CCCWC August 2023 competition results
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52 clues entered. 36 votes cast (32 competitors, 4 others).
WALES
After two third place finishes already this year Ramki goes two better with a victory this time round! Hearty congratulations for a clue that had a very smooth surface disguising the simple but effective wordplay.
Second spot for Simon Griew. I loved the disguised definition and anybody of a certain age has a soft spot for the formidable Barrrry Whiiite!! Also second podium of the year for Simon.
Nathan follows up his victory last month with third place. Slightly unusual to see 'sometimes' used as an alternate letters indicator, but it obviously worked for some(times).
Vinit is becoming something of a regular on the podium now – fourth time this year – one of the more wordy efforts but it proved popular.
Philip Sant takes the final podium spot and that is his fourth in a row! That may be a record – I'll have to try and check! This clue was certainly an innovative effort!
Thanks as always to all for your continued efforts…on to the next challenge!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Ramki Krishnan | Part of UK used to be occupied by the French (5) | Def = Part of UK, WAS (used to be) around LE (the French). "occupied by" is insertion indicator. | 40 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 52 | Simon Griew | Where you’d find Barry White at lunchtime eating some starters | Acrostic; def = where you’d find Barry | 24.5 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 47 | Nathan Townshend | What leeks sometimes signify | What leeks = fodder; sometimes = take alternate letters; &lit | 23.5 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | 22 | Vinit Wankhede | It was inhabited by Celts essentially, then occupied by English | WAS (inhabited by) L (Celts essentially) then around (occupied by) E (English). WA(L)S—>> WAL(E)S | 22.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | 48 | Philip Sant | Where additional Ls embellish some words' beginnings | &lit. first letters; ref words and place names such as llwch, Llanelli, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll etc | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | John Appleton | Country and western society drinking beer | W[estern] S[ociety] around ALE | 20.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 35 | Phil Stephenson | Primarily, where are literary eisteddfods staged? | First letters &lit. | 20.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | 19 | Dave Williams | Here’s Barry with some beers | def=“Here’s Barry”; with=W, some beers=ALES | 20 | 0 | |
| 9 | 21 | Tony Harker | Initially, where all leeks embody symbolism? | Ref national symbol: first leters. | 17 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | 29 | Jane Fitzpatrick | Part of dense lawn turned into just the place for daffodils | Hidden word in turned 'denSE LAWn' | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | Former Polish leader without a country | Wales(a) | 15.5 | 3 | 1 | |
| 12 | 1 | A cat might produce these howls when picked up by the ears | a cat (i.e., a whip) might produce these = def; rest of clue is a homophone: 'howls' = 'wails' | 15 | 1 | 1 | |
| 13 | 13 | Country with troubles, reportedly | W “AILS” | 14.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 14 | 23 | Land of song was invaded by the French | LE in WAS | 14 | 2 | ||
| 15 | 25 | Laws rewritten to cover Eastern country (5) | Laws rewritten = anagram of “laws”; to cover = containing; Eastern = E; country = definition | 13.5 | 0 | ||
| 15 | 39 | Some ribs with beers | w(with) ales(beers) | 13.5 | 1 | ||
| 17 | 4 | Banks withdrawn from lawless dilapidated region | (LAWLESS – LS)* | 13 | 4 | ||
| 17 | 5 | Cardigan weather is here | cryptic def. | 13 | 0 | ||
| 19 | 9 | Country overturned European regulation, pointless in the end (5) | Country – def; overturned European regulation – ELAW > WALE; pointless in the end – S | 12.5 | 1 | ||
| 20 | 7 | Country beer filled empty warehouses (5) | Def: Country, beer=ALE, empty warehouses=WS | 12 | 2 | ||
| 21 | 33 | Polish statesman lost a country | (Lech) WALESA minus A | 9.5 | 0 | ||
| 22 | 24 | Last of cole slaw salad to which William is entitled ? | Last of cole = e + slaw is the anagram fodder , salad = anagram indicator + definition, (Prince William signs himself William Wales) | 9 | 0 | 1 | |
| 22 | 40 | Southwest of this country was invaded by the French | Southwest of this country (def.) WAS of the clue entered (invaded) by LE (masculine article 'the' in French language) [The French invasion of Fishguard Bay, southwest Wales took place in 1797] | 9 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 16 | EU laws being abandoned not acceptable for "sizable" section of UK | Anagram of EU+LAWS minus U (acceptable). Anagram indicator = being abandoned. Ref Wales being used as a unit of size. | 8.5 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 37 | Shady spot to cycle in country | SWALE (shady spot) with 1st letter to last (to cycle), in: link, defn: country | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 26 | 46 | What a large extravagant scene initiates advance of William. | "initiates" = first letters; Prince William = Wales | 8 | 0 | ||
| 27 | 49 | Where Aled likes eating sheep for starters? | &lit first letters | 7 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 36 | Renewal estimates include extra planks for hull of USS Constitution? | Hidden; ref = wales are wooden strips attached to a boat's hull to strengthen it (from Collins, US English); the USS Constitution, launched 1797, is the only US Navy wooden sailing ship still in service | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| 29 | 38 | Some Japanese lawyers return in future republic | japaneSE LAWyers backwards | 5 | 0 | ||
| 30 | 43 | Unit of land area with a large margin for error — a little silly | W(ith) + A + L(arge) + E(rror) + S(illy) | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 31 | 2 | A Lewis could come from ——— , I fabcy | comp. anag.& lit. | 4 | 3 | 6 | |
| 31 | 8 | Country mourns as we hear (5) | Country: Definition HP indicator: as we hear Mourns= wails | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 | 42 | Tywyn, Neath, Harlech, Penmaenmawr, Aberystwyth,… essentially | Middle letters (essentially). &lit | 3.5 | 1 | ||
| 34 | 18 | Heard crying here | Wales/wails | 3 | 0 | ||
| 34 | 20 | Howls heard in 'Land of Song' | "WAILS" | 3 | 1 | ||
| 34 | 41 | The best country ribs (5) | Triple definition. The best (Chambers) Wales the country and ribs/ridges (Ref: Chambers). All with different etymology | 3 | 1 | ||
| 37 | 34 | Primarily where a lumberjack extracts Snowdonia's timbers | First letters spell WALES; definition is timbers; semi&lit | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 38 | 14 | Country’s introduction of state drug act withdrawn (5) | S(tate) E(drug) LAW<=. Withdrawn – reversal indicator. Definition: country | 2 | 0 | ||
| 38 | 31 | Perth local chooses from among new ale selection | Wales, Scottish dialect = Chooses, Hidden. Surface reading might suggest pub deciding which beer to stock. | 2 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 10 | Country rabbits away after twice dismissing suggestion of Fiver | def = country / rabbits away = WA(ff)LES minus 2 x F(iver) / ref = Watership Down | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 40 | 28 | Originally where ancient language emerged, so long ago (5) | Originally = first letters of W[here] A[ncient] L[anguage] E[merged] S[o]; Definition = semi &lit | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 32 | Picks Kentish acts for review (5) | Picks = definition. Kentish = SE. Acts = LAW: Reversed. | 1.5 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 44 | Various laws covering start of Eisteddfod seen in here? | wal(E)s | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 3 | Animals caught with a lasso primarily are in France or another country | Whales homophone [caught is indicator]; W/A/L/ES [in France, tu ES = you ARE] | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 12 | Country with a Nobel Peace Prize laureate | Def = (Country) + a = Walesa [Lech Walesa] | 1 | 2 | ||
| 44 | 15 | Directions about a large country (5) | W, E, S (cardinal directions) containing a L (large); Definition: Country | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| 44 | 50 | Where Angelina loves entertaining sisters, initially | Letters w,a,l,e,s introduced by initially | 1 | 0 | ||
| 44 | 51 | Where Brains pulled with a beer and sweet-talk, initially | Charade: w + ale + s. Ref Brains beer brewed in Cardiff | 1 | 0 | ||
| 49 | 26 | Lech will shortly be here | WALESa | 0.5 | 0 | ||
| 50 | 11 | Country song intro is by "Bad" rapper | Country = Wales. Song intro = s. Is by = concatenation. "Bad" (=song title) rapper = Wale. | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | 27 | Marks on skin and cries out to audience | Defn, homophone of wails | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 50 | 45 | Wales can be a shady place | Anagram of Wales makes Swale which is a shady place. | 0 | 0 | 3 |