Subject:      PCWC 42 RESULTS
From:         evan@scd.hp.com (Evan Whitney)
Date:         1995/05/23
Message-Id:   <3psutg$s8b@hpscit.sc.hp.com>
Newsgroups:   rec.puzzles.crosswords

* * *   PCWC 42 RESULTS * * *

The votes are in. Thanks for an excellent turnout: 27 clues from 25
entrants and 16 ballots! And the winner is....

    Matthew Merzbacher with this politically dangerous clue #9:

    "Clobber Switzerland before the hour!" Eisenhower interjected, as he
    gave a thumbs-up. (10)

Only one person thought I should disqualify myself, and if I had won,
I probably would have. As it stands, I came in third, but I could have
edged Matthew out of first place had I voted for myself. :-)

Matthew has agreed to moderate PCWC 43. The clues, ratings, and comments
follow.


**** GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT PCWC 42 ************************************

Several clues broke this compound word into its components, "hitch"
and "hiker", and cryptically clued one or both parts; such clues I
downgraded somewhat --- part of a cluer's challenge here (as with all
compound words) is to avoid doing this.  I've noted this as "compound 
problem".

The clues seem to break up into over-complex ones and 
over-simple ones!

Not an easy word to clue well, but obviously a lot of
people enjoyed the challenge, including me.

The chosen word was truly difficult, and thus resulted in a fair amount of
mediocrity.

Damn, this was a tough word to clue!  In spite of its toughness, I
still chose to count off points for the "obvious" HITCH-HIKER splits
and for the use of "Cher" (about as annoying to me as the use of "Di")

I disliked the word so much I didn't even bother to enter.  As I expected,
most entries were pretty painful. However, two good ones stood way out.

Dear Evan,
You are a truly wonderful and gifted sadist and should be boiled alive!
But, never mind! Knowing that you are an insomniac, tossing and turning in
your bed, gives me great satisfaction.:-) I had nightmares of a graveyard
full of monumental thumbs sticking out like those Easter Island heads, on
account of you !! :-(

I marked down charade clues which split at hitch and hike or hiker
because I thought they were too close to the original

Tough word.  Especially getting rid of those Hs.  To keep
things above boards, I think the moderator should disqualify
his own clue.

I agree with you that this is not an easy word to play around with.
This probably accounts for a lower standard than in the last
competition.
The only comment I'd like to make is that it's becoming more and more
obvious that your fellow countrymen are very fond of including allusions
to American politicians.  HHH for Humphrey and HRH for Haldeman are just 
too obscure for us.  Ike is acceptable (well...Ike's Ike) on this side of
the pond; it's used from time to time in crosswords. 
Have you ever heard of Mrs. Thatcher being referred to as MHT?  (Don't even  
know John Major's middle name!).  Couldn't you make a rule to keep 
politicians' initials out of it?!

I have no qualms with the moderator submitting a clue in the PCWC
ballot.  I prefer to look at these clueing rounds as exhibitions
rather than competitions (it's not as if there's a brand new car or
something as the grand prize for the winner).  I'd enjoy seeing an 
spirit of "clueing workshop camaraderie" rather than "vying to be the 
best" in the CCC's, so I believe the moderator is elligible to 
participate.
The word HITCHHIKER is a tough nut for a cryptic clue, but I preferred
the long-winded clues to shorter one which resorted to substitutions for
HITCH, HIKE, or HIKER in the construction.

Word was a bit too limiting in its possibilities.
Makes for some long involved clues.

(Scoring out of 100 divided 25 each for Surface, Wit, Brevity & Technique
Coming from the old British school, I find the general trend of clues tends
to be too long and contrived. Didn't Shakespeare say "Brevity is the soul
of wit"? Maybe there should be a limit to the number of words in a clue.
Cryptic crossword is a game of wit between cluer and solver. Some clues
are so contrived that it is almost impossible (and unfair) for a solver to
solve unless he is given the solution to unravel the twisted threads of
reasoning.
A good clue should be capable of being solved; and many clues submitted just
aren't. 

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

1st place (score 66.71%) - clue 9
From matthew@cs.wellesley.edu (Matthew Merzbacher)

    "Clobber Switzerland before the hour!" Eisenhower interjected, as he gave a
    thumbs-up. (10)

Votes (normalized): 17 33 40 47 47 50 56 63 70 70 83 92 100 100 100 100

Pretty good definition, integrated nicely into the surface; cryptically 
okay, although, while your justification for "CH" is logical, it seems
a bit obscure without some additional indicator.

Another complicated clue, but less obvious than most.

I dislike CH as Switzerland.

Hmmmm.  How many people "interject" these days?  Still, the surface
is fairly smooth (although hawkish).

"clobber" was not the best choice of words

Chill it, Ike! Switzerland's neutral! Can't help feeling more uncomfortable
with this plural usage of thumbs up, this second time around. Isn't it a
sign of approval or assent?

I love the surface. Poor Switzerland!

The best clue, IMHO.

the surface reading is witty and the cryptic's good (although does
thumb's up necessarily define hitchhike?)

very nice, definition slightly weak

Where is the definition ? Thumbs up means approval, not a hitchhiker

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

2nd place (score 65.19%) - clue 2
From Tom Deneau <Tom.Deneau@amd.com>

    Great picture has Cher straddling the midsection of thin king. She wants a
    ride. (10)

Votes (normalized): 22 30 47 50 50 56 57 63 67 67 70 78 88 100 100 100

A little long, and broken down over two sentences, but a fairly solid
cryptic (tarnished only faintly by using "Cher" directly; the use of
"great picture" as "movie" in the cryptic is good) and a great surface.

A little raunchy. But overall, too convoluted. The extra word "has" could
have been "with"

"thin king" kills the surface reading for me.  And you mentioned CHER!!

Overall, excellent.  "Thin" doesn't fit very well.

Love the imagery of a couple of anorexics going at it! Downloaded it from
alt.sex.pics.erotica, did you? ;-),nudge,nudge.

Almost great and funny surface, ruined by the "intersection of thin
king" gibberish.

Fairly good representative of the double entendre entries.  "Great 
picture = HIT" is kind of a stretch.

The "thin king" part was weak but I liked the surface image.

Must be a bumpy ride, like the surface

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

3rd place (score 62.96%) - clue 25
From Evan Whitney <evan@scd.hp.com>

    At first, he impedes the car hoping he is kindly extended ride! (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 13 17 22 30 44 57 80 83 85 88 89 100 100 100 100

Really pretty good, especially for an initial-letter clue, which is
hard to pull off smoothly; and an &lit to boot.  I'll quibble a bit
that a comma after "car" would have improved the surface, and the
last three words don't scan all that smoothly.

The surface reads very strangely.

Excellent &lit. Initially would work better than "at first", but overall
the second

<boggle>  This is a *sweet* clue!  (Put a comma between "car" 
and "hoping".)

A valiant effort, almost a winner; "impedes" and "extended"
are blemishes (you might extend an offer of a ride)

Beautiful &lit.!

Would be better if "First of all,he etc..etc...." The "all" better
indicates the "allness" of it all. Nice though. And such an impudent
impeder deserves to be rewarded, even if not looked upon kindly! Good
try.

I like it and it works as an &lit. Unfortunately the surface is very
slightly stilted. Real problem though is that the clue is too easy.

And how exactly does the hitchhiker impede the car?

do we have to have a justification of the clue from the setter?

I'm not sure if I like "impedes" in the surface/definition, but 
otherwise an agile effort.

This style too easy for a contest.

Clever construction. Suggest "Initially" to replace "At first"
Friendly warning : Don't get run over !

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

4th place (score 61.31%) - clue 10
From crimmer@liv.ac.uk (Chris Rimmer)

    Desire a lift within an hour? He Does! (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 11 20 30 53 56 83 86 88 88 88 89 90 100 100

This &lit effort is close enough to the real thing, I think.   Surface,
cryptic, and definition are all quite good.

An almost perfect &lit.

Ummmmm, I gotta give you credit for the attempt, but the definition
just doesn't cut it; MUCH too slack.

A passable &lit.  Maybe too easy.

I pointedly, forgave the TYPO!- I am sure he's all thumbs!

Almost; but lift=HIKE is too like the whole word to me

It is an "almost &lit," but almost generally doesn't cut it.  The
subsidiary is kind of nice, except for reusing HIKE in the construction.

excellent &lit and concise.

Short, simple and sweet. But why 'He Does' and not 'He does' ?

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

5th place (score 54.78%) - clue 23
From lmcsimo@lmc.ericsson.se (Simon Morton) <smorton@acm.org>

    Traveller gets lift with woman - about 1 kilometer. (10)

Votes (normalized): 20 25 28 35 44 44 50 50 50 56 75 75 75 94 100

"Compound problem".  Surface is okay, if not outstanding.

With just a sharper definition, this would be the winner.

I don't like "traveller" = def. in any of these

Not particularly keen on K being for kilometer. Have heard used
occasionally though! He didn't get far with her, though, did he?

The surface is okay, but I don't care for the word root HITCH in the
construction.

Don't like kilometer to be represented by K; otherwise what will represent 
kilogram, kilohertz, kilowatt, etc 

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

6th place (score 54.28%) - clue 6
From bcs@sc.harris.com (Brian Spollen)

    Run into Sonny's ex; with a greeting, start kinky roadside pick-me-up (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 22 25 33 35 42 44 50 56 57 63 75 79 88 100 100

Very good surface and solid cryptically; nicely deceptive (but legal) 
definition

There's no good surface here. The definition is really good though.

Cher!  AUUGGHHH!  "With" as a container indicator is too vague as well.

Problem in the surface.  A pick-up is a new acquaintance;
a pick-me-up is a stimulant.  The rest is pretty good!

Cher sure is a chart-topper! I am sure generous with my ratings!

Surface is funny and only slightly stilted

Witty surface and good cryptic clue (just as well we know who Cher is!).

nice surface reading.  "start kinky" not gramatically
right in cryptic reading

Using 'run into' for hit and a dubious definition lost it points

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

7th place (score 51.17%) - clue 18
From Rosie <Rosie@radvan.demon.co.uk>

    Obstacle ahead of rambler: he's trying to catch a ride (10)

Votes (normalized): 10 11 22 24 25 33 44 50 57 60 67 70 75 83 88 100

"Compound problem"; surface is okay, but the parts on either side of 
the colon don't quite connnect naturally.

Use of a root word: points off.

So where's the obstacle?

Nice reading. Nicer if " Obstacle confronts rambler as he tries to catch
a ride", I think.

Another stale HITCH+HIKER construction.

prefer not broken up into natural components hitch+hiker

Good surface

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

8th place (score 51.09%) - clue 20
From Deanhoward@aol.com

    Successful infomercial hostess has greeting and first kiss for digital
    traveler? (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 24 25 33 44 50 50 56 58 63 70 71 83 90 100

Cute definition, surface pretty good.  As indicated, the cryptic
cluing of "Cher" takes a bit more of arcane knowledge of cable
shopping hostesses that I might expect in a clue.

I like the `digital traveler', but the rest is a bit
complicated.

Best one of the bunch. Digital traveler is a great definition.

AUUGGHH!  CHER!  Cute definition, tho.

"digital traveler" is very cute, but "infomercial hostess" is obscure

Apology accepted! I think more would know of Traci Lords porn past then
Cher's infomercial. BTW, would the digital traveller need a Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Internet?

Nice try with digital traveller but infomerical hostess is very
obscure and the surface is bad

terrible surface reading, terrible clue!  If we have to have an
insight into Cher's hitherto unknown career, then we may as well give up!

I like the clever definition, particularly because "digital traveler" 
sounds like it could be an infomercial item.

Two non-words in one clue ( infomercial and traveler ) are just too much

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

9th place (score 49.99%) - clue 1
From Susan Meyers <susanm@u.washington.edu>

    He who wants to ride to join in marriage with she who wants to walk (10)

Votes (normalized): 20 25 28 33 33 38 40 44 50 56 56 57 58 63 100 100

"Compound problem"; surface is okay, although it's a little stilted.

It's a HITCH-HIKER (grr), but the surface reading is clear and poetic

First place.  Wonderful scansion.  Some doubts about the
pointer for "hiker".

Would prefer though a she (Cher,maybe a-straddle?) wanting a ride!

surface reading very convoluted

The HITCH+HIKER construction for HITCHHIKER isn't especially inspired.

Can see no significance in the use of masculine and feminine roles

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

10th place (score 48.06%) - clue 15
From Kevin Wald <wald@math.uchicago.edu>

    Following Hearst's lead, the rich foolishly took in 
    one thousand and one looking for a free ride (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 8 10 22 22 25 28 44 67 70 75 76 83 90 100

Very good surface (a bit long, though) and cryptic, with the anagrammed
part, pleasantly enough, not overly obvious.

A tad stilted, but the surface grew on me.

Exactly 1001?  Who'd be counting?  The misleading "one thousand
and one" -- not M + I, nor K + I, is an asset.

I have just read about Patricia Hearst and "The Stockholm Syndrome". Are
the 1001, all members of the Simbionese Liberation Front?

good surface and clever clue

Prefer M for thousand; maybe king = K as in KGV for King James' Version

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

11th place (score 45.27%) - clue 4
From Chris Cleary <ecc4g@dayhoff.med.virginia.edu>

    Successful chart-topper, one who lifted her skirt, now gets a free ride. (10)

Votes (normalized): 10 14 22 22 33 40 44 44 50 50 50 58 60 63 75 88

"Compound problem", and I'd have preferred "topper" to indicate just
the first letter rather than some arbitrary "first few" (alternately,
"toppers" might get by, although it wouldn't match the ensuing part)
but a good surface.

No. The definition points to a verb, not a noun. Chart topper would be
C, not CH.

I like the different usage of HIKER, and the surface reading is
consistent.  Minor quibble with "chart-topper" -> CH.

The sense in "chart-topper" is leaking into the interpretation
of "successful".  Better if charade elements are kept
compartmentalised.

Nice reading but glaring liberty taken , trying to pass of CH as the topper!

Good surface, but is a hiker, by definition, someone who lifts her skirt?

"Chart-topper = CH" (as opposed to C or CHA, etc.) seems arbitrary.

nice image but but don't like CH for chart-topper

Chart-topper is C not CH, surely ? Otherwise cool.

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

12th place (score 41.14%) - clue 11
From Jake Bergmann <jbergmann@bbn.com>

    Prospective rider suggested by Vice President in 1965 -- Eisenhower
    Republican kept it conservative (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 8 13 18 33 38 44 44 56 69 75 80 80 100

Nicely deceptive definition.  The Humphrey = HHH seemed slightly 
obscure, though.  Good, thematic surface.

I'll take your word for the HHH part, again quite a 
complicated clue!

Not only is the cluing of HHH vague and questionable, but the
container signal is way off.

HHH is not a well-established shortening like JFK.  Too hard.
Anyway, this Republican legislator would not likely aim to
keep the rider conservative; he would keep the bill conser-
vative by defeating the rider.

I think more people would know the HHH as Hash House Harriers, {an
informal once- a-week cross-country running club with chapters all over
the world. It first started in Malaysia. They always finish the run at
the Beer-wagon!} then the fact that Horatio or even H. was Hubert's
middle name/initial!

Needs two containment indicators. I think HHH is too obscure
especially for non US citizens

R for Republican is OK since we see it on TV all the time,
(in North America, anyway) but C for conservative is not
obvious.

TOO cryptic!  There's no way anyone outside of the USA could
fathom this one out! (Or could anyone IN the USA for that matter??!!)

"1965 V.P." might help inidicate that the solver should think of initials
(HHH) rather than a name (Humphrey).

somewhat wordy but interesting surface.

Too long-winded. Very poor surface

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

13th place (score 40.15%) - clue 24
From Qed314@aol.com (David M. Tuller)

    He gives a thumbs-up to Keith Richards' half-crazy following. Short of
    heroin? (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 1 20 22 24 25 43 44 56 61 62 63 63 70 90

Great, if lengthy, surface; the way "half" is used is ever-so-slightly
amiss (a little too deceptive, seemingly to be applied to "crazy" 
instead of "Richards").

I like the surface.

KEITH RICHARDS!!   AUUGGHH!!

Too much mood change between the two sentences.

Would have got more if not for those... can I shout it...THUMBS!

Great surface, but the construction is a little dodgy

What does half-crazy mean?  You kept more than half of the
letters in Keith Richards.

quite a clever cryptic clue but, again, does thumbs up necessarily
signify a hitchhiker???  Doesn't it usually mean a sign of approval?

Nice kinky surface image.

Cluer has obviously not hitch-hiked before. You only use one hand; so
it is thumb up not thumbs up.

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

14th place (score 37.27%) - clue 16
From EnigmaGB@aol.com

    Traveller's fashions postcard: "Withhold monikers entering their Central
    Quarters" (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 11 22 28 29 35 38 42 50 58 60 60 75 89

The "central quarters" cryptic construction was, I thought, quite clever
(it certainly had me fooled; I can't recall having seen it before, but 
it appears to be valid).  However, the surface makes virtually no sense 
to me --- perhaps a "traveller" (non-possessive) might fashion such a 
postcard, but it reads more like how a spy would encrypt a message.

The surface reads like nonsense to me.

This one was mine, and like a moron, I forgot to proofread it before I
sent it. It should be "Traveler fashions" where fashions is a verb.
Make sense now? Probably not. Oh well.

Clever cryptic (especially maintaining the 2/8), but UGLY surface.

Surface is cockamamie.  Save that nice "Central Quarters" for
a better occasion.

this clue utilizes a rule that was made up for fun in another contest but
which is not acceptable in the real world

Primarily for the effort and ingenuity.What mental calisthenics! I am
impressed! Wonder what Sloppy Joe - he, with the monicker- has to say?

Very original. Shame the surface reading doesn't make any sense.

's unaccounted for.

good idea in principle but...

Interesting constuction, but the surface is a bit hard to 
scan--especially the apostrophe-s on "Traveller."

A novel convention called Central Quarters ; but why would monikers
want to enter anyway ? No surface at all.      

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

15th place (score 35.94%) - clue 7
From Clay Colwell <eris@bga.com>

    He's on a priceless journey, beginning to harbor desire, ending with
    one constant hesitation (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 22 22 25 29 30 38 39 42 44 50 50 59 60 65

Punny definition really should be accompanied by a "?"; a bit on the long
side and "one constant hesitation" seems a little clunky in the surface;
otherwise okay, although I'm not fond of the "constant = K" part.

I like the `priceless journey' part, but the rest is too
complicated and reads oddly.

Good definition, but the "ending with" as H spoiled this for me.

Ooog.  Reading my own clue over again, I can't help but find it
a tad clunky to read.

IMO, "ending with" is not an acceptable version of "ending of
with".  Surface is spongy.

Maybe, if he started of "harbouring initial desire" could get on a nicer
surface track!!

Surface is over elaborate

'priceless journey' definition too vague and do we have to have 
a justification for the contents of the clue?

The definition is kind of clever.  I don't like the belabored construction,
practically to the point of letter by letter.

don't like the two H indicators or the K indicator.

Beginning to harbor = H ?   Is 'K' the only legitimate letter standing 
for constant; why not 'C' or 'M' ?

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

16th place (score 31.54%) - clue 19
From eeiukiy@eei.ericsson.se (Una Kirby)

    Thumbs up for her thick Hydrogen Iodide mixture (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 0 11 22 30 38 44 48 50 50 57 67 88

Unless they form a truly natural combination, "element clues" usually 
are too obvious, and this one's no exception.  Also, the definition is 
inadequate --- it defines a characteristic of a hitchhiker, not its
a definition.

Not too obvious, reads well, but `Thumbs up' isn't
really a definition of HITCHHIKER is it?

Thumbs up?  What on earth for?  (Ugly surface, insufficient definition)

If you'd put "mixture" next to "her thick", you might have
avoided this indirect anagram.

"thumbs up" is not the definition of hitchhiker

Prefer peroxide blondes! But seriously, its those thumbS again.

I regard this an an indirect anagram

Very nice (but, again, does thumbs up necessarily define a hitchhiker?)

But where is the main clue (definition) ? Thumbs up = approval

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

17th place (score 31.08%) - clue 13
From whuang@cco.caltech.edu (Wei-Hwa Huang)

    "Hi" her thick Sloppy Joe on the road (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 14 17 20 22 25 33 38 38 50 50 52 61 78

With apologies to your Mom, the surface scans very awkwardly.  A few
extra "bravery points" for anagramming the entire word.

I don't understand the surface reading here.

Big bonus points for attempting an anagram with HITCHHIKER. The only
shortfall of this clue is the surface.

The surface reading, even with the explanation, is much too sloppy, Joe.

Keep your mouth shut, sandwich, you're dripping sauce.

"Joe on the road" is cute, but what is "Hi" supposed to mean?

Sloppy is right!!

Anagram is too blatant

Surface!

good intentions but surface doesn't read well

The surface is clunky, but the cluer gets extra points for the fact 
that I'm reading these clues before lunch time :)

getting an anagram out of this is some achievement but...

Good anagram fodder but poorly constructed surface

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

18th place (score 30.86%) - clue 22
From kamarif@pop.jaring.my (Kamal A. Shah)

    This universal traveller has his own novel set of guides  (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 11 12 22 22 25 28 43 50 70 80 100


Kamal A. Shah writes:
   Dear Evan,
   It just came to my mind that Adams' trilogy was the Hitchhiker's Guide to
   the Galaxy.( not the Universe as I claimed in my explanation on my clue)
   And I am redfaced!
   But I guess, it really does not detract from the aptness of the clue. But I
   do feel foolish though! Thought I will let you know that I am not as
   near-perfect as I thought I was.:-( and ;-)
   If I had remebered it earlier, a better clue I guess would be:
        This universal traveller has his own novel set of galactic guides (10)
   
   The "universal" here is still appropriate and the "galactic" would really
   make it a fairer clue by pointing the solver in the right direction.
   
   What do you think? ( BTW, you can mention this in your comments when you
   post the result, if you wish)
   
   With my head bowed in shame,
   Yours redfacedly,
   
   Kamal A. Shah
   kamarif@pop.jaring.my

And the moderator responds:
   Dear Kamal,
   I still think my clue is better. :-)
   --Evan


Very clever.  Despite my aversion to cryptic clues without two 
distinct parts, this one gets relatively high marks.

It's actually `The hitchhiker's guide to the GALAXY'!

Again, more of a punny definition than a cryptic.

Too far-fetched.  For a different kind of contest.

nice try. go read the rules

What can I say? My baby is the best kid on the block? Mebbe! Deserves a 10?
Mebbe! Not actually! A 9.5, yes! In retrospect, I feel the "universal"
would be better if appended to "guides". I am not voting for me, though!
NOT RATED DUE TO VESTED INTEREST

I like this clue a lot. The only pun-type clue that was any good.

Don't you mean galactic traveller?

This one was just waiting to rear it's head!  Great definition but
where's the clue?

Would it be appropriate to give this clue a score of 42? :)

intersting but is it cryptic?

Good and strong like freshly brewed coffee

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

19th place (score 29.74%) - clue 5
From barbrook@aol.com

    A free rider objectively, she keeps casual greeting a thousand after desire. (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 10 22 25 28 29 33 38 40 46 50 56 70

The cryptic part is pretty good (I particularly liked "objectively she"),
but the surface seems very unclear --- to me, anyway.

The surface reading gets particularly stilted after the comma.  The
cryptic instructions aren't that well-hidden either.

No idea what this means.  Construction is sound.

The things people do to relieve an itch!!

A thousand what?

Roadside pick-me-up defines the act of being picked up, not
the hitchhiker.

Terrible surface reading

not smooth enough

Maybe it is the Atlantic barrier. By British crossword conventions, a 
thousand is M after the Roman; 500=D,  100=C, 50=L, 10=X, 5=V & 1=I

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

20th place (score 25.85%) - clue 14
From Don Monson <dmonson@Direct.CA>

    First of all, His Royal Highness Edward is mixed up and
    thick, confused; he's just looking for a free ride (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 11 11 12 20 22 22 29 30 30 33 50 63 81

Clue is way too long, due to the ill-advised approach of mixing an 
initial-letter clue with an anagram; the cryptic instructions read more
like an anagram of "hrhei" is to precede an anagram of "thick" rather 
than that it's all to be anagrammed together.

Convoluted.

The surface is weak, and the cryptic lacks in that the instructions
seem to indicate that one constructs the target from [HRHEI][THICK]:
two separate sets of anagrams that are concatenated.

Needs more economical anagram signals.

First Cher, then HRH Edward,(the VII, I presume)- all looking for rides!
Is it only me seeing all these sexual overtones or are there others?

I'm not even going to say it. And the surface is not much good.

The two anagram indicators indicate to me that the two sets
of letters should be mixed up within each group but remain
disjoint from each other.

20 words for an anagram clue ?

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

21st place (score 25.10%) - clue 8
From BINAND RAJ S. <rrp@cc.iitb.ernet.in>

    Greet the first dear from Paris about an unending trip-thumbs up for 
    him to get around! (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 17 20 22 22 28 29 31 33 38 50 50 63

"Hi" is a noun ("greeting"), and not a verb ("greet"); using a synonym of 
"hike" in the same sense as the word to be clued is a little iffy. In the
surface, pairing "Greet ... about" doesn't scan comfortably for me, and 
the whole clue is a tad long-winded.  The cryptic fragment "dear from 
Paris" was a nice (Nice?) touch.

"the first" as T earns this low points.

HIKE is effectively using one of the root words.  Minus points for
that.  The surface is too stilted for words.

Be careful with punctuation; write a dash as two hyphens with
a space following.  What's an unending trip?

I am now convinced I am generous with my ratings. Au revoir, mon cherie!

the cryptic's not bad but the surface is clumsy.

Hitchhiker is singular; so it should be thumb up. Besides, this clue sound
like two cryptic parts without a main clue (a.k.a. definition).Poor

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22nd place (score 24.38%) - clue 17
From msb@sq.com

    Passenger's hashish not as is, i.e. trick, disguise. (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 0 12 22 22 28 29 33 38 42 44 50 70

The surface seems disjoint and hard to follow.  The "as is" is, very 
properly, removed in order from "hashish", though.

Not bad, but `Passenger' is a bit vague as a definition

Does not read well.  Anagram constituents are too separated.

no way

Sorry, can't buy it. Not, as is!

's accounted for very badly.

Is 'passenger' a definition of 'hitchhiker'(it isn't in my dictionary)?
Also, clue and surface convoluted and incomprehensible.

" Hashish not as is" for HHH is as bad as "VP in 1965" (Clue 11)

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23rd place (score 19.93%) - clue 3
From galejs@ll.mit.edu (Robert Galejs)

    He thumbed a ride. AWOL? (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 14 17 20 35 56 67 100

Even with the "?", I don't buy the AWOL as a secondary definition; it's
far too indirect for my taste (without the explanation, I was completely
baffled).

I don't follow this one.

Interesting concept...but not quite. Perhaps "He thumbed a ride and went
AWOL" would have worked better.

"AWOL" is much too vague and doesn't come near to cryptifying HITCHHIKER.

Without the explanation, there's nothing here.

What clue? More like a vocab-quiz! He put out his hands for money. What is
he? Answer: Beggar. He thumbed a ride. What is he? - get what I mean?
Don't let AWOL blind us to the already-obvious!

Didn't work for me I'm afraid

AWOL = hitchhiker?  Give me a break!

Do I have the wrong dictionary?

Another uninteresting HITCH+HIKER construction.  I'm not sure if "AWOL"
is a synonym for a deserter--I've always considered it an adjective.

too obscure

Brevity is the soul of wit  but the military desertion reference is
so obscure  that  it is almost  forced.

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24th place (score 15.97%) - clue 21
From matthews@courier1.aero.org

    Proposed rider emphasises the first digit (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 8 11 20 44 75 92

So, basically, what's here is a single definition, no; or, at best,
two extremely similar definitions?  In my opinion, a double-definition
should combine two very different definitions of the same word
(something like "Correct direction (5)" for "right").

You too may want to learn how to construct a cryptic clue.

No cryptic (and the answer leaps out at you)

WHAT?! go read the rules

Nice surface. Brings to mind rider clause in an accident insurance
policy! Definition a bit off, though, don't you think?

Again, doesn't distract reader enough for this type of clue.

Not a cryptic clue.

This rider might get more than he bargains for if he emphasises his
first digit!  (I was under the impression the first digit is the
index finger, not the thumb!?)

intersting but is it cryptic?

Short, simple and sweet

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25th place (score 14.85%) - clue 12
From yfyap@pop.jaring.my (Yap Yok Foo)

    Thumb's up for this traveller (10)

Votes (normalized): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 20 22 24 44 100

If you're asking me to accept "thumb's up" as a second definition, I
don't.  It makes a nice single definition, but then you're falling
short of a true cryptic.

A bit too easy really.

You may want to learn more about constructive a cryptic clue.

This is just too simple, and more of a punny definition than a cryptic.

No cryptic (and the answer leaps out at you)

go read the rules

Now, this is a good usage of that opposable digit. Suggest the plural on
first reading yet retaining the singular essence. Would have given a 9
if it had come with an exclamation mark!

Almost a straight clue. Doesn't distract the reader enough
for this type of clue.

This is not a cryptic clue IMHO.

OK as a definition, but where's the clue?

Nice non-cryptic clue.

Modesty forbids. This is my clue. Pass.

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**** BONUS CLUES ********** BONUS CLUES ********** BONUS CLUES ****

clue 26
From Tom.Deneau@amd.com (Tom Deneau)

    Hot desire hit former president before run for Transportation Petitioner (10).

Votes (normalized): none

"Former president" isn't specific enough for my tastes; the "hit" and
"run" abbreviations seem arbitrary without some reference to baseball.

Poor surface

Abbreviation indicators!!

don't like transportation petitioner as definition

The indiscriminate use of words to indicate certain letters spoils this
clue. One clue can probably stand one but to have three in this clue plus
having two different words  for the same letter are just too much

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clue 27
From whuang@cco.caltech.edu (Wei-Hwa Huang)

    Eisenhower and Haldeman messed up around burning USA series (10)

Votes (normalized): none

Haldeman correlating to "HRH" is very dicey in my book, and, to quibble
a bit, "The Hitchhiker" originated on HBO, not USA.

Definition might be nice if you happen to get that channel.

As a Brit, it would be impossible (for me anyway) to deduce that
HRH = Haldeman (know who he is but nevertheless...).  (Over here
HRH would suggest His/Her Royal Highness!!!)  Also, USA cable
channels aren't 100% familiar with us (well me anyway) apart from CNN
and... ummmm???!!
Sorry!

On this CWC, we are not just having people from either side of the Atlantic
but also across the Pacific. The Yanks whalloped the Pommies over rugby 
terms (remember prop ?). Expect them to say "Halderman Who?". Besides
HRH is reserved for members of the British Royal family, not a 
discredited aide of a discredited president, expletives deleted and all.
The main clue (definition to you) is only known to Americans; what about 
the British, the Asians, the New Zealanders and the Australians who are
now joining this PCWC ? Come on, go global, not parochial.

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