| Comments on the clues |
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| 1. Accommodating rector recalls name and baptises building worker |
| 1. | Inclusion of 'R' in reversed fodder doesn't work due to inclusion indicator's location. | | 2. | I had to read this a few times to get it but it is very good. |
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| 2. Arachne's hero is caught in her web |
| 1. | Nice sentiment (with which I'll agree), but doesn't really explain how the clue works.. | | 2. | Nice though too locally topical. | | 3. | A nice sentiment, but I don't follow the wordplay, if any | | 4. | Nice tribute but I don't see how 'caught in her web' contributes to the clue for spider-man |
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| 3. Arachne's husband is an amazing character |
| 1. | Better than 2. | | 2. | That's 'spider's man', surely |
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| 4. Bob the Builder with one stroke morphs into a superhero and rips me apart |
| 1. | Lateral thinking. | | 2. | Too many superfluous words here! | | 3. | Ingenious idea, but I'm not not convinced that the first definition is adequate. | | 4. | "ripping me apart" not a very heroic act |
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| 5. Building worker on abandoned spire? Damn! |
| 1. | Nice visual surface. | | 2. | Succinctly worded anagram clue | | 3. | Don't like "on" as a link |
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| 6. Collapse of pier damns construction expert (9) |
| 1. | Nice surface. | | 2. | Great surface, better than the spire clues | | 3. | Excellent clue. Not the most obvious anagram, no padding. |
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| 7. Damn lunatic involved with spire's reconstruction? |
| 1. | Semi &lit, I'd say, unless they're all damn lunatics. | | 2. | & lit. doesn't work due to 'lunatic' notwithstanding the professional hazards faced by spiderman. | | 3. | lunatic doesn't sit well in &lit defn |
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| 8. Daring builder's bum starts to protrude above ragged denims |
| 1. | Ha! Ha! Nice imagery! | | 2. | Head, shoulders and bottom above the rest | | 3. | Haha. Very funny and clever too. That's a cracker. 5 points. |
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| 9. Did Robert the Bruce inspire this modern hero? |
| 1. | How does this clue work? Besides, didn't the Spider inspire RtB? | | 2. | How? Spider inspired Bruce. Does it make him spider-man? | | 3. | I think the spider inspired Bruce |
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| 10. Doing this to capture armed suspect was natural for this comic crime-fighter. |
| 1. | 'Spin the web' can't be split and taken as SPIN only. | | 2. | Could be excellent if tidier, perhaps: 'Make web to capture armed suspect? He does!' | | 3. | Doing this… leads to spinning not spin. |
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| 11. Empire State Building, e.g., I built with ends of tinplate – unlikely! |
| 1. | Nice to see a composite anagram, but they need to read more fluently to get points from me | | 2. | Surface a bit nonsensical |
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| 12. Employee who's constructively framed for his boss's daylight robbery project? |
| 1. | A bit long for a cryptic def. (which I'm not that keen on anyway as competition clues) |
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| 13. Fantastically special nerd am I |
| 1. | Not specific enough as a definition | | 2. | not the best of the &lits but at least it is one! |
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| 14. High flier soaks up principles of Mach and Newton without hesitation |
| 1. | Sorry to be picky, but he doesn't actually fly |
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| 15. I'm a nerd transformed after getting special power (6-3) |
| 1. | 'getting' breaks the wordplay. It actually implies IMANERD+SP* | | 2. | Best of the nerds, very nice & lit. | | 3. | Nice &lit. | | 4. | I think the best this month. |
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| 16. Leading Superhero, and I'm Parker, regularly, in disguise (6-3) |
| 1. | Beautifully executed. | | 2. | Nice try at an &lit. I don't like 'leading Superhero' to indicate initial letter |
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| 17. Mad sniper running riot? Send for him! |
| 1. | it's not &lit – 'send for him' plays no part in the wordplay. In &lit the whole clue has to apply to both def and wordplay – no redundancies | | 2. | For &lit, ALL words must function in both cryptic and definition – 'send for him' isn't part of the cryptic reading. |
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| 18. Man of steel not popular stealing identity of chap scaling skyscrapers |
| 1. | 'Stealing' as inclusion indicator when its essence is removal? |
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| 19. Mind a spire being awkward? Not I! |
| 1. | Nice | | 2. | Very clever. A toss up between this and the builder's bum for top spot. |
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| 20. Missing top of roof, reprimands shoddy construction worker |
| 1. | Nice anagram, well spotted. |
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| 21. NY swinger is busy fellow getting jollies |
| 1. | One of the most original ideas | | 2. | Nice definition and use of jollies (Royal Marines) although I'm dubious about "busy" for PI. Must be a strong contender nevertheless. |
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| 22. One building up favorable bias stopping armed revolution |
| 1. | Stopping as containment indicator is not easy to accept. |
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| 23. One can craftily mend a spire that's lost its tip |
| 1. | Best of the construction worker clues. | | 2. | 'Craftily … tip? I can' would work better | | 3. | either its &lit or it's not. this is not, so does not work on conventional front either. |
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| 24. Other side of Parker pen is mad Radiohead design (6-3) |
| 1. | Ouch! That's worse than 'redhead' | | 2. | radiohead is not R | | 3. | Nicely disguised definition, I'm sure many voters will disapprove of the Radiohead = R! | | 4. | Shame about the last half of the clue as the first half is brilliant. |
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| 25. Pan led mortal hero |
| 1. | Pan led? If it's a mythology reference of some sort, it should be explained. |
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| 27. Pi's damn nervous over, er, 'Richard Parker issue'(9) |
| 1. | Nice find, but the information is a bit too obscure | | 2. | interesting spot but too obscure. Also, 'over' not great for containing – 'about'? | | 3. | Neither 'Er' nor 'issue' really fits the surface, but +2 for mention of a recent movie. |
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| 28. "P.S. I'm a nerd. Amazing!" – Peter Parker |
| 1. | 29 works much better. Should have kept Peter Parker away. |
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| 29. P.S. I'm a nerd in disguise! |
| 1. | Concise and cool. | | 2. | Not specific enough as a definition | | 3. | Points for a concise &-lit, though not quite there because of 'P.S.' |
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| 31. Sniper mad to work on tall building? It's his job! (9) |
| 1. | Nice surface. | | 2. | the indicator is wrong. 'sniper mad working' better, or 'mad sniper worked' maybe. Also, doubling of duty not a good idea | | 3. | I would have preferred a clear anagram indicator then seperate definition |
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| 32. Somehow prides himself in high-risk taking |
| 1. | I'm not keen on the first half doing double duty for wordplay and definition, himself=man doesn;t feel right to me |
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| 33. South pier hosts 500 in front of island comic |
| 1. | Word play seems sound, but definition seems a bit off and surface not very exciting |
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| 35. "Sperm and I, Incorporated" – erection specialist (9) |
| 1. | At least the writer avoided the other anagram! | | 2. | Excellent clue. | | 3. | A good one, though the definition part takes in a lot of latitude |
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| 36. Stanley created valet's heroic role, for Pete's sake! |
| 1. | If 'Stanley' a homophone of 'Stan Lee' it's not indicated | | 2. | doesn't work | | 3. | Sorry if I'm missing something, but 'Stan Lee' is not the same as 'Stanley', and there is no wordplay here |
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| 37. Steeplejack swims around with cockney girl's bloke |
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| 38. Super hero spins his web to fight crime like a mad sniper… |
| 1. | Practically a direct definition in initial part. | | 2. | Definition very wordy, other mad sniper clues are much more condense. What is the anagram indicator? |
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| 40. Superhero needs rest on Friday,perhaps |
| 1. | A nice clue with quite a different take compared to most of the others, but works only as a down clue? |
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| 41. Superhero races back to save the day (and the Queen Mum) |
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| 42. Superhero shot mad sniper (9) |
| 1. | Simple and sound construction. | | 2. | quite nice, shame about ambiguity (could also be superhero* shot) | | 3. | Beautifully concise – the sort of clue that looks easy to write but probably isn't. | | 4. | Could have been tweaked with a different anagrind in keeping with Spiderman's character |
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| 43. Superhero's special power made right sin (6-3) |
| 1. | Where is the anagram indicator? | | 2. | don't really understand the surface sense |
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| 45. The Super Parker gets inside parking before King, Queen or Knight. |
| 1. | inside parking is not P in side | | 2. | 'Inside parking' not really the same as 'parking in side'. 'Queen or Knight' a bit strange to define 'man' | | 3. | Or Rook, Bishop, or Pawn? Why three out of six? |
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| 46. This cut of stud's mixed in Findus meat products? I'll stick to Walls! |
| 1. | Unique approach. Well done. | | 2. | a little long-winded | | 3. | Absolutely brilliant! Spelling out the comp. anag.'Spider-man cut of stud / Findus meat products' would have made checking the clue easier |
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| 47. Turn over… dream about masked avenger |
| 1. | Nice. | | 2. | The ellipsis rather spoils the worplay | | 3. | think it's turn around dream |
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| 48. Was Robert The Bruce: Superhero #1 dream SNP broadcast? (9) |
| 1. | How does 'Was Robert The Bruce' define Spider man? He was inspired by a spider but does it make him spider man? | | 2. | The '#1' is rather contrived | | 3. | what happens to the hash (no.) sign? it's not part of the def or of the wordplay |
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| 49. Web hero |
| 1. | What is a 'web hero' actually? |
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| 50. Webcaster |
| 1. | How is it &lit.? It is Cryptic Definition. | | 2. | Not & lit. as it lacks wordplay, just a cryptic def. or pun. And the answer could as well be 'spider' | | 3. | so what's the definition? is spider-man someone who broadcasts over the internet? | | 4. | Unsolvable. |
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| 51. Who's repaired spire and surrounding masonry’s façade? |
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| 52. Wrist spinner cum web designer? |
| 1. | sorry, don't understand wrist spinner |
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| 53. Young superhero sprained muscles at first transforming |
| 1. | Nicely done. However 'transformation' would've read better. | | 2. | Nice anagram. Did it happen? (In the stories) |
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