CCCWC July competition voters’ comments
Clue no. 31: Run TC! He fouled on Officer Dibble's equipment?
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A clue to TRUNCHEON.
7 comments refer to this clue (from 5 competitors, 0 others)
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| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
| There were so many good clues to choose from this month, I ended up with a short list of 15, only one of which (1) I felt I could downgrade to a merit. Of the others, that still left many with the same sort of &lit treatment (17, 18, 21, 29, 43, 44) which I could not easily choose between, so I gave them all one point. In the end, I decided that 7 and 31 stood out for their original treatments and amusing surface readings and voted them first and second, but not quite enough above the pack for the full 5 and 4 points, leaving a handful of points to share between others. So some that I would have been very happy with as my first choice, given less competition, ended up with just half a point! |
| 2. |
| I’m not convinced that either “club” or “staff” is quite adequate as a definition on its own. Chambers makes it clear that, without some reference to the police, a truncheon is specifically a short staff or a staff of authority , whereas its use to convey cudgel or club is archaic. I used this (admittedly harsh) criterion to whittle down a mostly not very inspiring (though otherwise mostly reasonably sound) set of clues to quite a short short-list. There was, however, a small number of very good clues that did not offend against this criterion. I found it impossible to choose between 18, 21, 43 and 44 for the top spot – all very neat and economical &lits or semi-&lits – with the result that all scored rather less highly than they might otherwise have done. Comments longer than 140 characters on specific clues: 2 An excellent idea for the s.i. (also used by 6), but let down by the connector “for”. For the clue to work cryptically using “for”, it would need to read “Arrangement of Chopin’s Second Nocturne needed for baton”, which would, of course, destroy the surface. Eg, “Arrangement of Chopin’s Second Nocturne – baton needed” would have been acceptable. 6 An excellent idea for the s.i. (also used by 2), & a good one for the definition, but spoiled in the execution. Why “We hear”? And why “expected”? 19 The definition is commendably accurate and the s.i. sound, if a little clunky, but the clue is badly let down by the little word “with”, which seems to play no valid part in either definition or s.i. and is hardly a valid connector. 31 This will have perplexed anyone not familiar with the Top Cat cartoon series (now nearly 50 years old), but, given that knowledge, a well constructed clue – neat & economical – with an original surface. |