CCCWC May competition voters’ comments on Clue no. 25

CCCWC May competition voters’ comments

Clue no. 25: The ripest juiciest fruit makes Alan go

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A clue to PHAT (Printer’s Devilry).
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Comments on the competition
1.
k) I have significant reservations about this particular sort of "special", especially in a clue-setting competition as opposed to a puzzle to be solved. It is extraordinarily difficult fully to meet the criteria (as I see them) for a really good PD clue, and the results are thus seldom satisfying - as I'm afraid almost all the entries to this competition demonstrate. (Indeed, even the standard PESTO example strikes me as pretty mediocre.) In my book, to cut the mustard a PD clue should have the following qualities: a. the undevilled version should make sense and be a form of words that one can easily imagine being used in the real world, ie, it must have a convincing surface and not sound artificial; b. the devilled version should also make sense and, ideally, be a form of words that one can easily imagine being used in the real world, though a little more latitude may be allowed in the latter respect; c. there should be a contrast in meaning (the starker the better) between the two versions and d. the effect of removing the letters of the clue-word should be to change a straightforward and unremarkable sentence, statement or whatever (the undevilled version) into something amusing and/or bizarre or even outrageous (the devilled version) and not the other way around; e. it should not be too obvious where the letters have been omitted; f. the omission should display ingenuity and originality in the choice of words. This is clearly a big ask, and it becomes even bigger when one adds in the (to my mind, rather artificial) constraint that "the breaks before and after the word omitted (before and after omission)" should "not occur at the ends or beginnings of words in the clue". It may well be that my criteria (especially c. and d.) are more exacting than those that others look for, but it seems to me that, without c. and d., the whole exercise is rendered peculiarly pointless and rather boring. My votes as follows: 4 points each 14. Is any mall beautiful, woman? 14. Is a nymph a tall, beautiful woman? This is very neat, economical (without being too obvious) and provides a suitable contrast in meaning between the two versions, both of which have entirely convincing surfaces. It also achieves a satisfying connection between the undevilled version and the meaning of the clue-word (if not, strictly speaking, a definition). 31. Women reveal their toes in recent national survey 31. Women reveal their top hates in recent national survey The omission is well concealed and the devilled version provides a moderately amusing contrast in meaning to the undevilled one, which has an appropriately straightforward and convincing surface. 2 points: 25. The ripest juiciest fruit makes Alan go 25. The ripest juiciest fruit makes "Alpha Tango" This is one of the very few clues to meet my criterion d. Were there such a product as Alpha Tango in the Tango range, it would be very good (though it is rather obvious where the omission must be). But, as far as I can establish, a drink called "Alpha Tango" doesn't exist, which adds an unfortunate element of artificiality to the undevilled version.

Comments on the competition

k) I have significant reservations about this particular sort of "special", especially in a clue-setting competition as opposed to a puzzle to be solved. It is extraordinarily difficult fully to meet the criteria (as I see them) for a really good PD clue, and the results are thus seldom satisfying - as I'm afraid almost all the entries to this competition demonstrate. (Indeed, even the standard PESTO example strikes me as pretty mediocre.) In my book, to cut the mustard a PD clue should have the following qualities:

a. the undevilled version should make sense and be a form of words that one can easily imagine being used in the real world, ie, it must have a convincing surface and not sound artificial;

b. the devilled version should also make sense and, ideally, be a form of words that one can easily imagine being used in the real world, though a little more latitude may be allowed in the latter respect;

c. there should be a contrast in meaning (the starker the better) between the two versions and

d. the effect of removing the letters of the clue-word should be to change a straightforward and unremarkable sentence, statement or whatever (the undevilled version) into something amusing and/or bizarre or even outrageous (the devilled version) and not the other way around;

e. it should not be too obvious where the letters have been omitted;

f. the omission should display ingenuity and originality in the choice of words.

This is clearly a big ask, and it becomes even bigger when one adds in the (to my mind, rather artificial) constraint that "the breaks before and after the word omitted (before and after omission)" should "not occur at the ends or beginnings of words in the clue". It may well be that my criteria (especially c. and d.) are more exacting than those that others look for, but it seems to me that, without c. and d., the whole exercise is rendered peculiarly pointless and rather boring.

My votes as follows:

4 points each

14. Is any mall beautiful, woman?

14. Is a nymph a tall, beautiful woman?

This is very neat, economical (without being too obvious) and provides a suitable contrast in meaning between the two versions, both of which have entirely convincing surfaces. It also achieves a satisfying connection between the undevilled version and the meaning of the clue-word (if not, strictly speaking, a definition).

31. Women reveal their toes in recent national survey 31. Women reveal their top hates in recent national survey

The omission is well concealed and the devilled version provides a moderately amusing contrast in meaning to the undevilled one, which has an appropriately straightforward and convincing surface.

2 points:

25. The ripest juiciest fruit makes Alan go

25. The ripest juiciest fruit makes "Alpha Tango"

This is one of the very few clues to meet my criterion d. Were there such a product as Alpha Tango in the Tango range, it would be very good (though it is rather obvious where the omission must be). But, as far as I can establish, a drink called "Alpha Tango" doesn't exist, which adds an unfortunate element of artificiality to the undevilled version.

CCCWC May competition voters’ comments Clue no. 25: The ripest juiciest fruit makes Alan go

CCCWC May competition voters’ comments

Clue no. 25: The ripest juiciest fruit makes Alan go