The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC March competition voters’ comments
 
Clue no. 10: Bill ends it with shockingly dim interne

Back to competition result  |   All the comments  |   Other competitions

A clue to DINNER-TIME.
4 comments refer to this clue
Move your mouse pointer over any bold clue number to see the clue.

Here is the text

 
Comments on the competition
1.
a) Reading through the clues, I have the impression that DINNER-TIME proved a tougher challenge than might have been expected. I think there are a few near-misses, but no clue which works on all levels. This has made it difficult to fix the order for my chosen five. However:- First place, 5 points, to clue 2. The surface sense isn't perfect, and the capital letter is awkward, but 'lapses' is very nice and 'announcement of a gong?' is probably the best definition among the 48 clues. Second place, 4 points, I award to clue 44. Probably the best use of 'indeterminate', but a rather stretched definition (as so often with &lits.) and regrettable anacoluthon. In third place, for 3 points, I put clue 21. I'm not very keen on composite anagrams, but 'Rennie' is entertaining in the context of 'dodgy naan'. Anacoluthon again, I'm afraid. In fourth place, for 2 points, I put clue 10. This dares to be different, but 'with' is awkward, the spelling of 'interne' is a give-away and the definition is weak - better for DINNER than DINNER-TIME. One point for fifth place to clue 5; 'peak fare period' is very good, and I wonder whether 'Afternoon and...' could simply have been omitted. I hope this doesn't seem too churlish; there are some fine ideas in these clues, but, in my opinion, none of them fully comes off.
2.
e) Some excellent entries here. I tended to favour those that concealed the context of the definition well.

In reverse order, 5th (1 pt) No. 4, 4th (2pts) 36 and, then, the three that stood out , 3rd (3 pts) 10 tho you could nit-pick and say there would not necessarily be a bill and than the interne was maybe not dim but we'll let it go 2nd (4 pts) 47, 1st 5 pts 19 - I thought this was really excellent with the surface context very convincing.
3.
h) Not as good a set of clues as I'd expected, given the friendliness of the word. The main problem seems to have been too many competitors spotting an '& lit.' opportunity, and then delivering either an unconvincing clue or a very obvious one (though I was well-disposed to 36 for its nice wording). I'd have liked to see more misleading definitions and contexts, like 10 and 2.
4.
j) A tougher challenge than it looked. Sometimes when you see poorish clues (including your own) you can almost see brains struggling to produec a worthy effort, but when you see good clues all the brain machinery has beenn hidden behind the scenes, as it has in my first choice here : No 9. These others tag along behind and the jangling brains becomes very evident in places: Nos 10, 14, 21, 46. No 2 was nice at first sight but I couldn't quite persude myself to make dinnertime synonymous with an announcement