CCCWC July 2022 competition results
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64 clues entered. 55 votes cast (51 competitors, 4 others).
MERCHANT
Apologies for the delay in publishing the results this month, but here we go…
…top spot goes to Steve Hicks – his first podium for nearly a year and second ever win. A straightforward anagram which produced an excellent surface reading – well done Steve!
Phil Stephenson bags a second podium of this year with a neat comp. anag. and a clever reference to the appropriate play of The Bard.
John Appleton continues his fine run this year – second top 5 finish in a row and 4 in total – another clue with simple enough wordplay but the surface deflected from the meaning of MERCHANT.
In 4th place we welcome a new name to the honours – Simon Blow – congrats and welcome! Some rather nifty wordplay, a surface bringing to mind that well-known tongue twister and I do like it when a definition reverses the gender bias!
Finally, in 5th, another newcomer to the podium after a number of months trying…and the name could not be more appropriate! Welcome to Jessica as well, another clue with clever wordplay elements.
Thanks to all and the following month's challenge is already drawing to a close…see you soon!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Steve Hicks | Narc gets mixed up with meth dealer | Anag NARC+METH. Def: dealer | 40 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 44 | Phil Stephenson | Perhaps Antonio is this richest man in play? | Comp. anag. [is merchant] = [richest man]* ref. M. of Venice | 39 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 46 | John Appleton | R.E.M. making a comeback with song for commercial | REM< + CHANT | 34 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 52 | SimonBlow | She sells sea shells to Cornish worker | She sells = definition Sea = MER shells to = outer letters of CornisH Worker = ANT | 33 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | 23 | Jessica Merchant | Italian wine is not stocked by the French drink wholesaler | CH(i)ANT(i) (I plural not stocked) next to MER | 31.5 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | 59 | Bhalchandra Pasupathy | The man running stores on revolving credit? | THE MAN* around CR<=; &lit | 31 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | 63 | Simon Griew | Who sells fancy French drink for a pound? | Fancy = PENCHANT, with MER for PEN; who sells? = def | 30 | 4 | 3 |
| 8 | 7 | Alan Turnbull | Corrupt narc conspired with deranged meth dealer. | (narc+meth)*. anagrinds = corrupt & deranged. Conspired with = acted together. Def = dealer | 29.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 | Vina | 50% off Mercedes handed to dealer | MERC+HAN+T, def=dealer | 28 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | 34 | Joe Rees | Occupation of Taiwan by Chinese occupying force | "Occupation" definition, RC ("Taiwan", IVR) + HAN ("Chinese", the people) inside ("occupying") MET ("force", Metropolitan Police) | 27.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | Hard worker behind car commercial | (H + ANT) after MERC | 25.5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 12 | 19 | He sells sparkling Cremant (second to Champagne) | "He sells" is definition. Anagram (ind by sparkling) of CREMANT + H (second to Champagne). Cremant is the cheaper French sparkling wine not from Champagne | 23.5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 13 | 55 | Stephen somebody? Hawking? His job? | Stephen Merchant is a comic actor and writer. | 22 | 3 | 3 | |
| 14 | 6 | Bourgeois sea song | Bourgeois (def., as in Chambers); also indicator for French mer (sea) + chant (song) | 21 | 2 | 1 | |
| 15 | 10 | Dealer intended to get rich after robbing one (8) | Def=Dealer, intended=MEANT, rich after robbing one=RCH, intended to get rich after robbing one=ME(RCH)ANT | 20.5 | 5 | 1 | |
| 15 | 13 | Dealer uncovered parchments all over the place | (p)ARCHMENT(s) anag ('all over the place') | 20.5 | 6 | 2 | |
| 17 | 58 | The heartless rich man’s ruined after losing source of income? He could be broker (8) | Anagram (anagrind=ruined) of TE (the heartless) + RCH MAN (rich man – i). Def = he could be broker | 17 | 2 | ||
| 18 | 25 | Manchester , having dropped two points, is out for someone on the market (8) | Manchester minus se (having dropped two points) = anagram fodder , is out = anagram indicator + definition | 14.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 18 | 38 | One might sell crémant supply around end of March | One might sell… Definition. CREMANT* (supply – anagrind). Around H (end of March) | 14.5 | 4 | 2 | |
| 20 | 56 | Ten march madly to the office to confront Stephen | madly (anag. indic.); Stephen (def.), ie Stephen Merchant, co-creator of the series, “The Office”. | 13 | 0 | 1 | |
| 21 | 12 | Dealer ripping off the men Thatcher abandoned | Dealer = def: ripping off the = remove THE from: men Thatcher = fodder; abandoned = anagrind | 12 | 2 | ||
| 21 | 43 | Partner of ivory trader | Ismail Merchant was the film-making partner of James Ivory. Trader = definition. | 12 | 3 | 3 | |
| 23 | 14 | Dealer’s name given to crackhead regularly held by police | cRaCkHeAd + Name in METropolitan police | 11.5 | 5 | 2 | |
| 24 | 8 | Dealer in meth and cocaine ran away | (METH + C RAN)*; away= anagrind | 10.5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 24 | 18 | He collaborates with an ivory trader | Ismail Merchant and James Ivory are the partners in Merchant Ivory Productions film company. Merchant = trader, of course. | 10.5 | 4 | 3 | |
| 24 | 27 | Maybe Jeff Bezos uses charm and networking (8) | Definition= Maybe Jeff Bezos Anagrind= working Fodder= charm + net | 10.5 | 4 | 2 | |
| 27 | 2 | ''50% reduction for the season!''— rallying call from me? | (sum)mer + chant & lit. | 9.5 | 2 | ||
| 27 | 4 | Aimed to go around church hiding ladder at the back of one stocking? | MEANT around CH containing [ladde]R | 9.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 29 | 51 | She sells Saint-Étienne's sea song | def:"she sells"; Saint-Étienne's sea: MER (i.e. French for 'sea'); song: CHANT | 9 | 0 | ||
| 30 | 22 | Intended to round Roman Catholic hospial – Venetian one? | MEANT round RCH | 8 | 1 | ||
| 31 | 3 | A trader intended to tour Roman Catholic hospital | intended=MEANT around RC+H | 7.5 | 5 | 1 | |
| 31 | 35 | One buying or selling luxury car hasn't scratched the back of Lexus | Luxury car = MERC/hasn't scratched the back of Lexus = HA(s)NT | 7.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 31 | 39 | One risks life for a friend’s match, nearly, nearly, losing a pound in play! (8) | Semi-&lit. Merchant (of Venice). MATCHNEARL(y)-A L=MATCHNER*. Anagram indicator: in play. | 7.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 31 | 54 | Song by R.E.M about a dealer | R.E.M reversed (about) followed by CHANT (song), dealer -def | 7.5 | 5 | 1 | |
| 35 | 36 | One connected with ivory trader? (8) | Merchant Ivory films | 7 | 2 | 3 | |
| 36 | 11 | Dealer offers smart car with gas under the bonnet | Merc + ha(n)t where n = nitrogen | 6.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 37 | 61 | Trader intended touring Chile | MEANT around RCH | 6 | 2 | ||
| 38 | 28 | Most common gossip about new businessman (8) | [Most common] MER(-e) + CHA(N)T [gossip about new] | 5.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 38 | 62 | Vendor's mother can leave nothing out of place | Vendor = def; 's = is (linkword); mother can leave nothing out = anagram fodder minus 'o'; out of place = anagram indicator. | 5.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 40 | 32 | Nice sea shanty for some Naval type (8) | mer-chant = sea (mer in France/Nice) + shanty (chant) = some Naval type ('merchant' navy) | 5 | 4 | ||
| 40 | 33 | Nice sea song for a sort of navy | Definition – a sort of navy, referring to the merchant Navy. Sea in Nice, France is MER. Song is CHANT | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 42 | 45 | Perhaps sailor's French sea song | French sea (MER) + song (CHANT); definition refers to merchant sailor | 4.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 43 | 47 | Seller dealing with parchment not originally proven (8) | Anno: (p)ARCHMENT*. ‘Dealing with’ is anagrind. | 3.5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 44 | 40 | One trading for German car hasn’t got Sierra going | One trading = definition; MERC HASNT – S | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| 44 | 49 | Shared a room with a view with ivory trader. | Trader = def. “A Room with a View” was a Merchant Ivory production. | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 44 | 57 | That reassures me, in the first place, he can possibly be from Venice | Anagram (possibly) of first letters (in the first place) of That Reassures Me + HE + CAN defining MERCHANT as 'he can possibly be from Venice' | 3 | 1 | ||
| 47 | 31 | Nice sea ditty compiled by trader (8) | "Nice sea" (sea in French) = MER, ditty = CHANT, the whole "compiled" gives us MERCHANT (=trader) | 2.5 | 5 | ||
| 48 | 15 | Diatribe by millions on the net about child trafficker (8) | M(millions), E(on the net as in e-commerce)+ RANT (diatribe) around CH (child). Def: Trafficker | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 48 | 24 | Letter after the fifth of April released tranche for trader | M (tranche)* | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 48 | 48 | Séte sea shanty supplier? | Séte is a major port on the French Mediterranean coast; French sea = MER; shanty = CHANT | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 48 | 53 | She supplies French sea shanty (8) | She supplies = def / French sea = MER / shanty = CHANT | 2 | 1 | ||
| 52 | 5 | Anthem composed about one's devotion to the Pope, maybe a banker commercially? | Me(RC)hant..anthem (anag)…Roman Catholic..Merchant Banker. | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 52 | 41 | One who sells what Harry Potter heard in the bath? | Ddef. (In HP and the Goblet of Fire, HP hears a merpeople's chant in the bath. Cdef as mer-chant, à la other words prefixed with mer- in fantasy fiction.) | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 54 | 9 | Dealer in speed, perhaps? (8) | Dealer = merchant. Speed is slang for amphetamine. A speed merchant is a driver that drives very fast. | 1 | 2 | ||
| 54 | 16 | Écoutez! Un cave du vin négociant, peut être? | Écoutez! – homophone indicator – Un cave du vin (a cellar/seller – MERCHANT) négociant – double definition MERCHANT, peut être (perhaps)? | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 54 | 20 | Here you may discern French sea shanty perhaps | mer (Fr.) + chant & lit.; merchant = merchantman ship). | 1 | 2 | ||
| 54 | 21 | High-class carrier hasn't completely lost heart to dealer | merc + [hasnt – s] | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 54 | 26 | March 10 could provide a retailer ( 8 ) | Anagram of "March ten "; definition: retailer | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 54 | 37 | One like Antonio has a sort of charm but the net is closing in around him | Ref. to Merchant of Venice. Anagram CHARM (anagrind sort of) + NET around it | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 54 | 50 | She buys and sells fragrant resin we’re told. Again and again I’d say!(8) | She buys and sells = definition; fragrant resin = myrrh, which sounds like (we’re told) MER; Again and again I’d say = CHANT. The exclamation mark is there to add a sense of indignation to the surface reading | 1 | 0 | ||
| 61 | 29 | Mr. A Tench; pie seller | Pie anagram indicator | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 61 | 42 | One who specializes in … French sea song? | Def: One who specializes in …. MER + CHANT. | 0 | 1 | ||
| 61 | 60 | Tory Piers confronted: admitted undisciplined raunch wasn't acceptable | ME(RCHAN)T RAuNCH anag. | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 61 | 64 | Workers gulp last bit of ginger tea! Time to meet Shylock, say (8) | Workers is MEN / gulp is container indicator/last bit of ginger is R/tea is cha/ time is T/ Shylock say is def by example | 0 | 1 | 2 |