Clue-writing competitions are common on the internet. There are a number of different types like the public ones run through the Google group, rec.puzzles.crosswords, or club ones like the Times or in the ACC’s magazine, CroZworld. Sometimes they are impromptu, like in DA’s blog, or are an established part of a blog like Alan Connor’s Guardian crossword blog. Generally they all work the same way: a word or phrase is supplied and entrants simply have to write a clue that matches. Adjudication can vary, sometimes it’s just one person picking their favourite and sometimes (on an open forum) a vote is taken with points awarded for the top clues.
English was my worst subject at school, but I always did well in exams. My teacher couldn’t understand why I couldn’t reproduce my exam “form” in set essays and other classwork. For me it was simple: my best under pressure was better than most – given time and no pressure others could catch up and overtake me. I was the exception: more time didn’t seem to make much difference. It’s not exactly the same for me when writing clues, but I think for most, more time definitely means a “better” clue. More time to research, consider different approaches, and tweak. Clue-writing competitions give the amateur a chance to explore multiple scenarios, and when you multiply this with lots of people all working on the same word, you are bound to get some special submissions. But just how “good” are the clues that win clue-writing competitions? I some ways, entrants are working in an artificial environment with only one word to consider, unlike a normal setter who must consider every word and answer as part of a crossword. One thing’s for sure, with so many “good” clues around, a clue without good surface won’t get a look-in. An adjudicator has a difficult job as their environment is also artificial as they have the answer so the solving part isn’t there: they must judge solely on the best fit without going through the experience of delving and revelation.
The ACC has a monthly clue-writing competition adjudicated by Michael Kennedy, a well-credentialled solver and ACC setter who has done well in the Times clue-writing competition. The recent issue of CrOzworld required clues for TROUBLESHOOT and the winning clue was: Fix broken tooth – there’s money in it! (12), but what caught my eye, and the reason I’m writing about this today, was another clue: Fix broken tooth with injection of Russian money (12). The construction is identical, but clearly the winning clue reads better. But there’s something the second one has that the first doesn’t: a wordplay construction that could lead the solver to the answer. The first asks a lot of “money”, a word that has 100s of possible results (singular and plural), and would most likely reveal the right choice only in hindsight. To some extent the adjudicator (as with all clue-writing adjudicators) doesn’t really get to solve the clue, that is they aren’t acting like a solver, they are just matching clue and answer: Does it work technically? Is there equality between clue component and answer component? How well does it read? Also difficulty might be hard to assess as having the answer in front of you clouds the evaluation process. The second clue has a realistic chance of providing the answer, and many people prefer to solve clues this way. In this respect the second clue is better – it’s definitely easier – but a winning clue must have all the boxes ticked especially the surface reading, which lets down this clue slightly. The first clue is the right choice from a clue-writing competition point-of-view, but may not be a setter’s choice in a crossword – it would depend on a number of factors like the overall difficulty desired by the setter, which letters are crossed, and the audience.
Do you think a crossword full of winning entries would make a great puzzle?
Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | TIPPLE | |
Join together outside quiet place to drink (6) | TIE outside (P + PL) | |
4 | SEA PERCH | |
Ocean swimmer’s urine mostly used in examination (3,5) | (PE)E inside SEARCH | |
10 | CROSS THE RUBICON | |
Various sorts, captivated by one angelic image, take decisive action (5,3,7) | Anagram of SORTS inside CHERUB + ICON | |
11 | IN A TRICE | |
I returned brown rice promptly (2,1,5) | I + (TAN reversed) + RICE | |
12 | MIDDLE | |
Centre piece’s diameter doubled in length (6) | (D + D) inside MILE | |
13 | SKIP | |
Leave out captain (4) | Double Definition | |
14 | COLLEAGUES | |
Associates use legal manoeuvring going after company (10) | Anagram of USE LEGAL after CO | |
18 | CONTACTING | |
Kid heading to the performance is getting through (10) | CON + (T)HE + ACTING | |
19 | SHAG | |
Cormorant has relocated back to bog (4) | Anagram of HAS + BO(G) | |
22 | NEPHEW | |
Write back to hack’s relative (6) | PEN reversed + HEW | |
24 | SUBTRACT | |
Take away a replacement leaflet (8) | SUB + TRACT | |
26 | OPERATING SYSTEM | |
Crook paying store to hold back essential software (9,6) | Anagram of PAYING STORE + STEM | |
27 | RED ALERT | |
Governor finally altered broadcasted state of extreme emergency (3,5) | GOVERNO(R) + anagram of ALTERED | |
28 | KENYAN | |
Pole carried by chief – an African (6) | N inside KEY + AN | |
Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
1 | TACTICS | |
Opening of channels in diplomacy is strategy (7) | (C)HANNELS in (TACT + IS) | |
2 | PROBATION | |
Expert staff embracing one testing time (9) | PRO + (BATON outside I) | |
3 | LOSERS | |
The defeated participants in races resolutely stood up (6) | raceS RESOLutely reversed | |
5 | ECRU | |
Piece of apple crumble is light brown (4) | applE CRUmble | |
6 | PUBLICAN | |
Pressure in a club unsettled hotel manager (8) | P + anagram of IN A CLUB | |
7 | RACED | |
Great driver, in centre of road, went quickly (5) | ACE inside RD | |
8 | HANGERS | |
People responsible for suspension and resentment in high school (7) | ANGER in HS | |
9 | CHECK OUT | |
Examine groove on the exterior of broken choke (5,3) | CUT outside anagram of CHOKE | |
15 | LANGUAGE | |
Communication device left attached to an adjusted gauge (8) | L + AN + anagram of GAUGE | |
16 | UNHEALTHY | |
Weak youth, losing out, returned following surgery on the ulna (9) | (YOUTH minus OUT) reversed after anagram of THE ULNA | |
17 | HATE MAIL | |
Mate involved in heavy fall sent threatening letters (4,4) | Anagram of MATE inside HAIL | |
18 | CANDOUR | |
Put an end to strict freedom of speech (7) | CAN + DOUR | |
20 | GATEMAN | |
Doorkeeper recalled personal identifier (7) | NAMETAG reversed | |
21 | ETHYNE | |
They distributed neon gas used in industry (6) | Anagram of THEY + NE | |
23 | PLEAD | |
Pressure applied to conduct petition (5) | P + LEAD | |
25 | TIER | |
Drop in sound level (4) | Sounds like TEAR |
Hi David,
in 10-ac, what is “one” doing?
25-dn had me flummoxed. Very nice.
Steve = : ^ )
The “one” is needed to make “angelic” a nounal term that equates with “cherub”. Hope that makes sense.
David
It does indeed, and I understand. I was reading it as one indication: “angelic image” = “cherub icon”, but I should have realised that’s too dodgy for a Stickler.
Thanks,
Steve = : ^ )
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