CCCWC April competition voters’ comments

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A clue to REMOTE CONTROL.
68 comments were received for this competition (from 9 competitors, 2 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
A lot of unconvincing electron motor variants. You can’t invent technology just to fit the wordplay! The tremolo cornets worked better. I was more well-disposed towards cryptic definitions than usual as the solution is a longish compound
2.
Understandably, anagrams of ELECTRON+MOTOR, or variations thereof, proved popular for this technological solution. For me, the only clue that pulled it off convincingly was 36, though 19,55 and 59 came close. While electrons are pretty fundamental(!) to all things electric, I've never come across the term "electron motor" before, and suspect it's something you'd be more likely to come across in an episode of Doctor Who "use the electron motor to reverse the polarity!" than in real life.
3.
Finding a workable clue with a plausible surface story eluded me this month, so I am especially impressed by all those who did manage it, particularly the very imaginative cryptic definitions.
4.
31 conveyed a lovely memory of Zazie (dans le Métro). Guess I'm alone in that, after all this time!

Comments on the clues

1. A commanding set piece

1.	Yet another nicely constructed CD but rather difficult to solve without some checking letters
2.	Clever, imaginative and fair – my joint best.
3.	A neat CD

2. A station manager for the Tube?

1.	Clever to combine the two cryptic elements. Better without the “A” maybe?
2.	Nice. I think it's mostly the cleverly worded CDs that will get the points this time. This one can even be cold solved unlike many others
3.	Do we still call TV the tube?
4.	Imaginative, different and fair – my joint best.
5.	A neat CD

3. Aloof, and with self-restraint, the Mothers of Invention’s principal broadcast with this instrument, informally (6,7)

1.	Clever, but too indirect

4. Clermont inhabitants provide drone operation? (6,7)

1.	Not really a fair way of doing an anagram.
2.	You’ve really got to say what you mean with this sort of wordplay, and I don’t think this clue does

5. Clumsy Rector Tom Noel uses device to start tv from far(6,7)

1.	Random names to create fodder? And def is too obvious

6. Commuting to Luton regularly or more 'eco' working from home?

1.	Love the cryptic… not as keen on the straight
2.	Nice surface, def. is too vague

7. Cool tormenter's kinky gadget (6-7)

1.	The unnatural phrase 'cool tormentor' shouts anagram

8. Cornet played with tremolo effect, picked up from afar

1.	Great disguise created by the join between the wordplay and definition
2.	Best of the cornet tremolos
3.	Best cornet

9. Couch potato’s magic wand?

1.	Not cryptic enough for a CD

10. Cut off direct source of cross-channel migrations?

1.	Good idea but not fully convinced by the definition
2.	Topical and imaginative and worthy of points but the definition just errs too much on the broad side for me.

11. Cut off knob could make Dave "History".

1.	"History" would be better as just history

14. Device to switch from Clone to Tom and Jerry, essentially? (6,7)

1.	I read ‘essentially’ as the very centre of a word, not all of its insides

17. Electomotor neurons principally designed for regulation at a distance

1.	I don’t think there’s any such thing as ‘electomotor’ neurons
2.	Pity about the typo…

19. Entertaining device has electronic motor broken with leads to induction coil missing

1.	"entertaining" doesn't make much sense in the def (the TV does the entertaining) and doesn't add to surface

20. Far, far away, rehashed 80s sci-fi movie to be screened by army officer—he might need this to watch it

1.	Not fair to have an indirect anagram!

22. Foreign power with influence over the Channel

1.	Good misleading surface

23. Gush with power after river channel changes with this?

1.	The syntax is all over the place making the surface appear forced
2.	The surface doesn't make much sense

25. Hi-tech pointed tool?

1.	This is far too vague though much better than some, and I wonder if the RC is all that hi-tech

27. Icy discipline might be a turn-on for some (6,7)

1.	‘A turn-on’ is a stretch for the definition
2.	Imaginative and worthy of points but the definition is just a little too broad for me.

28. Imperialism?

1.	More of a political thesis than a crossword clue
2.	Hard to solve but I like it

29. In this state Stormont electorate suffers: rule from afar

1.	Nicely done comp. anagram

30. Is often pressed to change one's views on Gogglebox?

1.	Good idea. Maybe 'One is often pressed…' would be better?
2.	"pressed to change views" is very nice, but I don't think "Gogglebox" (TV show about TV named after word for TV) adds much

31. Little monster on Metro once given a surprise encouragement to stay seated

1.	Cleverly constructed – suspect very tricky to solve
2.	I don’t think ‘little’ indicates shortening a word by one letter

32. Long-distance running? (6,7)

1.	A neat and crisp clue, with a surface that easily resonates
2.	Well-spotted misleading definition
3.	Very nice

33. Means of navigating channels in travelling River Trent made so cool when bad adviser leaves

1.	This only happens in crossword clues

34. More recent tool, after spending Euros, used for activation from afar (6,7)

1.	Surface doesn't hang together

35. Needed to change stations in Rome, left with Cornetto melting

1.	Nice original anagram.
2.	Lots to like in this clue but I’m not sure what the surface means
3.	Original idea with a nice surface reading

36. New starter in redesigned electromotor device for model plane

1.	Best motor

39. One lying on couch in morn with tool erect, aroused

1.	I don’t mind the smut but “morn” grates a little!
2.	Good try, but the def. is a bit flaccid
3.	Def is dodgy, and nobody says 'morn'

41. Radio device engineers using cool torment (6,6)

1.	What does the surface mean?

42. Rector devastated by tool men broke instigates programme change

1.	Programme changer would work but not programme change

43. Set regulating device on electric motor eliminating internal combustion jitters

1.	Very smooth and plausible surface
2.	Made the best of difficult anagram fodder.

44. Small knob maybe a source of marital disharmony? (6,7)

1.	"source of marital disharmony" is a bit of a stretch.
2.	Witty surface
3.	Small = remote is a stretch but very good overall

45. The art of puppetry is something we lost during the digital age

1.	The second definition doesn’t make sense to me

47. Unapproachable government directs from a distance

1.	Def is a grammatical mismatch

49. Unfriendly check for channel hopper ?

1.	A channel hopper would be hopping across channels, but the RC is the one that makes it happen. Def a bit suspect imo
2.	I was expecting more channel-hopper clues. This one is well constructed

54. What could loosely be seen as 'electro-monitor', one for zapping

1.	About the only convincing ’electro’ anagram