The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC September 2018 competition results

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43 clues entered. 38 votes cast (33 competitors, 5 others).


JOANNA LUMLEY

Another close run contest with congratulations going to Tom – his second win of the year – with a finely crafted anagram managing to avoid the obvious with a well-disguised definition.
 
David was just a couple of points behind with his anagram – that's his 3rd podium of the year – well done!
 
Don bagged 3rd spot – just a point and a half back – with his anagram &lit. for a second podium of 2018, nice one Don!
 
Jeff also scoops a second top 5 finish for this year, working in an AbFab reference to his clue.
 
A tie for 5th place, Bhalchandra following up last month's win with another anagram – and Luciano bagging consecutive podium spots with his clue showing a bit of variation using Joanna = piano…
 
Well done to all for your efforts with a tricky challenge!

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
141Tom BorlandTaking a spin round Lake, enjoy manual 1970s Avenger (6,6)L (Lake) in *ENJOY MANUAL; def. 1970s Avenger (ref. Hillman/Chrysler Avenger)35.50  1  
211David McKieActress Una, jolly mean when riled?*UNA JOLLY MEAN33.51 
38Don ManleyActress originally inspired by a jolly nun — me, possibly?a in anag. & lit., ref. JL's convent education323  2  
422Jeffery RobinsonFabulous star is an upper-class drunk with jolly nameSemi-&lit – (Absolutely) Fabulous star; ANUJOLLYNAME*; Patsy is jolly name for JL in AbFab, and she is upper-class and often drunk281 
59Bhalchandra PasupathyActress pouring heart out in journal, laymen touched{JOU(r)NAL LAYMEN}* with touched (mad) as anagram indicator271  1  
536Luciano WardPiano Melly played when entertaining upper-class model and actress?piano = JOANNA; [MELLY anagram] entertains (holds) U; def = model and actress; ref George Melly (showing my age…)273 
720Nick SmithEnjoy manual labour, initially, working as Monsoon assistantENJOY + MANUAL + L; JL played Edina Monsoon's assistant in Ab Fab263 
82Satyen NabarActively liberal English gal many love, heartily announcing, 'Justice for Gurkhas primarily!'(L + E + GALMANY + O + UN)* with J for G, &lit; actively= anag ind, heartily anno(UN)cing= central letter selection, J for G(-urkhas)=substitution. Ref: Describing Joanna Lumley and her activism on behalf of Gurkhas.210 
930Sudarshan JaganathanNo date with a jolly mundane, awful actress (6,6)(A JOLLY MUN[-d]ANE)* with awful as anagram indicator201 
104Vinod RamanActor Jack's remake of "A lonely man (U)" (6,6)Def:Actor. J + (A LONELY MAN U)*. Reference to actor Jack Palance in the 1957 movie, The lonely man18.54  1  
1113 An actress, a piano, a smoke-filled place – and a long linejoanna (rhyming slang), lum (chimney), ley (line)181 
1225 Jay on menu – all being treated to this absolutely fabulous bird?(anag) jay on menu all…AbFab.17.50  2  
1319 Enjoy LA buzz around comeback of Disney film actressENJOYLA* around MULAN<171  2  
1433 One that smokes grass is pursuing a piano player.Lum = chimney/"one that smokes" + ley = lea = grass(land)/on Joanna = piano (rhyming slang)/def (player).152 
1539 She sailed with Monsoon, drifting on, all May and June (6, 6)She sailed with Monsoon – definition ref Edina Monsoon in AbFab. drifting – anagram ind. ONALLMAYJUNE*. Monsoon which brings rains to Indian subcontinent starts in May and peaks in June.Monsoon and sailing have long association too. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/navigation-began-india-indians-used-monsoon-winds-sailing-long-greeks-72629141  1  
1618 Drunkenly half-cut, just a lonely man wanting absolutely fabulous lady (6,6)Anagram131  1  
1735 Patsy's joint rolled manually with one?J(oint) + MANUALLYONE*. Patsy as in Ab. Fab.12.51 
1826 Jewelled opener one manually fashioned for an actress (6,6)Def.: an actress; Wordplay: J (Jewelled opener) + (ONE MANUALLY)*, anag. ind. fashioned121  1  
1837 Piano playing mule extremely likely to become a fabulous favourite (6 6)Piano = JOANNA. Anagram (playing) of MULE + L(ike)Y121 
2040 Strangely enjoy manual labour, missing the first part of Ab Fab and our Patsy?Anagram of [ENJOY MANUAL L]abour (ie missing the first part of [Ab] Fab and [our]; def = Patsy?112  1  
2128 Jumper worn by an old grad student, inscribed with name of star! (6,6)Def: Star, ANNO: JOEY (Jumper – cryptic ref to a kangaroo) << AN (N)ALUM L, Alum – Old grad, L – Student101 
225 Actor Joe McGann's top, annually, when performingDef = Actor, (JOE M ANNUALLY)*, anagrind = "when performing".9.51 
2321 Fabulous player piano links up minuet’s first parts with half of medleyFabulous player = definition [ref Absolutely Fabulous], piano = JOANNA, L(inks) U(p) M(inuet) + (med)LEY90 
2323 I may be cast as Molly, Jane and Una(MOLLYJANEUNA)*92  2  
2343 With videos remixed, she might make Madison Avenue jolly.Composite anagram.91 
2634 Only “Jam and Jerusalem” has this actress, as an organist, performing with Dr. James (6,6)Composite anagram &lit; Def: This actress, as an organist; Anagram of {(JOANNA LUMLEY)+(DR JAMES)}* = ONLYJAMANDJERUSALEM Anagram indicator : Performing; Dr James (Vine) – character from Jam and Jerusalem with Joanna Lumley playing the organist Delilah Stagg.81 
2716 Burmese title Melly played on piano for champion of Gurkhas (6 6)Burmese title = u+ melly = anagram fodder, played=anagrind on=following, piano= Joanna + definition7.52 
2724 Jack, only a mule, an unfettered Gurkhas' mascotJ[Jack] ONLYAMULEAN* [unfettered] def. Gurkhas' mascot (I know this is controversial, substitute 'Gurkha warrior' if you wish…)7.51 
293 Actor described llama nun shot in 3D onceActor described = def., (llama nun)*, shot = *, 3D once = JOEY (threepenny joey). So JO ANNALUML EY70  1  
3042 Una, Jane and Molly creating another unsinkable lady!*UNA(Stubbs)+JANE(Fonda)+MOLLY(Brown) ind by 'creating another'6.50  2  
3132 Old actress ugly: annul male joy! (6,6)Direct=old actress; anagram of "annul male joy"; ugly = anagram indicator4.50 
3214 An actress and the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from California died in July. (6,6)MAE NOLAN (who died on July 9, 1973) was the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress from California and an anagram of her name can be found inside the month of July (JoannalUmLeY) to spell actress JOANNA LUMLEY.41  2  
3315 Annually, Joe M. transforms – she's "Patsy Stone"(Annually Joe M)*3.51 
3327 Joey, covering an article in the Mirror, endlessly mulls about the actress (6,6)Jo{an <<an [mull(-s)]*}ey, def=the actress, na(article, reversed), reversal indicator=in the Mirror, deletion indicator=endlessly, anagram indicator=about, container indicator=covering3.50 
3512 After a piano, stupid mule's caught in empty lorry. Patsy!A piano = JOANNA + anagram of MULE in L(orr)Y.30  1  
3610 Actress recording a bit of music (extremely unoriginal composition) wearing a small jumper (6,6)Actress = def, recording = ANNAL, a bit of music, extremely unoriginal composition = (M U-L)*, wearing = container ind, a small jumper = JOEY12 
3638 She represented many/all English Juno characters*manyall(E)Juno*, semi@lit, Juno = a woman of stately bearing and regal beauty11 
3831 Occasionally keeping Jo Brand on as comic, ultimately no Tati, she's funny(Occasionally keeping) JO br AN do NA s + (*comic) ULTIMATELY less TATI = Lumley. Def: she's funny.0.50 
391 A not so old piano only performs as member of Steed's team'Old Joanna' is piano in cockney rhyming slang. Not so old also implies new. Joanna Lumley was the only Joanna cast in The Avengers or The New Avengers. Joanna Lumley acted as Purdey in The New Avengers as Steed's female Avenger team member.00  1  
396 Actor's sweetheart (Ms Tellwright) thinks quite a lot about lines (6,6)JO (John Anderson my Jo) ANNA (of the five towns) – rev MUL(ls) LEY lines – although female the dear lady may apparently be described as an "actor" in modern parlance – even if she self-identifies as something else it'll still be OK – PC etc.00 
397 Actress backing compassion in farming journal incoherent on an aluminium compound applied to pastureJ + (ON AN)* + ALUM + LEY01  1  
3917 Daughter of Nepal and Scots lover lass in Mull, yea mostly frolickingJO + ANNA + {MULL YE(a)}*01 
3929 Keep one in Durham after 'earing piano playerKeep = Castle (per Bradford's) one in Durham – Lumley, after 'earing (indicates cockney word [for]) piano – Joanna – player (def) actor/ess01