| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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No marks for clues which did not elide the missing word into another, so 22 and 24 miss out.
There were few decent options here and most plumped for the obvious, so marks to 1, 30 and 40 among others for originality and plausible surface meanings, which I felt let 10, 19 and 33 down to varying degrees.
War cherish/wish variants were common, but 29 and 35 seemed to stand out from the rest, as did the marchers in 31 and 39.
Starc heroics/stoics entries were not plausible enough surface wise to score highly, and likewise patriotic variants just didn't appeal. |
| 2. |
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The basic premise of the Printer's Devilry Clue is that the printer has removed a string of letters from an intelligible piece of text and then closed the gap to disguise the omission in such a way that the remaining text is coherent but no more plausible than the original, whilst avoiding excessive changes in punctuation and spacing. As well as closing the gap in the devilled version, in the best undevilled versions the gap should not be situated between words ( e.g. I returned to archery club after trying beginner's golf).
Competitors offered 23 different ways to introduce ARCHER into their clues, with the 7 most popular being mARCHERs (3, 22, 24, 26, 31 and 39), wAR CHERish (13, 29, 35, 37 and 38), bAR CHERoot (2, 6 and 16), patriARCH ERotic (11, 12 and 28), StARC HERoic (17, 20 and 36), afAR Cherish (8 and 21) and fAR CHERries (18 and 34). CHERry also featured in clues 4 and 7 and CHERish in clue 30.
The most successful clues avoided all or most of the pitfalls listed above. Four clues missed the basic requirement to close the gap after removing the clue word (4, 10, 19 and 26) whilst in another couple the gap was between words in the undevilled version (22 and24). A significant number of the PD clues were far more plausible than their proper versions (1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 33 and 38, whilst an even larger number were at the other extreme and lacked sufficient coherence in their own right (4, 6, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 31, 32, 37 and 39), with five clues lacking plausibility in either version (2, 7, 14,28 and 40. Just three competitors introduced an unnecessary definition of ARCHER (2, 17 and 27) and five further clues suffered from excessive devilry, sometimes involving too many changes in punctuation (5, 7, 9, 17 and 40).
This turned out to be one of the more challenging tests for aspiring clue writers and in the end the points were divided more or less evenly between the remaining clues. |
| 3. |
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| A good few of the clues made sense in both devilled and undevilled versions. Some alas, such as 14, didn't convince in either version. |
| 4. |
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| No outstanding clues here. Some entrants don't seem to 'get' the point of PD or to realise that there is no definition requirement. I favoured those who found the least likely split (-ARCHE R-), intererestingly both in French. I am aware of one English word that would be susceptible to this treatment (MENARCHE, as in eg 'Bloody menu! (She's on Virgin!() |
| 5. |
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The term “Printer’s Devilry” suggests a scenario in which a printer takes malicious pleasure in removing a sequence of letters in a text in such a way as significantly to alter the meaning, to an effect that is amusing, shocking or even insulting to a third party such as the author of the original text. Accordingly, in my view, in a Printer’s Devilry clue:
a. the undevilled version should make good sense and should either be in idiomatic English or at least be credible as something read or heard, eg, in a newspaper headline or as part of an overheard conversation;
b. the devilled version should also make good sense and, though the English may be rather looser, it should not be too wildly unidiomatic or lacking in credibility;
c. the meaning of the devilled version should be as far removed from that of the undevilled as possible, either starkly contradicting it or saying something completely different;
d. the difference should, as far as possible, be such as to raise a smile or, had it been achieved by that eponymous printer, to give him the malicious satisfaction that the title suggests;
e. it should be the transition from undevilled to devilled that achieves that effect and not the other way round, ie, it should be the devilled version that is amusing or shocking.
Clearly, it is far from easy to achieve all that, when given the word / sequence of letters to be omitted, and it becomes harder still if one adds the requirement f. that “the breaks before and after the word omitted (before and after omission) [should] not occur at the ends or beginnings of words in the clue”. Which is no doubt why even the example of a Printer’s Devilry clue routinely given by Azed and on this message board is itself so lack-lustre and why so few of the clues entered in most Printer’s Devilry competitions really cut the mustard.
Clues that seem to me to fail to meet each of the above criteria are:
a. 5 9 10 33; b. 4 6 13 17 37; c. 1 3 15 30 35; d. most of them, though a few that do offer this fall at a different hurdle instead; e: 11 12 28 39; f. 24. |
| Comments on the clues |
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| 1. A classicist is familiar with Pluto’s Persephone, Zeus' Hera, etc. |
| 1. | Nice, but Plutarch seems to be odd man out? | | 2. | The undevilled version seems less plausible (why 1 biographer and 4 gods ?) and requires too many fiddly changes in punctuation. |
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| 2. A disgraced MP's drinking at the Boot and Bottle, not far away. |
| 1. | Neither version seems particularly coherent, perhaps because of the unnecessary attempt to include a definition. | | 2. | Good clue: if there isn't a Boot and Bottle there should be, although I think Jeffrey' prefers the Codpiece and Giblets. |
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| 3. Aims to protest between Edinburgh and London |
| 1. | Whilst '1' can indicate 'i' in standard wordplay, such a switch in a PD clue is not really fair to the solver. | | 2. | I don’t agree with substituting characters in a PD | | 3. | I don't think it's fair to the solver to interchange i and 1. |
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| 4. An ace raced Ryan dash are all in Sherwood. |
| 1. | The devilled version seems to lack coherent meaning and the gap left by removing the clue word has not been closed. | | 2. | Devilled version doesn't make a lot of sense for me. |
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| 5. An ointment (oil) softens lightly. |
| 1. | The undevilled version lacks any coherent sense and there are far too many word changes to make this one remotely solvable. | | 2. | Undevilled reading is very unnatural |
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| 6. Boot from non-smoking establishment |
| 1. | The devilled version seems to be lacking either an object (who or what is booted out ?) or a verb (what's happened to the boot ?) | | 2. | Best of the cheroots |
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| 7. Colour Rapunzel's Tower your favourite shade of red (6) |
| 1. | Whilst both versions are rather strained, the undevilled version seems less plausible, requiring punctuation that would be hard to guess. | | 2. | Very well disguised archer and both versions plausible. |
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| 9. Cooking haute cuisine? Better the devil you know! |
| 1. | This seems to be an example of the undevilled version being awkwardly engineered for the sake of part of the devilled version. | | 2. | I liked this one: so far-fetched it's hilarious at the same time. |
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| 10. Disregarding the laws of evolution might be wrong (6) |
| 1. | The undevilled version lacks any real coherence and contains arbitrary punctuation whilst the gap where the clue word was remains open. | | 2. | A case of the devilled reading making more sense than the original |
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| 11. Fanatic patriotically aroused supporters (6) |
| 1. | The devilled form is rather short to convey much yet the longer version seems less plausible. |
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| 12. For Trump, the patriotic impulses dominate |
| 1. | Best of the patriots | | 2. | As with clue 11, where the clueword is removed from the same text, the devilled form seems more plausible than the proper version. |
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| 13. Grumpy soldiers who don't like to wish happy times with their families |
| 1. | Both versions tell a good story. | | 2. | The image created seems less natural than the other wAR/CHERish clues (wouldn't all soldiers feel this way ?) |
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| 14. Here's the strand boy left behind. |
| 1. | The devilled version makes an unlikely sentence. | | 2. | Neither version seems to create a substantive image. |
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| 15. I love watching movies like these, set in familiar American locations |
| 1. | This would be good if the division hadn’t been at a word break. | | 2. | A good example of the undevilled version being awkwardly engineered to produce a much smoother devilled version. |
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| 16. In this exclusive club, boots are forbidden. |
| 1. | Neat, but I slightly prefer 6 | | 2. | One of the better PD clues, though the devilled version does seem to convey a more plausible rule particular to an exclusive club (see 6). |
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| 17. Isn't Mitch stoic in Thea's; he's clearly the top. Stake a bowman. |
| 1. | This is a good example of unnecessarily complicated devilry giving a meaningless clue complete with unnecessary definition. |
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| 18. It's surprising how fries need to be cut back each winter |
| 1. | The devilled version seems to lack sensible meaning. |
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| 19. Jeffrey! If you pay, the doll can be stopped from singing (6) |
| 1. | Undevilled reading doesn’t make enough sense | | 2. | Neither version seems to create a compelling image and the gap left by removing the clue word has not been closed. |
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| 20. Lively Aussie, stoic in swingers bar scoring |
| 1. | The devilled version (with missing apostrophe ?) lacks coherent meaning (why stoic ?)and the punctuation changes would be hard to guess. |
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| 21. Love from a fish? It's lowly. |
| 1. | The devilled version lacks purposeful meaning and there are too many fiddly punctuation changes to be fair to the solver. |
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| 22. Ma, guaranteed success in the Edinburgh tattoo |
| 1. | The devilled version seems to lack coherent meaning and, as with clue 24, the gap is situated between words in the undevilled version. |
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| 23. Macron promises brighten ‘me generation’ of France |
| 1. | Devilled version difficult to make sense of. | | 2. | The devilled version lacks proper grammatical structure. |
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| 24. Miss, hot below the waist! |
| 1. | I like the change of meaning, but splitting at a word break makes the clue less interesting to solve. | | 2. | The devilled version seems to lack coherent meaning and, as with clue 22, the gap is situated between words in the undevilled version. | | 3. | Although this breaks the "no ends or beginnings" rule, it ticks most of the other (in my view, more important) boxes. |
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| 25. Nice superman offers to get rid of pain |
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| 26. Notice them swill down playground covered in mud |
| 1. | Well hidden archer and a bit funny too. | | 2. | The gap created by the removal of the clue word has not been closed in the devilled version. |
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| 27. Padres essay touchscreen devices developed to complement radio system Bowman. |
| 1. | Definition not required and the devilled version seems strained, lacking indication that essay as a verb is archaic. |
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| 28. Patriotically studying the early career of the First Lady. |
| 1. | In neither version does the first part of the clue seem to naturally link with the rest. |
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| 29. Peace not wished for all mankind? |
| 1. | One of the better wAR/CHERish clues, but the requirement for the question mark in the devilled version is a weakness. |
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| 30. People in for fish bridie |
| 1. | But what's a fish bridie? | | 2. | Original idea | | 3. | The undevilled version is original but the PD clue is too short to convey much meaning. |
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| 31. Protest Ms. May's top initiative! |
| 1. | Great PD, reads well in both senses | | 2. | The best of the mARCHERs clues though the devilled version lacks substance due to its brevity. |
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| 32. School nativity play's tubby donkey in manger |
| 1. | The PD version really needs a verb and the awkward punctuation in the undevilled version makes stAR/CHERub a less successful choice. |
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| 33. Segovia cathedral is epic |
| 1. | Don't understand the undevilled version. | | 2. | Another good example of the proper version making much less sense than the PD clue (see also clue 15) |
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| 34. So fries are outselling grapes |
| 1. | Works, but comparison of fries to grapes doesn't seem to mean much | | 2. | The better of the fAR/CHERries clues, but it really needs a reference to time eg "Half way through the year, and so far …" |
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| 35. Soldiers fighting along trench wished that they'd had a Christmas ceasefire |
| 1. | Would have been a better surface without "that they'd had" |
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| 36. 'Stoic', read the headline describing one side's performance in the Ashes |
| 1. | Best of the Starc versions | | 2. | The best of the Stoic/Starc heroic clues | | 3. | The best of the stARC/HERoic clues, though perhaps 'Stoical' from 'heroical' would strengthen the PD version ? |
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| 37. Those who go to wish the queen |
| 1. | Devilled version doesn't really make sense. | | 2. | This PD clue is rather short and consequently lacks any purposeful meaning. |
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| 38. What troubles us is Russia's bitter cold, wishing warmer times to come soon. |
| 1. | Both versions make plausible sentences | | 2. | The PD form seems more plausible, using the past tense (troubled/was) might improve the proper version but can future events be cherished ? |
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| 39. Who are themselves protesting against Santa's exploitation? |
| 1. | Funny and seasonal. Well done. | | 2. | A good attempt at a seasonal clue, but the need for the question mark to be moved makes this one of the less successful mARCHERs clues. |
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| 40. You can buy me a drink, if you like, Pom. Ace! |
| 1. | Both versions seem rather strained with too many changes in punctuation required. |
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