Comments on the clues |
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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 |
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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! |
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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? |
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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 |
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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'? |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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? |
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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 |
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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. |
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20. I hear a man adds extra duty before work. Colleague makes a little something. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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! |
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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 |
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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. |
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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". |
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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. |
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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. |
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33. Small portion of company line to cut back additional burden on income – somehow ax most of trust |
1. | Surface not very convincing |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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