CCCWC April competition voters’ comments

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A clue to CORVUS.
124 comments were received for this competition (from 14 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
Not so easy to clue this. Quite a few had clunky surfaces .
2.
According to Chambers, CORVUS is the 'crow genus', so 'crow', 'rook', 'raven', 'flyer' etc seem to me to be not correct definitions. Am I right or being too pedantic? I would be interested to hear your views.
3.
A difficult word to clue, and most clues had some faults. Crow (singular) doesn't quite seem to cut it as the definition for the genus [25, 38 and 45 at least sought to be more accurate with this. Of the attempts at initial letter clues 10 stood out for originality and surface.
4.
A difficult word to clue as shown by the large number of poor surface readings.
5.
I wasn't very happy with my clue, and having seen the list I think I won't be the only one. One or two inspired entries, but a lot of fairly mundane stuff and a surprisingly high number of clues with elementary errors.

Comments on the clues

1. A legendary flyer in the night, monstrous bird makes its comeback against mankind

1.	These birds are not nocturnal.

2. At the borders of Virgo and Crater, roughly turn south to find me!

1.	Nice effort to bring Virgo and Crater (must admit hadn't heard of Crater)
2.	A neat way of making the definition not too obvious but still clear
3.	Quite neat, but not sure you can use just 'turn' for U. Worth points though!

3. Black bird in the sky

1.	Double def needs to be more interesting than this.
2.	constellation def. too vague
3.	Isn't Corvus the Latin word for Crow?

4. Blimey! Very centrally focussed group of stars

1.	Like this, though focussed for effusive seems weak
2.	Your explanation should say "(foc)us(sed)", but we all know what you mean.

5. Blimey! Victor and you have won first place – stone the crows? (6)

1.	First place – stone – for S doesn't appeal to me. First placed might have worked. Surface imagery is vague

6. "Company" foremost in reviews under "Sondheim", receiving five stars

1.	I find "five start" a bit of a vague definition
2.	Well constructed clue
3.	Corvus has more than 5 stars.

7. Complete collection of writing, five for a pence for Southern stars! (6)

1.	"a penny" is the correct form.
2.	Nice – must be a desperate writer though to sell @5 for a penny . Pence is plural though.

8. Costa Rica getting nothing against United States's southern stars

1.	Not keen on 'get' as a container indication

9. Craven, with no head for courage, perhaps, but we hear their call against us (6)

1.	There seems to be two wordplays and no straight definition here
2.	I don't think you can have a cryptic construction within the definition
3.	Hiding the def inside wordplay and then referring back to it is doubly unfair on the solver

10. Crews overcame Roman vessels using such at the prows.

1.	Like the acrostic indicator "at the prows". Pretty decent surface too.
2.	I don't normally enjoy 'initial' clues, but this is a fresh take and a very neat &lit.

11. Crossword genius hides clue for this answer! (6)

1.	Good find of wordplay but instructions are very vague. "CORVUS" is not together in the fodder. Deletion instruction could have been clearer
2.	Just does not work, sorry
3.	Unreasonable to expect a solver to get this.
4.	Nice idea but unfair, we need an indication of what needs subtracting.
5.	You cannot have hidden words at random intervals.
6.	Impossible to solve
7.	I would be astonished if anyone managed to solve this one.

12. Crow almost south under Virgo, initially twinkling

1.	Like the &lit attempt. Not sure Twinkling works as anagrind – doesn't convey jumbling.
2.	Poor surface reading

13. Crow or raven validated unenlightened stargazers initially in discovering constellation?

1.	Wordplay in definition is , in my view, not correct. Definition in wordplay is alright.
2.	Very clumsy surface – would you ever say that?
3.	It looks like the def. is 'discovering constellation', otherwise what is the role of 'in'?
4.	A tad contrived?

14. Crow or raven? Viewers usually stumped. Beginners provide an answer.

1.	Somewhat laboured surface
2.	The whole is not really a definition so not an &lit and using "crow or raven" twice.

15. Crows or rooks, very unusual species, initially

1.	"Initially" seems to jar the surface – "Basically" would have made it smoother, perhaps ? Are crows and ravens very unusual ?
2.	The whole is not really a definition so not an &lit and using "crows or rooks" twice.
3.	I wouldn't describe crows and rooks as very unusual.
4.	'Initially' doesn't work for me in the surface reading

16. Device for pulling birds

1.	Crow would have been fairer as a definition in this case, I think. Is it birds or bird ? Does "for" as connector work in double definitions
2.	Neat double def., though I don't think a corvus was primarily used for pulling.
3.	Corvus is a boarding device.
4.	Both definitions are a bit vague.

17. Endless scorn poured over United following very militant boarding system

1.	Good thought, but somewhat laboured surface
2.	Makes the most of the topical reference
3.	'United' on its own doesn't make the story obvious
4.	Topical and clever, particularly 'boarding system'.

18. Ensemble without Henry entertaining Victor and a group of stars.

1.	Succinct clue.
2.	Nice surface
3.	Accurate but doesn';t mean much

19. Firm Republican opposed by American that would put paid to wall

1.	One of the few clues that uses the ram/hook definition. "That" in surface makes it a bit off
2.	Nice try but imo doesn't quite work
3.	Paid to wall?

20. Flying airborne this may be carnivorous rook.

1.	The "be" is doing double work as part of the indicator and the anagram, no?
2.	Nice
3.	Cryptic reading requires 'may be be…'
4.	Wordplay doesn't work.
5.	It needs 'be' twice (which would not work, but then this does not either!)
6.	'Be' is doing double-duty here.

21. Free vouchers he lost to see several stars

1.	"To see" as connector seems vague
2.	"A group of stars" might have been a better definition, but "several stars" is just a bit too vague for me.
3.	Let down by "to see" and slightly unconvincing surface
4.	Not convinced by surface reading.

22. From Company recreational vehicle on west coast of the United States, observe constellation south of Virgo

1.	Recreational vehicle seems very obviously RV
2.	Needs to be 'west coasts' surely.
3.	On the west coast does not fairly indicate to the right of.
4.	"on west coast of the" very clumsy.

23. Having to fashion a suit from various cuts, was something to grapple with?

1.	Love the idea – but what is the deletion indicator for "a suit" ?
2.	'fashion X from Y' doesn't mean 'remove anagram of X from Y'
3.	Two anagram indicators are needed here

24. Held in Mexico resolve see US wall destroyed by it?

1.	Not sure "held in Mexico resolve " helps identify COR. Could be CORE or CORES as well.
2.	Indication for COR is unfair to solvers
3.	Part of a word cannot be hidden unless its specific position is indicated.

26. Lettuce sandwiches remain virtually undisputed starters for this stellar group

1.	Ike this.
2.	Unique clue.

27. Old Hungarian king's not featuring in stellar gathering?

1.	Didn't know of Corvinus.
2.	Ref is a bit obscure

28. OMG! Reversing Chelsea tractor I bashed into a wall!

1.	Nice clue but superfluous I dropped points
2.	Definition inaccurate

29. On air, flying ducks slaughtered carnivorous Crow (6)

1.	Nicely constructed. 'On air' is a bit weak in the surface reading.
2.	Let down by implausible surface and definition
3.	Pretty decent, but no need for the capital on 'Crow'.

30. Party leader's half against American naval weapon

1.	Terse surface –
2.	US is ok for America, don't think it is strictly American. Might have got away with America's
3.	Perhaps Labour party leader.
4.	Think he's probably all against it but with him you never quite know.

31. Principal moving about very quietly like a crow (6)

1.	The V for P cryptic instruction is not clear
2.	Like a crow is CORVINE – or what is that 'like' doing? Also moving about very quietly does not say swap v for p
3.	Crows aren't known for being quiet, are they?
4.	Wordplay doesn't work.

34. Ram right into business by reversing vehicle

1.	R into CO is CRO so you have clued CROVUS

35. Ram trampled vouchers that man dropped

1.	Surface could refer to a man named Ram!
2.	Sound enough but let down by unconvincing surface.

36. Seeing stars after my car is shunted backwards (6)

1.	car=suv is too loose. Not all cars are SUV's – could get away wirh "type of car"?

37. Some stars flaunting curves expressly on debut for Oscar (6)

1.	Wordplay doesn't work. Needs to be Oscar for expressly on debut.

39. Star group at heart sounds very American

1.	CORE does not really mean "at heart".

40. Star studded cast in encore seen in Paris (6)

1.	Letter selection indicators are not clear in ENCORE could be any combination of NCOR.
2.	in encore <> COR ….
3.	Clueing of COR is unfair to solvers. VU for "seen in Paris" would also seem fairer.

41. Stars seen in Sydney are cold or in opposition to us

1.	Are is clunky, and surface very bland

42. Taking old cure for scurvy curtailed what sailors grappled with

1.	'cure for' does not work as an anagrind

43. The crow's body? Five for a penny.

1.	P is Penny not 'a Penny"
2.	My favourite clue surface. Slightly imperfect def. and wordplay.
3.	"The" seems unnecessary.

44. To start, chair of Vanderbilt University shall crow in Latin!

1.	I was going to give 5 points – until I noticed the 'r' of coRvus is not clued! So just a merit for a good idea.
2.	NO- you have clued CORUS
3.	Faulty acrostic I'm afraid.
4.	Almost a good clue, but for the lack of a whole word.
5.	Missing "R" word.
6.	Definition fine. Unfortunately wordplay leads to COVUS
7.	What happened to the R?!
8.	You missed the R

45. Uncle Sam's coming, after conscientious objector first refuses to join Vietnam's front, and then crows.

1.	"first refuses" is not the same as "first of refuses". "Initially" would be better or maybe "refuses at first"

46. Virginia not accepted in singing group without hassle initially. She could see stars

1.	'she could see stars' is not a definition of the word
2.	The wordplay here is too fiddly.
3.	Worplay too complicated. "She could" is surplusage.
4.	Clunky wordplay making reference to 2-letter word/abbreviation and then take one letter away.

47. What'll shift an elephant? Turning a truck with special grip backwards as a hook.

1.	Quite a story