ordStats| Clues in archive | First Prizes | Other Prizes | VHCs | HCs | Hons points | First mention | Latest mention | Career span |
Also listed as | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Whittaker | 45 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 60 | 48 | Dec 1989 | Mar 2022 | 32y 3m | A. Whittaker |
| Clue word | Award | Clue | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | ||||
| 2582 | ACHITOPHEL | VHC | OT chap I held devious, wanting the smallest hint of decency, an unscrupulous counsellor | anag. less d |
| 2020-2021 | ||||
| 2534 | BOTTLE-WASHER | VHC | Figaro, e.g., whose blatter tumbled out | anag.; ref Rossini’s ‘Largo al factotum’ |
| 2530 | STUDENTY | VHC | Tendency to lose book in dusty, untidy surroundings – just like an undergrad! | (b)ent in anag. |
| 2525 | PLACITUM | VHC | Floundering POTUS initially criticises mail, so this might result | comp. anag. incl. c, & lit.; ref. Trump’s distrust of postal votes |
| 2019-2020 | ||||
| 2512 | OSCITATE | VHC | Broadcast sitcom repeat, over and over? That would make poor me —— | comp. anag. incl. o o, & lit. |
| 2504 | UPBEAT | VHC | Seeing glass half full, pub drunk gets last of bottle before time | anag. + e, a, t |
| 2490 | DREAMSCAPE | VHC | Dali masterpiece arranges it bizarrely, creating composition of this with tigers, inter alia | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. Dali’s ‘Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee’ |
| 2482 | VOX POP | VHC | Trump’s no. 2 for instance, adopts a bovine, narrow-minded definition of public opinion | ox po in VP |
| 2477 | SPRAT-WEATHER | VHC | In this one could see parts wreathed in fog, without a smidgin of doubt | anag. less d, & lit. |
| 2473 | INTERPLAY | VHC | Reciprocal actions e.g. between Mars and Venus entwined aren’t hidden from view | interplanetary less anag.; ref. Greek mythology |
| 2469 | GUDDLE (Spoonerisms) | VHC | Aberdonians grunt in rivers, hoping gold’s to be found around sources of Dee and Don | Aberdonian’s hunt … groping; D, D in gule |
| 2018-2019 | ||||
| 2451 | CAPUT | VHC | A head as seen in ancient Rome, with pileus on top | cap + ut, & lit. |
| 2443 | ERATHEM (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | If only Paris had shown h/ost respect | ref. Hera, the judgment of P. |
| 2438 | MONTE DI PIETÀ | VHC | Pawn in one, at time when in distress | dip in anag. & lit. |
| 2428 | SHEPHERDS | VHC | They handle crooks in possession of little bits of pot with it | hep in sherds |
| 2425 | EPILIMNION | VHC | One in limpid, endlessly fluctuating, warm layer of water | anag. less d |
| 2417 | ALTARAGE / PROPOSAL (Right and Left) | VHC | Excited at a large church offering suggestion for too-solemn contents of psalm | anag.; pro po + (p)sal(m) |
| 2412 | UBIQUARIAN | VHC | Buffeted barque hit a tsunami, lost the mast at sea – it’s all over | anag. less anag. |
| 2017-2018 | ||||
| 2408 | LUNCHEONETTE | VHC | A smart —— might serve up meat (lean) or chestnut (pureed) | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2386 | PENNY-A-LINER | VHC | Hack nearly in penury when short of acceptable lines | anag. less U ry, & lit. |
| 2378 | PROPOSAL | VHC | Bid for mate that involves one ring, then a second | pro + O, s in pal, & lit.; engagement/wedding rings |
| 2369 | FACETIAE | VHC | Porn star engaged in feat I found perverted | ace in anag. |
| 2016-2017 | ||||
| 2334 | ALLELUIAH | VHC | Replacement of EU? All hail! (What Brexiteers cried in June) | anag. & lit. |
| 2324 | CELEBRATIONS | VHC | You have drunk beer a lot in between start and end of Christmas, and old ales too | anag. in C, s; see ale |
| 2015-2016 | ||||
| 2287 | VALET | VHC | Travel all over the place? Take getting unpacked – he’ll help with that | anag. less r, & lit. |
| 2274 | SIMPATICO | VHC | Ill-disposed amici stop being this | anag. & lit. |
| 2265 | ESPRIT FORT | VHC | This could be troubled priest in quest of truth, remorselessly | anag. + for + t(ruth) |
| 2250 | MILESTONE (with missing O) (Missing Letter) | VHC | Stage fund reorganized in Leno’s time | found; anag. ref. Dan L. |
| 2014-2015 | ||||
| 2239 | ERADIATE (Spoonerisms) | Second | Bend seems to widen, with ‘50’ sign disappearing after a time | send beams; era + di(L)ate |
| 2235 | CHOCK-A-BLOCK | VHC | Wine in a two-litre measure put on bar once is full | hock in cab + lock; see SOED for measure |
| 2013-2014 | ||||
| 2196 | SEMANTRA / TRABEATE (Overlaps) | VHC | Pounding means bars struck in Orthodox churches, constructed with beams, are battered, smashed with no sign of stopping | anag.; anag. less red |
| 2183 | SANGRAIL | Second | What develops mad plot with this? A production of Spamalot, darling! | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. musical based on ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ |
| 2174 | CHARET (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Monsters in Scottish lo/re, a sure jackpot for tourist board | |
| 2170 | SAYONARA | VHC | So long a yarn, so rambling – and just beginning! | anag. + a |
| 2168 | CENTURY (with missing C) (Missing Letter) | VHC | Military unit one despatched, we hear, united army’s regulars | once; ‘sent’ U +(a)r(m)y |
| 2152 | STUFFED SHIRT | VHC | Did farce take in this ‘translated’ pompous ass? | stuffed + r in anag.; ref. Bottom in MND |
| 2011-2012 | ||||
| 2045 | CATENATE | VHC | Even bits of scrap, a large number corroded, make chains | c, a + ten ate; see ten |
| 2010-2011 | ||||
| 2027 | THRENETICAL | VHC | Need cithara – lento, con moto – to compose such an ode | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2023 | CHAMBRANLE | VHC | Ornamental window border seen in church, if old, in sculpted marble | Ch. + an in anag. |
| 2009-2010 | ||||
| 1979 | FAR-OUT | VHC | Dizzy or Fats on Blue Note – such noble tones | comp. anag. & lit.; ref. D. Gillespie, F. Navarro, jazz trumpeters, and record label |
| 1962 | ANADEM | Second | Prize for victors at Olympia and Nemea, with the old not excluded if mobile | anag. less ne |
| 1945 | PRISON | VHC | For porridge, put its two central ingredients, a little salt and oatmeal, in an empty pan | ri s o, all in p(a)n |
| 2008-2009 | ||||
| 1908 | WE THREE KINGS | VHC | Seeking new mother in stables moves us to see inn’s ‘lamb’ | comp. anag. & lit. |
| 2007-2008 | ||||
| 1856 | LITAS (Printer’s Devilry) | VHC | Murali’s doosra sp/un, derailing English batting | ref. M. Muralitharan |
| 1989-1990 | ||||
| 920 | CHRIST-CROSS-ROW | VHC | Take in X, and round X scatter every letter in order | r in chi + cross in strow |
2021-2022
2595 FIFTY YEARS
2586 BALDERDASH
2020-2021
2564 CLEARING
2560 BOMBAST
2551 SPAVIN (Spoonerisms)
2543 CABRETTA
2539 TORSE (Printer’s Devilry)
2521 CHAMBERS
2019-2020
2500 ESPAGN(OLETTE STRENG)THENER (Half and Half)
2464 BRAINPOWER
2017-2018
2403 SWALE (Spoonerisms)
2399 CHARMEUSE
2016-2017
2356 PUBLIC SERVANT
2347 ASLEEP
2338 TRUMP
2325 MASON
2322 VENTRICOSE
2318 TIMENOPENNY (TIMENOGUY) (Penny for the Guy)
2015-2016
2300 MISHMASH
2296 IMPROPERLY
2279 CLEMENTINE
2272 SNOWMOBILE
2270 FENESTRA
2014-2015
2248 WAISTLINE
2226 DOUBLE-PARKING
2222 OBJECT LESSON
2220 A twelve-letter ‘Christmas cracker’ (Christmas Cracker)
2213 SOLECISM
2209 (O)CT(O)BER (Letters Latent)
2205 CUMBERSOME
2200 BRINDISI
2013-2014
2191 PLUG
2187 WEST
2178 PARISON
2165 OUT OF ORDER
2161 FARRAGO
2148 ZOLLVEREIN
2012-2013
2144 INFERNO (Spoonerisms)
2131 DIVES / MALIK (Right and Left)
2113 PICAROON
2109 THICKETY
2096 TRICK
2011-2012
2087 ROCKET
2083 BEWITCH
2074 BENNET
2070 MISTREATMENT
2065 DERMESTIDAE
2010-2011
2014 HACKETTE
2009-2010
1975 SEPTENTRIONAL
1971 WATERMANSHIP
1949 PALFRENIER
2008-2009
1936 LITMUS TEST
1906 MORSE
2007-2008
1871 FAIRY GOLD
1858 HUMONGOUS
2006-2007
1814 HIPSTER
2005-2006
1752 MIDWINTER
2003-2004
1648 MAGIC LANTERN
2001-2002
1544 PATROL (with jumble of RAPTORES) (Christmas Devilry)
1991-1992
1043 PESTO (Printer’s Devilry)
| Year | Prizes (1, 2, 3) | VHCs | HCs | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 0 | 3 | 6 | – |
| 2019-2020 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 2018-2019 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| 2017-2018 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 31 |
| 2016-2017 | 0 | 2 | 6 | – |
| 2015-2016 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 28 |
| 2014-2015 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 1 | 8 | – |
| 2013-2014 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 2012-2013 | 0 | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2011-2012 | 0 | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2010-2011 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 2009-2010 | 1 (0, 1, 0) | 2 | 3 | 27 |
| 2008-2009 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – |
| 2007-2008 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – |
| 2006-2007 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2005-2006 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2003-2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1991-1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1989-1990 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |