CCCWC February competition voters’ comments
Clue no. 3: Brilliant swimmer's caught in elaborate trap
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A clue to TETRA.
3 comments refer to this clue
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| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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| This was a friendly word to clue, but the temptation to go for an obvious anagram or a hidden was strong, and many of the clues were just too easy. 34 managed a good misleading definition and 3, 9, 24 and 43 had nice surfaces, so they got my marks. A few comments on the rest: 1. Too many unwarranted exclamation marks. What has 42 done to deserve two? 2. I can't accept 'offensive' indicates 'Tet'. The other way round would be ok (just). 3. If you're cluing TETRA as a prefix, you need to indicate this clearly. 'Tetra-' may do the same job as 'four-' but 'tetra' doesn't mean 'four'. |
| 2. |
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5 pts: Clue 5 - Not the most fluent clue, but 'Chromatic scales' is really excellent 4 pts: Clue 9 - Much the best worded of clues using the 'batter' treatment 3 pts: Clue 43 - Very good &lit 2 pts: Clue 3 1 pt: Clue 11 - I would have preferred a comma to a full stop, and no exclamation mark, but otherwise very good wording
Near misses:
29 - Another good &lit, but the definition reading isn't quite as smooth as clue 43.
34 - Needs a capital for 'Net' in the surface reading
16 - Almost very good but 'Hardly' is superfluous to the cryptic reading; clue 15, on the other hand, needs a question mark |
| 3. |
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| 1st= (3 points each): 24. "Odd glimpses of The Eternal that could come to those fishing on lake?" [not sure if the question mark is really necessary, but an old idea done very well] and 32. "Seconds from stifling Ken, Otto brazenly eats a fish" [remarkably fortunate but extremely clever] 3rd (2 points): 21. "It's great foremost in tank, less good battered!" [unnecessary exclam but a nice idea excellently done] 4th= (1.5 points each): 11. "Fish paste.Traditional sandwiches!" [messy punctuation - a dash would I think have improved it, but otherwise an excellent hidden, the best of several], 30. "Retrospective of paintings, etc, etc - no place for severed head of cow or confounded fish in tanks?" [too long and cumbersome, but a very good idea that just about works], 37. "Tank group offensive, supported by gunners" [rather banal wordplay but a very nice definition which is I think OK: is it the name of a group?] and 43. "Who's this we find swimming in fresh hot waters?" [almost a very good comp. anag., marred by the "hot", which suggests the water that comes from a hot tap]. 8th = (0.5 points each): 3. "Brilliant swimmer's caught in elaborate trap" [unexciting but sound] and 9. "Fish in batter topped with dressing" [quite nice, but the anagram indicator is a bit weak] |
