Newsgroups: rec.puzzles.crosswords
From: Bobg@cullen.demon.co.uk (Bob Gregory)
Path: bryson.demon.co.uk!demon!cullen.demon.co.uk!Bobg
Subject: ACC28 - Results
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Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1993 22:56:04 +0000
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Here is the result of the ACC28 Araucaria Cluing Competition with all the
entries and judgement. I apologise once more for the delay in publishing
this list - due to my not having been able to contact the next moderator
prior to some days away from a computer.

There were 13 entries in all, a respectable enough figure for the ACC
series, and some of the clues were very nice, others perhaps a little
wild.

The winner was a fine shortie from Alan Waldock who has graciously agreed
to set and moderate ACC29.

What surprised me most was how no-one, except very indirectly a clue from
Felix Lee, invoked the subject of SHOT = GUN FIRED = BALLISTICS etc. I
would have expected that there would have been more of "that" than the
"drink" theme that predominated. If I had had to enter this competition I
think I would have come up with something like "It's a chancy thing
making a night report" or similar but nobody went along that road at all.

I give, first, entries only, in no particular order - with neither
explanation nor moderator's assessment; thereafter the clues with
entrant's name, explanation, and my opinion.

                       =========================

===============================================================================

1. Sellers' vehicle is wrecked at road, he thinks (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

2. Lights dimmed, a wild guest, she poured another bourbon; drunkenly, a host,
   he drank it. (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

3. Nightcap?  (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

4. It's unlikely that it won't be cooler at night (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

5. Mangled skinhead throat scene ruined by unremoved lens cap. (1, 4, 2, 3, 4)

===============================================================================

6. An after-hours beverage? (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

7.  A wild guess elicited by a drink before sunrise? (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

8. A wild stab to its heart!  And a hit!  Kosher?  Hardly!  (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

9. Wild stab into shark - death by butchery !  (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

10. Thea's hot, dark, wild stab (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

11. One ruined, clueless wild guess. (1 4 2 3 4)

===============================================================================

12. Hot tea drink has disturbed midnight injection (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================

13. Blind attack to the ad shark (1,4,2,3,4)

===============================================================================
===============================================================================
===============================================================================

Now follow all clues in the same order as before with author's
explanation and moderator's comment

                            ===================
                            ===================
                            ===================

===============================================================================

Clue No. 1 from Merlyn Leroy  ( merlyn@digibd.com )

----------------------

Sellers' vehicle is wrecked at road, he thinks (1,4,2,3,4)

        Sellers' vehicle = definition (Peter, that is)
	is
	wrecked (anagrammed)
	at road, he thinks = A SHOT IN THE DARK

----------------------

I put myself in the solver's seat and find the allusion to "Seller's
vehicle" as a one-time film (vehicle for demonstrating his comedian's
virtuosity) by the name of "A Shot in the Dark" simply too deep. First of
all, I dare say that many apart from dyed-in-the-wool Sellers-philes
would not know about this film's existence and, moreover, one has to
assume that many would be solvers would be amongst these that were "in
the dark" about this film's existence. Without flogging the horse
further, Merlyn doesn't even give a pointer and assumes that the solver
MUST know of the film. On the other hand the anagram is VERY NICE in my
opinion and the whole scan would have been elegant and well held together
were it not for the afore mentioned unjustifiable assumption.

Nevertheless an honourable mention for Merlyn Leroy for something
"different". 

===============================================================================

Clue No. 2 from Doug Moore  ( dougm@cs.rice.edu ) 

----------------------

Lights dimmed, a wild guest, she poured another bourbon; drunkenly, a host,
he drank it.

       Explanation:

       Definition 1:
       Lights dimmed another bourbon
       (in the dark) (a shot)

       Definition 2: (mostly homophonic)
       wild guest (almost wild guess, another definition)

       A scramble:
       Drunkenly,  a host, he drank it
       (a warning) (unscramble for clue)

----------------------

Thank you, Doug, for this one but I'm afraid you lost me completely. Your
clue does not follow the accepted norms or pointers for cryptic clues and
would be - in my own entirely subjective opinion - impossibly abstruse to
come therefrom to "A shot in the dark".
"Lights dimmed" - OK, so this implies "dark" but "guest" to infer "guess"
without so much as an "I hear", "they say", "reportedly" etc is just not
on.
Where does "she" come in or "he" for that matter ? Are you anagramming
something without a pointer ?

===============================================================================

Clue No. 3 from Alan Waldock  ( ajw@guardian.intel.com )

----------------------

  Nightcap ?  (1,4,2,3,4)

     If an explanation must be provided:

     A nightcap is a (usually) alcoholic drink (or shot) taken at bedtime
     (loosely, in the dark, on the assumption that unless you're working
     nights, it's dark outside at any rate).  The question mark is there
     simply because it feels right to me.

     Yes, I know there's no conventional "definition/indication" split in
     this clue, but the pun seems to be enough.  I think that clueing a
     well-known phrase or saying (e.g. "come up to scratch") gives one
     more latitude in the form of the clue than does a single-word light,
     although I'm not sure I could justify why under rigorous
     cross-examination.

----------------------

Thanks for this one Alan which is, for me, head and shoulders clearly
the winner. I like it because it is brief, succinct, and cheerful.
Thinking on the word "Nightcap", one is perhaps struck by its
misdirected meaning as an "evening cap" to wit that one takes a nightcap
prior retiring for the night rather than after.This makes the implication
of "nightcap" to be something taken "in the dark" rather than "in the
dusk" even more appropriate. Well done, nice clue and I'm pleased to pass
the baton for ACC29 to yourself.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 4 from Greg Lawler currently in Cambridge UK
                    ( G.F.Lawler@newton.cam.ac.uk )

----------------------

It's unlikely that it won't be cooler at night (1,4,2,3,4)

         It's unlikely = A SHOT IN THE DARK

         It won't be cooler at night = AS HOT IN THE DARK

----------------------

Nice enough clue from Greg. If I was going to carp, I'd say that "it's
unlikely" does NOT equate with "A shot in the dark" : it is the RESULT,
the PRODUCT of "the shot in the dark" that will prove to be "unlikely"
or, at best, uncertain. I'm OK with AS HOT played from A SHOT but not
without a pointer to indicate the alliteration (say "... it PERHAPS won't
be ..." or similar)

===============================================================================

Clue No. 5 from  Mitch Bayersdorfer  ( mdb@apple.com )

----------------------

Mangled skinhead throat scene ruined by unremoved lens cap. (1,4,2,3,4)

    mangled (anagramed indicator)
    SKINHEAD THROAT (anagrammed) = A SHOT IN THE DARK
    Scene ruined by unremoved lens cap = pun defn.

----------------------

I think Mitch is a newcomer to ACC or to the cluing competitions
altogether in that I haven't seen his name around before. This one,
sorry, for me was just not on. I accept "mangled" as an acceptable if
slightly unusual anagram pointer albeit I have to wonder what a "skinhead
throat scene" could possibly be in the real world. I'm also faced with
some difficulty in both the surface scan and the implication of the
"unremoved lens cap". The clue is too contrived, too long and is redeemed
only by the travel over from the "scene" to the "lens". I really can't
see how the solver would say on completion " misleading but fair".
Remember also that this is the Araucaria C.C. and  certain well defined
cluing guidelines are to be followed. Try again, Mitch - better luck next
time.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 6 from Clay Colwell ( archmage@vnet.ibm.com )

----------------------

An after-hours beverage ? (1,4,2,3,4)

    A SHOT is an alcoholic beverage, and, when poured in the wee hours of
    the morning, before the sun has arisen, it'd certainly be IN THE
    DARK.

----------------------

Whilst Clay said in his E-Mail : "Please be gentle: this is the first
time I've entered *this* contest, and I've never *seen* the GUARDIAN.
Nevertheless, I shall attempt a feeble cluing here", this ranks with me
as not all that far behind Alan Waldock's "Nightcap" winner. The "after
hours" beverage would appeal the more to us Brits in that we have
strictly regulated "closing time" for our watering holes so a very
honourable mention to Clay Colwell on his first entry in the ACC series.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 7 from Brian C. Spollen  ( bcs@sc.harris.com )

----------------------

 A wild guess elicited by a drink before sunrise? (1,4,2,3,4)

       ["A wild guess" = "a shot in the dark"; "a drink before
       sunrise" = "a shot in the dark(?)"]

----------------------
----------------------

Bonus clue (I didn't like the surface as well):

  Puzzle hard on this --- take a wild guess

       ["Puzzle" = anag. indicator, "hard on this take" anagrammed =
       "a shot in the dark"; "a wild guess" = "a shot in the dark"]

----------------------

Brian, my predecessor as moderator of ACC27 gave us the above two.
 The main clue was once again on the theme of the nocturnal tipple which
has proved a popular innuendo. I find "a wild guess" OK as also "a drink
before sunrise" but can't see (sorry Brian !) why "elicited by" should
hang the two together. My Chambers gives me "elicit" as "give rise to",
"draw forth" and similar <verb transitive> and as such I might have felt
more comfortable with  "A wild guess elicited a drink before sunrise"
without the "by". Ok, so I'm splitting hairs ? That's what the
moderator's job is supposed to entail, isn't it ?
 The bonus clue was my preference of the two. I found the surface reading
 quite pleasant and the anagram including "take" leading into wild guess
 very very good. Might it have been better with an ampersand in place of
 the triple hyphen ?

===============================================================================

Clue No. 8 from Paul Asente  ( asente@mv.us.adobe.com )

----------------------

A wild stab to its heart!  And a hit!  Kosher?  Hardly!  (1,4,2,3,4)

     "A wild stab" is the definition.
     T (= "its" heart) + AND + A + HIT + KOSHER anagrammed = A SHOT IN
     THE DARK.  "Hardly" is not a sufficient anagram marker, but the
     exclamation point tells you something a little unusual is going on
     and to interpret it in the context of the sentence (as "hardly
     kosher").  And a wild stab to an animal's heart would not be as
     kosher way to kill it.

----------------------

Hmm, it's different ! I see a wild stab as a good parallel definition
metaphor and the whole thing is rather cleverly put together. Perhaps
(sorry, Paul) a little TOO cleverly because how many solvers are going to
see your <T = "it's" [heart]> ? I think that you're asking a wee bit too
much. Having patted you on the back, I have to say that HARDLY whether
without (or with !) an exclamtion mark is NOT acceptable as an anagram
pointer. That is the weakest part but a good example of lateral thinking.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 9 from Chris Solnordal ( solnorda@dmpe.csiro.au )

----------------------

Wild stab into shark - death by butchery !  (1,4,2,3,4)

        wild stab = def'n
        into shark death = anagram
        by butchery = anagram indicator

----------------------

Another wild stab and another clever clue, this one by Chris Solnordal.
As in the previous clue, I like WILD STAB as a good definition
alternative and INTO SHARK DEATH is OK as the anagram. I'm not happy with
"butchery" as the anagram pointer. Never seen it used before although
that doesn't have to be an axiomatic criterion but I'm doubly unhappy
with "by butchery". The "by" is needed otherwise the clue falls apart yet
kills the angram pointer by its presence.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 10 from Tovah Hollander  ( tovah@onion.salad.mssm.edu )

----------------------

Thea's hot, dark, wild stab (1,4,2,3,4)

            Explanation:
	    the[ASHOT]dark = "A SHOT" in "the dark" (rebus)
	    wild stab = definition

----------------------

Nice one, Tovah, and clever lateral thinking. Very honourable mention and
impaired for me only by its slightly surrealistic surface reading.
(Actually, the more often I study it, the more I like it .....)

===============================================================================

Clue No. 11 from Chris Quinn  ( quinn@ee-cf.stanford.edu )

----------------------

One ruined, clueless wild guess. (1,4,2,3,4)

     A   shot  in the dark   -def-

     Here shot is as in "That couch is shot"

     The expression, at least in the USA, "in the dark" means
     unaware or clueless.

     wild guess is the definition, but then the whole thing could
     be taken as the definition too.

     I was trying *not* to do an anagram.  My clue reflects my
     attempt, I'm afraid.

----------------------

Sorry, Chris, but you've beaten me with this one. I've seen some excellent
clues submitted by you in various competitions but with this one, where
are the fair and equitable guidelines by which the solver has his line of
fire to you as setter blocked upon realising the answer ? Yes, on this
side of the Atlantic, too, "shot" can be taken to mean "beyond its last
legs" or similar and same with "in the dark" meaning "clueless". Even so,
you've beaten me !

===============================================================================
Clue No.12 from Alan Stewart  ( E-mail address unreproducable )

----------------------

Hot tea drink has disturbed midnight injection (1,4,2,3,4)

              <  NO EXPLANATION HAS BEEN OFFERED BY THE AUTHOR  >

----------------------

Although Alan has not offered any formal explanation for his clue, HOT
TEA DRINK HAS is obviously an anagram for the Competition phrase and
DISTURBED is a perfectly acceptable anagram pointer. Where I don't feel
comfortable is with the suggestion that the shot in the dark has to be at
midnight. Why can't it as soon be in the wee small hours or whatever ?
I'm also not quite comfortable with the real world implication that a
drink can disturb an injection. I can't see how. Nevertheless, honourable
mention for Alan Stewart.

===============================================================================

Clue No. 13 from  Felix Lee  ( flee@guardian.cse.psu.edu )

----------------------

Blind attack to the ad shark (1,4,2,3,4)

	blind attack = definition
	t OT he A d SH ark = A,S,H,O,T in the dark

----------------------

Sorry, Felix, but you've beaten me completely with this one. First a
"Blind attack" is NOT the definition. A "shot in the dark" is an
"attempt" not an "attack" and I cannot accept the implication of
synonym for even "shot" with "attack" so neither stand on all fours. As
for the subsequent rebus, I'm afraid you lost me totally and as a coup de
grace what's an "ad shark" ?

Not my clue of the month, I'm afraid !

===============================================================================
===============================================================================

That's all folks ! Thank you ......

Bob Gregory
