The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC January 2021 competition results

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72 clues entered. 52 votes cast (51 competitors, 1 other).


DISTAFF

It has been a few years since we last saw an entry from Richard Saunders, but he returns with a vengeance and scoops first place in a close run January competition! Well done Mr Saunders – and welcome back!
 
Another competitor returning after a long lay off – Steve Hicks – makes it count with a quirky clue that stood out. Good to see you back too Steve!
 
Satyen has shown some solid consistency of late and continues a good run taking 3rd spot with a neat construction.
 
Steve Randall shows he has no intention of easing off in 2021, securing 4th place with a trademark disguised definition.
 
The final podium placing goes to Mike Adams, following up his first top 5 finish of 2020.
 
Well done and thanks to all for such a healthy start to the new competition year – on to February!

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
13Richard SaundersAid to spinning fast if beginning to dance waltzesDefinition: Aid to spinning (stick that holds the bunch of flax etc.) Anagram of "fast if d". Anagram indicator "waltz(es)", to whirl (Inf.) Chambers52.53  2  
235Steve HicksLeaders of Denmark, Iceland, Serbia: they are female, female and femaleDefinition = female. Initial letters. The Prime Ministers of those three countries are women.492  6  
364Satyen NabarWhat I'd turn fast to spin a bit of flax?I'D <— + FAST* + F(-lax); semi-&lit40.51  6  
410Steve RandallDetective thanks fellows after charges finally stickDI(detective) TA,FF (thanks, fellows) after charge[S]393  2  
59Mike AdamsDetective beginning to search Welsh river for tow vehicleDetective = DI; beginning to search = S; Welsh river = TAFF; tow vehicle = defn DISTAFF is something that carries tow332  8  
643Simon GriewPapers, having turned against workers, getting stick for spinningReversal of ID (papers) + STAFF (workers)312  2  
77Nathan TownshendBum fat is extremely feared by womenBum = anagrind; fat is = fodder; extremely feared = FD; by women = definition293  4  
871Ramki KrishnanWomen's work, mostly performed by men (7)Def = women's work, Mostly performed = DI(-d), by = connector in charade, men = STAFF263  5  
934Peter LaccariaLadies wondered: "Is taffeta revealing?"Hidden word; 'Ladies' as in 'distaff side'.243  3  
1028Amrita MajumdarI'd set up a workforce of women (6)I'D < set up ( reversal indicator) workforce – staff , of women – def231  4  
1031Charlie OakleyIt's used to stop tops of flax fibres and end of thread twistingIT'S = anagram fodder, used = anagram indicator. Stop = insertion indicator. Tops of… FFA, end of threaD = FFAD twisting = reversal/anagrind. &lit.231  4  
1070Ed HallWomen’s work: cooking, for starters, then dusting furniture – as if! (7)anag. of T(hen) D(usting) F(urniture) + AS IF231  4  
134 Almost all ladies with this work out could get fit as a fiddle (7)Comp anagram: {LADIE(s) + DISTAFF}* = FIT AS A FIDDLE22.51  4  
1438 Nudist affably shows rodhidden212  5  
152 A few backward characters scoff at sides representing women (7)A reverse hidden word clue, indicated by "a few 'backward' characters", sco<<FF AT SID<<es is the fodder, and "representing women' is the definition [ref: Chambers (2), as modifier]20.52  4  
1665 Woman democrat wins regularly thanks to female followingD (democrat) + IS (wins regularly) + TA (thanks) + FF (female following). Woman – def as adjective16.51  3  
1719 Female police officer is followed by manFemale = def; police officer = DI; is followed by = positional indicator; man = staff.163 
1833 Ladies' man pursues baser instincts when retired (7)STAFF after ID<153  3  
1942 Old-fashioned, rock & roll is daft – and LOUD!def. (archaic) rock(3) in Chambers; roll (imperative) ISDAFT* + f14.54  1  
2051 Show disrespect to short Welshman – this is literally never doneDIS + TAFF(y) Per Chambers, distaff = women's work (literary) ref "a woman's work is never done"13.51  4  
2166 Woman with man after her job?Di + staff (vb.); def. = her job?132  1  
2267 Woman's engaged in nudist affair.Hidden: distaff = of or concerning woman.12.54  1  
2336 Loud obese man rejected "women's work".(F FAT SID)<121  2  
2472 Women's work shift had hours chopped and changed by forceDEF=women's work. ANAG=(shifthad – h,h). F=force112  1  
2530 Insult a guy from Cardiff made referring to femalesInsult = DIS; a guy from Cardiff = TAFF; REFERRING TO FEMALES = def..10.50  2  
2540 Nudist affects clothing for womenhidden clue, definition = "for women"10.52  4  
2713 Editing staid folios is women’s workAnagram STAID + FF90  4  
2745 Princess and her aides involved in spinning yarnsDi (princess) + staff = distaff (“involved”) integral to spinning-wheel mechanics91  3  
2941 Old man admits it's unsettling to stand beside very loud female[DA (old man = father) admits (takes in) ITS (anag)] beside FF (very loud); female (adj) = def8.52  3  
2950 Scoff at Siddhartha's returning to mother's side, perhaps?"Scoff at Siddhartha" "has" the word DISTAFF reversed ("returning") within it; "mother's side, perhaps" is the definition.8.50  2  
3116 Essentially cylindrical, one short pole holds flax at first (7)D (centre of "cylindrical) + I (one) + STAF(F) holding F (& lit.)82  7  
326 Beloved princess blubbers over tip of finger in girls' work of fiction (7)DI + reversal(FATS) + F. Definition = girls' work of fiction (Chambers #2)7.52  2  
3344 Policewomen (7)Police – D.I. staff / women – def70  2  
3353 Side female nudist affably displays?Hidden71  2  
3547 Rod is awfully daft about sex (7)Rod – Def. D(IS)TAF* F6.54  2  
3617 Fat Sid returns with female, concerning women!Distaf+f; definition = concerning women (Collins)50  2  
3623 Find dandruff at side and back of women (7)dandru(FF AT SID)e. Hidden reversal indicated by find and back respectively. Definition: of women51  3  
3654 Sissy Sid wears a very loud shirt. Wild!Sissy (def); Sid +(wears) a very loud (ff) shirt (t). Wild (partial anag.)50  1  
3658 This working, could be 'tis female fadanag. incl. f, & lit.50  1  
4022 Female workers on the payroll for this?Di + staff & lit.4.51  3  
418 Conveyor of yarn set up Minoan myth in Metamorphoses, having set out cursed mountain nymph Echo being captivated by NarcissusDef: Conveyor of yarn. Wordplay: anagram of SET UP MINOAN MYTH IN minus anagram of MOUNTAIN NYMPH E, in DAFF (= daffodil, a narcissus). Surface: Roman poet Ovid41  8  
4118 Female employee I had promoted is on top (7)#down clue. I’D<<<< (I had with promoted as reversal indicator and “is on top” to indicate I’D comes before) +STAFF (employee). Definition Female41  2  
4139 Nudist affectedly masks his feminine sideNu(distaff)ectedly. Hidden word44  3  
4420 Female royal's female attributes – doubly femaleDI'S+T&A+FF30  2  
4429 In style, it's raucous; a very loud classic rock (7)Def = classic rock. Style = DA (duck's arse). Very loud = FF.30  3  
4437 No heathen left one unravelled in the hands of Fate.DISTAFF = IN THE HANDS OF FATE less NO HEATHEN (unravelled*) &lit. Clotho, one of the Fates, held a distaff in her hand.30  2  
4468 Women showing up in stiff, fat sideburns (7)Def: women. Reversed hidden answer {showing up in}: (-stif)F FAT SID(-eburns) <<.30  2  
4812 Diana comes briefly before the personnel to discuss matters concerning women.Diana briefly=DI; before "personnel" = staff. Di +staff = "distaff", concerning women.2.51  3  
4826 Gendered domain is stick that's associated originally with females (7)Definition = &lit; Originally – indicates first letters; D[omain] I[s] S[tick] T[hat's] A[ssociated] + FF (with females)2.51  3  
4832 Just over five hundred staff use this to spin a yarn.DI (roman numerals for 501) + STAFF2.50  3  
5124 Five hundred one hired hands! For women's work?a charade of DI (five hundred one) and STAFF (hired hands) giving DISTAFF (women's work)22  4  
5125 Fossilized rock: compressed stone with a filling difference?DI(ST A)FF; ST=stone(compressed=abbr. ind.), DIFF=difference; def: 'fossilized' rock (rock=archaic word for distaff, fossilized=antiquated, figuratively)20  2  
5146 Regarding women in engineering shedding initial aversion, data is very strong (7)Regarding women – definition. Wordplay: engineering – anagram indicator, [DATA – a + IS]* + FF (very strong)20  3  
5452 Shun banker with spinning stick (7)River Taff1.51  2  
5469 Women's work carried out by princess's team belowstairs(Princess) Di + staff1.50  1  
561 A couple of workers get wound up on leaving this toolA couple = Di; workers = staff; get wound up on leaving this tool = definition10  2  
5611 Detectives with terriers – they made it work for womenDetectives = DIs; terriers = TA [i.e. territorial army]; they made it = FF [fecerunt]. Work for women = def.10  3  
5614 Employees supporting Welshman – it's the work of womenDI + STAFF10  5  
5627 Half a mile, for instance, in front of a very strong femaleDIST (ANCE) + A FF, & lit11  4  
5649 Sadist afflicts hiding with this stick.SaDIST AFFlicts (hiding)…def: stick10  5  
5656 Term for stiff fellow pursuing staid living? A stick!staid* preceding (stif)f, F; living (adj.) = lively, in activity; term = end.10  1  
5657 Terribly staid females or female (7)STAID* FF, def: female (adj.)10  1  
635 Angharad is Taffy's squeeze, dashing away with a smoothing iron, perhapssqueeze, verb and colloquial noun; ref. traditional song.0.51  2  
6315 Ending of Gone With the Wind is thanks to female going to face future: typical of herD+IS+TA+F+F; ref Scarlett O’Hara’s ‘tomorrow is another day’ at end of GWTW0.51  4  
6521 Female showing as man on passport got rejected (7)Wordplay: DI<< STAFF ; Confirmation: female00  2  
6548 Rod to produce American whiskey, has no trouble with one very strongDIST(ill)/A FF [distill = American spelling]00  1  
6555 Spinning device fad's fit to be wound upSpinning device = definition, (FADSFIT)*00  1  
6559 Underworld volunteers very loud for women (7)Dis = underworld TA = volunteers FF = very loud For women = definition01  1  
6560 Upsetting to men where this form of women's work becomes somewhat different[(somewhat different) – (to men where)]* Definition (indicated by "this"): form of women's work (Chambers)00  2  
6561 Warring states differ. No reset for women's work.Anag. (STATES DIFFER -RESET)00  2  
6562 Welshman is fourth in line, on his mother's side (7)D is Taff00  3  
6563 Welshman on the pick-up meets hands-on woman (7)DI (sounds like(on the pick-up) Dai); hands = STAFF; def is "on woman" meaning on womanhood generally01  2