| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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| When I entered the competition I had to decide which firework would make the most interesting clue, and then how to clue it and in particular how to define it. I enjoyed seeing how other competitors addressed these choices. In the end I decided the strongest clue would be one that defined the solution as a firework, and preferably a specific firework, rather than one of its alternative meanings ('banger','rocket', etc), but which avoided 'firework(s)' or anything too obvious as the definition. This was also the basis on which I judged the clues, and several otherwise OK ones (19,23,29,30,34,37,45) missed out on points for that reason. Happily there were enough clues that met my criteria, of which 8 was the outstanding example – good anagram indicator, excellent misleading definition, and coherent surface – and got top marks. I also liked 42 for tackling 'jumping jack' successfully and 43 for its topical-ish and misleading reference to the occasion. 35 got points on the strength of the definition (I guess it was the Tate Britain saloon), as did 7. And 11, 13 and 18 also worked well. 16 would have been a contender but for the spelling error ('firey' isn't in Chambers anyway and doesn't get past my spellchecker). 31 was nicely worded, but chose precisely the wrong firework for the definition 'don't pick it up'. |
| 2. |
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| Some very unconvincing 'crosswordy' constructions (e.g. 5)and the odd horror like the indirect anagram in 12, but some good stuff among the dross. First prize to 46 — from Mr Tozer of Mr Moorey, I'm guessing. with the neat no 8 not far behind. Consolation prizes to 18,34, and 17 (nice anagram but I wasn't totally sure about the strength of the definition). |
| 3. |
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I feared that this slightly unusual challenge might present problems of interpretation for the judges, and so it proved for me. One contestant 26 even chose to clue the phrase ANY FIREWORK itself; I think that the words “of your choice” that followed the phrase on the site clearly show that this was not what was intended. Three competitors (5, 28, 40) clued types of firework that may well exist, if only as proprietary names, but which are surely much too esoteric to be fair as answers to crossword clues; I discounted these. A significant minority (2, 4, 29, 30, 34, 36, 37, 44 and, arguably, 20) clued words (such as BANGER, CATHERINE WHEEL and (SKY)ROCKET) which are indeed common types of firework, but, within the clue, defined meanings of those words that had nothing to do with fireworks. It is arguable whether or not clues taking this approach met the intended criteria for the competition. I decided in the end that they didn’t and discounted them too, even though some of them were in themselves quite good clues. (Other judges will no doubt have reached a different conclusion.) Even then, however, there remained at least a dozen clues worthy of consideration for points
4 points: 13, a cleverly appropriate anagram and neat semi-&lit
3 points: 10 a well crafted &lit
2 points: 16 pleasingly crafted and well-disguised hidden (even if “fiery” is misspelt!)
1.5 points each:
17 A similar approach to 13’s, but a less natural surface (”Girandole’s alternative”). (Golden Rain appears in Chambers Crossword Lists, though not in Chambers itself. I accepted it on that ground and on the rather arbitrary one that I had heard of it.)
27 this clever (if unclaimed!) &lit is slightly spoiled by the wordplay’s requiring “One’s”, where the definition really demands “One may be”.
1 point each:
8 a good misleading definition, but the rather unnatural “wherein” required for the anagram slightly spoils the surface
23 very neat, but a light firework is a slightly artificial phrase
43 an original (if slightly anachronistic) definition and neat matching anagram, but the surface as a whole reads slightly oddly.
Prox. ac. 11, 18, 19, 25, 38, 39. |
| 4. |
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When I started reading through I found the clues so uninspiring and crossed them off the list immediately, but then by the end there were so many that it was hard to choose between. Having such a choice of different clue words made it as hard to choose outright winners as it did to decide what to write a clue for in the first place. In the end I ended up spreading the marks between lots of the clues.
Some "nearly" good clues: 12 indirect anagram – why not say "strange land"?; 18 needs "convertED" to work; 25 uses straight definition of "candle" in clue; 35 needs "maybe" for "saloon"= "car" and maybe (shame because else my joint favourite clue); 36 "midriff" inadequate indicator for middle letters in my view; 37 what's "for" doing in wordplay? If it had read "…space traveller's to go by" without the "for" it would have been another excellent (joint favourite) clue. |
