CCCWC November competition voters’ comments
Clue no. 26: Hack bad at prose? This paper needs to be firm
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A clue to PASTEBOARD.
3 comments refer to this clue (from 3 competitors, 0 others)
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Here is the text
| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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I found the better clues in this selection difficult to separate, but in the end, my points are as below. All have excellent surfaces and the definitions are very fair – many of the other clues had definitions which seemed a little far-fetched.
Points to:
5 points : 33
3 points each to 25, 26 and 50.
1 point to 36
Honourable mentions to 13, 22, 23 and 42 |
| 2. |
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Much scope for anagrams in this clue-word and a good variety of solutions offered to this approach. Quite a large number of clues deserving of points, but none truly outstanding, I felt.
3.5 points:
50 A nicely crafted clue with an unusual, but convincing, surface. Not, I think, a composite anagram, however. Since Chambers, unlike the OED, does not indicate that this is an obsolete or U.S. meaning of the word “card”, it clearly has to be allowable unqualified as a definition of PASTEBOARD.
2.5 points:
25 A good surface and a well constructed clue. It is clear that, although the meaning “flimsy” for PASTEBOARD is supported by neither Chambers nor the OED, it is current in other sources and should be accepted.
2 points:
26 A well-chosen a.i. making the three words to be anagrammed appropriate to the surface created by the definition.
33 A bit hard on traffic wardens (!), but deftly put together and quite amusing
1.5 points each:
47 Slightly artificial as a supposed sequence of staccato instructions plus observation, but sound and quite neatly done.
49 A nice definition and sound s.i., but the two don’t quite cohere into a fully convincing surface.
1 point each:
22 Imperative anagram indicators that follow rather than precede the letters to be anagrammed are a slight weakness in a clue, it seems to me, but otherwise this is admirably economical and offers a reasonable surface.
36 A coherent surface and well managed wordplay, but, strictly speaking, P should be “Pizza’s topping”, not “Pizza topping”.
Prox. ac.:
3 Neat and seasonal, but weakened by “the”, where “board” is strictly “a table” or just “table”.
51 Very economical, but both the fact that the second half of the anagram is identical to the second half of the clue-word (cf 45 & 46) and the slightly obtrusive question-mark between the a.i. and the letters to be anagrammed are weaknesses in my book. |
| 3. |
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Some good clues, as was to be expected when the letters in the word were so kind. Eventually I decided:
1st (2pts) 33
2nd= (1 pt each) 5 (almost the best but I wasn't sure about 'devised'), 10, 13, 22, 25, 26, 37, 47, 49, 50 (but it isn't a comp. anag.)
12th= (0.5 pts each) 18, 29 (not absolutely sure about made up = artificial = sham), 31, 36, 42, 45 |
