| # | Name | Clue | Points | Voters | Anno | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saurabh Upadhyay | Oddly, she's crowned the runner-up (6) | 34 | 19 | Odd letters of ShEs CrOwNeD. Def: the runner-up |
- Similar clue attempted but still a good find - N: Great clue, just missing a bit of pizzazz |
| 2 | Ganesh Raman | Oddly, she’s crowned champion | 32 | 18 | ODDLY indicating alternate letter picking from “SHE’S CROWNED”; Def: CHAMPION (verb form) |
- Good choice of definition to second the surface ! - "Champion" is a good find insofar as it could mean "first" or "second". - N: can we have a system that blocks people using the same name to enter a clue? |
| 3 | Samit Kallianpur | A couple of times, i left decision-making to a subordinate (6) | 27 | 15 | (Decision - i i)*. A couple of times i left = indicator to remove 'i' twice. Decision= anagram fodder. Making = anagrind. To = connector. Def = subordinate |
- I can be capitalized but I like the way your mind works ! - N: Not a fan of making preceding fodder, splendid surface though |
| 4 | N Anantakrishnan | Succeeding in adverse conditions (6) | 25 | 15 | Telescopic. Def - succeeding (as in next) |
- Good - N: Fantastic idea, would prefer ''amidst'' but respect in as a safer option :) |
| 5 | Tulika Das | Succeeding in adverse conditions (6) | 25 | 14 | Telescopic - hidden in adverSE CONDitions; definition: succeeding |
- Two exact same clues? Still smooth though! - Good clue/surface, but another user also submitted this one, so I don''t vote for it. - N: Fantastic idea, would prefer ''amidst'' but respect in as a safer option :) |
| 6 | Suyash Roongta | Aide caught in loose conduct (6) | 24 | 16 | Telescopic - looSE CONDuct. Indicator - caught in. Def - aide. |
- Simple and works well - N: Splendid clue |
| 7 | Ramki Krishnan | Support in adverse conditions (6) | 23 | 15 | Telescopic clue, def = support |
- Good clue/surface, but another user also submitted this one, so I don''t vote for it. - N: succeeding is better, brilliant find though |
| 8 | Textrous | Help nationalist to crack cryptic codes (6) | 21 | 16 | Def: Help; nationalist=N, to crack=insertion indicator, cryptic codes=CODES* |
- Rather interesting attempt! - N: Lovely clue! |
| 9 | Sowmya Ramkumar | Frequently ignored sketch of nude double (6) | 17 | 9 | Ignoring every SECOND letter in S(-k)E(-t)C(-h) O(-f)N(-u)D(-e), Definition = Double |
- Interesting construction, this! - N: Lovely wordplay. Not sure what a double is? Body double? If so, just ''double'' is not enough imo. |
| 10 | Veera Raghavan | Closedown organization with low output? It’s not the first. (6) | 16 | 12 | (Closedown-low)*. Def: It’s not the first |
- Not the first is not necessarily second - Good deletion find ! - N: Excellent clue! |
| 11 | Madhusudan H | Following tips from surgeon, experience caesarean or normal delivery (6) | 16 | 12 | Acrostic clue. Indicator = tips from. Defn = Following |
- It reads as very smooth but I still wonder about the exact meaning of the surface - N: ah, this was so close. Surface doesn''t quite work. Great idea though. |
| 12 | Flash fire engulfed firm (6) | 14 | 8 | SEND = fire (fire a mail) engulfing CO = firm. Def = FLASH (I'll be there in a flash) |
- Your choice of words shows the intent to construct a good surface ! - N: Excellent clue! |
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| 13 | Not the first person to officiate a duel (6) | 10 | 6 | Double Def: not the first = person to officiate duel |
- Not the first is not necessarily second - N: obviously a root issue but a very amusing and clever construction |
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| 14 | Commanding officer sends unfinished dish back (6) | 8 | 6 | Def - back(chambers) : CO(commanding officer) + send(sends unfinished) : dish - anagrind = second |
- Meaningful enough surface - Not sure about ‘dish’ as an anagrind - N: Not a fan of removing final s to make anagram fodder. Great surface though. |
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| 15 | Back after first moment (6) | 8 | 6 | Triple definition: back = to second (i.e. to support); after first = second; moment = second |
- N: surface doesn''t make sense to me, one of only two triple defs though so good creativity |
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| 16 | Some use ^C on desktop to transfer to another unit (6) | 8 | 5 | Hidden: u[SE C ON D]esktop, with ‘some’ as indicator and ‘to transfer to another unit’ as def. (of the verb sense). (In the surface, ^C represents ctrl-C for ‘copy’) |
- N: Brilliant way to hide it. Have not seen ^ to mean ctrl. Not tech savvy enough sorry. |
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| 17 | Horse condominium is housing place for Secretariat, perhaps? (6) | 8 | 4 | Container: "horSE CONDominium". Indicator: "is housing". Def: "place for Secretariat, perhaps?" In horse-racing, "win" = first, "place" = second, "show" = third. Secretariat is a famous racehorse and Triple Crown winner. |
- Find the definition a bit too devious, but I don''t know if it''s my ignorance! - N: kind of funny, kind of random, brilliantly constructed and expertly defined |
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| 18 | Use letters - scan. Voila - answer! ... ideally. (6) | 7 | 5 | The intent of the surface: to indicate how to get the answer - by using the letters of each word - but which letters? The 'second' letters of each word spells 'second', the answer - voila! Also 'ideally' represents my hope that maybe someone will get it... |
- Clever but too hard to get without knowing the answer before - Meta clue ! - Creative wp but badly needs a def. - N: 10/10 for creativity, alas it falls on def (missing) ears. Needs to be & lit to work. An attempt: Using certain occurrences locates answer adventurously |
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| 19 | B.S. (6) | 7 | 4 | Double definition |
- Made me laugh, not a B.S. attempt, this - Concise! - N: Ingenious clue! Would prefer BS but respect the decision to placate the elision police |
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| 20 | Snorting cocaine up nose, start to dance in a jiffy (6) | 6 | 5 | C in NOSE* + D(-ance); snorting (as in inhaling)= cont ind, cocaine= C, up (as in excited)= anag ind, start to dance = D (1st letter sel ind) |
- Up = anagram indicator? But the surface is so fun! - N: excellent idea, not sure about ''up'', especially when it''s preceding fodder but for me ''in a jiffy'' sounds unusual in the surface |
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| 21 | Assist in supernatural first: exorcizing a possessed deacon (6) | 6 | 4 | Assist = S+ECOND* / S = "supernatural first" + anagram ("possessed") of DE[-a]CON / [-a] because "exorcising a" |
- Good attempt! - N: Excellent clue! |
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| 22 | Assistant found in shape, cycling across Sudan | 5 | 3 | Assistant |
- N: I like this but guessing others will say it''s too convoluted |
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| 23 | Endorse one who took the silver medal place (6) | 5 | 3 | DD |
- Both definitions have the same root? - N: root issue, very slightly disguised by a nice surface though |
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| 24 | Back shed vacated to accommodate heads of Election Commission offices needlessly | 4 | 4 | vacated shed= sd; to include acrostic of last four words of the clue, Def: Back |
- Feels just a bit too elaborate ! - N: this gave me a chuckle. Nice one! Feels like it should be commission''s. |
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| 25 | Regular echo in cable transfer (6) | 4 | 4 | (eChO) in SEND (cable); Definition: Transfer (as in to transfer to a new position or location) |
- Smooth surface - N: surface doesn''t make sense to me, maybe too technologically advanced. Great wordplay though. |
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| 26 | Duplicate move in a blink | 3 | 2 | MD:Duplicate/move (transfer to post) /in a blink. |
- N: Surface doesn''t make sense to me, one of only 2 triple defs though so, respect |
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| 27 | Direct to take care of (6) | 2 | 2 | &Lit SE(CO)ND Direct = Send, Care of = (CO) |
- N: excellent idea, overall def is just a bit too vague for me |
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| 28 | Agree on the podium(6) | 2 | 2 | Double definition |
- N: Not a fan of verbal phrase definitions if the can be avoided, lovely construction though. |
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| 29 | Surprisingly, Captain of New Zealand scored no runs in time (6) | 1 | 1 | Scored * - R + N ( Captain of NewZealand), time- def |
- Good attempt though wondering won''t New Zealand yield NZ? Also second is a ''unit'' of time, will just time suffice? - Netherlands or Namibia would make for a cleaner clue than New Zealand - nice one, but it''s New Zealand and not ''NewZealand''... - N: I see neither why time is second nor why captain of New Zealand is N, surface is wonderful though, except ''in time''. |
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| 30 | Echo from openings of scenic Ellora caves occupied narrow dens (6) | 1 | 1 | Clue type: Acrostic. Acrostic indicator: Openings. Definition: Echo |
- Good attempt but the surface seems a bit forced - N: last three words don''t quite work for me in the surface, cool idea though |
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| 31 | Runner-up acts as support (6) | 1 | 1 | dd |
- Both definitions have the same root? - N: root issue, nice surface though |