CCCWC February competition voters’ comments

Back to competition result | Other competitions

A clue to DOLCE VITA.
118 comments were received for this competition (from 13 competitors, 1 other)
Move your mouse pointer over any bold clue number to see the clue.

Here is the text

Comments on the competition
1.
Don't cry for me, Crossword Centre! Unsurprisingly, EVITA featured in many clues this month: 3, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 30, 50, and 58, with 50 standing out for its subtle use of "musical" to clue EVITA. I would have liked to have seen Che make an appearance in at least one of these clues. Fitting for the times, there were also several COVID variants, with 10, 12, 28, and 55 pairing it with LATE, while 11 and 64 combined it with DELTA(-D). Other recurring anagrams included DO EVIL/LIVE/VILE ACT ([13, 36, 37, 38, 39) and CAT I LOVED (5, 25, 27). Like last month, I awarded most of my points to sound clues with meaningful surfaces that took more original approaches, including 31, 47, 54, and 63. Finally, I wanted to award points to 44, which had a very nice surface, but it was spoiled by lack of subject-verb agreement in the wordplay. Perhaps something like "Reckless advice to gal* ultimately leads to life of hedonism" would have worked. (*or other suitable word ending in "L")

Comments on the competition

Don't cry for me, Crossword Centre! Unsurprisingly, EVITA featured in many clues this month: 3, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 30, 50, and 58, with 50 standing out for its subtle use of "musical" to clue EVITA. I would have liked to have seen Che make an appearance in at least one of these clues.

Fitting for the times, there were also several COVID variants, with 10, 12, 28, and 55 pairing it with LATE, while 11 and 64 combined it with DELTA(-D). Other recurring anagrams included DO EVIL/LIVE/VILE ACT ([13, 36, 37, 38, 39) and CAT I LOVED (5, 25, 27).

Like last month, I awarded most of my points to sound clues with meaningful surfaces that took more original approaches, including 31, 47, 54, and 63.

Finally, I wanted to award points to 44, which had a very nice surface, but it was spoiled by lack of subject-verb agreement in the wordplay. Perhaps something like "Reckless advice to gal* ultimately leads to life of hedonism" would have worked. (*or other suitable word ending in "L")

Comments on the clues

1. A bounteous life in clover and it results in mutiny, deserting the navy. (5,4)

1.	Deserting the navy is the wrong way round… it's the navy doing the deserting

2. A primarily Latin course of life, to idle around?

1.	The cv part seems to verge on an indirect anagram.
2.	A little too indirect for my taste
3.	Doubly indirect anagram! That'll go down well.
4.	This expects too much of the solver to get "cv" from "primarily Latin course of life"

3. After cold cocktail, Argentine first lady abandoned life.

1.	Too many Evita clues this month
2.	Great definition

4. Breaking code vital if you are to gain this indulgence

1.	Surface doesn't make much sense
2.	Wordplay is sound, but, in the surface, how does breaking a code lead to an indulgence?

6. Clothe Diva for a life of pleasure and luxury…

1.	Faulty anagram. There’s no H in DOLCE VITA
2.	Ouch. Someone's going to be kicking themselves for this.
3.	Anagram doesn't work
4.	What is the purpose of the ellipsis? And where is the anagram indicator?

8. Cold Play musical and Paris hit

1.	The band is Coldplay not Cold Play
2.	Coldplay is the band. A shame, this would have been a fine lift-and-separate wordplay to my mind.
3.	The band is Coldplay, not Cold Play. I would have been better off never having heard that Ryan Paris song.
4.	Requires more GK than I possess but it is still one of my favourites.

9. Copyright violated in remake of The Good Life

1.	Nice idea but I can't look past "of" as a link word (in the direction wordplay of definition)
2.	Smoother than most.
3.	Good surface but I don’t accept the symbol © is identical to the letter C
4.	“Of” doesn’t give correct cryptic grammar
5.	Most plausible surface of the "Happy Days" and "The Good Life" TV show clues

10. Days of excess mingling late with Covid

1.	My favourite of the COVID anagrams

11. Decadent way of life died out with COVID Delta variant (5,4)

1.	The 'with' slightly spoils the cryptic reading
2.	Good idea. “In” would have worked better than “with”
3.	Nice surface, but "out with" doesn't really work as a removal indicator in the cryptic grammar.

12. Deplorably late covid changes to Italian lifestyle

1.	This clue appears to have two anagram indicators ("Deplorably" and "changes"), one of which is superfluous.

13. Do evil act diplorably for pleasure seeking? (5 4)

1.	Typo or spelling error?
2.	One word in this clue is spelled deplorably!

14. Ecstasy follows shivering cold — rather essential for the good life (5,4)

1.	Not sure “shivering” works as an anagrind
2.	Wordplay is sound, but why would ecstasy follow shivering cold?

16. Extraordinary act – I loved "The good life" (5,4)

1.	Nice clue & votes from me, perhaps capital G, L are needed.

17. Federico's work party loves compassionate leaders Mrs Peron!

1.	A little obscure I think and in any case it is "La Dolce Vita"
2.	Too many Evita clues this month
3.	I’m sure I won’t be alone in pointing out the Fellini film is ‘La Dolce Vita’
4.	Federico's movie was LA DOLCE VITA I believe.
5.	The film's title is "La Dolce Vita" (not "Dolce Vita"). Also, should there have been a comma after "leaders"?

18. Fresh vocal edit for Happy Days

1.	Good surface for a straightforward anagram clue
2.	Perfectly serviceable clue but not "&lit" as claimed – see 26 for a nice example of an &lit clue

19. Funny old musical about Catholic’s easy life

1.	Technically sound but lacking the X-factor required amongst such stern competition this month
2.	Too many Evitas

20. Halcyon time resulting from stupid fellow returning to Señora Perón’s side

1.	Too many Evitas

21. Happy Days musical inferior to old classic originally broadcast

1.	Too many Evitas

22. Having abandoned Corleone, lad Vito criminally finds life of luxury

1.	I'm not convinced by the argument for 'abandoned'
2.	I don’t accept abandoned = deserted = emptied

23. Hunk making a comeback fronts musical film (5,4)

1.	Isn't the film "La Dolce Vita"?
2.	The film is ‘La Dolce Vita’
3.	Too many Evitas
4.	The film's title is "La Dolce Vita" (not "Dolce Vita").

24. Idiot backing musical, Italian version of The Good Life

1.	Too many Evitas

25. Italian movie (ignore Hollywood setting) starred cat I loved

1.	Yes, * = anagram in cryptic clue notation, but that doesn't mean "starred" works as an anagrind.
2.	I like the starred anagram indicator

26. It's lived at banks of Como lavishly

1.	About the best of the anag. & lits.
2.	Very nice
3.	The best one, I thought. Giving it an Italian setting earns 'la vittoria'.

27. Kind of old active life of indulgence

1.	Not sure how ‘kind of’ indicates a mixture of letters
2.	Surface doesn't really work for me.

28. Late Covid ruined Conte's sweet life (5,4)

1.	A nice reference to how the pandemic contributed to Conte's resignation. But what is "late Covid"?

30. Lifestyle in which Claude, say, raised little Eva.

1.	The homophone is unconvincing

31. Maybe Cato lived a fine life in Rome

1.	A nice Latin theme here.
2.	Good spot
3.	Very nice clue.

34. No other ranks besides actor I'd love for remake of "The Good Life" (5 4)

1.	"No X besides" doesn't really work as an indicator to remove "X" in the cryptic grammar.

35. Ordered vital decor – donor finally going to provide luxuriousness

1.	Good topicality but VITAL in the fodder is a little too close to the solution I feel
2.	Enjoyable clue but, presumably, origin of 'vital' is 'vita' making it slightly disappointing anagram fodder

37. Perform debauched live act, enjoyed by all at a Roman orgy?

1.	One of the strongest clues of this round.

41. Playboy's life models, unclothed, act excited about sex

1.	Like the surface and the ingenious construction but feel SEX-> VI is a little indirect
2.	Sex = VI is a step too far
3.	Great definition
4.	clever

42. Playing devil's advocate saved lost version of The Good Life

1.	Wordplay stronger than the surface

43. Practise active exercises after 50 for good life

1.	Good clue & good advice too.
2.	Best of the DO L ACTIVE clues

44. Reckless advice to inspire student to find life of hedonism

1.	A nice idea, but cryptic grammar treats ADVICETO as a singular noun, which doesn't agree with "inspire" in wordplay.

46. Roman indulgence represented by Ovid with éclat

1.	Original anagram idea
2.	"Ovid with eclat" is nice but I'm not convinced that "represented by fodder" works – "fodder re(-)presented", maybe?

47. Sad valedictory lines recalled a life well lived

1.	I was toying with the 'valedictory' approach but yours is far more elegant than I could conjure.
2.	Beautifully constructed. Marks awarded but my slight unease over the definition means not top marks
3.	Nicely done with convincing misleading wordplay
4.	Excellent clue.

49. Self-indulgent life featuring sex in alcove with top disrobed frantically

1.	the 'top disrobed' for d doesn't really work
2.	"top of disrobed" would produce D; "top disrobed" does not.

50. Self-indulgent luxury event attended by local council leaders, with musical accompaniment

1.	I'm struggling to see what "attended" is doing in the cryptic reading
2.	Too many of that musical!

51. Setter's caught shooting up, introduced to dope by a lot of wealthy Italians

1.	Nice use of 'lot'
2.	I love the "lot of" in the definition and the wordplay and it's refreshing to see a good clue that's not an anagram
3.	clever

52. Silly old Clarence's wings the heart of movie It's a Wonderful Life (5,4)

1.	Very clever surface

53. Social advancement means this can start

1.	A subtle clue indeed, deserves to be up there.
2.	I can't possibly argue with Don or Azed, but I'm struggling to see what indicates the anagram?
3.	Needs more explanation for the likes of me!
4.	Very nice Don, but 34 years enough to think of a new one surely!
5.	A nice clue, yes. Presumably there is no rule against reusing one's own clue from a different competition, but why not give it a fresh go?

54. Spoilt monarch regularly lived a bit of this

1.	Cleverly constructed but I'm not totally convinced by the whole clue as definition
2.	Alternate letters + word + initial letter for anagram fodder a tad bitty for my taste, but otherwise very enjoyable clue
3.	Excellent clue.

55. Staff at No. 10 led it after working late with Covid?

1.	Topical & amusing, the strongest of the Covid themed clues.
2.	I'm no Downing Street apologist but I think this may be stretching the definition a little too far

56. Stray cat I loved had life of Riley

1.	Very endearing image created here.
2.	My favourite of the hedonistic cat clues
3.	I like the surface, but dislike ‘had’ as a joining word
4.	My favourite of the "loved cats"

58. Terrible cold has Ms Peron holding on for sweet life

1.	Too many Evita clues this month
2.	"holding on for sweet life" is a brilliant idea but I wish it wasn't yet another unlikely Evita story
3.	I believe the expression is "holding on for dear life."

59. Troubled valediction in sadly quitting a life of luxury

1.	Good idea, done better by 47
2.	Not bad, but eclipsed by 47

60. Unimaginative clods living it up? (5,4)

1.	'Living it' as a containment indicator is pushing it but I suppose as in 'experiencing it' it could work
2.	Can’t see a hidden indicator
3.	Is "living it" the lurker-indicator?
4.	I don't see anything in the clue that indicates the hidden element.

61. Unimaginative clods, upwardly mobile, have good life

1.	Nice, but I'd expect "having" rather than "have" to be used as hidden-indicator (and ok for surface too)
2.	Cryptic grammar requires "must have" (or "to have") instead of "have."
3.	Good spot but reads clumsily.

62. Vital code decoded sweet life in Rome

1.	I'm not sure what the surface is supposed to mean.

63. What’s lived at Cape Cod, embracing the essence of luxuriousness?

1.	Nice but 26 does this rather better
2.	Not keen on the obscure abbreviation in the anagram fodder and 26 is better execution of similar idea