CCCWC October 2017 competition results
More information | Comments | All results | < Previous | Next > | Annual competition
43 clues entered. 36 votes cast (34 competitors, 2 others).
EQUIPOISE
Congratulations to Steve Randall who scoops his second win of the year, which makes it his fifth podium finish too. A lovely natural surface reading to his clue.
John Tozer also bags his fifth podium of the year back in second place – another lovely smooth surface in his Brexit themed clue.
In 3rd spot David McKie continues his excellent run with a third podium in a row – Brexit is certainly a rich vein for cluesmiths!
John Appleton is just behind in fourth place, managing to incorporate an initial letters device seamlessly into his clue.
Final placing goes to Colin Thomas – amazingly also his third podium in a row! – a neat bit of wordplay in his effort.
Thanks to all – onwards to November!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Steve Randall | Arm police regularly to keep society in balance | EQUIP + [p]O[l]I[c]E to include S | 56.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 26 | John Tozer | Nothing is accepted by M. Barnier's team that could deliver a balanced outcome | 0 is in équipe (Fr); ref. Brexit talks | 45 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 21 | David McKie | Issue with Europe ultimately – nothing is in harmony? | O and IS in EQUIP + E; harmony def | 38 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | 30 | John Appleton | Provide heads of oil industry some economic stability | EQUIP + O + I + S + E; def = stability. | 37 | 1 | |
| 5 | 11 | Colin Thomas | Change head of racket to provide balance | [N]OISE with first letter changed to EQUIP (= provide) | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | Tim Moorey | Balance of power in EU? Old question I see endlessly kicked around | p in EU o Qu I se(e) anag | 25 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | 18 | Ramki Krishnan | Fit and sound leader, off to achieve stability (9) | EQUIP (fit) and (-n)OISE (sound leader off), def = stability | 24.5 | 1 | |
| 7 | 43 | Toby Robertson | Weight's a joke? I see nothing funny about it | (I SEE O)* about QUIP, def. weight | 24.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | 31 | Barry Solomons | Provide leaders of opposition increased support, ensuring parity on both sides? | Provide/Equip + Leaders of (O)pp..(I)nc..(S)up..(E)ns.. | 18.5 | 1 | |
| 10 | 25 | John Hood | Maintain balance to provide for one moving between French banks | Equip + Oise (French river) | 17.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | 20 | Issue with alcohol essentially is a bit of erratic balance | EQUIP + O + IS + E; issue(v.)= equip | 16 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 37 | Stock flower arrangement | EQUIP+OISE(river); arrangement=agreement/harmony | 16 | 2 | 2 | |
| 13 | 5 | Balance ball is caught by French team (9) | équip[O+is]e | 14.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 14 | Espionage quite disrupted: broken agent lost balance. | Anag of ESPIONAGEQUITE less anag of AGENT: def BALANCE. | 12 | 5 | ||
| 15 | 9 | Balance time spent quite creatively? Cool! | def=balance; {QUITE-T(time)}* + POISE(cool,n. ie composure) | 10 | 2 | 1 | |
| 15 | 35 | Sit topless behind deck, grasping the middle of rails for balance (9) | Definition: BALANCE. Sit = POSE – p (topless) Deck (v) = EQUIP . Middle of rails = I. EQUIP O(I)SE | 10 | 2 | ||
| 17 | 16 | Euros which in Paris initially provide French banker's balance | E[Euros]/QUI[which in Paris]/P/OISE [French banker {river}] | 9 | 2 | ||
| 18 | 34 | Shortage of oil rigs constrains energy balance | OI[l] in EQUIPS, + E | 8.5 | 2 | ||
| 19 | 29 | Parisian who follows English starter with French peas and last of casserole for balance | Parisian who (QUI) follows English starter (E) + French peas (POIS) and last of casserole (E); definition = balance. | 7 | 0 | ||
| 20 | 27 | Nothing's in the French team to suggest a state of balance. | O + is in equipe/def. | 6.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 20 | 41 | Tightrope walkers need this Eastern fanciful action and aplomb. | Definition: 'Tightrope walkers need this'. 'Eastern' = E +'fanciful action' = QUIP + 'aplomb' = POISE. | 6.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 22 | 17 | Famous racehorse,almost fit at former weight. | Equi(almost equip-fit) obsolete weight -poise.Famous US racehorse mentioned in Fugue for Tinhorns (Guys and Dolls) | 5.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 23 | 23 | Kit and Heloise without help, almost balance forces (9) | Definition: balance forces (as verb) Wordplay: EQUIP (kit) + OISE (Heloise-hel, without hel(p) almost) to give EQUIPOISE Comment: Reference to comic hero Phantom's children. | 5 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 2 | Awful pique is last thing 'Euro-divorce' needs — nothing secured, one side being unable to tilt the other? | O in anag. + is + E, ref. Brexit negotiation deadlock | 4.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 24 | 15 | European question: initial public offering is English stability | E-QU-IPO-IS-E +def | 4.5 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 36 | Someone's idea of a clever tweet? Is ego extremely off balance? | E-QUIP+OISE (IS EgO)* | 4.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 27 | 22 | It's 0-1 (Saint-Étienne in the lead), with PSG maybe about to get level | [OI + S (first letter of Saint-Étienne)] with EQUIPE (PSG maybe) about; def = get (make) level | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| 28 | 12 | Composure at end of inane joke and even not one small final tee-hee. | Def; e + quip + o + i + s + e | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 28 | 38 | Tackle unbuttoned? Without flies I expose nuts with aplomb. | EQUIpage less page (or 'buttons') = EQUI. I EXPOSE (nuts: anag. ind.) 'without' flies (flees) = less EX = POISE. Def. APLOMB. | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| 30 | 28 | Oriental queen I briefly see eating a Hawaiian dish is a Libra. | e+qu+i+(POI)+se: def (Libra=balance) | 2.5 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 24 | Lord forsaken crazed oldies on ecstasy and crack? Not here! | Anag of OLDIES minus LD(lord) after E(ecstasy)+QUIP(crack/joke). They're not in a balanced state. | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 31 | 32 | Provide with comic step occasionally for balance | EQUIP + (c)O(m)I(c) S(t)E(p) | 2 | 1 | ||
| 33 | 19 | Fit French bird lost one third of equity | Equipoise = Equity. Fit = Equip. French bird = Oise(au) (lost one third) | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 34 | 8 | Balance on horse moving north to south round point of interest | Balance = definition, on horse = equine (‘on’ in sense of ‘on the subject of’). – switch n for s then place round poi (well known abbreviation in satnav systems) | 1 | 1 | ||
| 34 | 40 | Teetering, so I equip with last of line for balance. | Anag indic, (so I equip) + e (last of line) = def | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 36 | 10 | Ballance, according to commentary, is England's opener, getting behind arm ball. | Homophone for balance: EQUIP (arm) O (ball) IS E(ngland) | 0.5 | 3 | 4 | |
| 37 | 3 | Balamce rimless sequin with dignity | Balance= definition: rimless (s)equi(n)=equi: dignity=poise | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 37 | 4 | Balance = approximately i peso (9) | direct = balance, "=" = equi (equal), ipeso = poise (approximately = indicator) (i used to represent 1 : Roman) | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 37 | 6 | Balance kit out on slow-moving creature, avoiding walk back | EQUIP + TORTOISE – TROT back | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 37 | 13 | Correspondence French team maintained 'is nothing' earlier on | Correspondence = def.; (French team = EQUIPE). EQUIP [+ O (nothing earlier on) + IS] + E | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | 33 | Remark by European representative:"Nothing is non-negotiable – only in the end we'll need an offset." | QUIP next to E – O IS (non-negotiabl)E E (being an abbreviation) *represents* European | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 37 | 39 | Team in which Jack is put to give balance | Team= Equipe, in which…is put= insertion indicator. insert Jack= nothing+ is ,to give = resulting in + definition | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | 42 | Unrestricted noises after equipment's four rear components lost balance. | nOISEs after EQUIPment. | 0 | 1 |