CCCWC March 2022 competition results
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70 clues entered. 55 votes cast (52 competitors, 3 others).
SUMMER
Congratulations this month go to Simon Griew with a convincing win! A lovely definition that enabled a convincing surface referencing a classic film! This is Simon's maiden win after 3 placings last year – well done sir!
It was very close for the minor placings and we had an old hand back in second – Steve Randall. He may now be back to form with a second podium in a row. Another neat definition and I also like 'French drink' for mer.
Ed Hall bags a first podium of the year in third place, once again I think the clever definition made the difference.
We had a plague of adders this month but it was John Hood who made the managed to combine it with some clever wordplay to produce a natural surface.
Finally a big shout out to William Snow who achieved a first podium finish! As one commenter said, simple but effective.
Thanks to everyone as always for the entertainment provided…on to April.
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 51 | Simon Griew | Some Like It Hot: Marilyn Monroe initially taken in by absurd ruse | MM in RUSE*; def = some like it hot | 65.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 12 | Steve Randall | Amount the French drink in three months | SUM (amount) + MER (French for sea) | 42.5 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 70 | Ed Hall | Worried mum’s right about pride ultimately; it comes before a fall (6) | Anagram of MUMS + R outside (prid)E. It comes before a fall (def, fall=autumn) | 38.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | 9 | John Hood | Adder venom finally treated with serum | [(veno)M SERUM]* def adder=summer | 38 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | 60 | William Snow | Totter before fall | Double definition | 37 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 35 | Alastair Gerrard | Months lying in endless sun and sea in France? | M (Months) inside SU(n) + MER (sea in French) &Lit | 36.5 | 5 | 2 |
| 7 | 66 | Dave Williams | What precedes fall of Moscow’s leader: entering historic region | M inside SUMER. def: what precedes fall | 36 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | 64 | Gerry Murtagh | Vivaldi's second perhaps, but who's counting? | Summer is the second of Vivaldi's Four Season Concertos, arguably his most famous works, a summer is someone who does sums! | 35.5 | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | 57 | Roger Gascoigne | This season, Sheffield United’s manager made everyone rehearse headers. | This season = definition “Leaders” indicates first letters of Sheffield United’s Manager Made Everyone Rehearse Headers, ie S,U,M,M,E,R. | 29 | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | 59 | Myrtilus | Tolerate females changing gender for part of the year | Tolerate=Su(ff)er becomes Su(mm)er | 29 | 3 | |
| 11 | 22 | Fresh rums sustain me when the weather's hot (6) | Def:when the weather's hot, Fresh rums=RUMS*, sustain=containment indicator, me=ME=>SUM(ME)R | 28 | 5 | 2 | |
| 12 | 43 | Resume unfinished motorway repairs when hot weather is expected | Resume unfinished motorway = resum(e) + m (anagram fodder); repairs = anagram indicator; when hot weather is expected = def. | 23 | 3 | 1 | |
| 13 | 13 | Arithmetician's theorem must be rejected, in part | (theo)REM + MUS(t) backwards | 19 | 3 | 6 | |
| 14 | 69 | When stranger removes top at the first sign of sunshine ? | stranger = rummer removes top = ummer at first sign of sunshine =s(ummer) andlit | 17.5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 15 | 67 | When Frenchwoman bathes in south of Spain? | MME (madame, "Frenchwoman") inside ("bathes in") SUR (Spanish for "south"). &lit (? because this could occur any time of year, though most likely in summer) | 15.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 16 | 14 | "Beam me up Scotty," mission leaders ordered; sounding hesitant. | def=BEAM. leaders=(MUSM)*, anagrind=ordered, + (ER)=sounding hesitant. | 14.5 | 3 | 4 | |
| 17 | 28 | I calculate prime | Double definition (I calculate = 'summer' under 'sum' in Chambers; prime (of life) = heyday, summer) | 14 | 1 | ||
| 18 | 32 | It’s the hottest phase of harem music from the East (6) | Hidden in reverse. “Of” is the hidden indicator, “from the East” the reversal indicator. Definition: It’s the hottest phase | 13 | 1 | ||
| 19 | 23 | Go through difficulties with males replacing females for a season (6) | SUFFER ("go through difficulties") with MM ("males") replacing FF ("females") to give SUMMER ("for a season") | 12.5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 19 | 68 | When Pride comes before fall? | When Pride comes = def (Pride parades are in the summer) before fall = before autumn | 12.5 | 1 | ||
| 21 | 41 | Plaintiff gets millions… and 6-9 months? | SU(MM)ER | 12 | 5 | 1 | |
| 22 | 39 | One of first people in Rome welcomes one thousand back for holiday season | One of first people in Rome = REMUS, welcomes – insertion indicator, one thousand = M, back – reversal. Holiday Season – definition. | 11.5 | 2 | ||
| 23 | 42 | Queen Mum's dancing at first results in a totter | MUMS* at first/ER; totter=summer as a mathematician | 11 | 3 | ||
| 24 | 62 | Totter followed by fall? (6) | Totter = someone who adds up = a summer: The summer season is followed by the fall or autumn. | 10 | 1 | ||
| 25 | 65 | Wacky bummers missing Black Adder (6) | bummers* – b | 9.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 26 | 44 | River birds ascending over the top of metal beam (6) | (R+EMUS)<<< (ascending) around (over) M(the top of metal). Def: Beam (Ref Chambers. Summer is also a beam supporting the roof or floor) | 9 | 2 | ||
| 27 | 4 | Adder biting back of arm, serum is administered | M in *SERUM; def. Adder | 8.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 27 | 24 | Harem muses about giving up when the days are long and hot | reversed [about] and hidden [giving up] word | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 27 | 27 | Hub of ancient civilisation doubled in period prior to fall | su(MM)er | 8.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 27 | 40 | One solves maths problem essentially numeric? | SUM + nu[MER]ic &lit. See 'summer' def. 3 in Chambers. | 8.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 31 | 7 | Adder season? | Summer is the season when adders are most often encountered in UK; adder = one who adds (or sums) | 8 | 1 | 2 | |
| 31 | 8 | Adder season? | Adder (one who sums) season (e.g. Summer)? – double and cryptic def. Summer is the season for adders (snakes) | 8 | 1 | ||
| 31 | 26 | Hot time with couple of maidens in sack? Sure! | M+M in SURE*; sack= anag ind, defn= hot time | 8 | 3 | 2 | |
| 34 | 1 | A child of Mars ascendant with aspect of Mercury in age of Leo, e.g. | a child of Mars = REMUS according to the myth. ascendant, so SUMER. containing M (with aspect of MERCURY in). age of Leo, e.g. = SUMMER | 7.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 34 | 2 | A few picked up on face of Everest right before fall | SUMM = some (a few) picked up (heard) on face of Everest = E + R (right). Before fall (autumn) = definition. | 7.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 34 | 36 | Mum's trip bordering Equator could be a hot one. | Mum's (anag)+ E(quato)R | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 37 | 54 | The best time calculator? (6) | DD. The best time / calculator? | 5.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 37 | 55 | The happiest of times, making one beam? | 2 mngs | 5.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 39 | 56 | The time before Donald Trump's fall | Fall is US name for autumn | 5 | 3 | ||
| 40 | 20 | Described by “estival” in US. Remember odd misspelling (6) | Def = described by “estival” (US spelling). Misspelling=anagrind of US + RMME (odd letters of remember) | 4.5 | 1 | ||
| 40 | 29 | In June, maybe, I reckon | One who reckons could possibly be called a summer. In June = summer. Double def. | 4.5 | 3 | ||
| 40 | 34 | Madame indicated wee is drunk by her on ninety odd days each year | MME (indicated wee ~ abbreviated) in SUR (madame's "on") | 4.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 43 | 17 | Byron's year in Italian estate (6) | "Estate" is the Italian word for summer, and "summer" is used in poetry (including Byron's) to mean a year. (Ref. Byron's time in Italy.) | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 43 | 19 | Counts the cost when we go on holiday perhaps(6) | Double definition | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 45 | 58 | Time for the evening meal, with musk melon starters instead of peas, I hear | SUPPER with PP replaced by MM. Defn = Time. | 3.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 45 | 63 | Turkey escaped – not one for plucking, I reckon! | STRUMMER (not one for plucking a guitar?) minus TR / def = I reckon | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 47 | 18 | Calculative device, naughty ruse to capture two maidens? | A ‘calculative device’ is a SUMMER. ‘Naughty ruse’ makes an anagram SUER. ‘To capture two maidens’ will put MM inside SUER, to make SUMMER. | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| 47 | 25 | Harem must hold back hotness? (6) | HOTNESS? = definition; HOLD BACK = reverse container indicator; [ha]REM MUS[t] | 3 | 1 | ||
| 47 | 47 | Seasonal accountant | DD | 3 | 1 | ||
| 47 | 52 | Someone like S. Ramanujan, Indian type received warmly in US (6) | Srinivasa Ramanujan (mathematician, who does sums = 'sum-mer') / (Native) Indian 'summer' in US – double definition | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 51 | 6 | Adder, possibly Indian | Two definitions (ref. Indian summer) | 2.5 | 2 | ||
| 51 | 11 | Adder's season | Double definition (& Lit.) | 2.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 53 | 61 | Totter between a spring and a fall | 2 meanings | 2 | 2 | ||
| 54 | 38 | Number by Motörhead and Queen in time for rock festival? | SUM + M[otör] + ER | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 54 | 53 | Start with Porgy and Bess classic? No, take time out for a season | Summertime minus time (take time out) | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 56 | 3 | A few reportedly starting to make everything ready for this season (6) | SUM(~some) M(ake) E(verything) R(eady). Definition: This season | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 56 | 15 | Big beam from son ignoring initial disappointment | S+(b)UMMER; def: big beam | 1 | 5 | ||
| 56 | 16 | Bring me rums for the watermelon season. | Anagram " me rums " and def of summer in "watermelon season". | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 56 | 21 | Follows Indian perhaps, for delight down the road (6) | Refers to the phrase 'Indian Summer' delight down the road = happiness later in life | 1 | 0 | ||
| 56 | 30 | Indian comes between Arab and Cheyenne, perhaps? | (Indian) Summer comes between (Arab) Spring and (Cheyenne) Autumn. Cheyenne Autumn is a 1964 Western film starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Ricardo Montalban and Edward G. Robinson. | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 56 | 33 | Lazy, hazy days of endless surf and Emma! | anag sur(f) & Emm(a) | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 56 | 45 | Season some possum merguez | Season – summer – hidden in 'possum merguez'. For those unfamiliar with them merguez are delicious spicy sausages (though not usually made from possum!) | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 56 | 50 | Sigma in a maths book? | CD. The Greek letter Sigma is used to denote summation in maths. Summer as a charade of one that sums up | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 64 | 46 | Season to form an estimate of the sea in France? | [to form an estimate of]SUM[the sea in France]MER | 0.5 | 0 | ||
| 65 | 5 | Adder lurking in crem must upset | cREM MUSt reversed | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 65 | 10 | Adder's dog days? | DD | 0 | 0 | ||
| 65 | 31 | It appears before fall in quantity only, mostly (6) | Definition = It appears before fall Sum (quantity) + mere (only) – last letter | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 65 | 37 | Not exactly sure about measures in musical time popularised by Joplin | Not exactly =anagrind; sure=fodder; about (around) measures=mm, def=musical time popularised by Joplin (i.e. Janis, not Scott) | 0 | 3 | ||
| 65 | 48 | Second unpleasant situation after deposing leader midyear (6) | Def: midyear, Wordplay: S (-B)ummer, second = S, unpleasant situation = Bummer, after deposing leader (-B)ummer | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 65 | 49 | Short fat man gets relief losing cosy outer layer at this time? | SUM[O] + MERCY – C[os]Y. Semi-&lit. | 0 | 1 |