CCCWC September 2019 competition results
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47 clues entered. 39 votes cast (35 competitors, 4 others).
ASTER (Printer’s Devilry)
The most comprehensive winner in a long while – congratulations to Tom for his excellently neat Printer's Devilry clue – one that may merit being used as an example in future PD preambles!
John Tozer grabbed 2nd spot with a good example of a PD clue with some wording that had you wondering why it was there, then of course the undevilment cleverly revealed the reason why!
John Hood popped up in 3rd with another clue that took advantage of the recycling idea – had me wondering just how big Cheshire Council's site is!
Neelima takes 4th place – a first appearance on the podium since that win on debut last year – one of the shortest clues and it is always an impressive achievement to squeeze a PD into such few words.
Satyeh secures the last podium place with a clue that raised a chuckle, although some may question the veracity of the devilled version – no matter, it's a good PD clue!
Well done to all for such an entertaining mix of clues!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Tom Borland | Greens are happy to see we cycled | Greens are happy to see waste recycled | 90 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | 23 | John Tozer | I, macho man, claimed a Vestal virgin | I’m a chaste Roman, claimed a Vestal virgin | 45 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | John Hood | Cheshire Council hasten a Crewe cycling facility | Cheshire Council has ten acre waste recycling facility | 33 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | 32 | Neelima | Passwords would provide protection (5) | Past era's swords would provide protection | 29.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Satyen Nabar | Boris Johnson's humble in Parliament | Boris Johnson's haste – rumble in Parliament | 24.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 17 | Barry Solomons | Going to polls again will only be papering over the cracks? | Going to paste rolls again, will only be papering over the cracks. | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | 41 | Luciano Ward | Though I don't like to boast, this rump of mine is still exquisite! | Though I don't like to baste roast, this rump of mine is still exquisite! | 23.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 38 | Paul Coulter | Tabloid covers diss Tory | Tabloid covers disaster story | 22.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | 37 | Neil Mondal | Students are rewarded with books forming the subject material | Students are rewarded with books for mastering the subject material | 20 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 | Steve Randall | A cook wishing to impress will frequently boast | A cook wishing to impress will frequently baste roast | 19.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | 20 | Government expects prolonged boom will end prematurely | Government expects prolonged "boo" (as ter)m will end prematurely | 15 | 0 | ||
| 12 | 42 | We cycled from Bath reaching Wells in no time | Waste recycled from bath reaching wells in no time | 14 | 2 | 2 | |
| 13 | 16 | Going beyond the pale, average satire lands criticism | Going beyond the past era, Leave rages at Ireland’s criticism | 13.5 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 5 | Canny drinker wouldn't wed | Canny drinker wouldn't wASTE Red; canny in the sense of "sparing in money matters", red = wine | 12.5 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 18 | Good cooks boast frequently. | Undevilled version: Good cooks baste roast frequently. | 12.5 | 5 | 2 | |
| 16 | 15 | Flash is Ming the Merciless, Emperor of Mongo | Flash is mastering the merciless Emperor of Mongo. [Ref Flash Gordon] | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| 17 | 25 | In the 80s, football mirrored society – strikers down the pitch, else race-rioting! | In the 80s, football mirrored society – strikers down the pit, Chelsea's terrace rioting… | 11 | 2 | ||
| 18 | 29 | My! Is full command over a subject so hard to achieve? | Undevilled version: Mastery is full command over a subject – so hard to achieve | 10 | 2 | 1 | |
| 19 | 7 | Chef’s added wine made Wellington tight | Chef’s added wine made Wellington taste right | 9.5 | 2 | ||
| 20 | 9 | Cook stack of lamb kept in the kitchen (5) | Undevilled version Cooks t(ASTE R)ack of lamb kept in the kitchen | 9 | 0 | ||
| 21 | 36 | Some chefs frequently boast | Some chefs frequently b/aste r/oast | 8 | 2 | 1 | |
| 21 | 40 | The ship has no rumpled sail or speed of fare in the doldrums and can't find their port | The ship has no rum; plastered sailors, peed off, are in the doldrums and can't find their port [fare=travel, poetically; devilled reading poetically refers to a becalmed ship] | 8 | 0 | 3 | |
| 23 | 33 | Pro ran awful business | Past error an awful business | 7 | 1 | 3 | |
| 23 | 35 | She’s disappointed at the shopping bought instead of diamond | She’s disappointed at the shop: paste ring bought instead of diamond | 7 | 3 | 2 | |
| 25 | 6 | Chef is more likely to boast in his own kitchen | Chef is more likely to baste roast in his own kitchen | 6.5 | 4 | ||
| 26 | 2 | All they wanted? To-do; wasted! | All they wanted to do was taste red | 6 | 0 | 3 | |
| 27 | 13 | Ely winds, blowing directly from Siberia, can be frosty | Easterly winds, blowing directly from Siberia, can be frosty | 5.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 27 | 31 | One cannot toast chicken after eating mints | One cannot t(aste r)oast chicken after eating mints | 5.5 | 2 | ||
| 27 | 45 | When chef doesn't boast, join the ends up with dry meat | When chef doesn't baste roast joint he ends up with dry meat | 5.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 30 | 14 | Fans go wild, races are won, over in under ten seconds | Fans go wild as terraces are won over in under ten seconds | 4.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 31 | 44 | Wheelchair users often go for speed on M25. | Wheelchair users often go faster or speed on M25. | 4 | 0 | 2 | |
| 31 | 46 | Without binary code, computers do exist | Answer: ASTER, Undevilled version: Without bias, ternary code computers do exist | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| 33 | 3 | Angry exchanges over Semites accused of disruptive behaviour. | Angry exchanges overseas; termites accused of disruptive behaviour. References Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan's antagonistic comparison of Jews and termites. | 3.5 | 1 | ||
| 33 | 12 | Ely wind comes in over the Fens | E/ly: Easterly wind comes in over the Fens | 3.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 33 | 47 | You'll find a cathedral in the Ely region of England. | Undevilled version: You'll find a cathedral in the easterly region of England. | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 36 | 34 | Religious man blows shop harmfully | Religious man blows shophar masterfully (A shophar is a Jewish musical instrument a bit like a bugle) | 2.5 | 0 | ||
| 37 | 11 | 'Daisy – Got stuck in terrible north Ely!' | 'Daisy – Got stuck in terrible north-easterly!' (Daisy is the addressee of a ‘message’) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 37 | 26 | It became apparent as I raced around many hills | It became apparent Asia's terraced around many hills | 1 | 1 | ||
| 39 | 19 | Goodwood's aware races fixed | Good wood saw area's terraces fixed | 0.5 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 10 | Cut and pound object from tray | Cut and paste round object from tray | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 40 | 22 | I love peace, not bomb blast as terror messages | Undevilled version: I love peace, not bombast error messages | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 40 | 24 | I would donate but alms can make being needy a profession | I would donate but alas terms can make being needy a profession | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 27 | Mason at the trial pled no contest — nothing stuck | Mason at the trial plastered — no contest — nothing stuck | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 28 | Mr Daisy? | M(aster) Daisy – Solomon Daisy is a character in Barnaby ruddge | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 40 | 30 | Office sale. Sale of all laser printers down to the laser. | ……..laser printers down to the last eraser. | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 39 | The magi calm your nerve – scant praise! | The magical mastery our nerves can't praise | 0 | 1 | ||
| 40 | 43 | We do burrow, destroying the ship. | Was teredo burrow destroying the ship? | 0 | 0 | 1 |