Comments on the clues |
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1. ——— are seen as artful leaders (6) |
1. | Unbelievably long-winded explanation | 2. | The wordplay might be thought to lead to an anagram of LEDS. 16 and 25 have the same defect. |
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2. Bush Senior's Council of Advisors (6) |
1. | This sort of wordplay needs a ? at least |
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3. Church office holders, they are people born earlier (6) |
1. | Aren’t they just two meanings of the same word ? |
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4. Churchmen led astray by leaders of extreme right-wing sect |
1. | Good surface | 2. | Good clue but others were better. |
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5. Collection of extra-mature delicious Red Leicester sandwiches served up |
1. | Easy-to-read, with enjoyable use of cryptic device and a plausible scene conjured up. |
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6. Confused leader with no answer: one of the Pitts, perhaps? |
1. | What is the anagram? Where’s the ess? | 2. | Definition and wordplay are for ELDER singular | 3. | This is a clue for ELDER not ELDERS | 4. | The definition and wordplay lead to ELDER not ELDERS |
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7. Confused leaders drop initial aim to announce senior advisors. |
1. | "initial aim" doesn't indicate first letter of aim; "aim initially" does | 2. | "to announce" seems superfluous |
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8. Definitely a couple of articles from the continent, supplied primarily for seniors |
1. | Not sure you need the 'definitely' |
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9. Dirty Reds slew endless village leaders |
1. | "Dirty" is not a great anagrind. Who are the "Reds" in the surface? | 2. | Surface doesn't really make sense |
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11. Doyennes from Stratford enjoyed her society (6) |
1. | Replacing "from" with "in" works better | 2. | Not convinced Stratford is Cockney |
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12. Eastender's fascinated by Bianca's bushes |
1. | Unlike 13, Bianca's is not fair wordplay to clue "ERS". |
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13. "Eastenders" gripped a woman's forefathers. |
1. | The accent indication is not clear or grammatical | 2. | Wordplay needs Eastender’s not Eastenders | 3. | I don't think "Eastenders" indicates Cockney – 12 is more accurate. Weak surface. |
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14. Eel wriggling on angler's other rod, ends up in bushes (6) |
1. | You have indicated EEL* + SRD*, not EELSRD* | 2. | Wordplay indicates 2 separate anagrams |
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16. Folk in care homes? Atrocious leaders are found wanting |
1. | Excellent clue. But I don't really like a=are, too 'crosswordy' for me! | 2. | One of the better ‘leaders’ clues | 3. | X found wanting = X is missing (something). You mean "leaders wanting are" in the wordplay which doesn't work in surface |
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17. Foolish leaders first of all ignore well-respected people |
1. | Should be ignored | 2. | Cryptic grammar not quite right – needs to be "ignored" or "ignore first of all" |
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18. Found in retreat, gorgeous red leafy shrubs |
1. | You are missing e.g. another "in" after "retreat" for wordplay | 2. | The wordplay is faulty: ‘found in retreat, x’ doesn’t mean ‘found in x in retreat’ or ‘found in retreat in x’ | 3. | 'In' doing double duty here. | 4. | The contents indicator ("Found in") overlaps the reversal indicator ("in retreat") | 5. | Good hidden word clue but others were more appealing. |
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19. Golfer Ernie gets sunburned doing a round in the trees |
1. | In the trees is where you won't get sunburned :) | 2. | Trees would surely shade him? |
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20. Having dismissed opening pair, perhaps slips are the ones bearing fruit? (6) |
1. | Such a good idea, but unfortunately 'bearing fruit' doesn't fit the cricketing context | 2. | Solid idea and construction with a plausible story-line. | 3. | Good, but not sure about "are" as a linkword | 4. | Best of the 'fielders' clues. | 5. | Nice idea but surface doesn't really work for me |
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21. In prime spots, Melody enforests trees |
1. | I get the impression the writer was determined to use 'prime spots' and had to force the rest, which weakens the surface | 2. | Ambitious wordplay but an unconvincing surface | 3. | Nice indicator. I think enforest is only applicable to land, the opposite of deforest. OED def of "inforest" supports this. | 4. | Surface makes no sense to me |
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22. Jewish authorities rejected in Bible's red letters |
1. | A clever construction but relies on a bit of very obscure knowledge | 2. | The definition is only an example and needs a "by example" indicator imho. |
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23. Labour's red leader retires to hug trees |
1. | "Hug" really doesn't seem like a hidden indicator to me, but a containment one. |
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25. Leaders? Could be these are |
1. | ELDERS is one word; "these" refers to its meaning not the word |
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26. Leader's dropped a clanger, senior figures |
1. | Definition seems disjointed from rest of clue | 2. | Clanger doesn't work as an anagram indicator |
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27. Leaders maybe forgetting onset of Alzheimer's? (6) |
1. | The best of the Leaders anagram clues by far. |
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28. Leaders of empires, lords, diplomats, envoys, royals, statesmen (6) |
1. | An acrostic signalled by 'leaders' is obvious, so the rest of the clue needs to be topical or funny. And the examples given could be young! | 2. | This clue is too easy for a baby still in the maternity ward. It was so easy I got the answer before I looked at the clue. |
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29. Leeds Rhinos number 1 playing for seniors |
1. | Good anagram idea, if not quite as good as 42 | 2. | "Rhinos'(s)" indicates the R better and is grammatical. Still good clue | 3. | Different clue worth a mention. |
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30. Not amateur leaders, maybe ? (6) |
1. | I like the clue except for the anagrind. |
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31. Part of group that beheld erstwhile members |
1. | Too many superfluous words in hidden fodder. Definition is ambiguous | 2. | 'Beheld' sounds out of place | 3. | Surface makes no real sense to me |
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32. Partners of betters see first of local derby races abandoned (6) |
1. | Perhaps 'starts' would be better than 'first' to indicate three initial letters? | 2. | Good to see a misleading definition | 3. | You need "see firsts" in the plural. IMO, the definition needs to reference that elders partners betters in a saying, somehow. | 4. | Surface unconvincing, 47 works better |
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33. Patriarchs – leaders without a plan |
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34. Perhaps the trees are felled – zebras get noticed periodically? |
1. | Too convoluted – could have been "Trees felled, zebras seen periodically" |
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35. Poorly sheltered, the ——— suffer |
1. | Poor wordplay. The solution isn’t an anagram of ELDERS. | 2. | One anagrind too many! | 3. | "Suffer" seems superfluous. 46 is neater. |
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36. Presbyters are led astray by turbulent affairs in Rome |
1. | Using Latin like this is unfair to most solvers | 2. | The indirect anagram is too much of a stretch | 3. | Anagram is indirect. While semantically it refers to many things, "presbyters" is one word/string, so "are" is ungrammatical for wordplay | 4. | 'res' wordplay seems too indirect |
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37. Restyled short dress with belt in the middle – for grannies? |
1. | Original, amusing and well -structured. |
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38. Sad old remorse, no room for seniors |
1. | The surface reading doesn't make a lot of sense |
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39. Sambuca, a fitting libation for presbyters |
1. | The double jump from sambuca to sambucus to elder is a step too far | 2. | While the Latin for "elder" is the etymology for "sambuca" the latter isn't a valid definition for the former | 3. | There is no wordplay to lead to ELDERS. |
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42. Seniors making runs in Leeds ground (6) |
1. | Role of making ? Definition “making” wordplay doesn’t seem right | 2. | Definition is fairly obvious, but a nice anagram | 3. | It makes more sense to have "[wordplay] making [definition]" |
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43. Seniors turned bolshie after being shunted into annexes |
1. | How are 'els' building extensions? | 2. | I only find "ell" with two ells for the meaning of "building extension" in Collins and ODE and OED |
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44. Some of Sainsbury’s Red Leicester on the turn – are they past their sell-by date? |
1. | I really like this but maybe Leicesters would fit better with 'they' | 2. | Best of the hidden reverses | 3. | Having (rev.) hidden word begin at "s" after apostrophe feels wrong – word before is filler. Linkage b/w "on the turn" and def is great | 4. | Not sure if it should be "they" or "it" | 5. | Nice idea but not clue quite grammatical |
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45. The aged women coming out joining hands |
1. | The indication is too ambiguous – this is rectified by a comma after "out" |
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46. The doddery isolated in sheltered development? |
1. | Two anagrinds smoothly integrated! | 2. | The comp anag isn't really indicated – partially fixed by a "———" in place of "doddery." The "isolated" is confusing and not needed |
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47. The Queeen's following tips to Epsom Ladies' Day, getting those before betters |
1. | Clever use of tips and betters, but 'to' doesn't seem right. Maybe 'for'? | 2. | Good idea, ‘tips on’ might have been better for the surface reading | 3. | Typo in "Queen's". Your def is for "elders" as one (syntactic) object in a phrase so "those" is wrong grammar |
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48. The Spanish, German and principally Scottish church dignitaries |
1. | Sounds like the beginning of a sentence | 2. | Straightforward, good clue. |
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49. The Spanish reds supply body of a superior vintage |
1. | Very clever use of 'supply' and 'body' to get a lovely smooth surface | 2. | Clever definition | 3. | Novel approach, well-structured but def stretches it a bit. |
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50. The Spanish sun pulls in the German OAPs |
1. | Simply brilliant | 2. | Very good surface. I slightly prefer 49 for its misleading def |
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51. Theo Snelders is six-a-side goalkeeper for Seniors |
1. | I can't see the reason for Theo or six-a-side in the clue? | 2. | You indicate cutting into two (not taking only second half). Innovative "hidden" indicator. Why not: "Snelders is goalkeeper for Seniors" |
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52. These trees seen with wild reeds bordering lake. |
1. | Not sure about "bordering" as a containment indicator |
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53. They healed hearts in row over couples' rights. |
1. | "Over" is extraneous and very misleading in the wordplay. The (semi-)& lit. definition is far too vague |
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54. Those in authority are seldom seen without a medal, curiously |
1. | Different enough approach to make a good clue. |
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56. Those who join kicked out with respect to them! |
1. | Def is okay, not ideal (missing verb), ditto use of past tense in wordplay. I really like "those who join" |
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57. Those who spark a connection that's lacking with the generations above? |
1. | Clever wordplay | 2. | A very nice clue, well-structured, disguised and sufficiently original with a good surface story. |
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59. Trees seen in gorgeous red leaves from the east. |
1. | Surface doesn't quite make sense |
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60. Under a new order honouring the onset of age, they would be leaders |
1. | "Under" should be traded for "In." That aside, I really appreciate your fair and clear indication of a comp anag clue (& lit.) |
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61. Veterans return from Bayeux's red letter day |
1. | Good hidden clue but other clue types were more appealing |
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62. We’re getting on train heading for Retford and Leeds |
1. | Living in Worksop, this gets extra points for resonance. I always like a lit such as this with a deflection of meaning. |
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