The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC February competition voters’ comments

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A clue to RED-HOT.
51 comments were received for this competition (from 7 competitors, 1 other)

Here is the text

Comments on the competition
1.
Red-hot was too hot to handle? It appears so from low average hotness of clues.
2.
As a set of clues, rather less than red-hot, I fear!
 
Comments on the clues
1. 20% microfibre 80% cotton cloth is extremely warm.
1.Indicator needs precision: 20% microfiber is also ic, ib, …
2. A fervid horse tout might resolve to expose such favourites !
1.surface prose too unnatural (for my liking)
3. A porridge of thin rolled oats for this dead-cert stallion.
1.'Stallion' is redundant in the definition
2.Comp. anags best suit '& lits'. Here the wordplay is the whole clue but the def is only a small part, the rest looking irrelevant.
4. Are dhotis scorching on the inside?
1.The way it's written, 'on the inside' describes 'scorching' not 'are dhotis'.
5. Balls crosses Miliband? Hard to get excited
1.Logically needs an indication of 'example' with Balls (so might go to Azed's waste-bin) but I'll give it a point for originality.
6. Be this getting terribly bothered?
1.I think that the other 'when anagrind fodder' works better than 'getting anagrind fodder', which seems the wrong way around.
2.If one reads it the correct way it works.
7. Be this when outrageously bothered?
1.If one reads it the correct way it works.
9. Caught up in a bunch of flames.(3,3)
1.I don't see how this works as a cryptic clue
10. Charlie leaves torched potty flushed.
1.What does the surface mean?
14. Exciting bit of design stitched to her dresses (3-3)
1.I don´t think ´stitched´ works as an anagram indicator.
2.'her' in the surface reading is weak: there's no previous reference to the name of the (mystery) 'her'.
15. Extreme cases of OCD expect rubbish put in order
1.Good. Surface would read better with '…expect rubbish to be put in order'.
16. Extreme is about Lawrence to go backwards.
1.What does the surface mean?
2.Clues need precision if they are to be fair. Strictly, DH does not = Lawrence (DH = Lawrence's initials).
17. Extreme left-winger gets nicked.
1.Works fine but surface story rather pointless (why 'gets nicked' rather than, say, 'goes shopping'?)
18. Extremely bothered or het up?
1.'Extremely' doesn't properly identify the last letter
19. Extremely exciting kind of poker (6)
1.Erroneous, therefore unfair as a clue: red-hot is an adjective, 'kind of poker' is a noun
20. Fresh out of the forge, the rod is hammered into a new shape (3-3)
1.One for the better 'the rod' clues, but anagram indication could be more concise
2.'is' looks wrong; 'got' would have done it
21. Friend regularly sexually attractive is very busy with calls
1.Clue works fine but 'regularly sexually attractive' looks odd in the surface reading
22. Garbage bags emptied, emptied by hand – this is completely new!
1.The comma looks wrong (wordplay needs 'emptied emptied') and my Chambers doesn't have hand = h.
23. How piece of copper turns when getting torched (3-3)
1.I see the potential for the comp anag but don't see that the clue's 'how' makes it work correctly.
24. In demure dhoti, yet dead sexy
1.Not bad. I think 'Dead sexy in …' would have been better
2.The 'yet' is spurious in the clue (= wordplay + def) i.e. the clue is erroneous.
25. Indian may be spotted in cashmere dhoti
1.'Indian may be' does not indicate an adjective (red-hot).
26. It's very popular to herd bucks
1.Two words would 'buck', not 'bucks'. Any such (grammatical) error is unfair to the solver.
27. Left tap's degree code?
1.The clue should be for an adjective (red-hot); this one isn't.
28. Lenin angry! Creating much excitement
1.Lenin? e.g. Lenin. Nil points.
29. Nailed on the Rood, but not an ordinary criminal
1.I think it's the victory that's nailed on and not the favourite
2.I don't see a meaning of 'criminal' that indicates an anagram.
30. On horse in finish before the last at Ascot. It's almost a dead cert! (3-3)
1.Horse (= heroin) = h? Not in my (big red) book.
31. Painfully throbbed when a gun is fired for being extremely popular
1.The surface makes little sense
2.Painful doesn't suggest an anagram to me.
32. Prime bread, very warm and fresh (3-3)
1.Don't think prime is the same as "prime letters of"
2.Prime bread = r e d? Clever idea but flawed grammatically.
34. Recently received banter with thorn at it's heart
1.I'm afraid the apostrophe blows this clue's chances
36. Ruby Sharp is furious! (3-3)
1.A convenient name but it makes a less than compelling clue
42. Strongly fancied horse in point-to-point runs up front
1.h = horse: from which dictionary is that?
45. The rod made bum painful to touch?
1.Nicely disguised if not very adventurous anagram
48. Type of adult entertainment that precedes poker
1.'Red-hot' is an adjective. 'Type of adult entertainment' is not.
50. Unlike outdated property, other renovated houses sold finally
1.Red hot is more than just 'unlike' outdated
2.Nice try but the def. is too vague.
51. Very excited member stuffing Bangalore dhoti
1.Worthy of Private Eye
52. Very fashionable metallic colour used in branding?
1.Good idea, but 'metallic colour' doesn't quite work for me
54. Violent revolutionary activist wanted by police.
1.Don't have 'wanted by police = hot' in my dictionaries: so as a solver I'd not be sure I had the right answer.
55. With such a tip, certain to be first maître d'hôtel admitted
1.Nicely spotted hidden word, and clever surface
2.Good idea poorly executed. Better would be something like: "Well-tipped maitre d'hotel welcomes me in."