From: jholden@netcom.com (Jeremy Holden)
Subject: CWC13: Clues for Word 2 [SPOILER]
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 00:32:09 GMT
Organization: Windward

Here are the collected clues for the second word of contest CWC13.
The word was FACULTY.  In general people did not seem to find this
word very hard to clue, so I apologise if it was too easy.

The submitter's explanation of the clue follows the clue in square
brackets.  My comments follow in braces.  Lack of a comment on my
part does not mean I did not like the clue.

Again, there were several clues that I particularly liked and were
potential winners.  The one I chose was:

  Teachers aren't perfect about a passing grade. (7)
      [FACULTY =   FAULTY      around      C]
      { This breakdown, FAULTY around C was the most popular.
        Although this clue is simple,  I think it works well. }

Some other clues using the same derivation:

  This is out of order if restricting head of class (7)

      [C(lass) in FAULTY (= out of order); &lit:
      faculty should be _encouraging_ best students]
      { This was a very close second place.  &lit clues are
        always hard to do well, but this is a pretty good one. }

  About 100 like southern California teaching staff (7)

     [teaching staff = FACULTY = FAULTY (like southern Calif.) 
                                           around 100 = C  i.e. FA(C)ULTY]
     { Also a nice clue, the hint for faulty is topical.
       Is this a reference to the age of the staff at UCLA? }
       

  Number in broken sense. (7)

      [C (100) in FAULTY = FACULTY (sense)]
      { Nice and brief (always a virtue).  I prefer the surface reading
        of the next clue }

  Caught in wrong department. (7)

      [C (caught) in FAULTY (wrong) = FACULTY = department.]


  See in imperfect capacity (7)

      [C (see) in FAULTY,  "capacity" --> defn]
      {Is it OK to use "see" as a clue for C with no other indication?}

There were also several uses of the derivation FAY around CULT:

  Religion embraced by supernatural power. (7)

      [defn. = power; CULT (religion) in FAY (supernatural)]
      {An excellent straightforward clue.}

  Educators join, including religious group.

      [FACULTY (Educators) = FAY (join, I believe that this originally comes
       from ship-building. In any event, fay meaning to join or fit closely
       is in any dictionary) including CULT (religious group)]
      { This certainly had me hunting in the dictionary.  It seems that
        fay really does mean join, so the clue works and is made quite
        tough by this obscure synonym. }

  Staff that would have found King Kong's original love without the clique (7)

      [FACULTY (Staff) = FAY (ref. to Fay Wray) around CULT]
      { I liked the definition of fay.  The surface meaning for this
        clue eluded me. }


  Ability to have an earthquake outside?  California's first, yes. (7)

      [FAULT (to have an earthquake) outside C (California's first)
       + Y (Yes) = FACULTY = Ability]
      {Good attempt to combine the notion of earthquakes and California.
       I'm not sure that fault means precisely "to have an earthquake"}


  A mad professor might lose this? (7)
      {Well, I really liked this clue but was not quite brave enough
       to select it.  It is succinct and I think it is reasonably
       soluble, the use of professor should be enough of a hint to
       get to faculty.}


  Noteworthy group religiously goes to familiar gym to build skill.
      [FA (a note) +  CULT  +  Y  (gym) => def SKILL ]
      {Interesting construction.  I think that Note<->Noteworthy
       and Cult<->Religiously are both a bit loose. }

  Fat lucy moving about in the department ?

      [Anagram of 'Fat lucy'.
      'in the department' = indirect meaning, thus the `?'.]


  Professors wrong about physicians' sixth sense (7)

     [For the surface meaning, imagine a university study of physicians'
     intuition.  The charade has "wrong"=FAULTY surrounding ("about") C,
     the sixth letter of "physicians"; this leaves the two definitions of
     FACULTY: "Professors" and "sense". ]
     {Definitely an interesting clue.  I'm not sure that I have ever seen
      this kind of cryptic clue with a double definition before.  I wonder
      whether a solver would find this fair.}


  Power to cut a fly in flight?(7).

      [FACULTY (power) is anag CUT A FLY (anag. ind.) in flight]
      {A good anagram, well composed. }

  Powerful cat ravaged my rear. (7)

     [POWER   --- (FUL CAT ravaged) (MY rear)
      faculty         facult           y ]
     {Without some hint that Powerful should be read as Power ful, this is
      too hard (for me at least) to decipher.  But the surface meaning
      is excellent. }

Two perfectly good hidden clues:

  Part of a cult you sense (7)

      [hidden: oF A CULT You]

  In trouble if a cult yields power. (7)

      [hidden:  iF A CULT Yields.. ]

Thanks for your participation.  Any thoughts or criticisms you
have about the clues or judging will be welcomed.

  Regards
     Jeremy

-------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Holden                              jholden@netcom.com
The Windward Group                         (408) 358-1755
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles