The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC June 2018 competition results

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47 clues entered. 44 votes cast (38 competitors, 6 others).


UNION

It seems cruel that there should emerge a winner from two clues that are so similar but "wrecked" was JUST preferred to "destroyed"! So hearty congrats to Andy Smith who follows up his 3rd place last month with the victory and deepest commiserations to Satyen who just misses out in 2nd. A neat subtraction anagram and surprising that two entrants managed to find it.
 
A little way back in third was Vinit – his first podium for a few years, so well done – a simple enough anagram but a very convincing surface indeed!
 
Vinit pipped two of our stalwarts by a 1/2 point, who tied for 4th place. Tom achieves his 3rd podium finish of the year with a far from glowing advert for the grand old institution of marriage! John Tozer constructed a very neat reversed hidden &lit. for his 2nd podium of the year.
 
As always, well done to all for another fine competition, apologies for the delay in the results as I have been in foreign climes, but onwards now to VINDALOO!

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
114Andy SmithEndless innuendo wrecked marriage(INNU[-end]O)*743  3  
213Satyen NabarEndless innuendo destroyed marriageanag of INNU(-end)O71.56  3  
325Vinit WankhedeNo fun essentially in arranged marriage (5)NO+U(fun essentially)+IN anagram arranged=anagrind marriage = definition58.53  5  
441Tom BorlandSuffering ennui? That's ordinary for English marriageO for E in *ENNUI; def. marriage584  1  
447John TozerWhat could be reversed in Reno in urgencyhidden rev. & lit.; ref. divorce capital of US581  2  
627Peter Hartley Noun I mistake for conjunction.*NOUN I mistake (for) conjunction (def.)40.50  1  
76Kevin BrownBritish leave: sore point for alliancebUNION273  2  
817David McKieGrowth painful without British in Europe, say?(B)UNION251  3  
911Luciano WardConsortium partly backed casino in Utahhidden ('partly') reverse ('backed'); def = consortium242 
1022Bob KellettMarriage – anyone can see it might lead to tears if there's no love at the outset (5)U (anyone can see [re films]) ONION remove the first O def marriage NB: U for "you" is supported by the latest editions of most dictionaries (as a txtmsg abbr) so no longer needs any further indication.15.54  1  
1130 Order wedding ringMultiple definition152  2  
1239 Sex gel court's bannedUN(ct)ION121  2  
131 Agreement zero in UN resolution*O+IN+UN; agreement=union; resolution=sorting out110  1  
1438 Retiring lead character in Greek Wedding 'no 1' nu (all rev); ref My Great Fat Greek Wedding 10.51 
1512 Could be Oxford University cricket sideDef = "Could be Oxford" (ref. the Oxford Union); UNI[versity] + ON (side of field in cricket).100  1  
1615 Federation match (5)Double definition81  1  
1631 Partnership is swelling when opener is dismissed (5)def = partnership swelling = BUNION when opener is dismissed => remove B82  1  
1633 Peacekeepers keep nothing in the state of wedlock.UN + iOn; def80  2  
1940 Some employees in university finding deduction from earnings acceptableUniversity (U), deduction from earnings (NI), Acceptable (ON); Ref. recent pension strikes7.52  1  
208 Club champion returns to face one in France (5)club = def; champion = number one = no. 1, returns = ion, one in France = un6.51  1  
2032 Partnership working after Cambridge, say.defn = uni + on6.51  2  
2226 No one in the audience knew about a basic operation in set theoryReversal (about) of NO I NU (homophone of KNEW); definition is "a basic operation in set theory"61  3  
2236 Red problem for Foot putting British off?(B)union & lit., ref. Michael F.'s attachment to trade unions, red= colour/left-wing64  4  
2428 Noun I work for? (5)(NOUN + I) anagram = UNION (the place I work for).50  2  
2520 Kim Jong's first meeting with heartless US president?U[n] + NI[x]ON, whole clue as def4.51  5  
267 Cloth buffers taken off bunions.bUNIONs, def. Cloth, 'union' is a fabric of mixed materials, e.g. cotton with linen or silk.3.51  1  
273 Bard's unique pearl: a remarkable non-u one.Def +anag(non-u = uncultured + i)31  3  
279 Combination without British corn (5)direct=combination. corn = Bunion: B = British, "without" removes the B leaving "union".30  2  
2710 Compound noun with one coupling*noun & I*, "compound" (verb, to create by mixing or combining) as anagram indicator, "coupling" as definition.32  1  
2734 Pearl's a bit of a lump, but less tubby at heartunion ² (Chambers). BUNION – (TU)B(BY)30  1  
2742 Topless fun makes leader return for sex (5)[f]UN + ION (No. 1 returning)-31  1  
325 Bond in essence after one gets hitched to another oneUN + I + bONd; &lit22 
3216 Federation of countries welcoming contentious region with loveFederation = def; UN around NI+O; contentious region = Northern Ireland21  3  
3243 Trinity Bursar reported having a swelling. Term didn't start.Trinity (union) Bursar reported (bursa [ sac-like cavity on joint, particularly on big toe ] – swelling = bunion). Term (word – bunion) didn't start = (b) union20  2  
3244 United refusal over Italy’s Northern LeagueU + NO over I (has) N; league as definition20 
3246 Universal replaced nothing in a tear-jerker – "Marriage".U (=Universal [Studios]) for first o in "onion" (= tear-jerker)/def.22 
3723 Marriage function without touches of traditional fruit cake (5)Def: Marriage Touches of Traditional Fruit Cake is TFC FUNCTION-T-F-C. (No anagram only deletion ) Harry’s and Meghan’s wedding was the first without a fruitcake1.52 
382 As a bit of fun I once swallowed a large pearlAs a bit of … swallowed (containment); f UN I ON ce ; a large pearl = def..12  1  
3819 It's used by plumbers working after leading parts of ugly new instllationsDefinition: 'It's used by plumbers'; 'working' = ON; 'leading' (pronounced 'ledding'), is a plumbing term; 'leading' (pronounced 'leeding') parts of 'ugly new installations' = UNI which comes before ON.11  2  
404 Bond in antimatter?'Bond' = union, 'antimatter?' = un-ion01  2  
4018 Head's beginning to go putting on uniform for meeting(o)<U>NION [onion = head; slang]00  2  
4021 Local one regularly disowns bard’s fine, large pearlUN + alternate letters00  1  
4024 Marriage little queen escapes: "No, I run away"(NO, I rUN)*01  1  
4029 Nun worried about perfect marriage (5)Definition: marriage; Wordplay: (NUN)* about IO (ten, so perfect), anagram indicator – worried01  2  
4035 Pungent bulb loses head to take the first universal league (5)Pungent bulb=ONION League=def00  2  
4037 Reduction of college term lost support of dons after getting together.college term = UNI/versity + (d)ON(s)00  1  
4045 Universal name of invocation and incorporation of federal statesU + n + io + 'n' = def00  1