The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC May competition voters’ comments
 
Clue no. 21: Make Australian drunk with shots of absinthe, rum and tequila. Forget A.A.! Going there might turn him violent

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A clue to MARKET (SPONGE) (Wrong Number).
5 comments refer to this clue (from 4 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the clue
1.I'm not keen on wordplay that adds and subtracts the same letters
2.far too long and contrived, lost interest
3.Most editors would reject such a long clue.
4.The wordplay is a bit too convoluted and perhaps 'going to this' would be a more accurate definition ?
 
Comments on the competition
1.
No picnic this month, but plenty of sponge CAKEs in evidence, being the most popular second definition (10 from 42 clues: 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 15, 23, 31, 34 and 40*). It wasn't a tea-party either, with 9 DRUNKs, 6* doing double duty as anagram indicators in the wordplay (7, 9*, 11*, 16, 17, 18*, 21*, 26*, and 37*) and 4 BUMs (all anagram indicators) (2*, 27, 30 and 35*), and a further 6 clues also using definitions involving cadging of some form (6, 19, 24, 38, 39 and 41*). 7 clues cleaned up in 6 different ways(1, 10, 20, 28, 32, 36 and 42) and another one even squeezed in two of these definitions ! (33) Four clues were simply absorbing (14*, 22*, 25 and 29) and just one was DRAINing (3). All but 3 clues (24, 25 and 29) complied with the request for a single-word definition of SPONGE and in one clue this definition contributed to neither the wordplay nor definition for MARKET (6).

The main clue was marketed in a variety of ways, with DEMAND not surprisingly driving supply (4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17*). FAIR (10, 18* and 30), TRADE (23, 25 and 40), SALE (2*, 5 and 28) and STALLS (26, 34 and 38) were equally represented, with appearances from other variations on buying and selling (20, 24 and 23) and possible venues (BAZAAR (1 and 37), SHOP (7 and 39), STORE (35* and 36)). Four entrants chose to define by example (16, 19, 29 and 32) in addition to 2 clever and lit clues (22* and 41*).