The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC May 2019 competition results

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60 clues entered. 37 votes cast (34 competitors, 3 others).


MERCURY

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
145Tom BorlandPity about our defaced planetMERCY (pity) about (O)UR; def. planet451  4  
244Steve RandallPity about lack of love for our planetMERCY around [o]UR37.50  4  
342John AppletonNumber 1 for Mötley Crüe, playing extremely rowdy metalM[otley] + CRUE* + R[owd]Y25.51  3  
421Dhirendra TripathiGod's blessing protects ancient city (7)MERCY (blessing) around (protects) UR (ancient city). Definition: God (in Roman religion and mythology).24.51  3  
526John FidlerHeavy metal singerDouble definition, mercury the element + ref to singer Freddie Mercury23.51  1  
657Daan WesselinkThis you see rising when it's sunny outsideDown clue. CU (you see, both text abbr., rev.) in MERRY (sunny) &lit. it's = it has.220  4  
738John TozerMetallic element that’s sloshed aroundCu in merry, & lit.; sloshed = drunk210  2  
89Jeffery RobinsonCopper taken in by cheerful courierMER<CU>RY [Mercury is a courier service as well as a messenger god]20.50  1  
91Satyen NabarAn element of compassion embodies maturity essentiallyMERCY around (-mat)UR(-ity)181  3  
106Jane FitzpatrickChaos may recur without a divine messengerChaos = anagram indicator, 'may recur' without 'a' = fodder, divine messenger = definition160  4  
1041Josie BarnesMost excellent curry cooked for the one at table number 80m e curry*160  2  
128 Classic American car thiefDbl def: Edsel Ford car developed in 1938; Hermes/Mercury, patron god of thieves and a thief himself140  1  
1318 God: "Heavens shalt protect the City of Abraham"MERC(UR)Y122  1  
1355 Slightly drunk, pinches copper's revolver (7)MERRY (slightly drunk) around (pinches) CU (copper), def = revolver121  2  
1532 I prepared curry for the Queen! (7)ME (CURRY)*, def:the Queen (ref to Freddie Mercury)110  1  
1628 H.G. Wells initially revealed the elementary nature of barometersWells initially = HG, chemical symbol for Mercury = the elemental nature…100 
1634 Messenger causing laughter hugging coppermer-Cu-ry100  1  
1812 Cure my runs “Doctor Quicksilver”*CURE+MY+R(runs); ref Thomas Dover MD aka “Doctor Quicksilver”90  1  
1915 Ferments recur in my small world (7)RECUR* in MY81 
1939 Middle Eastern curry powders could be extremely hot (7)ME CURRY*, Def – Could be extremely hot82  2  
1956 Space missions initially suggested by Wells?Hg is the chemical symbol for mercury. HG Wells was a science fiction writer, etc. America's first manned space missions were named Mercury.80  1  
2222 God’s grace embraces purity without pityContainer: mercy around p(ur)ity7.51  4  
2233 I'm boiling up curry, it's seen to rise as it gets hotter?I'm = ME…CURRY (anag)7.52 
2250 Queen's messenger (7)Mercury: a Roman god depicted as the winged messenger and the singer with Queen (band).7.50 
2260 Writer cooks curry for Freddie (7)ME (writer) + anagram of CURRY with cooks as indicator for Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen7.50 
262 An element of "the Time Machine" initially described by Wells (7)Mercury clock HG = Mercury71 
264 Brims of Homburg historically treated with this? (7)Semi&lit Brims of Homburg = Hg (chemical symbol for Mercury) Manufacturing felt for hats (including Homburgs) involved treating animal fur with Mercury70 
2610 Copper's entertained by Festive FreddieMER(CU)RY70 
2653 Ruth goes around old city for the Messenger God (7)Ruth – mercy going around UR (old city) Messenger God is def70 
307 Cheerful when about 29 — or 80!Cu in merry, ref atomic numbers of copper and mercury6.51  1  
3058 Toxic element obtained from Middle Eastern curry masala (7)Definition: Toxic element. Anagram of (M E CURRY) with masala as indicator6.51 
325 Centre of Brighton disoriented messengercentre of BRIGHTON = GH; GH disoriented = HG; HG = mercury (Mercury = messenger)61  3  
3325 Heavy metal god seen with WingsDouble definition: Element + Roman deity5.50 
3351 Reasonably heavy metal coated with jolly heavy metalmer(Cu)ry5.50  1  
3549 Queen's lead singer slightly tipsy, embracing copperref: Freddie Mercury; MERRY round CU51  1  
3559 What typifies the volatility that has gone up during the time of May (7)DD, 1. What typifies volatility – quicksilver 2. mercury (temperature) rising in the month of May50  1  
373 Blend half of meat with curry for good-King-Henry (7)me(at) + curry anagram ; def good-King-Henry(mercury plant)30 
3740 More than half-cut, entertained by cheery, sunny neighbourCU in MER RY; Mercury is closest planet to Sun30 
3743 Oddly recur in my temperature indicator (7)direct=temperature indicator. ERCUR=recur (oddly=indicator), MY = my (in=indicator)30 
4037 Metal somewhat hammered around transforms into another (7)Metal -CU somewhat hammered (drunk) – MERRY another (metal) – definition2.50 
4114 Envoy regulating commerce under Romans originally occupied by Jove!Initial letters within My!, andlit. Ref. Roman god of commerce, messenger of Jupiter20  1  
4148 Queen’s lead envoy used to take the temperatureTriple definition: Queen’s lead (ref. Freddie)/ envoy = messenger/ used to take the temperature20 
4319 God, in Burgundy, drink’s hot stuff. Resistance evaporates!MER [ie, French for sea, aka drink]+ CURRY – R(esistance). Ref. the Roman god Mercury.1.50  1  
4324 He was a messenger for heavy metalTwo definitions1.50  1  
4329 Home Guard initially not belonging to this planet?Home Guard initially is HG or the chemical element mercury which is not found in planet Mercury.1.50 
4331 I object to copper riding in a luxury car with an unknown singer.I (as object) = me + cu = copper in R(olls) R(oyce) + y (= unknown [maths])/def: (Freddie) Mercury – late singer of the group "Queen".1.50 
4717 Freddie cooked curry-mee brieflyFreddie (Mercury) cooked = anag. of 'curry-me(e)' biefly10 
4720 “God ordered rest days to be free from work!” –Mystery CrusaderAnagram (work) of MYSTERYCRUSADER minus (to be free from) RESTDAYS (ordered)10  1  
4735 Messenger, one from Queen and good-King-HenryTriple def: a messenger / Freddie Mercury / the plant11  2  
4746 Planet quarter eclipsed, our spherical character being obscuredMERCY(quarter) outside UR(OUR-O, spherical character)10 
4754 See heavenly body as unattached cutie trains by the sea in France (7)unattached = remove TIE. MER next to CU(tie) RY10 
5211 Cure almost accompanying REM performing ultimate heavy metal!Anagram of REM + cur + y0.51 
5313 Customary courier’s letters misdirected in atrocious mix-up with 'Hermes'?CUSTOMARY COURIER (*letters misdirected) = ATROCIOUS + (MERCURY) (*mix-up). Hermes = Mercury = courier company.00 
5316 Freddie and me have spicy curry! (7)Freddie MERCURY = ME + (anagram of curry)00  1  
5323 H G Wells's 'Invisible Man' bearing a messageDouble def: HG = chem symbol for mercury (def); Wells's Invisible = discard Wells; Man bearing a message = messenger (def)00  1  
5327 Hermes offered sound OHMS delivery service till 1991 (7)Hermes = def.. and possible adjectival allusion to similarly named service … OHMS = ref. to ‘Queen’ plus sound delivery = vocal … 1991 = year of singer’s death00  1  
5330 I heard the Geordie double Nobel laureate lass discovered this element!soundalike in accent00  3  
5336 Metal dog haunts heartless jolly.Metal (DEF) dog (CUR) in heartless jolly (MERRY-R))00 
5347 Quacksalver with gradation of a product of cinnabar'Gradation [=ablaut] of a' changes quacksalver to quicksilver. Cinnabar is used as ore to produce mercury. Surface reading alludes to Paracelsus and his cure for syphilis.00 
5352 Roman courier's English delivery of French sea salt?French sea + salt = MER+CURE; Mercure/Mercury00