CCCWC June competition voters’ comments

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A clue to COLLOP / SURTAX (Right & Left).
97 comments were received for this competition (from 11 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
L/R clues are always tough to construct, and these were no different. It really is important to conceal the join well, and those clues with punctuation between the two halves got relegated quickly. Another minor issue I had with some: a surtax is an extra tax, additional to a tax already levied; I rewarded clues which managed to get this across in their definition. There was a lot of "almost certain" (or similar) to indicate SUR; while this is a neat construction I feel it was a little too common to be rewarded the highest marks. There were also quite a few company heads returning, so they didn't quite access top marks either. I gave the most points to 7 and 29, which I enjoyed particularly.
2.
I thought 14 was outstanding but otherwise struggled to find clues to give points to
3.
I found this a tedious challenge, both setting and judging. In the end I found five clues that seemed to make some sort of sense and gave them 3 points each.

Comments on the clues

1. A bit of a hunch has policeman arresting over fifties on a charge not quite certain to stick; it's a painful duty (6;6)

1.	Can't see where 'to stick' comes in
2.	Liked the definition for COLLOP.
3.	Story telling surface but as per rules there was to be no connector between the two parts. "has" and "On" are redundant

2. A morsel of fish with tail removed served up French-style on bits of tagliatelle and followed by gateaux to finish (more added to the bill!)

1.	Bit long-winded, and surface seems forced
2.	Using French for 'on' is not really wordplay
3.	Nice definition of surtax!

3. Additional demand from volatile ex-star eating last of fondu cold, rejecting Mexican chicken slice

1.	You can't anagram ex-star without the 'e'
2.	Not sure ex=X without either homophone indicator or
3.	Where did the E go?

4. Additional rate overcharge reversed: painter is missing the last piece of flesh!

1.	No logical connection between the two parts, explanation isn't convincing. can't see a double def for 'overcharge', just a repeat
2.	Double definition of the same thing doesn't really work
3.	Not a double definition in the first clue but the same meaning defined twice.
4.	More a duplicate definition

5. As a starter, deli trimmed cold chop – small portion Sir Brad's picked up for an extra charge

1.	What's the role of 'as a starter, deli'?

6. Back in 1854, close by Sevastopol, location for a rasher additional charge almost certain to lead to trouble?

1.	Too many extraneous and redundant words?
2.	Back in 1845 needed?
3.	'1854 close by' is redundant in the wordplay.
4.	Prefer hidden clues not to have redundant words
5.	An original idea for a clue.

7. 'Brexit values' oddly abandoned in disarray as economic burden leads to long lines in supermarket for a bit of meat

1.	Bit verbose but works well; the scenario is daunting, not so realistic
2.	Very good
3.	Excellent double clue
4.	A neat construction

8. Business head withdrawing cut, additional charge almost certain to strain

1.	The neatest clue
2.	Business =company = co a little indirect, otherwise nice clue
3.	That comma splitting the clues is such a shame.

9. Company head returning some small part of extra charge on demand

1.	'of' becomes redundant, even changes the meaning in an otherwise great clue; also renders the connect less seamless; could have been tweaked
2.	Neat clue. I'd prefer 'sur' to be indicated as French
3.	SURTAX doesn't really have any wordplay

10. Company head to back cut for extra duty on French sticks, we are told (6 6)

1.	Join of L&R not very seamless because of 'for'
2.	French 'sur' is not cryptic enough
3.	A tight and tidy clue with a convincing surface.

11. Company lorry's first to cut off scrap firm that's reduced rate on extra load

1.	How does a lorry cut off a firm?
2.	Nice attempt but rate for tax is weak

12. Cross after Australian half performed additional duty commanding officer cut back a little bit

1.	Like the 'Australlian half' bit but doesn't scan very well
2.	I don't get the surface but the cryptic construction is sound.

13. Election over and Corbyn's side upset a bit almost certainly at times about what billionaires should pay?

1.	Nice clue though treatment of 'tax' a bit laboured; needs punctuation but consciously avoided? Still, made my cut
2.	Nice topical surface reading
3.	Nice idea but a bit clumsy?
4.	Would "certainly" not indicate SURELY? At that point, I'm not sure "almost" can indicate just the first half (SUR).

14. "Even parts of Brexit values must change" – the Treasury may want this scrap with Conservatives' lead zero and election over

1.	Could quibble about scrap as def but this clue wins hands down for construction and surface sense
2.	Lovely clue. I'm a little unsure about the apostrophe in the cryptic reading, but I think it just about works.
3.	I struggle a little with definition for SURTAX, but otherwise a tidy clue.

15. Extra duty almost certain to make heavy demands on abstract painter, mainly over small piece

1.	'mostly' or 'largely' would have been better than 'mainly'
2.	I feel "abstract painter", without some e.g. indicator, is a little unfair, but nonetheless a decent clue.

16. Extra impost is almost certain initially to cut American regional meat lines in supermarket

1.	'meat' by itself wouldn't make 'collop'
2.	A good fluent surface

17. Extra levy almost certain to cut a small item from college operation

1.	I think t' for to needs something to show it's truncated/dialect
2.	Deletion indicators to choose Coll from College ?
3.	Quite nice but 16 better by indicating ax is American
4.	Why does "to" become just T?

18. Extra VAT, for instance, for the North American chopper for the colonel to chop the slice of bacon.

1.	Laboured surface; the North = T? iffy

19. Final levy on French meat slice

1.	No real wordplay at all
2.	no def for SURTAX and no w/p for COLLOP, apart from 'final' anyway needing to be 'finally' I believe
3.	Not enough clue in either part
4.	Surtax has only wordplay and Collop has only definition. Levy and Tax share roots
5.	Incomplete clue.

20. I hear a man adds extra duty before work. Colleague makes a little something.

1.	Coll for Colleague ?

21. It's said knight approaches another duty officer to cut slice of bacon

1.	'approaches' = tacks? Knight and duty officer don't seem to go together; surface not very convincing
2.	Like this

22. Lions Ur taxidermist stuffed for an additional fee: a piece of flesh from captured pollock's back.

1.	All very obscure & 'captured pollock's back' is weak wordplay
2.	'for' in a hidden clue not ok; using all letters as is (though reversed) not so appealing, and can't see the last letter deletion
3.	Surface is unweildy
4.	Educational clue!
5.	The two clues here are separated by the colon.

23. Maybe a rasher officer cut an additional duty on French turbojet initially, then American chopper.

1.	Nice.
2.	Well disguised definitions and effective constructions.

24. Not a cool lap dance! Roll of fat almost certain to impose additional burden

1.	'flesh' would have worked better than 'fat' one feels, but still worth points
2.	Additional burden for Tax and Tax in Surtax share roots, I think

26. Pen lines dissecting part-duty of the rich

1.	Works, but not having w/p for one side is a bit of an easy way out in an L&R context; CD&D or some such would be more acceptable
2.	The clue is rather spoilt by the hyphen
3.	Part for collop seems a stretch
4.	part-duty is only one word and really can't be split into two halves like that. You don't need the hyphen!

27. Piece of meat fifty pounds in shop sure winner, cut reportedly for sort of money big earners may pay

1.	Homophone is an original idea

29. Right in USA upset by additional levy rasher leaders of liberal legislature introduced as part of 'collectivist enterprise'

1.	works, but seems a bit long and forced, also consciously avoiding punctuation?
2.	Nice clue overall but Right = RT rather than R as contributor to anagram would be unfair to solvers?
3.	A well-woven clue.

30. Slice of prime lamb, first potatoes and fresh salad after unsmoked salmon starters followed by crustless tart with mixed centre, nutty is extra charge.

1.	Too long winded and forced at first blush
2.	Cool for fresh makes it an indirect anagram
3.	"prime lamb" is not the same as "prime of lamb" or "lamb's prime".

31. Sliced meat set in centre of cooked oysters has additional charge, extra sauces ordered cease being free.

1.	'has' is only there for the surface, redundant in wordplay, and also makes the join less seamless; CEASE is also anagrammed, not indicated
2.	Conventional to use a second anagram indicator for subtracted fodder if not in order
3.	The unnecessary "has" at the join is a shame – only a from me. Very nice cryptic indicator for COLLOP.

32. Small company backed vote withdrawing American right to their cut in additional duty.

1.	Not quite convinced with 'small' as an appropriate definition
2.	Did well to get the US indicator of AX; however, I think "small" is perhaps a little unfair to the solver.

33. Small portion of company line to cut back additional burden on income – somehow ax most of trust

1.	Surface not very convincing

34. Small section of local clubs rejected vote of confidence, mostly over a vote to charge more?

1.	Complex but perfectly sound wordplay – very good – top marks

35. Spin cool LP, "A Slice of Meat", yielding primarily the pure at heart sax, for an added charge.

1.	cool, though if such an album was there, would be more credible
2.	Original & succinct.
3.	Clumsy surface reading

36. Supermarket accepts two pounds to shred penal code!

1.	Not sure if collop works as a verb; the right half totally escapes me
2.	No real clue for SURTAX

37. University arts complex cross charges company head returning carving

1.	def for SURTAX bit weak and insufficient perhaps
2.	Carving is act of cutting meat not the slice itself. Otherwise a nice idea