CCCWC November competition voters’ comments

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A clue to SOUSAPHONE.
122 comments were received for this competition (from 13 competitors, 1 other)
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Comments on the competition
1.
29 has a nice unifying theme and gets top marks. As one of the HAS/ONE/OPUS entrants I am hoping to find an edge over the others. Quite why a brass monkey ever had ambitions for a circumnavigation of America eludes me (see 10}.
2.
Some excellent clues this month, especially those that manage to achieve misleading definitions, like 12, 38, 39 and 43, to name just a few. Some good &lits as well. After much deliberation, I chose 39 as the winner for its deceptive surface and definition, but several others ran it close. The dilemma is whether to spread the points thinly among all the deserving clues, or ruthlessly pick the top five and leave some other very good clues with no points, but just the scant consolation of a merit. I've gone for the Manfred Mann option. (5-4-3-2-1)
3.
A 'clue word' that has a very specific definition giving the setter little latitude for cluing, however some very creative entries. Most enjoyable reading.
4.
A good number of excellent, very inventive and entertaining clues this month making judging that much harder.

Comments on the clues

2. Abandon me, otherwise oompahs ensue

1.	I like the surface, but the cryptic instructions aren’t clear
2.	"oompahs ensue" sounds unnatural
3.	My favourite of the oompahs!
4.	'Oompahs ensue' would never be said in real life

3. Abrupt emergency call to dismiss executive top brass

1.	E = EXECUTIVE'S TOP, NOT 'EXECUTIVE TOP'
2.	Clever, but a bit convoluted

4. After call for help is cut short, the Americans contact one of the big brass.

1.	Nicely different, excellent wording and very fair definition.

5. After 'Dixie Land', quietly polish instrument.

1.	Like SoUSA but maybe a little indirect

6. Around hospital, soon pause playing instrument (10)

1.	Good idea, amusing surface reading

7. Blown 'pon USA hose

1.	The wording doesn’t define a sousaphone to me
2.	Very forced surface reading
3.	Why this defines SOUSAPHONE needed a bit more of an explanation for me, sorry

8. Brass coins and a ring

1.	Admirably concise but not much of a story!
2.	Nice succinct wordplay and a realistic surface
3.	A simple and concise clue. Elegant in its construction, worthy of points.
4.	Neat clue

9. Brass instrument sounds partly like receding buzz (10)

1.	'Sounds partly' for SOU doesn't seem fair. 'half sounds' perhaps?

10. Brass monkey with no hopes to circumnavigate America

1.	Surface makes little sense
2.	Ambiguous wording

11. Call by John Phllip for a tuba

1.	You can't really use 'Sousa' in a clue for 'sousaphone' as both have same root
2.	Pity about the typo, but in any case it's Philip not Phillip
3.	Watch out for typos, it’s John Philip acc. to wiki

12. Clumsily, press heel upon a shoe horn (10)

1.	Excellent misdirection and wordplay, although I would have left out the comma
2.	S = press's heel, not press heel

13. Composer (true American ace) has to call his music producer

1.	Better to drop 'Composer' which has no clear cryptic function
2.	It would be unfairly difficult for a solver to think of 'true' = 'so' (it's not in my dictionary)

14. Dry eye having left Sydney Opera House sadly – a big blow!

1.	Not keen on that definition
2.	Clever fodder but surface not very meaningful

15. Extraordinary opus has solitary musical instrument

1.	With 41, the best of the 'opus' clues.

16. Give me this instrument to make oompahs ensue

1.	"oompahs ensue" sounds unnatural
2.	'Oompahs ensue' would never be said in real life

17. Gutless Freddy quits when Simon, after vacation steps in playing Shape Of You on a big brass instrument (10)

1.	'Shape of You' required too many adjustments for my liking
2.	This only happens in crossword clues
3.	SHAPE OF YOU * – FY + SN, very convoluted, and uses two arbitrary first names

18. Has opus one being played?

1.	I'm not sure what 'being' adds to the clue
2.	Definition too vague for a specific instrument
3.	Successful &lit (when read as "Does opus have one being played?" which isn't obvious at first glance)

19. He's soon up with a powdered horn

1.	My favourite, clever and funny

20. Homo sapiens stirred with music perhaps mimics this instrument.

1.	My least favourite sort of clue, again!
2.	Rather forced composite anagram
3.	Do you use software to find these anagrams? That's an incredible observation.

22. Horn used as I put shoe on, letting it slide

1.	‘Used’ as an anagram indicator?
2.	Good deception although not too keen on ‘used’ as anagrind
3.	Does 'used' adequately indicate an anagram? Not for me. Otherwise v. nice clue.

23. How do you make oompahs ensue? Play ’em with this

1.	"oompahs ensue" sounds unnatural
2.	Could be a match winner. A solid &lit with a clear surface.

24. It's blown up so as to be rebuilt. Perfect. (10)

1.	Very good story and wordplay
2.	Nicely worked wordplay idea
3.	Ingenious. Not sure why demolition should be described as "perfect" though.
4.	Inventive and well-disguised, although the definition is rather broad.

26. March wind blows through this U shape, so no damage done (10)

1.	Surface story is unclear. What U shape?

27. Marching band’s surround sound system?

1.	A very amusing & clever cryptic definition, reminiscent of the late Guardian crossword setter, 'BUNTHORNE'.
2.	Nice visual clue
3.	Nice idea

28. Melody Maker article about origins of Prince's home-made ouzo devoured by drunkard

1.	Not the most convincing surface!
2.	Surface rather forced, and I’m not sure a sousaphone is very melodic
3.	First half of this is inspired, but would prefer if story was less zany and more musical

29. Money grips us, keen for some big brass?

1.	'soap' = 'money' is too obscure for me
2.	Clever wordplay

30. Music maker regularly seen around America secured by bent hoop over one’s body (10)

1.	Too fiddly for me
2.	A bit too much wordplay here
3.	Lots going on here but worthy of a point

31. Music producer fixed hopes on touring America

1.	Misleading definition and excellent wordplay and surface.
2.	Neat and efficient
3.	I liked this a lot. Maybe a 'perhaps' following 'producer' could have made this clue a bit more robust, however, this gets some of my votes.
4.	I liked this as it was a similar construction to mine!
5.	One of my top three

32. Music producer has spoken out about Tunstall withdrawing

1.	Plausible surface, although I wouldn't have known which "Tunstall" was being referred to

33. Noah and spouse in a storm – a big wind needed?

1.	Surely they'd need less wind!
2.	Rather illogical surface. If they are in a storm, the big wind has presumably already arrived
3.	Nice fodder, not convinced by the definition

35. One has opus composed for this?

1.	Unfortunately, too many used this wordplay
2.	I think "Has one opus composed for it?" would sound more natural.
3.	Nice anagram but def is too imprecise.

36. One has opus composed for this instrument(10)

1.	Unfortunately, too many used this wordplay
2.	Slight improvement on 35

37. One has opus jazzed up for brass instrument

1.	Unfortunately, too many used this wordplay
2.	Best of the ‘one has opus’ clues
3.	Unconvincing surface (like several of the other opus clues)
4.	My favourite of the ‘one has opus’ clues

38. One has opus played in brass section (10)

1.	Unfortunately, too many used this wordplay
2.	Unconvincing surface (like several of the other opus clues)

39. One's played in enough soaps, sadly making grand exit

1.	Nicely misleading definition and wordplay.

41. Opus has to be played by single instrument (10)

1.	With 15, the best of the 'opus' clues.

42. Original duo of Soft Cell welcomes American with a horn

1.	Points for clever crafting into a smooth surface, and no esoteric knowledge needed to solve
2.	Nice, but my dictionary (although it has 'cellphone') does not have cell = phone
3.	Great idea but "Cell" is a def by example and so needs a "perhaps".

43. Outsize round ring about the middle of trouper with the Salvation Army? (10)

1.	Worthy attempt at an & lit.
2.	Excellent surface.

45. Sadly in pa's house no large type of tuba

1.	"in" has no role in the wordplay

46. Say, me – hence a blower must lip!

1.	I've read twice, still don't understand.
2.	I don't quite get the "say, me" part.

48. Some brass given a polish around start of parade?

1.	Well constructed &lit
2.	Simple but on the money, a nice &lit – votes from me, a travesty if not awarded a podium position.
3.	Excellent surface, if you accept that hone can mean polish, rather than sharpen.

50. Such a sound of America!

1.	Difficult but very nicely crafted, great surface

52. The Queen disregarded opera house's biting north winds, which may blow in March

1.	Love the "March" idea, not entirely convinced that brass instruments blow rather than are blown
2.	'blow in March' is a nice definition; not clear about the link between an opera house and north winds

53. Thus central Jerusalem rings endlessly for a type of tuba

1.	Central Jerusalem must be S, not an arbitrary number of letters
2.	Clever to use Jerusalem instead of USA

54. Top brass provides essentially personal cell

1.	'Essentially' jars as an obvious indicator

57. Use a small new hoop to make part of a band? (10)

1.	Not keen on having to abbreviate TWO bits of anagram fodder.

58. Use a spoon when consuming hot liquid – and blow on it! (10)

1.	Great surface story and wordplay
2.	Original anagram, well executed
3.	Excellent wordplay and quirky definition, but is it fair?
4.	Don’t you blow into an instrument?
5.	A good surface reading, but I'm not convinced by the definition
6.	Well-disguised and different, although the definition is quite broad.

60. Very much vitriolic about United States Army's top military brass (10)

1.	Love the definition but there's no way 'much vitriolic' means pH1! ('very acidic', maybe)
2.	Neat use of chemistry. USA could have been coded in simpler ways, but a pleasing clue.

61. What has strange shape and sound, expresses depth and goes around soloist's middle?

1.	The grammar of the cryptic reading could be improved I think
2.	Clever &lit although a little wordy
3.	A clever &lit, perhaps 'expressing' & 'going' may read better? I hope this gets up there.
4.	Nice clue but while 'expresses' fits the lit. meaning, need'expressing' for the wordplay.
5.	Clever, different and nicely done.

62. When missing English, well, make a call with blower?

1.	Not sure how easy this would be to solve.

63. With drums, this wind instrument roundhouses amps all over

1.	Anagram indicator needs to be ‘all over the place’ or similar
2.	Very clunky, like so many composite anagrams.