CCCWC Christmas Special competition voters’ comments

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A clue to TURKEY (STONES) (Wrong Number).
48 comments were received for this competition (from 4 competitors, 4 others)
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Here is the text

Comments on the competition
1.
Finding an accurate single-word synonym for 'stones' was hard. I voted for 'rocks' clues, but with reservations — I used 'pits' myself. Not an easy challenge, bringing the usual crop of surface drivel and absurdly complex constructions, sometimes in the same clue. Was the word-setter trying to be a bit too clever, I wonder?
2.
An entertaining variety of approaches to these clues bearing in mind the constraints of providing a definition for 'stones' within the clue framework. Many chose 'rocks' but with a less convincing surface story. I really liked clue 19,despite the use of 'initially' as a (easy) first letter indicator for its topical surface story and its compensating deceptive use of 'island' for 'key'. I gave it 5 points. Clue{4} was a close contender but with a slightly less appealing surface story and I gave it 3 points. Clues 112430and 35 deserve a mention but were discounted by me for perceived minor flaws: Clue 11 because 'rocks' is an awkward fit in the surface story here; Clue 24 because it is a little too straightforward without a strong surface story; Clues 30 and 35 because (to me) the clue construction seemed flawed – Clue 30 the use of 'leaving' on its own as an omission indicator and Clue 35 the positioning of 'When finally released' before rather than after 'UK entry'. This left 7 points to award and I gave 4 points to Clue 32 for originality and it would have been my winner but for the use of the rather contrived and perhaps unnecessary 'ratings-wise'. I gave my remaining 3 points to Clue 26 which ticks most boxes but relies on more easily contrived word play by using inverted commas to find a link to the excellent definitions. One final clue that merits a particular comment is Clue 9: this I was immediately drawn to as a possible winner as a succinct all in one clue which seemed to do the trick; but, on further consideration,I discovered that 'bomb' as a noun meaning 'failure' appears only in American English and,for fairness reasons, needs to be qualified by 'US' or 'American' – pity
3.
Too much Brexit for me, with Mrs May's deal proving to be another turkey. I admired the succinct nature of 5 and 9 with 9 and 24 getting extra Kudos for not using "rocks" as an indicator. Following the previous month's result whereby a totally incorrect anagram managed to get to second place, it will be interesting to see what makes the ranks this time.

Comments on the clues

3. A true Yank rocks, pulling a Northern bird for Christmas.

1.	Not a convincing surface, and the leading 'a' appears to be superfluous

4. At leaving, UK treaty rocks country

1.	Best and neatest of the treaty clues
2.	Succinct straightforward and very good topical clue.

5. Bird disheartens jailer

1.	'disheartened' would work, this doesn't seem to for the deletion
2.	surface reading contrived

8. Blockhead pits Tory against confused UK Queen (6)

1.	Apart from whether it should be pits or pitted, there's a bit of an indirect anagram plus nothing to show insertion in T…Y

9. Bomb that rocks theatre?

1.	I prefer clues that have some wordplay.

10. Complete failure rocks EU! Try to accommodate UK finally

1.	'rocks' as anagram indicator would need to come after the fodder
2.	anagraam indicator position not correct. 'rocks' should follow the anagram content.

14. For me, Christmas is the pits — your take, having demolished seconds, must be different!

1.	Nicely constructed clue even if the definition is a bit tangential, definitely in shortlist
2.	A little long, but the most amusing surface and clever wordplay

15. Georgia's neighbour can guard an unspecified number of stolen jewels (6)

1.	The deletion is not grammatically ok, and jewels has no role in wordplay
2.	'Jewels' is superfluous to the cryptic
3.	The jewels has no place in the clue to turkey.

16. Good cobbles trimmed right in southeastern European republic

1.	Two step process, can't get to Turkey from wordplay

17. Holiday group has right to substitute island with another in ME territory

1.	'group' for wrong number is a bit of a stretch, would anyway lead to 'The Stones'
2.	I think group for stones is a bit of a stretch.

18. Hollow entry Kurt cobbles into a flop

1.	Can't make much of this surface

19. Initially, unforeseen red tape rocks island country

1.	Very good topical surface story with deceptive use of 'island' for 'key' compensating for 'initially' as easy first letter indicator.

20. Present course UK and EU leader try rocks

1.	A trifle patchy and not a convincing surface

21. Security risk as crisis rocks Middle Eastern state.

1.	For this compound anagram to work, Turkey also needs to rock
2.	Needs to be 'this crisis' or similar to indicate the comp. anag., as in 22
3.	good surface but anagram indicator is positioned between the fodder. so can't really work.

22. Security risk rocks this country, crisis? (6)

1.	The problem with clue 21 is overcome here, but 'rocks' as anagram indicator needs to come after the fodder. As imperative it must be 'rock'

23. Silly nuts stripped and flipped over by river on island

1.	Surface appears forced

25. The country is cold by St Stephen’s Day

1.	The second definition seems far fetched; also it should be st rather than St, which anyway gives 'stone' not 'stones'
2.	The country is cold doesn't really point to 'turkey'

26. "The Heartless Screw" -at the box-office, it's the pits

1.	Would have been more convincing if 'T.. H… S…' was an actual movie or play
2.	Use of inverted commas to provide a link for the word play to the excellent definition(s)is a bit too easy for the setter but a good clue.
3.	pity such a movie doesn't actually exist. still a nice clue considering the challenge.

27. This bird across estuary rocks in a storm.

1.	The one compound anagram that actually works well

28. Three strikes for heartless warden

1.	Def for wordplay doesn't work, should be other way round. Strikes as wrong number seems too remote
2.	I love the clue for TURKEY, but struggle with STRIKES for STONES.
3.	nice clue 4 points

29. Two pounds of this meat makes folk truly swell in the middle!

1.	Don't understand how this is an &lit; finding it hard to see 'pounds' as 'stones'
2.	A rare & lit. Very good.

30. UK entry rocks, leaving Norway an abject failure

1.	Nicely done, though my impression was that UK finished behind Norway
2.	Nice surface reading
3.	what entry is this about?

31. UK treaty on the rocks – not a time for Christmas feast (6)

1.	One of the better treaty clues

32. UK try renegotiating with Europe? It's the pits, ratings-wise

1.	Chambers has E for European but not Europe, can't find support elsewhere either
2.	European = E, but Europe doesn't
3.	Very good clue with original story and word play marred only by using the somewhat contrived and possibly redundant 'ratings-wise'.

34. What starts to undergo roasting, vital for one of the jewels of Christmas fare.

1.	Needs to be starts to to, otherwise 'double duty' problem. Wrong number indicator seems a 'forced' inclusion, not reading very naturally

36. With busts covered, "Ruby's Kutest Revue" audibly a flop

1.	Didn't get this at all