROW. From Anagram of CARNIVOROUS* (anagrind Slaughtered), delete anagram of ONAIR (anagrind Flying). (CARNIVOROUS-ON AIR)* | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 39 | 7 | Complete collection of writing, five for a pence for Southern stars! (6) | Direct – Southern stars, referring to the Corvus constellation. Indirect – complete collection of writing CORPUS with V replacing P (five for a pence) to give CORVUS | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 40 | 31 | Principal moving about very quietly like a crow (6) | Principal- CORPUS ; substitute V (very) for P (quietly) —> CORVUS. Defintion = a crow (We had a princi like that.) | 1.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 40 | 41 | Stars seen in Sydney are cold or in opposition to us | Southern constellation c-or-versus-us | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 42 | 13 | Crow or raven validated unenlightened stargazers initially in discovering constellation? | The initial letters of Crow Or Raven Validated Unenlightened Stargazers to give CORVUS the constellation depicting a crow or raven | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 43 | 5 | Blimey! Victor and you have won first place – stone the crows? (6) | COR (Blimey) V (Victor – NATO alphabet) and U (you – txtmsg abbrvs now have dictionary support so no need for a hom. ind.) have won S (first place s – tone)| Def:the crows (? as DBE ind – sadly that's a bit of a giveaway). Ref (vaguely): the speaker might be Hancock – Victor might be Meldrew. | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 9 | Craven, with no head for courage, perhaps, but we hear their call against us (6) | defn by example: raven (craven minus c(ourage),perhaps) = corvus (genus of crows etc) cor (=homophone of caw)+ v (=against) us | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 24 | Held in Mexico resolve see US wall destroyed by it? | COR(hidden)+V(see)+US; resolve=courage; ref Trump's threat to build wall and Mexico's threat to destroy it | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 40 | Star studded cast in encore seen in Paris (6) | direct = star studded cast (constellation); "in enCORe" = container; VUS = seen in French (paris = indicator) | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 46 | Virginia not accepted in singing group without hassle initially. She could see stars | 'Virginia' = Va (US state; looks like girl's name). 'not accepted' = remove 'a'. 'in' indicates V goes in next part. 'singing group' = CHORUS. 'without hassle initially = remove 'H'. Definition = 'She could see stars' (2 meanings). | 0 | 0 | 4 |