CCCWC Christmas Special 2014 competition results
More information | Comments | All results | < Previous | Next > | Annual competition
42 clues entered. 32 votes cast (29 competitors, 3 others).
MOUSETRAP / HERMITAGE (Right & Left)
The Christmas Special was another close contest indeed, with Richard Harvey continuing his remarkable run this year and squeezing home by a single point, his winning clue having a very convincing surface – hearty congratulations!
Commiserations to Dave Parfitt who just missed out in second, but winning the Three Magi battle! (Despite what some may have thought, I had not noticed this apposite anagram of HERMITAGE beforehand!).
Third spot and an inaugural podium finish for Jon – another Three Magi-er – well done, and we can but wonder what your surname is!
Fourth place – and consecutive podium finishes – for Teyrnon with the third Three Magi clue – a consistent finish to the year.
Final podium spot goes to Rod with a very different slant to his clue and rounds off his very respectable first year of competition with CCCWC.
ANNUAL COMPETITION
Dave may have just missed out by one point here, but his second placing means that he sneaks up on the rails to snatch the Annual Prize from under the nose of Tom Borland.
So congratulations go to Dave, rising from 3rd place in the 2013 Annual Competition to win the 2014 crown – and commiserations to Tom for just being squeezed out having finished 8th in the Christmas Special, but still a highly creditable result for the year.
Luciano, Richard and Martin completed the top 5 for 2014 – full listings can be accessed via the Results page.
Thanks and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all – GOOD LUCK for 2015!!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Richard Harvey | French wine museum surprisingly put medium Rosé with a shoddy cheese | HERMITAGE by double definition (french wine and museum). MOUSETRAP definition "shoddy cheese"; wordplay = anagram of PUT+M(edium)+ROSE plus A. | 32.5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 34 | Dave Parfitt | Three Magi ordered retreat: "Stable at centre of our map possibly a deadly lure!" | HERMITAGE = THREEMAGI anag.; MOUSETRAP = SET in OURMAP anag. | 31.5 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 22 | Jon | Museum recreated "Three Magi" – mixing up some art pieces. It’s quite captivating! | Museum – Hermitage, anagram of THREE MAGI. Mousetrap = anagram of UP SOME ART. "It's quite captivating" is a definition of mousetrap. | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | 33 | Teyrnon Powell | Three Magi on the move for holy refuge fashion route-map with star’s lead – finding Subject of much-played drama. | THREEMAGI* ; *ROUTEMAP,S (ref. ‘The Mousetrap’). | 23 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | 11 | Rod Beards | Female sorcerer bottling sex appeal in secluded location prepared Tom a super lure for Jerry? | HER MAGE bottling IT; secluded location = defn HERMITAGE / prepared = anagrind, TOM A SUPER anag; lure for Jerry = defn of MOUSETRAP (ref Tom and Jerry) | 21 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | 42 | Tim Anderson | Wine, crab and mature cheese — more at super thrash | hermit,age; mo + (at super)* Thrash = a party. | 18.5 | 2 | 5 |
| 7 | 3 | Anthony Nannini | After a short time take back some cheese that lady put on with German mature wine (8 8) | A short time= mo , take=use, back some = trap (part reversed),cheese= definition that lady = her, put on= follow with, with German= mit, mature=age (vb), wine= definition. | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 27 | Tom Borland | Retreat! He has bamboozled irate mog, but old rogue Tom's a pure menace to Jerry | HERMITAGE: HE around *IRATE M(O)G; def. Retreat MOUSETRAP: *TOMS A PURE; def. menace to Jerry | 16.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | 15 | Don Manley | From secluded abode three Magi diverted, map's detour configured to avoid Herod's ultimate trick | anag., anag less d, ref. Matt. 1:12 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | 31 | Kathy Martin | Three magi arranged to present vintage wine; as more put out, cheap cheese is revealed! | Three magi anag of Hermitage, an expensive wine. "as more put" anag. of mousetrap, "out" indicates rearrangement, mousetrap slang for cheap cheese | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | 35 | Three Magi, perhaps, in secluded place that holds animals – strange star up above Bethlehem too, ultimately. | HERMITAGE: THREEMAGI*, def = "secluded place"; MOUSETRAP: def = "that holds animals", (STAR UP [abov]E [bethlehe]M [to]O)*. | 12 | 0 | 5 | |
| 12 | 12 | For over sixty years, the English play their game lazily in retreat | 'For over sixty years, the English play' = MOUSETRAP [in its 63rd year of production]; (their game)*=HERMITAGE, def. 'retreat' | 11 | 0 | 3 | |
| 13 | 13 | French wine from a Frenchman along with their revolting mature cheese, so mature crackers start to putrefy | (M + THEIR)* + AGE/(SO + MATURE)* + P | 10.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 13 | 17 | I'm here suffering end tucking into concealed cottage cheese, perhaps moment to enjoy a gin? | Hermitage(concealed cottage); IMHERE* incl TAG(end); Mousetrap(type of cheese); MO(moment)+USE(to enjoy)+TRAP(a gin) | 10.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | 38 | Three magi wandering into shelter excitedly muse with port around a dangerously tempting cheese platter | HERMITAGE: (Three magi)*, def =shelter ("into" a superfluous link word for this first clue) MOUSETRAP: (Muse Port)* surrounding (a), def = dangerously tempting cheese platter | 10 | 1 | 3 | |
| 15 | 40 | Trick at Augusta: casually play without the gallery, and retreat. | Def (mousetrap = trick [N Am inf])/[The] Mousetrap = play (without "the")/def x2: Hermitage art museum, St Petersburg + a place of retreat. | 10 | 2 | 1 | |
| 17 | 7 | Cheesy contrivance as new opera must retreat from tradition introducing gangnam finally | MOUSETRAP:anag "opera must" Def: Cheesy contrivance HERMITAGE – Heritage(tradition) + M (gangnam finally) Def:retreat | 9.5 | 1 | ||
| 17 | 10 | Every other Christmas morn, geese flutter to a sanctuary upstream round boisterous pigeonhole. | letters "hitamrgee"anag=flutter+def(hermitage);upstream+o anag=boisterous+def(mousetrap-*Webster's =a small place:niche) | 9.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 17 | 21 | "Moving star" enticer maps route, haphazardly wandering Magi (Three Wise Men) destination. (Right and Left, (9) each) | Rat's (moving star) enticer is a mousetrap, "MAPS + ROUTE" anagram (haphazardly); Anagram (wandering) "MAGI + THREE", Wise men destination is a HERMITAGE. | 9.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 20 | 1 | A second posh group complain about boring 'Cheese & Wine' in museum | MO + U + SET + RAP = mousetrap (boring cheese) DD for hermitage | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 20 | 5 | Cheddar's celebrated mystery play relocated three Magi in sanctuary | M: 2 defs, see C for Cheddar, & Christie play; H: three magi* | 9 | 1 | 3 | |
| 20 | 25 | Retreat for three magi cooking this cheese, perhaps? Most use cheaper European variety | Retreat = def; anag three magi. Comp anag mousetrap cheese ~ most use cheaper E | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
| 23 | 28 | Retreat rook in the game (losing knight)- moving piece back after shy guy's American gambit | Hermitage/mousetrap 1. Def = retreat (r in the game – n)* moving = AnagInd. 2. Def = Am. gambit shy guy = mouse; Piece back = part< | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 24 | 18 | Internal memo: Use trappers hideout; destroy their game | Mousetrap = Hidden; Hermitage = double definition (straightforward def = hideout + anagram of 'their game'); surface reads as gamekeeper's anti-poaching memo | 8 | 0 | 3 | |
| 25 | 26 | Retreat from their game, most are upset- Hard cheese! | Retreat- Hermitage. from- Anagrind. their game- Anag.fodder. Hard cheese- Mousetrap Anag.fodder- most are up. Anagrind- set | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| 26 | 39 | Timid person sending back portion from inferior cheese, renewing her image ultimately beat a retreat | 1)MOUSETRAP: MOUSE(timid person) + reversal of PART(portion); def: inferior cheese// 2)HERMITAGE: (HER+IMAGE+T)*; renewing = anag ind; def: a retreat// Seamless join without connector | 6.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 27 | 23 | Not the Agatha play! Cheese and wine party of one alone with time. | THE MOUSETRAP (not the) HERMIT (party of one alone) AGE (with time) | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| 28 | 2 | A wine grand in tradition, a most pure sort, much sought-after when it's improved in the wood | M (1000) in heritage; anag., ref. "If a man can … make a better mousetrap … though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door" | 5.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 29 | 19 | Jerry passes here being mellow after island retreat | Jerry (mouse) passes (dies) here (in a mousetrap) being (it) mellow (age) after island (Herm) retreat (hermitage) | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 30 | 24 | "Play a Course with Tiger" – sides plan out retreat to improve their game | M(OUSE+TigeR)AP; HERMITAGE (their game)* | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 30 | 41 | Tune up maestro: play around with Rachmaninoff's fifth and start to improvise, gaining ticket to enter Russian arts and culture scene | MOUSETRAP = 'play' = an anagram (tune = adjust) of UP MAESTRO / HERMITAGE = 'Russian arts and culture scene' = HERE (about) containing (with … to enter) [Rach]M[aninoff] + I[mprovise] + TAG (ticket). | 4.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 32 | 20 | Male chases her with sex appeal and mature wine or teams up drunkenly for ropey cheese | HER + M + IT + AGE/ OR TEAMS UP* | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 | 4 | Buddhist Lord is after an agreement to ensnare American model – a girl he met, left alone in a monk's quarters. | Buddhist Lord = SETRAP , ( not in Chambers but easily referenced from any source on Buddhism ); agreement = MOU ; to ensnare American = def of Mousetrap. Model* A GIRL HE MET – L ( left alone ) >> HERMITAGE = a monk's quarters. | 3.5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 34 | 30 | This, Hamlet said's, a mystery, where we alone have to work things out | This, Hamlet said's, a mystery – MOUSETRAP; where we alone have to work things out – HERMITAGE | 2.5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 34 | 37 | Three magi supply the woman’s child with precious metal in an isolated spot while outside the mother eats up decaying food fit only for vermin | spot/while; HERMITAGE: two wordplays (THREEMAGI* ('supply' = in a supple manner) & HER (MIT(AG)E) ('with…in' indicates inclusion)); MOUSETRAP: MOTHEREATSUP anag aside from (outside) THE | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 36 | 6 | Cheesy art up some fashionable museum has a legacy attracting millions. | cheesy/mousetrap =(anag)art up some…Hermitage Museum……her(m)itage…heritage/legacy…m/millions | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 36 | 8 | Distraught, three magi retreat as limitless Herod put mark on Bethlehem ensnaring stratagem (9,9) | (THREE MAGI)*; (AS [H]ERO[D] PUT M(ARK))* (on=drunk); Ref Massacre of the Innocents; Bethlehem (Pennsylvania et al.) here is the US indicator for second definition | 1.5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 38 | 36 | Three Magi planning a retreat manoeuvre, make route maps (9/9) | THREEMAGI*/Def- Retreat ; ROUTEMAPS* /Def- Manoeuvre. Make as in shuffle (cards). Ref to the three magi returning by alternate route to avoid Herod. | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 39 | 9 | Drink in allure manifest in bust come to maturity, a hint of seduction in a pout recalling role in famous West End show | HERMITAGE Def.: Drink (ie, the wine). IT inside (HERM + AGE) / MOUSETRAP Def.: “famous West End show”. S(eduction) inside MOUE + PART (rev.) | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 39 | 16 | Holy place runs nightclub of ill repute! | Holy place = hermitage, nightclub of ill repute = mousetrap, runs = link word. | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 39 | 29 | Rodent catcher gets me rat soup somehow for a mile in legacy of a secluded home | Anagram (me rat soup) = MOUSETRAP = Rodent catcher a mile (M) inside legacy (HERITAGE) = HER(M)ITAGE HERMITAGE = secluded home | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 39 | 32 | Three Magi deviously retreat to ensnare drunken tramp in river? On the contrary | (THREE MAGI)* = HERMITAGE, def: retreat; OUSE (river) in (TRAMP)* = MOUSETRAP, def: to ensnare | 0 | 0 | 4 |