The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC October 2013 competition results

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65 clues entered. 51 votes cast (48 competitors, 3 others).


DOLMADES

You have to hand it to Mike Baker, he certainly has the knack of pitching the right kind of clue for this competition! He notches up his third win this year with an excellent clue that was well received. But he didn't always have it his own way. For a quite a while John Appleton's effort was pushing hard and in the end a creditable second place with another super clue – perhaps offering the Christmas fare a little too early for some tastes!
 
Tom maintains his recent good run and follows up last month's win with another visit to the dentist – well done Tom!
 
Next we see a welcome return for Andrew Varney – consecutive clues of his achieving 4th place – although the previous effort was June 2012! Perhaps this will spur him on to more regular appearances!
 
Final podium spot goes to Robin Gilbert. Always pleased to see Robin in the honours as he has been such a long standing and staunch supporter of this competition – both with his clues and excellent and comprehensive comments – hearty congratulations!
 
Another month done and it's all still to play for in the Annual Competition – good luck!

PosNo.NameClueExplanationPoints Merits 
12Mike BakerAfter heading to dentist, some lad sadly leaves with fillingsD + anagram of SOME LAD784  5  
258John AppletonTurkey snacks – Boxing Day's same old rubbish!Around (i.e. boxing) D[ay] is SAMEOLD*562  3  
326Tom BorlandLad with some onset of dental decay leaves with filling*LAD SOME D; def. leaves with filling391  4  
437Andrew VarneyMother and daughter fill dish; son finishes it and leaves, stuffedma + d in dole + s31.50  3  
510Robin GilbertCrazy about small portions? On the contrary, leaves stuffedDOLES around MAD (not MAD around DOLES). In surface reading, “leaves” is a verb.311  3  
664Pete MilneWhat's cook prepared in casings of leaves?DO(cook)+(MADE in LS) &lit302  4  
717Chris LancasterFare prepared wrapped in a covering of leaves (8)DO (= to fare) + {MADE in L(eave)S}, &lit274  4  
846Steve RandallSad mole wanders around taxidermy centre and leaves stuffedSADMOLE* around taxi[D]ermy. Definition – leaves stuffed241  3  
916James GlassonburyFarce in the Savoy?Farce = stuffing; Savoy = cabbage.23.52  5  
1022Doug StanfordGreek offering contribution to idol made sacrificeHidden234  2  
1140 Odd meals prepared for food parcelsODD MEALS ang of DOLMADES, prepared-indicator, food parcels-definition22.51 
1257 Turkey dinner? Get dishes out, get crackers in!DOLES (dishes out) with MAD (crackers) inside; dolmades are a traditional dish in Turkey21.51  1  
1356 This idol made silver screen entrée in Batman?Hidden. Ref. Batman, a Turkish city20.54  6  
1420 Food parcels produced for consumption by poor old pensioners, ultimatelyOLD* MADE S193 
1534 Middle Eastern dish leaves one stuffeddouble definition; Leaves (one) stuffed.16.51  2  
1632 Mediterranean food in small portions stuffed with nuts (8)Mediterranean food <> defn. in small portions = DOLES <> Chambers English Dictionary // STUFFED WITH <> container // NUTS <> 'mad'15.51  1  
1635 Mixed, made, and sold in a Taverna?anag made + sold, Taverna = greek restaurant15.51 
1839 Mysterious characters covering large cracked dish found in Western AsiaDOES (John, Jane, etc.) enveloping L + MAD150  2  
1919 Folded vine leaves as loved in Med (extra ingredients minced)?VINE* leaves ASLOVEDINMED = ASLODMED (letters minced); &lit141  4  
208 Cooked odd meals for Greeks to snack on (8)Cooked = Anagrind Odd meals = fodder For Greeks to snack on = def12.53  2  
2161 Turkish dish starts to drool over damsel in distress(9)Defn : Turkish dish; starts to (d)rool (o)ver (damsel*) in distress (anagrind)10.53  4  
2213 Dish which makes Spanish girl crazy for menDolores – substitute mad for or101  2  
2342 Old dames chewing stuffed leaves! (8)old dames = anagram (chewing = indicator); stuffed leaves = direct.9.50 
2365 With no finales, modest Lady Gaga leaves wrapped in meat, quite the reverse(modes + lad)*; Gaga = anagram indictor; leaves wrapped in meat, quite the reverse = def; That excellent singer/songwriter Lady Gaga famously wore a dress made of slices of meat.9.51  4  
2530 Made, sold, chewed .. and leaves when stuffedmadesold*90  1  
2645 Sad model's thrown up, having stuffed food.anag/def ("thrown up" = vomited [inf]).8.51  1  
273 Bite from Lebanon prepared to be stuffed in parties?Bite from Lebanon=L, prepared=MADE, parties=DOS => LMADE stuffed in DOS; &Lit81 
281 A couple of Spaniards entertained the French, consuming bananas for a main course (8)A couple of Spaniards = DOS; entertained = containment ind.; the French = LE; consuming = containment ind.; bananas = MAD. So: DO(L(MAD)E)S.6.51  1  
2862 Turkish food made into attractive dishes – only 1 lira!Turkish food=definition. MADE inside DOLLS=ATTRACTIVE WOMEN=ATTRACTIVE DISHES with only one L6.52 
3018 Finger food makes odd mealsanag60  3  
3021 Greek delicacies – made,sold,ordered.anag. on "made, sold"61  5  
3047 Same old god-awful cabbage meals(same old + d)* ref. school dinners60  3  
3063 Turkish food with prepared filling sold outmade (=prepared) in sold*62  3  
3411 Delicacies, half-cut medallions, served in partiesanag of medal(half of medallions) inside dos(parties); def: delicacies5.51  1  
357 Cook minced lamb quickly; add rice when it's finished; wrapping with stewed leaves finishes Greek dishDO+LMA+steweD(ricE)+leaveS (LAMb anag.)50  5  
366 Cheese put back into sold-off food parcels.EDAM (reversed) in SOLD (anag – 'off'). Def – food parcels (rice etc wrapped in vine or other leaves).4.54  1  
3624 Is Köse Dam lodging some revolutionary potential energy source for the Turks?is kö[SE DAM LOD]ging; some revolutionary (ie hidden and reversed); def: potential energy source for the Turks?; ref: 'dolmades' being the plural of the original Turkish 'dolma'; Köse Dam is situated in the Black Sea region of Turkey.4.51  1  
3654 Tasties eaten in Savoy sometimes make old dames belch*; imperative belch (= pour forth). Savoy cabbage4.50  1  
3941 Odd meals prepared like these in a taverna.Anag. odd + meals; semi-&lit.41 
3955 Taverna's fare sold freshly made withinTaverna's fare = dish at a Greek restaurant (def); rearrangement of sold around made43  2  
4136 Mixture of something loaded in e.g. hot cooked leavesanag. (something loaded) less anag. (in eg hot) & lit.3.51 
4214 Dishes stuffed (forced into old broken saucepan lid)Dishes stuffed = def., forced = MADE contained in DOL (old broken) + S (saucepan lid)31  3  
4223 Idol made sandwich filling for wraps.contained within "Idol made sandwich". "Filling" is container indicator. "Wraps" is def30  2  
4250 Sold bad cheese – returned in delicate Greek food parcelsSOLD* containing EDAM backwards ('returned in'); definition31 
4259 Turkey's savoury stuffing leaves sad old me blown up*sad old me; blown up=overfed/exploded31  1  
4644 Portions stuffed with nuts? Not usually (8)DOLES containing MAD. Definition – &lit, with "not usually," as this is not the usual filling.2.51  3  
4712 Delicious item from the grapevine?(8)Cryptic definition20  3  
4749 Seldom notice stuffed food.SELDOM AD(notice) – stuffed is anagram indicator and also part of def – stuffed food.20  3  
4760 Turkish delight's sold all over the place stuffed with nuts and a mystery additiveThe definer is TURKISH DELIGHT(S). Anagram of "SOLD" with insertion of "MAD" and "E" ("MYSTERY" refers to the lack of number)20  1  
5025 Jobseeker is angry inside and leaves completely stuffed.DOLE + S with MAD inside &Lit10  4  
5031 Mediterranean dish unusually sold, stuffed with semi-hard cheese from the East.DOL(MADE)S = anagram of "sold" + container of "made" (edam reversed, or "from the east")12  3  
5033 Middle East leaves, seldom made full of beans?anag & lit seldom made less ME (ME "sometimes incl Greece & Turkey" Chambers)10  3  
5038 Mother's back, shares round Greek dish.DOLES round DAM reversed11 
5051 Stuff males do fumblingly on first date (8)MALESDO* containing D10  7  
5052 Stuffed grape leaves loaded with Ramsay's heart dressing.def+anag(dressing) of loaded+ms (Ramsay is Chef Gordon)11  2  
569 Cooked odd meals; stuffed vine leaves, perhapsODD MEALS*0.51  1  
5615 Dishes which get prepared in Middle Eastern site?DOLLS (dishes) has MADE (prepared) replace its 4th letter (with "Middle Eastern site" indicating location in the 5-letter word)0.51  1  
5627 Leaves packing meat and rice, cooked and freely sold outside (8)Leaves packing meat and rice(def.). MADE (=cooked) in anagram of SOLD0.52  2  
5628 Leaves well stuffed, after cook served up meals including dumpling starter?COOK = DO…(anag)MEALS including(D)umpling..Stuffed vine leaves.0.50  1  
604 Boy leaves molded salad medley for stuffed molded leaves.anag.(medley)molded salad -lad + def00  1  
605 Charities accept unlimited plate from Middle Eastern sourcesDOL(MAD)ES00  2  
6029 Made and sold with leaf and meat (8)Anagram00  3  
6043 Pieces with leaves externally, stuffing forced in — party starter?do + made in l(eave)s & lit.00 
6048 Savoury dish Eric prepared in the Savoy perhaps, goes off?def: savoury dish. eric prepared (fodder and indicator) = rice, in the savoy perhaps = cabbage + goes off = leaves00  5  
6053 Stuffed vegetable dishes that can explode are odd meals. (8)DOLMADES (stuffed vegetable dishes) can anagram (explode) to become ODD + MEALS00  3