Comments on the clues |
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1. A club one Rex once wielded? Yes and no! |
1. | The definition is essentially "a weapon once used by a king – not a club" which is a bit vague. | 2. | Somewhat forced surface. Not sure which is the anagram indicator | 3. | What's the anagram indicator — "wielded"? |
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2. A legendary brand of unknown quality, one hears (9) |
1. | Good homophone clue. 1 point. | 2. | On the surface, it doesn't sound plausible that a legendary brand would be of unknown quality. Works fine technically |
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3. About to be surrounded, on reflection I left weapon half covered – in stone? |
1. | Attempted semi-& lit. but the first half of the clue isn't relevant to Excalibur specifically | 2. | Surface could be better. | 3. | An operator seems to be missing after 'surrounded' for this to be grammatically correct in cryptic reading |
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4. All aquiver, excitable Arthur could provide threat with this? |
1. | Don't like "all aquiver" much, but the clue is sound. NOT an "&lit" as claimed. | 2. | Clever compound anagram |
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5. Arthur's brand – example of non-fattening western curry |
1. | non-fattening = one calorie = ic is a bit far-fetched, and could equally well (or better) mean oc. | 2. | Bit of a stretch to get cal 1; why not 1 cal? And ex for example? But a good variant | 3. | Wouldn't one calorie be "1 cal" (not "cal 1")? |
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6. Arthur's brand new ex-Airmen's club has no gents! |
1. | 1 point for the deceptive "brand new". | 2. | not convinced that men's = gents | 3. | 6. Good hiding of "brand" and different meaning of "club" within surface. |
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7. Arthur's drawn blinds (9) |
1. | This clue needs wordplay | 2. | Clever idea, but does not work as a definition. | 3. | Not sure how the clue leads to a noun as definition |
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8. Beheaded king reportedly bore a legendary sword |
1. | Makes better use of the "calibre" homophone than most of the other attempts, although in the legends Arthur wasn't beheaded. | 2. | 8. "bore" a better definition of calibre than most others, and well hidden. |
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9. Brand name that used to be set in stone? |
1. | The sword was set in stone, not the name. | 2. | I'd like to have seen some supporting wordplay to provide me with letters |
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10. Brand no longer worth being listened to |
1. | The obvious response being "was he ever?" Slightly awkward surface, since the natural phrase "worth listening to" can't be used here. | 2. | Nice construction, but needs a stronger definition to earn points | 3. | Surface sounds a bit odd, ie 'listening' to a brand |
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11. Crowning glory for freeing this? |
1. | This is more a general knowledge question than a cryptic clue | 2. | Seems rather vague to me. | 3. | I'd like to have seen some supporting wordplay to provide me with letters |
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12. Cudgel axe and club? I take a sword |
1. | "Take" doesn't have any role in the wordplay, and the definition "a sword" is vague. | 2. | With an 'and' in the middle, the remaining letters after 'club' have to come as a charade and can't be treated as anagram fodder |
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13. Cutter ending up in an arm of the lake (9) |
1. | The last six words look rather forced | 2. | Reasonable cryptic definition although hard to solve, I think. 1 point. | 3. | Clever use of multiple meanings |
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14. Disused weapon is heard (9) |
1. | Calibre is a property of some weapons, not the weapon itself | 2. | I don't think calibre = weapon. Apart from that, "is" doesn't seem like the right linkword. | 3. | Don't see how calibre = weapon. | 4. | Calibre is not a weapon. |
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15. Dumped spouse I found in a club dancing with R Brand! |
1. | Good idea, but brand (or Brand!) alone is a slightly weak definition | 2. | Clever attempt, but definition is vague – it needs to be more than just another word for sword. | 3. | Good idea but odd construction | 4. | Good fun! |
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16. Excellent assumed name, not as dog letter might be described like this legendary sword. |
1. | Surface makes no sense to me, I'm afraid | 2. | I hadn't come across dog letter = R before, it seems a bit obscure. Can't see much sense in the surface. | 3. | Surface a bit contrived |
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17. Excellent cover story – "I've gone to the old city to get the king's sword." |
1. | "I've gone" can only refer to the pronoun, not the letter I. | 2. | Can't agree that 'I've gone' equals 'I is(has) gone', which is what is needed | 3. | In cryptic, "I've" doesn't work for deleting I. I must go is preferable. | 4. | 17. Lovely surface, but I would have liked a repetition of "old" in front of "kings…" or something similar to give it more points. |
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18. Fabulous brand of beer dropped from one's lips when kissing backside of old flame |
1. | I can't really envisage the surface reading, very bizarre | 2. | I don't like the indirect homophone (beer > Kaliber > calibre) and the humour is weak. | 3. | Can't make much of this surface | 4. | homophone (dropped…lips) is excellent. But use of "of" as link i.e. definition of wordplay is bad. |
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19. Fabulous strokemaker tops off Crucible max with flourish |
1. | Good misleading surface | 2. | A snooker player is not usually described as a strokemaker. | 3. | Very good try, but 'strokemaker' doesn't quite convince as a valid term in either snooker or swordplay unfortunately |
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20. Famous steel cross pinched by incurable criminal (name withheld) |
1. | Very nice anagram, the last two words are a little forced | 2. | Does a good job of swapping the N for an X to get achieve the anagram. "Famous steel" is a weak definition though. |
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21. Fighter pilot returns around 10:51, gets back massage, becomes legendary weapon |
1. | Could only happen in a crossword clue. Also 10 and 51 are inserted in different places. | 2. | Ingenious but unconvincing. | 3. | Seems the use of 'back' is iffy. In any case, the surface does seem a bit forced | 4. | 21 Lovely wordplay. Could the last three words be changed to improve the surface reading? I don't know how, but it would be nice! |
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22. Former chaplain regularly used to polish up famous sword |
1. | Wordplay seems perfectly valid, although the definition is a bit humdrum. | 2. | Works fine, except if it was an 'Across' clue |
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23. Former lover with ability with mouth and legendary 'weapon' (9) |
1. | 'By' or 'from' mouth, but not 'with' | 2. | Don't think "ability" is the same as "calibre", and the innuendo is laboured. |
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24. From stony confines this was liberated
By one who then as king was celebrated. |
1. | Where is the wordplay? | 2. | The task was A STANDARD CRYPTIC clue, so a rhyming couplet will not earn any merit, and it is not cryptic. | 3. | Nice effort with the rhyme |
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25. Heard tell this old weapon no longer cuts the mustard. |
1. | I don't see the significance of the mustard, sorry. | 2. | Calibre is not an old weapon. |
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26. I curb an axle, like a magic sword in king's hand! |
1. | Throwing 'an' into the middle of the anagram material spoils the clue | 2. | Needs an anagram indicator, and the surface seems like gobbledegook. | 3. | Surface not so great | 4. | "an" messes up your anagram. And where's the anagram indicator? | 5. | The "an" ruins it |
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27. I was heroically drawn direct from cold rocky burial |
1. | A clever and convincing clue making good use of one version of the Arthurian legend. 5 points. | 2. | Clever and original idea (but see Wikipedia on the question of accuracy) | 3. | Nicely done |
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28. Impassioned Rex: With a club, I hammered mythic sword |
1. | Surface lacks credibility – you'd need a hammer, not a club. Wrongly implies that Arthur created Excalibur himself. |
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29. In short, extra quality, they say, shows in legendary brand. |
1. | Reasonable clue but didn't quite make my points list. | 2. | Best of the brand/quality clues | 3. | Without "In short" the clue would have been much better and perfectly sound |
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30. It was set in stone that former captain would receive burial at sea |
1. | Definition "it was set in stone" gives solver a difficult task. |
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31. Legendary sword's formed club and axe I put before king |
1. | How can a sword form a club and an axe? | 2. | Didn't quite get the drift of the surface |
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32. Magical blade – former despot disemboweled, slain even with rough edge! |
1. | Expecting solvers to get c(zarin)a is a bit of a stretch | 2. | To get "czarina" from "despot" is asking the impossible. "Slain even" won't do for the even letters of "slain". | 3. | Asking a solver to get "ca" from "despot disemboweled" is a bridge too far. |
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33. Massage, lubricate, kiss, no time for a shaft! |
1. | A shaft is not a sword (and would be far too vague a definition even if it were) and this sort of humour is very feeble. | 2. | I like the inventiveness, but it's not an &lit. | 3. | Amusing one but a bit short on definition! | 4. | 33. Fun, but not sure about the definition! |
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34. Murderous Alexi cleared by small sticking point and would be freed by King. (9) |
1. | Arbitrary names usually make weak clues. | 2. | Does "C" abbreviate "cleared"? Not seen this before. | 3. | Is "murderous" the anagram indicator? And who is Alexi? |
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35. Mythical weapon Blair excuse largely involved |
1. | Great anagram idea, but removal of SE needs to be more explicitly indicated |
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36. Old bore heard this legend in the King's Arms |
1. | Nice straightforward clue with a clever definition, but "told" instead of "heard" might have been even better. 4 points. | 2. | Best of the calibre homophones – nice and simple. |
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37. Old dog's a liberal legend, a kingmaker! (9) |
1. | There's nothing to indicate that A LIB needs to be inserted in EX CUR. |
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38. Old sword was of sound quality(9) |
1. | I don't buy was = ex | 2. | "Was" does not equal ex, and "of sound quality" is dubious. | 3. | 38 Simple and straightforward. Good! |
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40. Quality, it's said, once led the way – only a true king could have such steel |
1. | Wordplay OK, definition rather long-winded. | 2. | What is the role of 'the way'? Just seems to be padding |
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41. Romantic hero pulled this once talent was perceived |
1. | Nicely constructed clue. Perceived can mean heard but it's not very convincing as a homophone indicator. 1 point. |
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42. See a Liberal behind vote to stay in Europe? Steel as before |
1. | See for C needs a homophone indicator. "Steel as before" is an inadequate definition. | 2. | Nice historical reference if you remember 1975 | 3. | 42 Nice idea here – would have given more than one point for better last three words. |
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43. Semi-heroical king (Uther's first-born) managed to find his sword |
1. | Not sure what "semi-heroical" means. "Uther's first-born" for UB is unorthodox, but why not? | 2. | Don't much like indirect anagrams, otherwise a pretty neat clue |
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44. Skipping tea, lubricate axe shoddily – what's the point? |
1. | Surface reading is nonsense, I'm afraid. |
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45. Stone weapon? No, mythical blade from the same place dividing former state and ancient city. (9) |
1. | The first three words are only there to give context to "from the same place", making this very clunky. |
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46. Sword of State almost split old stone up |
1. | I don't think "sword" is good enough for the defintion. |
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47. Take edges off fireaxe and meld with club to create legendary weapon |
1. | Surface reading is not convincing. |
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48. Take exception to corrupt Blair protecting Sun – essentially a powerful hacker? |
1. | Nice wordplay, but it's not clear in the surface reading who or what the powerful hacker is meant to be. | 2. | Works quite well despite the many components, but I'm not sure about the 'hacker' part |
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49. The legendary Sabre, perhaps, gives extra quality to the Listener |
1. | Nice clue though it requires specialised knowledge, and it's unconvincing to suggest that Excalibur might have been a sabre. 2 points. |
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50. The point of Art? |
1. | Needs some wordplay | 2. | The Collins reference given doesn't support point = sword. Art could be any old Arthur. | 3. | Would have thought that the point would be the tip of the blade and not the blade itself | 4. | A beautiful definition but I like to see supporting wordplay. I need two bites at the cherry every time | 5. | A decent try, but you are defining only the tip of the sword rather than Excalibur itself (ie the sword as a whole). |
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51. Topless sex nearly led to libido being halved – extremely unpopular for famous blade (9) |
1. | I can't believe that topless sex would lead to a loss of libido. | 2. | Surface seems contrived, I mean who ever says 'libido was halved'? |
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52. Was once of a suitable steely character we hear, being King Arthur's protector? |
1. | Rather long-winded approach to the EX CALIBRE homophone. |
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53. Was this got direct from stone as told, thrown back, to foreign lake returned? |
1. | Not keen on the 'reversed homophone' | 2. | No-one could reasonably be expected to get IBUR from "Stone as told, thrown back". | 3. | Extremely complicated. Even with the explanation, I'm not sure I really get it | 4. | 53 My favourite. Can the "thrown back" and "returned" repetition be avoided? I've tried and failed, but the poetic ring of the clue is nice, |
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