The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC November 2017 competition results

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39 clues entered. 33 votes cast (28 competitors, 5 others).


FATHER-LASHER

Hearty congratulations to David McKie who has continued his tremendous run of podium finishes with first place this month! A neat anagram enabling a convincing surface!
 
Commiserations to Steve Randall who managed to craft the same breakdown, but with what was regarded as slightly less felicitous wording. However, his excellent second place pushes him to the top of the annual rankings with just December to go – it's close at the top!
 
Colin Thomas has almost emulated David with his 4th podium in a row – he's just missing that elusive first win of the year! Colin also (c)rafted a neat anagram.
 
Big hand to Jezz who has managed his first ever top 5 finish – welcome to the podium Jezz! Jezz exploited an alternative name for the fish.
 
Barry Solomons completes the placings – his second 5th place of the year.
 
Well done to all and good luck with the Christmas Devilry!

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
114David McKieHealth fears spread about source of rotten fishHEALTH FEARS (anag – spread about) + R651  2  
215Steve RandallHealth fears start to reflect plastic found in fishanagram of health fears r44.52  5  
333Colin ThomasSwimmer has left raft here at seaanag HAS+L+RAFT+HERE (left = L)37.51  4  
41JezzA fresh halter prepared for bull-head (6-6)'Bull-head' is another name for the 'father-lasher'. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoxocephalus_scorpius>33.51  2  
513Barry SolomonsGirl occupying fashionable flatshare – found it after trawling the net?GIRL = HER…occupying FLATSHARE (anag)310  5  
67Peter CargillCatch me if you can? Rash hare left embarrassed!Father-lasher rarely caught (see British Sea Fishing). *RASH+HARE+LEFT. Ref The Tortoise and the Hare.20.51  3  
736Gurmukh Singhthe rare flash of a sea scorpionsea scorpion = definition anagram of (the rare flash)19.51  5  
821Satyen NabarOld man, sea, marlin? Essentially Hemingway's top novel on fishFATHER + (SEA+RL+H)*; Down clue. Ref: Ernest Hemingway's classic 'The old man and the sea'18.53  3  
96rose birdCast feather's harl for pig fish.anag(cast) of feathersharl + def (Harl is the barb of a feather used to make artificial flies for fishing.)15.51  5  
922Peter BennettOne exposing himself around topless swimmer is an odd fish.Flasher around (b)ather. Odd fish means strange fellow but also the father-lasher is a fairly strange-looking fish!15.52  1  
114 Around Queenie, Flashheart’s wild as an animalanag around ER (=Elizabeth I), ref. characters in Blackadder 2142  3  
1211 Flashheart, at sea with Queenie and Blackadder, finally gets fish(FLASHHEART)* + [queeni]E + [blackadde]R; Ref. to the three Blackadder characters.13.50  2  
1318 Horny whore in Newfoundland providing nearly half rate with fresh tumble(HALf+RATE+FRESH)*; def='horny whore' (in Newfoundland), ref Wikipedia121  3  
1410 Fish thrash frantically with eel in heapsTHRASHEEL* in FAR (e.g., all the other clues are heaps (far) better than this); eel = plural of eel102  2  
1531 Sea scorpion female at her weirDef=F+at+her+(synonym of lasher)9.50  2  
163 All-weather fisher's at sea lacking dodgy wiles — to catch this?Anag ALLWEATHERFISHERS less anag WILES. Fish.8.52  2  
1716 Her farts heal frenzied scorpionAnagram (frenzied) of 'her farts heal'.81  6  
1835 The old man's the one flogging an odd-looking fish.Father + lasher/def.7.52  1  
1912 Fouler weather has undone you ultimately with woe sadly undetected, Fish!anag less anag incl. u, ref. M Fish and hurricane of 19875.50  2  
2025 Pervert with twisted heart – a danger to small fryF(ATHER)LASHER (heart)*4.52  5  
2038 Writhing after being cut by that woman's whip – it has a sting in the tail (6-6)AFTER* (writhing as anagrind) cut by HER LASH (that woman's whip) def = it has a sting in the tail (According to Oxford dictionary, the male of this fish defends the eggs by lashing out with its spiny tail)4.52  2  
228 Daddy sculpin falls in pursuit of Abba.Def + lasher after father40  2  
239 Fish flee harsh rat in panicFLEE HARSH RAT*3.51  2  
2332 Something fishy is going on – old man (Hollywood royalty) is keeping quiet (6-6)Going after FATHER, LA ER is keeping SH Hollywood is in Los Angeles3.50  3  
2334 Swimmer, heart-broken exhibitionist outsideFLASHER + HEART anag inside3.51  2  
2619 Losing his head, he exposes himself on the Thames ? Queer fish !(f)lasher on Father(Thames)31  2  
275 Bizarre thief alarms her, not a man, a sea creature (6-6)Def. sea creature Wordplay [thief alarms her – i – m (not a man)]*; anagram indicator bizarre2.50  4  
2820 Obese woman's left devilled hares for fishFAT HER L + anagram of HARES21  1  
2826 Priest abuser in deep waters (6-6)CD. Father-Priest, lasher~abuser. Father lasher is a demersal fish i.e. it stays close to sea be. Hence deep waters. http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/163174/Priest-abuser-removed-from-post20  3  
2839 Zip has broken on fisherman's fly in rejecting retired miller's thumb.FA (zip) + T [ HERL + ASH ] ER. ('HERL' = fisherman's fly). Def: miller's thumb.20  2  
3117 Her sandwiches mostly don’t go bad when topped with greasy fish (6-6)HER sandwiches = HER on either side; Don’t go bad= LAST – mostly is LAS. greasy = FAT; When topped with denotes FAT comes first (Down cllue). Def: Fish FAT HER (LAS)HER1.52  2  
3124 Overweight, the man has a single slice of bacon wrapped around lean pig fishOverweight [FAT], the man [HE], a single slice of bacon wrapped around lean [R(L)ASHER]; def = pig fish (another name for Myoxocephalus Scorpius, or Father-lasher).1.51  4  
3127 Priest before cat? Both could put it away.FATHER(priest, a club used to kill fish)+LASHER(cat/whip). Put away = kill or eat.1.50  1  
3428 Priest given, when last here, Manx fish.FATHER LAS[t]HER[e] (Manx, i.e. tailless), def. 'fish', it is edible, but tasteless.10  2  
3430 Reverend Trasher with horny whore!(6,6)Direct = horny whore (per Wikipedia). Reverend = Father, Trasher = lasher.10  3  
362 Adopt almost weird pool for swimmerDefinition = 'swimmer'. 'Adopt' = FATHER, 'almost weird' = WEIR, so 'weir pool' = LASHER01  2  
3623 One of two fish rears half the litter: male parent’s share left abandonedanag. and father + anag. inc. L; litter = lie untidily about; father-lasher is 'name applied to two bullhead fish' in Chambers00  2  
3629 Priest who beats young boys? Dirty old man hiding troubled heartQM for slightly quirky definition; F<heart*>LASHER00  2  
3637 The Rev.’s tier later provided a bite after a line-up (6-6)The Rev = father + tier = lasher, a bite after a line-up = def..00  3