CCCWC April competition voters’ comments

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A clue to CHOKEY.
50 comments were received for this competition (from 10 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
Some nice topical clues with the approaching election 28 33 34. "Hockey" seems too close to the spelling of "chokey" to be a worthwhile anagram 8 23 24 26 42. Hockey is perhaps better done as a reference to a game, well executed in 5 7 11 29. "Prison" 1 3 9 16 20 31 42 43 44 45 and "jail" 46 50 are perhaps too straightforward as definitions; more interesting (and allowing a more misleading surface reading) are the slang words such as "nick" 11 33 34, "stir" 4 29, "cooler" 17 28, "can" 5 6 7 8 51, "stretch" 49 which offer multiple possible other meanings.

Comments on the competition

Some nice topical clues with the approaching election 28 33 34.

"Hockey" seems too close to the spelling of "chokey" to be a worthwhile anagram 8 23 24 26 42. Hockey is perhaps better done as a reference to a game, well executed in 5 7 11 29.

"Prison" 1 3 9 16 20 31 42 43 44 45 and "jail" 46 50 are perhaps too straightforward as definitions; more interesting (and allowing a more misleading surface reading) are the slang words such as "nick" 11 33 34, "stir" 4 29, "cooler" 17 28, "can" 5 6 7 8 51, "stretch" 49 which offer multiple possible other meanings.

Comments on the clues

1. Ball and chain earlier basic in prison

1.	Surface makes no sense.

2. Block with small yard?

1.	Very neat & lit.
2.	Neat but not enough definition for me.

3. Boring job about to become crucial in prison

1.	Really like the wordplay, but the "direction" of the link 'in' doesn't feel quite right – 'for' or 'to' perhaps?
2.	I like the word play but the definition feels too straightforward.

4. Bung that finished off Tory created stir?

1.	'That finished off' doesn't mean 'that which finishes off'
2.	I feel that "finished off" doesn't clearly indicate the selection of the last letter from the succeeding word.

5. Can be caught when moving to the front in ball game

1.	'Can be' does not mean 'can is' unless it's Talk Like A Pirate Day

7. Can move about to lead the game

1.	Better version of 5.

8. Can result from rigging hockey

1.	Surface doesn't work.

11. Caught pushing forward in game, getting a nick

1.	Better version of same idea as 7. Technically, I think chokey = 'nick' or 'the nick' not "a nick". 4 has it right.
2.	The best of the "move the c in hockey" clues, excellent surface reading with confusing inference of cricket.
3.	A very neatly worked cricketing clue, excellent use of 'a nick'

12. Chapter “O”, vital to where one may begin and end a sentence

1.	The 'O' looks very forced

13. Cloggy, off the wall Hockney has lost direction but has energy

1.	I think this would be unsolvable and incomprehensible without the explanation.
2.	Surface doesn't work for me

14. Clubs phoney Indian watchman

1.	10 uses this idea rather better

18. Enterprising department once leaves fruit for guard

1.	Much too difficult.

21. Having left India, Trunchbull's cooler here (6)

1.	Impossible to solve

22. He swallows ok in extremely chewy porridge

1.	Is he in the porridge swallowing ok, or is he swallowing the porridge ok in? Neither makes much sense.
2.	Porridge is a prison sentence, not a prison.
3.	Surface awkward

23. Hockey brawls fill the sin bin!(6)

1.	Does hockey use the sin bin? Rugby and ice-hockey do – see 26. Fills is padding.

24. Hockey's messy penalty box? (6)

1.	best of hockey clues
2.	Nice idea

25. Housebreaking: minimum of court's answer?

1.	Not sure minimum of court works as an indicator for C

26. Ice-hockey foul – leave ice for sin bin

1.	Good surface but duplication of ice makes it a bit too obvious

27. Leader of can-can can be dropped from popular dance? Can indeed!

1.	A bit too convoluted and the hyphen is unfairly misleading

29. Leading with clubs in game causes a stir

1.	This doesn't quite indicate to me that the C needs to change position in the word.
2.	Think prison is "stir", not "a stir". Not sure the solver can work this out.

31. Native American tribe removed before adding first Yankee prison

1.	Needs some indication that the synonym of 'before' is split.

32. Nick Cage ?

1.	A germ of a nice idea, but how do you get 'Chokey' from 'Nick Cage'?
2.	There are many.synonyms of 'prison', and this could clue any of them.
3.	Does not lead to a unique solution, if solved on its own. It could be PRISON, COOLER or LOCKUP in addition to CHOKEY.
4.	Unfortunately Cage always spells his name NIC, with no K.

33. Nick Clegg's beginning to get too sentimental

1.	'To get' is slightly unsatisfactory, but a nice idea.
2.	Simple and seasonal.

34. Nick contrived to back leader of Conservatives

1.	Best surface of the Nick Clegg clues. Would "to support" have worked better?
2.	Simple but effective, with a very nice surface. Lovely clue!

35. Nick's bird, Kitty, can help to start car? Why, you say?

1.	Piling on the definitions is more likely to spoil a clue than improve it. Nick or Kitty would be fine on their own.

37. Night-watchman contrived to follow captain's lead

1.	Good surface
2.	Surface works well for those who are familiar with cricket

39. Pen gag that's funny at last

1.	Succinct and very effective

40. Pick removes ice with decisive ‘clink’

1.	Almost voted, but "removes" doesn't work. This would have been better IMHO: Pick removing ice with decisive clink. (no need for quotes)

43. Prison church has no solution

1.	I can't equate O or zero with 'no'

50. Two islands one of them is old in jail.

1.	I can't make sense of the surface reading.

51. Ultimately angry after heroin's found in fizzy drink can (6)

1.	Extremely angry might work better as surface?
2.	Nice clue, but IMHO: "Extremely angry…" would have worked even better.

52. Where should drug smuggling – heroin, say – lead you?

1.	I don't agree with the misleading punctuation, or that 'lead you' = Y