| # | Name | Clue | Points | Voters | Anno | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samit Kallianpur | Is water frequently served by them? (10) | 36 | 18 | Letter bank of 'is water'. Frequently served (distributed) is indicator. Def = them (or entire clue as semi& lit?) |
- I don''t quite know the nuances, but reads like a good attempt to me - not too sure about the indicator - I like it, though only E&S are being repeated - Nice idea for a semi &lit. Is it something anyone would ever say? It seems a bit forced. - Nice way to use a letter bank here! |
| 2 | @qpheevr | They’ve been serving drinks—I see straws strewn about (10) | 33 | 20 | (I SEE STRAWS)*; “strewn about” – anagrind; “they’ve been serving drinks” – def. |
- A smooth enough surface with a simple anagram! |
| 3 | Saurabh Upadhyay | Artificial intelligence tracks malware essentially and locks servers (10) | 32 | 15 | AI after (tracks) W (malWare essentially) + TRESSES (locks). Def: servers |
- Well constructed! - wp works. My live-in IT guru tells me the surface is a bit forced. |
| 4 | CrypticBlah | We assist re ordering (10) | 24 | 15 | &lit anagram (ordering) *WEASSISTRE |
- Please see comment on the other clue almost identical. - Great minds think alike! |
| 5 | @LowdownCryptic | We assist re: orders! (10) | 24 | 15 | &lit! (WE ASSIST RE)* - anagrind is "orders" (as a verb), def is entire clue |
- clever; doesn''t need the colon though - I thought this was great until I saw there was another almost identical. For a competition where everyone is clueing for the same word, it''s good to try to think of the obvious and then avoid that. |
| 6 | N Anantakrishnan | It's extremely slow - erase corrupted servers. | 23 | 16 | (it's s w erase)* Def - servers |
- wp works. My live-in IT guru tells me the surface doesn''t really work. |
| 7 | Textrous | I reset AWS's bad servers (10) | 23 | 13 | Def: servers, Anagrind: bad, (I RESET AWSs) |
- What is ''AWS''? |
| 8 | Satyen Nabar | 'Sir, English stew as ordered', they might say (10) | 21 | 14 | (SIR E STEW AS)*; ordered= anagrind, English= E (abbrev) |
- I am very much enjoying this clue. - A creative little clue! |
| 9 | Nicholas Loader | One serving of dessert I awkwardly sent back | 19 | 11 | Reverse telescopic/hidden word. Def: one serving. Tel ind: of. Rev ind: sent back |
- This leads to WAITRESSED, sadly - Incorrect clue. (-de)SSERT I AW(-kwardly) <--. The word to be clued is waitresses, not waitress. - Answer comes as WAITRESSED not WAITRESSES - Would have been a great clue for "waitressed" [sic]. Unfortunately . . . - Only WAITRESSE is hidden in reverse - Nice, but sadly missing the last S - This is very good, but unfortunately it clues WAITRESS and not WAITRESSES - Clever wp and def. I can see you cringing from awkwardness. - Lovely try. But clue is plural, Def is singular |
| 10 | Ramki Krishnan | System closing early - one locks servers (10) | 16 | 9 | WA(-y) + I + TRESSES, (system = way, closing early = del ind, def = servers) |
- wp works. My live-in IT guru tells me the surface doesn''t really work. |
| 11 | Initially abandoned, we sisters became stewardesses (10) | 15 | 10 | (A WE SISTERS)*. Became is anagrind. Def: stewardesses |
- Reads like a story! Straightforward enough wordplay, point from me! - Good wp and surface but no sparkle. |
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| 12 | Java servers ? (10) | 14 | 10 | CD |
- Very clever. Nicely spotted. |
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| 13 | Locks after endless wait for servers. | 12 | 7 | WAIT(-T) + TRESSES (locks), def: servers |
- Root issue, Waitress derives from Wait - same root (‘wait’) - You could have used a synonym for ''wait''. The surface isn''t quite right seeing as ''locks'' is a transitive verb so we''re left thinking ''locks what?'' ''locks up?''. |
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| 14 | I see straws all over servers (10) | 11 | 7 | I see straws : fodder, all over : anagram indicator, Servers : Waitresses |
- wp works but the surface is a bit forced. |
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| 15 | They work, as it were, bringing sides of samosas for example (10) | 11 | 5 | [short anno: WAITREES* around SS def=semi &lit] [long anno: anagram indicator (work) + WAITREES* + containment indicator (bringing) + letter selection indicator (sides of) + S(amosa)S + DBEI (for example) def (semi &lit) | ||
| 16 | What is target system's regular expenditure on servers ? (10) | 10 | 8 | {WhAt Is TaRgEt SyStEmS } ; regular expenditure indicates dropping of alternate letters ; defn {SERVERS} |
- surface works. wp works. ''on'' isn''t a connector from wp to def. |
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| 17 | Swiss eater mistreated servers (10) | 10 | 7 | Anagram of Swiss eater. Indicator - mistreated. Def - servers. |
- What is a ''swiss eater''? |
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| 18 | Poor Stewardess gets a bit ill after the first day out with cafe workers (10) | 9 | 7 | Stewardess* +I -D |
- Nice surface. The letter-selection indicator should be ''a bit OF''; I''m ok with ''first day'' = D though I know some others are not. |
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| 19 | Servers are with excellent locks (10) | 8 | 5 | Definition: Servers. Anno: (W)(AI)(TRESSES); With=W. Excellent=AI. Tresses=LOCKS. |
- Are is extraneous? - Nice wp. You could omit ''are'' as it''s superfluous and the surface is better without it. The inclusion of ''are'' in the surface renders it non-sensical. |
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| 20 | Order wire assets for servers, perhaps | 8 | 5 | Anagram of WIRE ASSETS; Anagrind - ORDER; Def by example - SERVERS; dfe indicator- PERHAPS |
- Doesn''t need a DBE indicator IMO. Servers = waitresses - wp works. My live-in IT guru tells me the surface is a bit forced. You don''t need the dbei; this is because a waitress is an example of a server. If you had waitress in the clue to mean ''server'' then you would need a dbei. |
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| 21 | Maidservants swear it's best, essentially fresh | 7 | 6 | *swear it's es, fresh is anagrind, Definition: maidservants |
- Waitresses are not maidservants, right? - A sweet attempt - “Maidservants” suggests domestic employees rather than restaurant workers |
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| 22 | Water ingress outside system regularly damaged servers (10) | 5 | 5 | Def - Servers(Chambers): Water+is(ingress : outside - 1st and last letters)+ sse (system regularly) (damaged - anagrind) = Waitresses |
- Nice clue. Not sure if "ingress outside" = is. It should be ''outside of ingress'' [postman''s outside = pn - from clue clinic] - wp works. surface works. |
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| 23 | Their bread is what you consume (10) | 4 | 3 | CD. Bread = livelihood |
- Clever. I like your use of ''consume'' in the sense of ''make use of'' / ''pay for'' |
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| 24 | Servicewomen with long hair take in a SF movie | 3 | 3 | servicewomen=(slightly cryptic) def; with=W; long hair=TRESSES; take in=container indicator; a SF movie=A.I. |
- Movie is too generic for AI - Interesting surface. Better for the cryptic grammar would be ''taking in''. |
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| 25 | Servers removes king from organised weak sisters (10) | 3 | 3 | def: servers, fodder = weak sisters-k, anagrind:organised |
- Your idea works wrt the deletion however ''removing'' would be better for the surface grammar and the cryptic grammar. The surface itself doesn''t make sense; at least it''s not something anyone would ever say. |
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| 26 | They serve stewed tripe, occasionally with wrasses (10) | 3 | 2 | T_I_E WRASSES* (Definition: they serve; anagrind: stewed; tripe, occasionally: T_I_E) |
- I feel that ''stewed tripe with wrasses'' needs a dbei seeing as waitresses serve all sorts of things. |
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| 27 | Women receiving orders from women’s robots with long hair (10) | 3 | 1 | Women receiving orders = definition / women’s = W / robots = AI / long hair = TRESSES |
- I like the idea but ''women''s robots'' sounds a bit odd. I would replace ''women''s'' with something else even if a letter selection indicator is required. - Reads a little odd, but fair attempt |
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| 28 | Did they once buss boys? They’ve nowadays shed their tresses and joined The Trons (10) | 2 | 2 | CD, wp on “busboys”, “waitrons” |
- I don’t think the first part works—nothing hints at interpreting “buss” as a homophone - I need additional annotation to understand your train of thought. |
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| 29 | In brief, Washington Irving initiated fashionably long locks for tavern help (10) | 2 | 2 | WA + I + TRESSES. Definition = “tavern help” | ||
| 30 | Perhaps Rachel and Penny, without a basic skill, natural talent, were assistants out of sorts (10) | 2 | 2 | Definition by example: Rachel and Penny (who were waitresses in the popular sitcoms Friends and The Big Bang Theory, respectively); basic skill, natural talent: S,n,t (first letters); without: Deletion indicator; out of sorts: Anagrind; Anagram of 'were assistants' after removing a,s,n t: Waitresses. The surface refers to Rachel and Penny being grumpy waitresses as it was not their preferred profession |
- These sitcoms were indeed popular, but still feel like too specific a reference. Good attempt, though! - A DBE using characters from two different shows, with only their first names given, and relying on the solver to know that they had the same job, seems a bit obscure - Solving this clue isn''t achievable for people who haven''t engaged with Friends or BBT. It''s the pop-culture blank stare about which someone else here gives feedback. |
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| 31 | They take orders with great twists | 2 | 2 | W (with) A1 (great) TRESSES (twists) |
- What does the surface mean? twists = tresses is not in collins or mw. |
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| 32 | Cut their locks, and with time they'll stay and they may serve you? | 2 | 1 | Reverse charade with they/their being proxies for the answer: WAITRESSES - TRESSES (cut ... locks [of hair]) + T (and with Time) = WAIT (stay). / Def: "they may serve you." / The surface refers to persons formerly in captivity/prison becoming loyal servants to those who have freed them ("cut their locks"). For example, Robinson Crusoe's man Friday or Mr Jaggers's housekeeper in Great Expectations. |
- I find this an interesting attempt with many layers! - Root issue, Waitress derives from Wait - The intended surface reading didn’t occur to me—in the context of “cut their locks”, I read “locks” as meaning hair - I can’t quite follow the wordplay, sorry - I''m not sure this works. Perhaps it''s that the annotation isn''t clear. is it (-t)RESSES + T + WAIT. I think you''re stretching liberality a bit too far with the construction especially with ''they / their'' appearing throughout. I''m interested to read what others think. |
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| 33 | Server products hosting information technology for Gestapo, perhaps | 1 | 1 | Def:server anni: products:ware outside IT by SS wa(it)re ss |
- I don''t think Gestapo and SS [Schutzstaffel] are the same thing. - Missing ES - This seems to clue WAITRESS, not WAITRESSES - Good surface. Your clue doesn''t quite work: your def is singular but the solution is plural. Your wp is missing an ''e'': WA(IT)RES SS. ''for'' isn''t a connector. I''m sure your idea could be reworked and salvaged. - Definition for waitresses should be servers in plural |
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| 34 | Will, to begin with, Air India stress unusually on English barmaids? (10) | 1 | 1 | Def: Barmaids. W AI STRESS* around E |
- Might "about" be better than "on" to indicate containment? - WP works. Is ''?'' the DBEI indicator? The surface doesn''t work. - I don’t get the surface meaning |
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| 35 | Servers in the beginning of Windows: Error 6 - external** unit of storage not found | 1 | 1 | Anagram contained in acrostic. {WES} (beginning of Windows Error Six) external = container indicator; WES outside; ** = ASTERISK* - K (unit of storage = K not found) {W{AITRESS}*ES} = Servers! |
- Clever surface and fun! I''m enjoying your use of * in the wp as an anagram indicator but I''d say that * > asteris > AITRESS would be an indirect anagram which is a shame for such a fun clue. - Very clever, but perhaps not entirely fair. “Unit of storage” could just as easily point to the T (for terabyte) as the K. ** is close to an indirect anagram (and what does it mean in the surface?) |
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| 36 | Attendants with divas, say pouring coffee initially for unit (10) | 1 | 1 | Def: Attendants, W (with)+ A(-c+I)TRESSES (Divas, say), Substitution of C(Coffee, initially) with I - unit. |
- wp works. actresses > aitresses is well-spotted. The surface is a bit forced. |
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| 37 | Servers fault sites with sources of aggressive racial slant, enmity (10) | 1 | 1 | (SITES W A R S E)* anagram indicated by fault; Definition: Servers |
- wp works. My live-in IT guru tells me the surface doesn''t really work. |
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| 38 | Fetching women who respond both to ‘Honey!' ... and ‘Bill!' | 0 | 6 | No annotatib,o involved |
- Your annotation would be ''CD''. Your clue is quite nifty and enjoyable. - “No annotatib,o involved” seems to be a typo for “CD” |
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| 39 | INCOMPLETE CLUE VOIDED ON REQUEST | 0 |
- You don’t say! - I don’t understand this one at all - notes would have helped |