CCCWC August 2010 competition results
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49 clues entered. 44 votes cast (37 competitors, 7 others).
SPELUNKER
An interesting word produced an interesting range of ideas for this one, but the result was one of the most comprehensive winners we have had in a long while!
So well done to Tom for his well-crafted clue with its high level of pertinency.
Much closer for the minor placings with Luciano grabbing second with his clever &lit. Ava returns to a podium place with a neat and original anagram. Richard and Pete complete the top 5 in what was a most enjoyable competition – thanks and well done to all!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Tom Borland | Chambers I discover not keeping on UK personnel, sadly | * UKPERS(ON)NEL; def. 'Chambers I discover'; ref. closure of C's Edinburgh office. | 90 | 9 |
| 2 | 49 | Luciano Ward | Who's slithered about extremities of deep cave on back? | SLUNK (slithered) about PE (extremities of deeP cavE) + ER (re (on) reversed); who = definition by implication | 40.5 | 5 |
| 3 | 35 | Ava Hong | Kepler:Sun-orbiting, deep-space explorer | keplersun*, cf Kepler spacecraft; Defn:deep-space (cave)explorer | 36.5 | 7 |
| 4 | 47 | Richard Saunders | This could be me – bats left and right with knees up | Anagram of L R KNEES UP indicated by "bats". Refers to bats hanging upside down in caves. | 33.5 | 5 |
| 5 | 30 | Pete Milne | He probes cavities, leaving one with the runs, like prunes | LIKEPRUNES* minus I | 26.5 | 5 |
| 6 | 46 | R.E.Boot | Super Ken left bewildered incomer in a deep hole | *(super ken l) : ref K Livingstone succeeded by B Johnson | 25 | 3 |
| 7 | 37 | David Harry | Man with obsession for Underground change – SuperKen L. | Anag: ref. Ken Livingston’s proposals for London Underground | 22.5 | 3 |
| 7 | 41 | Tim Moorey | Peer slunk off for a whizz in a chamber | anag | 22.5 | 3 |
| 9 | 16 | Tim Anderson | Earth burrowing species, large animal, one habitually underground | sp.lunker inc. E | 20.5 | 4 |
| 10 | 5 | A.R.DEVANATHAN | An adventurer's pluck saved the Spanish Queen | SP(EL)UNK -ER | 20 | 1 |
| 11 | 22 | Explorer's shelter is roofless after a short period. | Roofless shelter = (b)unker. Short period = spel(l) | 19 | 1 | |
| 12 | 11 | Caveman takes short rest with a French King and Queen (9) | Direct = caveman ; spel = short rest (rest = spell) un = a French ; k = King ; er = Queen | 18 | 1 | |
| 13 | 32 | I access mouth to examine cavities, and scrub enamel surface in SuperKleen treatment | Anag. of SUPERKLEEN – E | 17.5 | 3 | |
| 14 | 48 | Underground adventurer's short stretch of time with a French king and queen | SPEL(L) + UN + K + ER | 15.5 | 2 | |
| 15 | 19 | Els clipping top of bunker finds putting surface – shot dropping in hole amuses him | Anag ind by 'shot': ELS+BUNKER less B for P; ref Ernie Els | 14.5 | 3 | |
| 16 | 9 | Cave person has cooked elk and prunes | (ELK + PRUNES)* | 14 | ||
| 16 | 39 | One who's into caves uncovered trap after a short time. | Def./spel(l) & (b)unker. | 14 | 2 | |
| 18 | 12 | Caveman who's a mix of real spunk and not a little energy? | re(a)lspunk+e*, Defn:caveman | 13.5 | 3 | |
| 19 | 13 | Cavern regular, keen on Liverpool's lead groups, half cut possibly — right! | def Cavern regular; (L(iverpool) (gro)ups keen)* r; ref The Cavern in Liverpool in the 60s | 13 | 4 | |
| 20 | 45 | Someone regularly in the dark, she's beginning to look all round a fool | lunk in s(he) peer | 12 | 2 | |
| 21 | 26 | Fool inside creeps around, ducking head? | LUNK in SPEER | 10.5 | 2 | |
| 22 | 18 | Elk stewed with prunes? It might be hard work getting him out of a pot, some say | anag., Pot4 (dialect word – hence 'some say') – Ref. 'Cavers Rescue Spelunkers' | 9.5 | 1 | |
| 22 | 44 | Snarling punks leer at fan of the underground scene | Anag. | 9.5 | ||
| 24 | 21 | Explorer some people envisage lurking under nice Knightsbridge eatery researching origin of words | Initial letters. | 8.5 | 1 | |
| 25 | 10 | CAVEMAN COLLEAGUE CREPT CRAZILY (9) | CAVEMAN(SPELUNKER) = PEER(COLLEAGUE) + SLUNK(CREPT) ANAGRAMMED(CRAZILY) | 8 | 1 | |
| 25 | 33 | I join fluttering pipistrelles in alternative supple skill I represent (9) | comp.anag. & lit. SPELUNKER and PIPISTRELLES = supple skill I represent. | 8 | 2 | |
| 27 | 24 | Fingal's to ask about idiot caver | SPEER (Scots ask/inquire) containing LUNK (a fool) | 7.5 | 3 | |
| 28 | 1 | A lover of low haunts, often batty Sea Lord took lunch with King for companion | S+PE(LUNch+K)ER [batty in Chambers as bat-infested] | 5 | 1 | |
| 28 | 17 | Edmund swaps partners for stupid, hollow thrill-seeker? (9) | LUNK for NS in SPE(NS)ER – refs Edmund Spenser and 'swingers' | 5 | 1 | |
| 28 | 25 | First to explore in alley, perhaps, heading from swallet above | S(wallet) + E in plunker, &lit; plunker, alley = 'large marble'; down clue | 5 | 2 | |
| 31 | 38 | One of the 'hollow men' from Eliot's original line in daring English ending with 'whimper' | El in spunk + E +r (ref The Hollow Men by TS Eliot) | 4.5 | 1 | |
| 32 | 28 | He goes down when punk leers perversely. | He goes down = def. Perversely = anagram indicator for 'punk leers' | 3.5 | 1 | |
| 32 | 42 | Pound lost by inept punk-seller, one into grot? | Anag minus L, cryptic def, grot=grotto=cave | 3.5 | ||
| 34 | 2 | A member of the underground? | Def. | 3 | ||
| 34 | 4 | Amateur able to read passages from Aladdin, perhaps (9) | Cryptic def. | 3 | ||
| 34 | 8 | Cave! I may be about to be apprehended in wild spree involving dope | SPREE* around LUNK. Def.: “Cave! I may be about” | 3 | 1 | |
| 34 | 43 | Right knees-up organised around Lascaux's opening for one keen to go in | (R + anag. of KNEESUP) around L. Lascaux is site of famous cave, so a spelunker would be keen to go in there. | 3 | 3 | |
| 38 | 20 | Explorer of caves modified punks reel. (9) | Explorer of caves(def.)modified(anag.ind.) punks reel(anag.) | 2.5 | ||
| 38 | 36 | Lousy punk gives dirty look to underworld player. | Anagram – lousy* PUNK + LEERS | 2.5 | 1 | |
| 40 | 40 | Peer slunk around, now he goes underground. | "Peer slunk" anag. (indicator "around") and def. | 2 | 1 | |
| 41 | 27 | Girl, half cut, involved in wild knees up. One euphoric if following Alph's course. | Anag of RL and KNEES UP. Ref to Alph the sacred river, running through caverns measureless to man. | 1 | 1 | |
| 42 | 29 | He might span underground chamber without life belt, initially | SPELL,BUNKER minus L,B; &lit; | 0.5 | ||
| 42 | 34 | Is punk with leer chaffing one in grot? | S + Anag PUNK, LEER | 0.5 | ||
| 44 | 3 | Almost time the coward's beheaded, savvy guy in underground movement revealed | SPEL(-L) + (-F)UNKER (FUNKER: Collins + OED) | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 6 | Beware! Translated, might this be seen as an enticing prospect by this sort of chap? | Beware = Latin Cave. "might this be seen as an" indicates the heteronym, together with cryptic def. | 0 | 1 | |
| 44 | 7 | Cave explorer to repel princess away with un-British shelter (9) | Cave explorer = definition; repel = dispel, princess = di, repel princess away = SPEL; shelter = bunker, un-British shelter = UNKER | 0 | ||
| 44 | 15 | Dr Aziz, perhaps, has most of lunch in, keeps crackers with last of cheddar | ref. visit to (thus exploring as a hobby) the Malabar Caves in "A Passage to India". LUN(ch) in KEEPS* + R (and a vague pun with the use of cheddar. perhaps meriting a !) | 0 | 3 | |
| 44 | 23 | Exploring caver dismisses students from spell with large fish specimen (9) | remove LL from spell + lunker (large fish specimen) | 0 | ||
| 44 | 31 | He searches patiently, eventually losing the bee in the bunker. | Initial letters of (s)earches (p)atiently, (e)ventually (l)osing less (b=bee) in (b)unker = SPELUNKER | 0 |