CCCWC July 2020 competition results
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59 clues entered. 40 votes cast (38 competitors, 2 others).
CAESAREAN
Convincing winner, brilliant clue. Well done to John Hood who managed to combine a deceptive definition with neat wordplay into a very natural and convincing surface. A clear winner and John's second podium finish of the year.
A long way back, but congratulations due to Viresh, who after a handful of entries achieves a first placing. A simple and effective anagram. Well done indeed!
An older hand just back in third; Tom Borland bags his fourth top 5 finish of the year, moulding the wordplay neatly in with his chosen definition.
Satyen pops up in 4th spot – his second podium of the year. Tough luck as he had the same idea as the winner, but the electorate obviously had preference for one over the other.
A tie for 5th place with Anthony and David both – coincidentally – also achieving their second top 5 finishes of this year.
Thanks to all as always – at least we had more cricket in the clues than we have had in the UK these last couple of days! Good luck for August…
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | John Hood | Australia's opener occupying crease undone by an incisive delivery | A(ustralia) inside (CREASE)* anagrind=undone + AN def=incisive delivery | 78.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 8 | Viresh Ratnakar | An operation can erase a wrinkle (9) | Def: an operation. CANERASEA* {"wrinkle" is the anagrind: "(the letters in) CAN ERASE A wrinkle" is the cryptic reading.} | 38.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 24 | Tom Borland | Fired as a cleaner, having left out section in hospital | *AS A C(L)EANER; def. section in hospital | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | 42 | Satyen Nabar | Opener for Australia inside batting crease, facing an unorthodox delivery | A(-ustralia) in CREASE* + AN, batting= anag ind (as in batting/fluttering eyelashes), defn= unorthodox delivery | 29.5 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 1 | Anthony Nannini | A case near Barking demanding delivery for medical reasons (9) | A case near = anag fodder, Barking = anagrind, + definition | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | David McKie | How one's delivered treatment of areas with acne? | AREAS ACNE (anag) | 23 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | 36 | Jessica Merchant | Labour's replacement leader of course heralds a new sane era (9) | C(ourse) + A + SANEERA* (new), heralds in the sense of ushers in. | 19.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 38 | Bhalchandra Pasupathy | Main revolutionary taken into custody by an imperialist | reversal of SEA(main) inside CARE(custody) + AN; def imperialist(ref Chambers) | 18.5 | 1 | |
| 8 | 40 | S.Sreeni | “New Arrivals” section (9) | Cryptic Definition for. delivery by Caesarean section . | 18.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | 3 | John Appleton | A Saracen horde finally beaten by imperialist | (A SARACEN [hord]E)* | 17.5 | 1 | |
| 11 | 32 | Incisive delivery cut back with a nick carrying | ERASE< + A in CAN; ref Cricket | 16 | 4 | 1 | |
| 12 | 34 | Kind of debut theatre performance that leaves one in stitches | 13.5 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 13 | 13 | Chances are a child is delivered unnaturally this way ! | Partial &lit; (chances are a – ch)*, ch (child in Chambers), subtraction indicator: is delivered, anagrind: unnaturally. | 13 | 1 | 3 | |
| 13 | 14 | Cut delivery from small district in French city | CAE{S+AREA}N; def='Cut delivery' | 13 | 0 | 1 | |
| 15 | 57 | Treat a case again with a new surgical procedure (9) | [A CASE]* (indicated by treat) + RE (again) + A (a) + N (new). Definition – surgical procedure. | 10.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 16 | 23 | Fast delivery for those expecting a special bundle | All in one cryptic. Bundle = baby. | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | 46 | Second batsman stuck in crease, confused by an awkward delivery | A + CREASE (anag) + AN, & lit | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 18 | 58 | What's to be done, when a babe won't come out? | Cryptic (sort of) def. (ref. a Caesarean section). | 8.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 19 | 10 | Arriving via short-cut over viaduct. | Short cut = (small incision). Over = (in preference to – Collins). Viaduct = (via duct = Via birth canal). & lit. | 8 | 2 | 2 | |
| 19 | 18 | Delivery of unopened bean salad to be placed out front (9) | CAESAR (b)EAN – health food for lockdown. | 8 | 2 | ||
| 19 | 22 | Excitement and new beginnings after invasive general surgery? | e a n (beginnings) after Caesar (invasive general) | 8 | 3 | 1 | |
| 19 | 44 | Organising a sea crane for extraction operation | (ASEACRANE)*, extraction operation = definition | 8 | 2 | 1 | |
| 23 | 39 | May enter directions to neighbourhood for special delivery | CA(E,S+AREA)N | 7.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 23 | 47 | Section cut from northern end of old Israeli seaport | Section cut (def); northern = N at end of Caesarea | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 23 | 52 | Theatre cut Macduff's debut as a conquering hero | Three definitions: Theatre cut / Macduff's debut / as a conquering hero ; (Macduff was 'untimely ripped from his mother's womb') | 7.5 | 1 | ||
| 26 | 37 | Labour-saving device for those with children? | Cryptic def.; "device" = plan or scheme (Chambers); "with child" = pregnant | 7 | 1 | 2 | |
| 26 | 48 | Section of second district in French city | s area in Caen | 7 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 5 | A section's appearance, with pages redacted, is deceptive | Anagram of S+APPEARANCE minus PP(pages) | 6 | 1 | 3 | |
| 29 | 2 | A sane care arrangement for the end of pregnancy? | Anag ASANECARE. | 5.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 29 | 31 | Imperialist, returning to remove amateur, occupies throne | (ERASE< A) in CAN | ERASE (to remove), A (Amateur), CAN (lavatory, throne); Imperialist (def) | 5.5 | 0 | ||
| 29 | 33 | Israeli settlement's new section cut though wall | Caesarea + n; ref. West Bank wall; op breaches abdominal wall | 5.5 | 0 | ||
| 32 | 35 | Kind of delivery- off cutter?(9) | Cryptic definition | 5 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 51 | The issue of Julie’s dalliance with Cleo reportedly produced a serious cut in the theatre of operations | Reputed son (issue) of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra was Caesarion (reportedly, homophone ind.) = a serious cut in the theatre of operations (def) | 5 | 1 | ||
| 34 | 55 | This may help to release one enduring hard labour. | 4.5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 35 | 6 | A way to bear territory, through rocky edges of Caspian Sea | AREA in anagram of C[aspia]N SEA | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| 35 | 9 | Arrest Aryan as stated by procedure | Homophone of seize Aryan. Operations often seem to be euphemistically called procedures these days. | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| 35 | 20 | Delivery that curves and cuts sharply | CD. C-sections are curves in shape and incisions of course. Inswinger (cricket delivery) fits the enumeration and also the description broadly. | 4 | 0 | ||
| 35 | 53 | This could be a section of problematic acne areas | {ACNE AREAS} anagram | 4 | 1 | ||
| 39 | 15 | Cutting out delivery can ease supply around Arkansas | Cutting out delivery = definition; anagram (supply) of CAN EASE around AR | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| 40 | 19 | Delivery sent over Dele Alli’s head is caught by excellent keeper (9) | (ERASE< + A) in CAN [dele = delete = erase (in printing); excellent keeper = food item that keeps for a long time — a can is one such]. Definition: delivery. Surface: football [Dele Alli plays for England and Spurs] | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 40 | 21 | Endless seances are an absurd theatrical act to reach loved ones on ‘the other side’ | Anagram of SEANCE(s) AR(e) A(n) | 2.5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 42 | 27 | How Aurelia might have given birth? (9) | Reference to Aurelia Cotta, Caesar's mother, and to the birthing method. | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 42 | 29 | Imperial Guard revealed by crones in unspoken play to hold fatal loophole? | Imperial = definition / unspoken play = Macbeth (unlucky to say title) / guard = invincibility / crones = witches / loophole = Macbeth killed by Macduff, who was 'not born of woman' (delivered by C-section). | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 42 | 45 | Repaired a crease before one's delivery | ACREASE anag + AN; def = delivery; ref = cricket | 2 | 1 | ||
| 45 | 50 | Such opening accepted in special care to give birth | S+A(accepted) in *CARE plus EAN(to give birth) &lit | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 46 | 4 | A scare under the knife? Have kittens! (9) | "A scare" under the knife = CAESAR. Have kittens = EAN. under the knife? Have kittens! = CAESAREAN | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 46 | 11 | Augustan arenas – ace action | (arenas – ace)* | 1 | 0 | ||
| 46 | 16 | Delivery method of European Space Agency within area inside China | ESA within AREA inside CN; C(A[ESA]REA)N; def = delivery method | 1 | 1 | ||
| 46 | 17 | Delivery of cosmetic case and belt by noon (9) | Delivery -def, case is anagrammed, belt- area, N – noon | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 46 | 30 | “Imperialist era returned under country’s aggressively expansionist Soviet leadership” article concludes (9) | DOWN CLUE. Imperialist – def, era returned – ARE, under – position, Country’s Aggressively Expansionist Soviet leadership – CAES, article – AN, concludes – comes last. | 1 | 1 | ||
| 46 | 41 | Old French war correspondent to give birth to a solution to a birthing problem. | Old French war correspondent (Caesar) to give birth (EAN) | 1 | 0 | ||
| 46 | 43 | Operation involved care as an emperor's first! | Operation (CAESAREAN) involved (anagram indicator) care as an emperor's first (CARE+AS+AN+E as first letter of emperor) (as also the first-of-its-kind operation related to Emperor Julius Caesar; &lit.) | 1 | 0 | ||
| 46 | 49 | Special delivery of a case near carousel (9) | Anagram of ACASENEAR. Carousel = merry go round. def: special delivery | 1 | 0 | ||
| 54 | 7 | After the Emperor’s appearances, Pontius Pilate initially retired to give order | composite anag – CAESAREAN + PP | 0.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 55 | 25 | Former Italian prison has a blackout setback. | Def. 'former Italian'(Caesarean – supporter of Caesar) . Prison/can containing a + blackout/erase reversed. (c + a + esare + an). | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 55 | 26 | Give birth to the noblest Roman? On the contrary this section, paradoxically, was the most kindest cut of all | Give birth to – EAN (Shakespeare, Chambers) the noblest Roman – CAESAR (Julius Caesar, also Shakespeare). On the contrary – rev – , this section (medical procedure of cutting [kindly, to avoid danger to mother or child] by which Julius Caesar was born); reference to Marc Anthony's funeral oration for Caesar | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 55 | 54 | This French saree is styled with an untimely rip | This french = ca + anag(saree)+ an. Definition=untimely rip (Macbeth) | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 55 | 56 | Timely extraction near as evidently abscessed canine primarily wobbly | [NEAR/AS/E/A/C]* defn. = Timely extraction | 0 | 0 | ||
| 55 | 59 | When surgery delivers, no trace remains in treated areas cancer ate. | Anagram of AREAS CANCER ATE minus TRACE, definition = when surgery delivers | 0 | 0 |