CCCWC November competition voters’ comments

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A clue to TURNOVER.
101 comments were received for this competition (from 13 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
The word has a variety of meanings (I was happy with clues to 'turn over' as well as 'turnover'), but none of them are all that interesting. It was a similar story with the clues. Many different approaches, but not much spark. 8 was the only clue that really caught my fancy. A couple of clues could lead to 'overturn' as well as 'turnover', which I think is a weakness.
2.
First time here and I've really enjoyed reading the clues. Struggled to limit myself to 15 points and gave out quite a few merits for other clues I enjoyed. There were a lot of apple pie (or similar) clues – only the best (10 imho) got any points. Quite a few VOTER* + [URN] (provided in some guise) made for topical clues, giving what's going on the other side of the pond. I particularly enjoyed 36's construction, plus the neat definition for the two-page newspaper article, so that got the most points from me. I also enjoyed 5 for its less common take, and that shared top spot in my book. 19 was a decent stab at what our old friend D St.P. Barnard would have called a parabolic clue, and I think it works – definitely a couple of points for total originality!
3.
I have huge feeling for the secretive tourist travelling in two countries seeking an apple pastry. I hope he/she got one and will go on in due course to find a chocolate mousse in Oslo and Hartlepool, though that might be a tougher challenge.

Comments on the clues

1. A flipping silly TV rerun involves cop in Oxford? Try another channel

1.	Turn over =/= turnover. Turning over =/= turnover. "…Oxford cop" would surely be better than "cop in Oxford".
2.	Good try let down, for me, by use of cop to indicate O in Oxford.

2. A small pie oven cooked in trade union's Rolls-Royce.

1.	I had no idea you could get a microwave in a car.
2.	Surface doesn't really work, and wordplay produces "TUSRNOVER".

3. A well-placed "please" might merit such afters?

1.	Nice original idea. Is it really an &lit? Merits more than a merit though.
2.	I can't convince myself this quite works – it's a sort of incomplete pun on the phrase P.T.O.

4. Apple user configuring new router to head off virus

1.	I don't think "apple user" is a fair definition for turnover. I like the cryptic construction though.
2.	Head off is a subtraction indicator to delete first letter
3.	I really don't like "head off" as an indicator for an initial letter, sorry.
4.	The "to" is either meaningless or at best suggests NROUTER* + V

5. Artist captures old Victory rolling

1.	Very nice – my highest score.
2.	Definition not precise enough for me, but a very nice connection

6. Ballot box stuffed in vote rigged by Republican business figure

1.	URN is a bit obscure for me, and vote-rigging wasn't really the issue (if we're being topical) – but this clue has a lot going for it…
2.	Nice definition.
3.	Very good surface and works well cryptically
4.	I like how the surface reading of "business figure" disguises the definition.
5.	Neat and topical, like 36 but not quite as good a surface. A close second for me.

7. Bridie groomed our navy vet.

1.	I don't really get the surface reading.
2.	Rather unique take.

8. Business needing dough folded

1.	Great double def.
2.	Among the best – brilliantly neat. Small quibble that "needing" suggests a link between def. and wordplay rather than a DD. 4 points.

10. Change channels to see what could be served up on Bake Off?

1.	Simple and effective – well done.
2.	I think this is the best of the "change channels" clues.

11. Changes in Jobs' plans for Apple ?

1.	Nice surface
2.	The addition of the question mark I think just lets you get away with "plans for apple" as a definition
3.	Definition a bit imprecise, but very witty
4.	Being picky, the apostrophe doesn't really work in the cryptic reading – but still the best of the bunch.

12. Confused voter given run-around: surrender's the result

1.	Runaround is not hyphenated which, as such, cannot work in the wordplay.

13. Flip the dessert (8)

1.	Simple and sweet
2.	Not the most inspired clue I've seen!

14. Flip Wilson lost soccer ball to Beckham (8)

1.	Too much has been sacrificed in the cryptic reading here for the surface reading to work. Where do Wilson and Beckham feature?
2.	Very clever! What you see is what you get!
3.	Def. needs to match part of speech of solution (noun), so "losing" might work. You also need to indicate def by example by a ? or e.g.

15. For all the money taken, see no potential in artist

1.	No potential to equal 0 volts is too obscure
2.	Wonderfully neat and worth points, but I would not have got the OV and wonder how fair it is
3.	Nice use of "no potential".

16. Fortune teller sees artist getting naked adoration

1.	I like 'fortune teller' but unconvinced by 'naked'
2.	Nice creative definition
3.	Rather let down by surface and getting as container/contents indicator

17. Go on, regain posession

1.	Unfortunately turnover means loss of possession

18. 'Goo' for dessert!

1.	Repulsive surface but good clue.
2.	Should be "Go o for dessert".
3.	Not a valid wordplay format
4.	Should be "GO O for dessert"!

19. How to get semi-revolver to produce a semi-revolution?

1.	That is semi revolutionary clue! Very creative
2.	I think you get away with it. Semi-revolution is a neat definition of "turn over" – but "turnover"? Not so sure. Points for effort though!
3.	Ingenious but not sure what to make of it. Have a point!

20. I'm one word so may use mille feuille if I were two I would need only one new leaf to start again.

1.	More of a riddle than a clue
2.	That's a conundrum, not a clue!
3.	Baffling
4.	Reads more like a Victorian riddle than a modern crossword clue (and needs punctuation)

21. "King" Trump (not a representative of the people) is giddy about November upset!

1.	Why is King ER? That stands for "Elizabeth Regina". Unless it's Edward VII(I) (A bit unfair)! A real shame – I rather like the rest!
2.	Well composed and quite timely! The best!
3.	King=ER (as opposed to R or K) is perhaps straying into indirect anagram territory

22. Leaders of the union now recommend striking over staffing rate

1.	I think using 'over' in the clue is a bit of a cop-out
2.	Smooth
3.	Striking doesn't work as an anagram indicator
4.	Staffing rate is inaccurate

24. Mounting excitement about star, we hear, in Hollywood production?

1.	How are we supposed to know to reverse "RUT"?
2.	The addition of about means the wordplay leads to TUNOVERR

25. Movement of people upset production

Effective

26. Newspaper article features crazed voter grabbing ballot box

1.	Effective
2.	Nice use of the less common definitions for a surface reading the scans well.
3.	I think "newspaper article" needs some stronger hint to the solver, as in 36, and I'm not convinced by "features" as a link word

27. Overturning routine, fire up oven with baker's last pie

1.	It's a bit of a shame to have "overturning" in the clue for TURNOVER. "Upsetting" (for example) would have worked much better, I feel.

28. Pass six balls, one to the other side

1.	A nice use of the sporting turnover definition here.

29. Pie chart of company performance?

1.	Shame I can't see how the "chart" functions in the cryptic reading.
2.	Turnover is not a chart

30. Pie made by the artist, with love essentially (8)

1.	'With' doesn't properly indicate 'inside'
2.	Not convinced with "With" as an inclusion indicator

32. Relinquish the stolen ball!

1.	A bit short of a double definition

33. Rerun vote after European exit in order to reverse result?

1.	Head and shoulders above the rest for me. Simple, elegant, topical – I can't fault it.
2.	Smooth topical surface and nice wordplay
3.	I like the surface, but the def. and wordplay lead to 'overturn' more than 'turnover'.
4.	There's no anagram indicator.
5.	The wordplay is excellent, but the definition seems to be for 'turn over' rather than 'turnover'.
6.	definition seems to clue a verb not the noun turnover

34. Revenue from samosa, say (8)

1.	Surface reading is a bit contrived!

35. Rob's income

1.	Neat clue, but who's Rob?

36. Run vote corruptly, installing Republican? There might be two sides to this story

1.	URN is a bit obscure for my tastes. I like this clue, it tells a good story, but it's not the story of the actual US election.
2.	Good misleading definition
3.	A nice construction and a convincing surface reading. Top marks from me.
4.	Smooth and topical, and the punning definition works perfectly.
5.	Marks for topicality and to my mind slightly tighter wordplay than 6.

37. Run voter down for taking advantage of a bad lie (8)

1.	Not convinced by 'down' as anag. indicator.
2.	down means broken in the sense of not working, but doesn't really mean jumbled

38. Six deliveries by Warne? (8)

1.	Would that not be (4,4)?
2.	Why not explain clue meaning to non UK solvers and the 400 explanation!
3.	Got it (an over of "turn" or spin), but where's the definition of turnover? A CD still needs to define the solution

39. Slices of goo pie!

1.	"Slices of" is presumably meant to hint that GO/O needs separating, but I don't think it works
2.	Like clue 18 not valid wordplay format

40. Small folded pie sadly run over edge of tray

1.	Unfortunate that OVER is part of the solution

41. Somerset, it’s reported, go down

1.	Confusing explanation.
2.	A charade doesn't need special indication (certainly not a homophone indicator!). Def. by example needs indicating.

42. The man leaves the container open after dispatching the last pastry

1.	Very normal surface. Nice.

44. Vase found in trove. Byzantine yield?

1.	Some tweaks to the wording might have yielded a better clue

45. Voter shifts involving the ballot box deliver this to the White House

1.	Needs a pause between 'deliver' and 'this' to show it's semi-& lit.
2.	URN is a bit obscure for my tastes, but this is a clever clue.