CCCWC May competition voters’ comments
Clue no. 7: Claims that he was frequently 'seen to' down Ascot, chemically refuted by abstainer
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A clue to PHAT (Printer’s Devilry).
2 comments refer to this clue
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| Comments on the competition |
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| 1. |
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m) I mark PD clues by first reading only the original (undevilled) line. I eliminate all clues where I think the original would not read naturally in a piece of prose e.g. a newspaper article. The best PD clues have a plausible meaning in both versions, certainly always in the orginal version. For me there wasn't an outstanding winner.
11. Cut Rick's cored bylaw / Cup hat trick scored by Law The undevilled version reads naturally. It's forgivable when the devilled meaning is obscure though better if plausible, better still if zanely humorous. The devilled version here is perhaps too obscure but solving it would give a nice PD (a PD penny drop).
14. Is any mall beautiful, woman? / Is a nymph a tall, beautiful woman? Nice, though the solver is expected to work out 'tall' for the original when nymphs ain't necessarily so (at least not here in Wales).
29. Tune to be played by human: go for trumpets / Tune to be played by Humph: a tango for trumpets
Nice clue that would have been more impressive if it could have been worked without the break in the middle.
6. Cheater's promoting a controversial type of bowler / Cheap hatter's promoting a controversial type of bowler The clue needs a better word than 'controversial' to allow the solver work out that the hatter is a 'cheap' hatter. It seems 'controversial' was used to suit the devilled version when it's the meaning of the original that's the more important.
13. How illiberal - error in Printer's Devilry! / Ho! Will I be Ralph, a terror in Printer's Devilry? Nice, but is 'Ho' used in natural speak? I think it's a touch unfair from what's given to expect the solver to know that 'Ho!' must be in the original.
7. Claims that he was frequently 'seen to' down Ascot, chemically refuted by abstainer / Claims that he was frequently seen to down a scotch, emphatically refuted by abstainer Nice clue spoilt by that comma. (Hopefully not Ralph's work, Derek?). Also rather too long for solving.
24. The chimp hates Tarzan but not Curious George / The Chimes, Tarzan, but not Curious George
Maybe this is better than I understand (is there a natural connection between a chimp and Curious George? It would need a note to tell me.). |
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n) I think that, in the absence of the 'control' provided by a definition, the undevilled versions of PD clues need to be as meaningful and syntactically and orthographically straightforward as possible. This is all the truer if the solution is a relatively obscure word, as PHAT is for me. My selections have been made on this basis.
First, for 5 points, clue 31; the undevilled version is an entirely plausible, natural English sentence. Second, for 4 points, clue 9; unflashy, but eminently solvable. Third, for 3 points, clue 21; reasonably plausible, though I find the devilled version equally so. Second, for 2 points, clue 14; quite witty, but the rhetorical question is unfortunate in the undevilled version. Fifth, for 1 point, clue 7, which at least preserves the right balance of plausibility between the two versions. Also worth mentioning: clue 11, which had perhaps the best undevilled version but where I couldn't make any sense of its counterpart; and clue 5, for an allusion to one of the funniest plays ever written. |
