b) There were more reasonable candidates for points than I initially supposed on first reading - well over a dozen clues with significant merits, though most also had flaws and none was truly outstanding. Of the many anagrammatic approaches, quite a few (eg, "red mite" and "deer in mint") led to surfaces that were hardly convincing. And heavens above! All those gongs and bells announcing dinner - I hadn't realized that the domestic habits of the Edwardians were still alive and well in so many households in 2008.
3.5 points:
32. Out to lunch, then? No, entire mind's active!
This is marginally more successful that 19, which uses the same anagram, because the word "entire" fits the surface rather better. The definition is equally original, has the required question-mark and is (just!) on the right side of the border-line of acceptability.
3 points:
19. Fast reaching conclusion now entire mind's made up
A highly original and skillfully concealed definition (though it really needs a question-mark), and one can't fault the subsidiary indication. The only other (minor) shortcoming is that the phrase "entire mind" is slightly peculiar in this context, which weakens the surface.
2 points each:
22. Inn merited dressing up then? 23. Inn merited liquid lunch break
Both these are neat, economical and sound, but with slightly less sparkle than 19 and 32.
36. There'll be a piece of dessert and more in me after it's over
This is ingenious and neatly crafted (if one can stomach - and I can - the outrageous "more in" for "inner"!). I personally much dislike the "piece of dessert" for D device, but it is so widely accepted that it would be unfair to penalize it.
1 point each:
4. After work, tired men will eat at home when?
The "when?" at the end of this clue is rather inelegant, which is a pity, as, up to that point, both surface and wordplay are very neat. Something like "Now [ie, at the time in question], after work, tired men will eat at home" would, I think, have been a considerable improvement.
9. Big noise not to get Order of Merit? A gong is surely due now
A good idea, well executed, but "ne" for "not" without an indicator that it is an obsolete usage is a weakness. On the gong motif, see above.
0.5 point:
43. When Mr. Wolf calls, Red Ridin' and me (holding net!) lose colour and tremble
An original idea and a pleasing definition in the context, but the wordplay is rather strained, relying upon Little Red Riding Hood's becoming simply "Red Ridin'", "me" for "I" and an inconvenient "net" (with its unnecessary exclamation-mark) that, as I remember it, doesn't come into the fairy tale. |
| o) Despite the number of entries, it was easy to reduce it to a third considering the normal criteria of soundness, natural surface reading, misleading context, etc. Beyond this, although not the over-riding consideration, I looked for a clear differentiation of 'dinner-time' from simply 'dinner'. Some otherwise good clues (e.g. 36) I marked down compared to some others for this. I always like clues that amuse or interest me and can forgive a little unsoundness with this as compensation. 43, 45 and 48 all made me laugh, but only 48 was close enough to sound to be forgiven. Although I would not submit this myself because of the convention that 'for' as a link word only works one way, personally I've never agreed with this anyway. Clue 25 made the short-list, but I considered use of 'time' from the answer in the clue word to be too much of a weakness for it to score points. Clues 23 and 44 were other near-contenders, but fell down on the definition compared to my final choices. Although not my first choice, I thought clue 37 was a unique and interesting idea. |
