CCCWC April 2014 competition results
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50 clues entered. 37 votes cast (35 competitors, 2 others).
MESMERISE (Letters Latent)
There is no doubt that it is a little tougher to craft a Letters Latent clue that stands out, and consequently it probably makes the judging process more challenging! So it is hardly surprising that this turned out to be a closely run contest – in fact, probably the closest ever!
Hearty congratulations to Luciano for just squeaking ahead of the pack with his clue that had an excellent surface to deflect the solver from the intended meaning of the definition.
A mere point and a half back in second was Dave P. with another fine construction, well done Dave.
Martin returns to a podium finish after a gap of a couple of years, only a single point back in third!
Finally, a tie for fourth spot, again a mere handful of points further adrift – congratulations Don and for the second month running to Robert Vere!
Mesmerising stuff!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Luciano Ward | Rivet I fixed in buggy seems fastened to me | MESMEISE; ME+[I in SEEMS* ('buggy')]; def = rivet | 35 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | 9 | Dave Parfitt | Enthral audience at the last, with series given final twist | M = LL; (audienc)E + SERIES with final two letters reversed | 33.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | 30 | Martin Price | My French, semi-garbled, is accompanied by English charm. | Latent letter: R. "Mes" + meis (anag.)+ E/def. | 32.5 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | 5 | Don Manley | Charm Miss contrived to ensnare Mister | Latent E: Mr in anag. | 29.5 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | 17 | Robert Vere | Hypnotise while I remember with partial recall | S: Def = Hypnotise; (memerie)< | 29.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | 23 | Peter Cargill | Member that's shunned club's rear entrance? | ME(S)MERI(S)E; member less b(club's rear)+ie; entrance=def | 23 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | 49 | Keith Williams | Witch has outrageous heresies – off with her head! | LL = M; Anag (H)ERESIES – "(H)er" head; Witch(v) = to bewitch | 19.5 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | 28 | Rod Beards | Mr and Miss entangled in intrigue | E Latent, anagram of (MR+MISS), intrigue = defn | 18 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | 33 | Pete Milne | One's introduced to the company of two women (one might be single!), so turn on the charm | E. I in MS+MRS | 18 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | 48 | John Tozer | What religion can do – if Dawkins' idea's right, that is | S; meme (coined by Richard Dawkins) + r + i.e. | 17 | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | 13 | Fascinate modern miss with medical scanners | (-E) MeSMeRISe = MS + MRIS | 16 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | 50 | Young woman is impressed by man's charm! | E. Ms (Young woman) + is = MSIS impressed by (insertion indicator) Mr (man) = MSMRIS. | 16 | 4 | 6 | |
| 13 | 15 | Hypnotise me twice – endless grief! | S latent. ME + ME + RIE | 15.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 14 | 31 | My, my – in Paris, one's injected with drug to control the mind | MES+ME(I)S+E [R latent] | 14.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | 43 | Those finishing late matches – use rear entrance | M [eserise] last letters + rear, def=entrance | 13 | 0 | 5 | |
| 16 | 40 | Sees mime curiously fascinate | LL = R SEES MIME* | 11.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 17 | 6 | Charm of French art meets with English appreciation | M; ES = of French art + E + RISE = appreciation; def. Charm | 11 | 0 | 5 | |
| 18 | 42 | Term for hypnotise and endlessly grip, in essence | M; (e + ri) in esse, &lit. | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 19 | 26 | Miss Martin's odd entrance | E latent; MiSs MaRtInS; def = (to) entrance. | 8 | 0 | 4 | |
| 20 | 3 | Author! Author! Vital selection of letters from a friend is bound to enthral. | S not clued. Author = me plus rie from a friend. Ref. Book of letters from P G Wodehouse. | 7.5 | 1 | 7 | |
| 20 | 34 | Put to sleep and see rise refreshed | M; Put to sleep = definition ("you are feeling sleepy…"); anag. | 7.5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 22 | 7 | Drunk, seems I'm ejected first from entrance | 'R' is latent [MESMEISE]; (SEEMS I'M E)* | 7 | 1 | 6 | |
| 22 | 46 | Ungainly mannerisms as princess makes exit or entrance | (E latent) Anagram of MANNERISMS – ANNE indicated by "ungainly" Definition: entrance | 7 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | 29 | Mr Sim's drunken entrance? | Latent letter 'e'. Mr Sims – fodder, drunken – anagrind, entrance – definition | 6.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 24 | 37 | Schoolteacher revolution following mainstream media influence | Latent 'E' (MSMRIS); Schoolteacher revolution (RIS) following mainstream media (MSM) – see Wikipedia and widespread usage; definition: influence | 6.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 26 | 10 | Entrance of Take That is following tradition (9) | R IE after MEME; S latent | 6 | 2 | 6 | |
| 27 | 35 | Redhead that is after me follows me to entrance. | S; MEMERIE — 'Redhead' = R, 'that is' = IE, after 'me follows me' = MEME — 'to' = link (WP to Def.) — 'entrance' = def. (put under a trance; for surface read as 'the way in') | 5.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 28 | 16 | Hypnotise old leper: "Remove dressing and get up!" | M is latent, leaving ESERISE. (M)ESE(L) [leper (obs) with wrapping (dressing) removed] + RISE (get up) | 5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 28 | 18 | I slim, finally. Before eating, I dominate will. | Letter Latent is "S", leaving MEMERIE. Wordplay: I(ME) slim finally.(M) Before(ERE) eating(containing) I. Definition: dominate will | 5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 28 | 24 | Memorandum backing former Irish Republic's entrance | Latent letter: S; definition: Entrance; subsidiary indication leading to MEMERIE: MEM(memorandum) + ERIE<= (backing/reversing EIRE, ie Ireland or Irish Republic as known earlier). Surface deceptively alluding to Ireland's entry to some world/regional body | 5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 28 | 41 | Spellbind; then second kiss with Reese's Pieces. | (M) Def+anag(pieces)i+reeses *Reese's Pieces & Kisses are candy made by Hershey | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 32 | 4 | Cast spell upon troubled Mr Sims | E is latent letter, leaving MSMRIS, of which Mr Sims is anag. Cast spell upon is def. | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 33 | 27 | Most excellent club's close to whorehouse entrance | (letter='S') ME + MERI + (whorehous)E (def=entrance as a verb) | 4 | 1 | 4 | |
| 33 | 39 | See problem with erection, one needs to concentrate the mind? | M..ESERISE….See (anag) + rise = erection (of building) | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 35 | 11 | 'Entry' in enigmatic series represented as 'entrance' | M latent anag incl e | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 35 | 12 | Erratic REM seems to entrance. (9) | Latent letter is "I". Anagram of REM + SEEMS = MESMERSE. MESMERISE is defined by "TO ENTRANCE". | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| 37 | 25 | Miss about to enthral man? Yes, enthral! | Latent letter: E(leaving MSMRIS to be covered in the subsidiary indication). Miss about (anagram of MISS), to enthral containment indicator), man (MR.). Yes (confirmation of definition), enthral (definition) | 2.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 37 | 44 | To transfix sides of member is sadomasochism possibly | The E's are missing. To transfix = def.; (mr + is + sm)*. | 2.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| 39 | 1 | Ancient master? Nothing better, when last of class is kept in, to induce a state of catalepsy! | I latent. MES (see Chambers) + (MERE (“nothing better” – see Chambers) around (clas)S)] | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 39 | 2 | Anger, in essence, returns to fix one's attention. | Letter latent M: Anger = IRE, in essence= ES(IRE)SE, returns >> ESERISE + def. | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 39 | 8 | English stallion's about to reach mare's ultimate entrance | M latent. entrance = def; sires rev in Ee | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 39 | 14 | Guile employed by poet's devious miss captivating French Mister Right | E latent; M + R in (MISS)* = MSMRIS; GUILE = Spenser's 'to beguile' | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| 39 | 22 | Match eventually starts out; without a break, seamers bowl over | Latent letter: I; anagram (break) of (SEAMERS-A) in M E(Match Eventually); definition: bowl over | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 39 | 47 | Unusually eerie Secret Service heads to entrance. | Latent letter – M. Entrance = def. of mesmerise. Anagram of EERIE + S + S ("heads" of Secret Service). | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 45 | 19 | Loose young woman embraces man to captivate | Latent letter: E. MR in (MISS)* = MSMRIS; AInd: loose. | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| 46 | 20 | Male partner somehow seems to get round restricted entrance | I latent; M(ale)+E (partner from bridge) + SEEMS* around R(estricted) ; def: entrance | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 46 | 21 | Man, girl, man – return entrance. | (E) Man (SIR) girl (MS) man (M) returned gives MSMRIS. | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 46 | 32 | Numb setter after setter with ire vented out (9) | S omitted giving MEMERIE – ME ME (IRE)* | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 46 | 38 | See confused rebel make sedate demand (9) | M= latent letter , eserise, see confused=anag= ese, rebel =rise , then the definition | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 46 | 45 | Turn on and go up, following directions (9) | Dropped letter is "M", leaving eseRISE . Direct = turn on. RISE = go up, ese = directions. | 0 | 0 | 4 |