CCCWC April competition voters’ comments

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A clue to SUCKER-PUNCH.
41 comments were received for this competition (from 8 competitors, 3 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
Great clues :)
2.
SUCKER-PUNCH with a hyphen appears in Chambers as American slang. However, forms without a hyphen in Collins and Oxford do not have an American attribution. I would have thought, therefore, for the purposes of this competition there is a need to reference the American usage, which few have done.
3.
For me too many unsuccessful attempts at forcing a passable surface story out of difficult anagram fodder. I thought the few homophone clues (succour = sucker) did not really work well enough. The stand out clue for me was clue39 – demonstrating what can be achieved with just the right two (telling) words – bravo and 5 points! No other clue came near but I did like clue28 (3.5 points). Of the rest, clue 20 (2.5 points); clue21 made me smile (2 points); clues 11 and 48 worked well enough for 1 point each.
4.
Not the most clue-friendly word, was it?

Comments on the clues

1. A goat is given goad or a dog shot?

1.	Sucker in goat and sucker in sucker-punch are the same meaning of sucker

4. American box unexpectedly turning up in checks run randomly

1.	Not getting the meaning of the surface – how does box turn up in checks and run ?

5. Attack from behind: shoot with dash and zest.

1.	clever inclusion of the – (dash); good succinct surface
2.	The only submission to clue the hyphen gets my vote

6. Audience support given to hook-nosed, slapstick character produced a surprise hit

1.	interesting use of homophone; a little verbose description of "Punch".

7. Blow from behind disturbs checkups run across the pond (11)

1.	Surface doesn’t make much sense

9. Caught unawares, the bowler awkwardly checks run up

1.	Bowler has no role in the wordplay and is redundant

10. Charlie Pierce may surprise you

1.	Sucker in sucker punch and sucker as a credulous person is the same word and therefore would be short of cryptic element

11. Checks run-up..damaged? It's an unexpected blow! (6-5)

1.	One of the better 'checks run up' anagram surface stories

12. Cock-up! He's run out scoring zero – an unexpected blow

1.	I would have given this more, but I'm not entirely convinced 'scoring' works as a subtraction indicator without eg 'through'.
2.	Good surface for a tough word
3.	Liked the use of "scoring" as a deletion with good surface

14. Consumer drink for Noel Coward's play

1.	Don’t get the &lit interpretation of the clue
2.	I like the Noel / Coward conjunction. ‘Consumer’ for ‘sucker’ is a bit vague.

15. Cowardly Yankee blow. Don't blow queen slug.

1.	Surface is not smooth

17. Doctor runs check-up; result delivers unexpected blow

1.	Not sure “result delivers” is a valid connecting phrase leading to definition
2.	Good idea, 19 just has the edge
3.	best of the "runs check-up" anagrams

19. Doctor runs checkup – you get unexpected jab

1.	Best of the doctored check-ups

20. Dummy with a mixture of fruity flavours is a surprise hit.

1.	Disguises definition in a plausible surface story

21. Eccentric check up nurse scratching one's back is an unexpected hit (6-5)

1.	Although stretching the imagination the surface story made me smile and the anagram word play is different

22. Heck! Car spun out of control around bend, taking a hit you didn't see coming (6,5)

1.	“Taking” doesn’t seem to be a valid connector in the cryptic reading.

25. Jab unexpectedly delivered as doctor runs check-up

1.	‘as doctor’ isn’t grammatical in the cryptic reading

26. Maybe user of straw with drink will give unseemly blow

1.	Amusing surface

27. Mötley Crüe's punk choir is a surprise hit

1.	Almost great, but ch for choir isn’t familiar enough to omit a hint that it’s abbreviated.
2.	Is CH an acceptable abbreviation for 'choir'?

28. Mug seaside entertainer in surprise attack (6,5)

1.	Very good surface story disguising definition

30. Mug with bit of wit at church is a surprising hit

1.	Along the lines of clue28,but with a less convincing surface story

31. Punk crouches awkwardly and with nothing to lose delivers unexpected blow.

1.	clever subtraction, though perhaps somewhat dubious to a Ximenean

35. Sounds like Czechs run up breaking strike without warning! (6-5)

1.	Indirect anagram
2.	Indirect anagram

38. Suddenly lick asshole (6-5)

Ugh

39. Surprise bash?

1.	Good one
2.	Stand out clue – Excellence using just the right two words

41. Sweet alcoholic drink delivering an unexpected wallop

1.	Best of the sweets

45. Unexpected plug giving support to the Listener magazine

1.	clever homophone indicator; good succinct surface

48. Without warning, hit and shoot abusive husband

1.	Not quite sure the word order for the def works well enough for a verb but a good attempt at a different approach