CCCWC January 2010 competition results
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62 clues entered. 55 votes cast (49 competitors, 6 others).
PALAVER
Fantastic voting turnout for our first competition of 2010 – well done all!
Congratulations to Tom for his win with an idea that a lot of voters said they wished they had spotted. It means someone is ahead of John Tozer in the early stages of the race for the Annual Honours prize – but only just as JT finished in second! Consistent as always, it is down to the rest of you to keep him off top spot in 2010.
One of last year's consolation prize winners, RE Boot, shows his determination to now gain a standard win with 3rd place. Welcome return for Tim Moorey in 4th, and special congratulations to Dave Hennings who completes the podium with his first entry in the CCCWC – one to watch out for?
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Tom Borland | Bother — loo’s needed for pee in middle of exam | LAV for (middle) P in PAPER (exam); def. 'Bother' | 71.5 | 7 |
| 2 | 25 | John Tozer | Flatter TV format means set 50% smaller | PAL (TV format) + aver(ages) | 53 | 4 |
| 3 | 37 | R.E.Boot | "Much Ado About Nothing" starting performances after long and very extensive rehearsals | Initial letters | 42 | 6 |
| 4 | 38 | Tim Moorey | One very boring parley, endlessly rambling? | a v in anag parle(y) & lit | 37 | 6 |
| 5 | 61 | Dave Hennings | When using toilet for a pee, paper is a fuss! | PAPER with LAV for one of the Ps | 35.5 | 5 |
| 6 | 28 | Chris Jeremy | He might arrange the flags around Legislative Assembly for a conference | Paver around LA | 31.5 | 3 |
| 7 | 62 | Ed Hall | Yak's possible exodus from Nepal averted (7) | Hidden in NePAL AVERted, definition = yak | 31 | 2 |
| 8 | 24 | Robin Gilbert | Filet de rump à la Veronese? More like rabbit! | Hidden. Ref: pretentious & vacuous menuspeak; à la Veronese is a genuine style, however. | 30.5 | 2 |
| 9 | 51 | Michael Doyle | Such a fuss was made of Vera lap dancing! | Defn:fuss ; Veralap* | 30 | 2 |
| 10 | 18 | Arnold Peace | Conference pear's chopped then put in can | Conference = def. PA-LAV-ER. PEAR chopped (anag). Put in = insert. Can = LAV. Conference also type of pear. | 29 | 8 |
| 11 | 50 | State? State, state, state! | PA(Panama(or Pennsylvania))+L(Luxembourg)+AVER(state) | 26 | 5 | |
| 12 | 14 | China's state conference | China/pal (has) state/aver | 24.5 | 5 | |
| 13 | 43 | Playing Ravel with a piano prelude is a pointless exercise | P + RAVELA (anag) | 24 | 2 | |
| 14 | 13 | Carry On Father left a priest upset | Defn: carry on; PA + L + A + (REV<); Surface refers to the Carry On films | 23.5 | 3 | |
| 14 | 52 | Swear after dad left discussion | AVER after PA + L | 23.5 | 1 | |
| 16 | 23 | Employ soft soap, paper after using toilet for a pee | Use LAV for a P (pee) in PAPER; employ soft soap = flatter | 20 | 5 | |
| 17 | 2 | A verb: to engage in silly prattle, disregarding time completely | av in anag of prattle less tt; &Lit (defn: to chatter idly) | 19.5 | 4 | |
| 18 | 16 | Conference pear core upset John's inside (7) | Palaver = conference. PA(LAV)ER | 17 | 4 | |
| 19 | 5 | After knocking back drink, rave dementedly. Could it just be brave talk ? | LAP(rev)+ RAVE (anag). Brave = Native American, just = almost | 16.5 | 4 | |
| 20 | 20 | Convoluted by this din, vapid blarney results | Comp anag – &Lit. BY+PALAVER+DIN > VAPID BLARNEY | 15.5 | 3 | |
| 21 | 34 | Mate very old cattle – a pointless exercise | PAL=mate, + AVER(obs)=cattle | 14.5 | 1 | |
| 22 | 40 | Part of Nepal averts conference with native tribespeople | Hidden | 12 | 1 | |
| 23 | 10 | Broke a Vera LP, what a to do! (7) | Broke (Anagram Indicator) Vera LP(reference to Vera Lynn) What a to do (Definition of palaver) | 9.5 | 1 | |
| 24 | 15 | Conference Centre for Blair to perform soapy act (as before) in attempt to project favourable image | a lave in PR, ref. Iraq Inquiry at Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre | 9 | 3 | |
| 24 | 55 | Talk given by Rod's father? | Pa + Laver (as in tennis ace Rod L) | 9 | ||
| 26 | 35 | Member of ground crew, one might imagine, accepts one piece of luggage for carry-on | a l in paver | 8.5 | 2 | |
| 27 | 3 | A very divided, weaker debate | AV in paler, misleading punctuation | 8 | ||
| 28 | 12 | Carry On Doctor perv getting a laugh, not disgusted grunt | "Carry On" = PALAVER. (PERV)* around ALA (A LAugh – ugh, a disgusted grunt). Anagrind is "Doctor" | 7.5 | 2 | |
| 28 | 19 | Conference where Dad meets old tennis star | PA (Rod)LAVER | 7.5 | ||
| 30 | 22 | Discussion Father leads with the French clergyman backing | PA + la + Rev rev. | 7 | ||
| 30 | 57 | Turn over to turn over a turn – what a fuss. | Turn over { REV – to turn over + A LAP – a turn ) + def. | 7 | ||
| 32 | 32 | Lap dance! Rave party ! Loud talk !(7) | Lap* + Rave* . Loud talk – Definition. | 6.5 | 2 | |
| 33 | 29 | How's your father, Rod? | definition and clue run together. PA + (Rod) LAVER, tennis player | 6 | 2 | |
| 34 | 26 | Fuss made by father over edible seaweed (7) | pa + laver (Down clue) | 5.5 | ||
| 34 | 36 | Mining for opal, a very precious stone, is in part a tedious business. | First half holds the word "palaver", second part defines it as a tedious business. | 5.5 | 1 | |
| 36 | 31 | John is cutting prickly pear. What a fuss! | 'John' = LAV[atory]; 'is cutting' implies that LAV is contained in; 'prickly' anagrind for 'pear' = PAER, giving PA(LAV)ER. 'What a fuss' = PALAVER | 5 | ||
| 37 | 9 | Bricklayer handles the French Conference ! (7) | Direct = Conference Paver = bricklayer; la = the (French); handles = container ind. | 4 | ||
| 38 | 56 | The French lay flags around before mid-March; a seemingly pointless exercise. | LA in PAVE (lay flags vb.) + (ma)R(ch) | 3.5 | 2 | |
| 39 | 7 | Arrangement of 'Ave' and 'lap', first rate song and dance | anagram (arrangement of) of AVE LAP = PALAVE + R (first Rate), def = song and dance | 3 | 1 | |
| 39 | 33 | Lap dancing Vera kicking up awful fuss | lap* vera* | 3 | ||
| 39 | 41 | Personal appearance – former champ at court – what a fuss! | PA + Laver (tennis champ, and still the greatest) | 3 | ||
| 42 | 42 | Played back improvisation – very short, a lot of fuss | ALAP rev. + VER(Y) | 2.5 | ||
| 43 | 4 | African congress to do this? | Double def. (palaver = conference, esp. of African tribespeople & fuss – "to-do"). | 2 | 1 | |
| 43 | 6 | A-Rod, for one, appears after the start of Pete's conference | A=A, Rod=LAVER, start of Pete=P, Def:conference (Tennis reference all through, A-Rod also being Andy Roddick, in the surface) | 2 | 1 | |
| 43 | 30 | It might involve a song and dance, but it's just another name for 'Pop' to Rod (7) | pop=PA; rod=LAVER | 2 | ||
| 43 | 47 | sarah, out, to assert jaw-jaw | palin (not in) to aver palaver | 2 | 2 | |
| 47 | 27 | Gem collector loses old style business | Gem=OPAL, collector=SAVER, remove OS=Old Style. | 1.5 | 2 | |
| 48 | 11 | Carry On at Your Convenience appearing for short period | at = a, your (typical, ordinary; see C) convenience = lav, for = during, short period = per; ref 1971 film | 1 | 2 | |
| 48 | 44 | Pointless show, detailed but empty attempt to spin | tPmettA+LAeVER (full rev. & lit.) | 1 | 1 | |
| 50 | 46 | Rod The Rocket's old man made such a fuss! | Defn: fuss ; Ref: Rod Laver's father = Pa Laver | 0.5 | ||
| 50 | 58 | Utter tosh and havers essentially | PAL+(h)AVER(s); tosh=twaddle/friend; havers=talks nonsense; essentially=at heart | 0.5 | 1 | |
| 50 | 60 | What's left in Scotland in parish rigmarole | PA(LAVE)R. | 0.5 | ||
| 53 | 1 | A friend could be caught in a rave over lap dancing in a manner of speech. | Def: friend = pal, anagram of lap( pal ) and rave | 0 | 1 | |
| 53 | 17 | Conference pear – several necessary to create jam | (pear)* inc. lav. Necessary = a toilet. Several = different | 0 | 1 | |
| 53 | 21 | Corpse (not monkey) is lighter by a ton and showing early signs of pleurisy. Quite a mess! | Corpse = CADAVER minus D (no monkey) and C (lighter by a ton (100)) PL = early signs of pleurisy. "Quite a mess!" to define 'PALAVER'. | 0 | 2 | |
| 53 | 39 | Parley about a soft old basin to wash in. | parley is definition. about is reverse indicator to A P (soft) =PA old basin to wash in is LAVER | 0 | 1 | |
| 53 | 45 | Rod applied by parent – crack! – stir needed here. | pa + Laver, two defs: Rod Laver: crack v to chat; to talk incessantly. | 0 | ||
| 53 | 48 | Sire tennis player who was great with chat (7) | PA+LAVER = sire+tennis player who was great /with/ chat<definition (chat courts) | 0 | ||
| 53 | 49 | So Tiger talks – partner comes before old cart-horse | PAL + AVER. Ref 1966 Rhodesia talks on HMS Tiger | 0 | ||
| 53 | 53 | Talk about absorbing swill, perhaps | (rap)rev. around lave; in the surface 'absorbing swill'='interesting hogwash'; both lave and swill=wash (Chambers, which also gives palaver=idle copious talk, rap=talk and swill=hogwash); &lit.) | 0 | 1 | |
| 53 | 54 | Talk about turnaround follows glimmer of light in America's Main Street | L in PA AV (Pennsylvania Avenue) + ER. (Google PA AV) | 0 | ||
| 53 | 59 | Vic getting around backwards causes a fuss (7) | Vic (Rev) getting around (a lap) backwards (pal a ver) causes a fuss (definition) | 0 |