From: tomd@bali.amd.com (Tom Deneau)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles.crosswords
Subject: CWC10 -- First Word Clue List (SPOILER)
Date: 24 Jul 92 23:57:30 GMT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Austin TX




If you don't want to see the words for Clue Writing Competition 10,
skip this article now.














The following are the CWC10 clues for the first word,
CONSIDERABLE. I counted 29 entries. For the winner, I picked

Is it significant silence, or bad disposition? (12)

which is a fairly brief anagram clue.  It read well,
I liked the anagram indicator, and the clue was worded
such that a solver might be misled to expect a double definition
or the word bad being an anagram indicator.  As other judges
have mentioned, it wasn't easy to pick one winner (and
justify it) and some of the other clues were very close seconds.

In what follows, I have tried to group the clues by type; I have not
tried to order them by merit. The explanations given are the author's although
in some cases, I have paraphrased them to save space. Comments by me
are in brackets. If the clue was straight forward and, IMHO, sound, I
may not have made any comment.



C (ONSIDER anag) ABLE
---------------------

It is important that message includes "No Rides Arranged!"  (12)
	CABLE (message) includes ONSIDER (NO RIDES arranged)

The cable about the wayward drone is signifcant.(12)
                   C (anag. of DRONEIS) ABLE

[The surface meaning didn't quite click for me in these two.]




C(ONSIDE + R)ABLE
-----------------
Lengthy telegram had condition for hike to river (12)
      C(ONSIDE + R)ABLE (Being onside is, of course,
	 a condition for a legal hike (snap from center))

[Good clue and double use of hike; a "close second"] 




CONSIDER+ABLE
-----------------
[Since these all broke the word into its natural roots,
they somehow felt less "cryptic" than some of the others.]

Think and you can be big. (12)

Let him ponder, can he do something so large? (12)

Think on with skill, of some importance. (12)

Significant number who think they can (12)


HIDDEN REVERSAL
------------------

Quite some number in brothel: bared is no change back (12)

Large find in navel bared is no crisis when reversed. (12)

[The surface meaning didn't quite click for me
in these two, either]


CON(SIDE)RABLE anag
----------------------
Great team in Barcelona fails to finish, unfortunately. (12)
	SIDE in BARCELONA-A(anag.)

[good surface reading; a "close second"]



CON+SIDE+R+ABLE
-----------------
Worthy of respect, though not pro, the team started rested and fit. (12)
		           CON        SIDE         R         ABLE

Against the team, right can be worthy of respect(12)
CON	    SIDE  R     ABLE


Much is not right, after minor fit. (12)
        CON   R          SIDE ABLE    (side, as in side interest)
[I pictured someone playing a bridge hand in clubs or diamonds?]

Conservative party can take republican in, that's not trivial. (12)
CON	     SIDE  ABLE      R
[Conservative -> Con?]


ANAGRAM
-------
[ In addition to the winning clue, there were 7 other anagram clues].



Much shaking of cold beer a sin. (12)

Large old beer can is recycled. (12)

[ Two beer anagrams.  I felt the second one read
  better but I couldn't quite picture it]



It's significant that you mostly desire no black (12)
             anagram of desire no blac = CONSIDERABLE
[I couldn't see mostly telling me to drop the K]


What arouses clone?  Beard is important (12)
	(anag "clone beard is"; considerable = important;
	reference to the gay "clone" image)

Deisel carbon level is significant. (12)
[Nice and short].

Soldier can be ranked major (12)
[Nice and short.  Unusual anagram indicator.  A "close second"]


Important cable on insider information (12)
   
	  Anag of (_in_ _formation_) CABLE ON SIDER (the SIDER bit is _in_ 
 	 the CABLE ON bit)

[I didn't like the way IN was used here and also INFORMATION
as the anagram indicator]




CONSIDER+(T)ABLE
----------------

It's great to contemplate topless figures. (12)
	 CONSIDER(=contemplate) + {T}ABLE(=figures; i.e.
   	arrangement of numerical information)
[figures->table seemed remote]


CON+SIDER+ABLE
--------------

Against the partisan, having the skill makes one worthy of respect. (12)


CON+SIDERABLE(anag)
-------------------
Worth thinking about a desirable arrangement after the start of conflict. (12)
[start = first three letters of ??]

Quite against desirable change (12).
[nice and tight but my dictionary shows quite as an adverb,
whereas considerable is an adjective]

SOUNDS LIKE
-----------
Think about a papal document -- I hear it's significant (12)
 CONSIDER   A   BULL    
[Wasn't comfortable with the bull sound]
     

INDIRECT ANAGRAM
----------------
 Substantial cocktail made by European sailor with just one rind. (12)
	European => EC ("European Community")
  	 sailor => AB ("Able Bodied seaman")
   	just one => sole
	+ RIND all anagrammed

[ Too indirect for me.]


OTHER
-----
[Provided with the senders comments]

Look, fit prisoners idle about bareback. (12)
Look=CONSIDER
fit=ABLE
prisoners=CONS
idle about bareback = ID ERAB LE

















 Tom Deneau                    {uunet, cs.utexas.edu!ames}!amdcad!cayman!tomd
 Advanced Micro Devices, Austin TX     +1 512 462 4952     tom.deneau@AMD.COM
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles