Thanks to Doug for digging out the ACC113 entries from his disabled Caltech account. The PCWC results will follow shortly, he tells me :-). James. ++ The winner of ACC 113 is Bruce McKenzie, for his wonderful clue: Company Christmas tree with a sprig of mistletoe will ring in wild revels (4,7) Bruce has agreed to moderate ACC 114, so look for the announcement soon. Congratulations, Bruce! You may remember (maybe not--it's been a while) the challenge for ACC 113 was to clue a phrase, but each word in the phrase had to have its own separate cryptic portion and definition within the clue. Essentially, two or more sub-clues combined into one big ol' clue. There were a total of 11 clues (and one bonus clue) submitted, and the level of quality and inventiveness was superb across the board. Kudos to all that entered. Here are the rest of the clues, with some blank spoiler space for those of you who'd like to take a crack at solving them. NOTE: the last clue in this list doesn't follow the rules set down for the contest. It's a regular cryptic clue. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Holy man briefly sick -- nevertheless, provided filler for the French magazine (5,4) (SECOND PLACE) Slumping over, Mel's waitress very quietly starts yawning and spinning kid's plate (6,4) "Sunset Compact" contains abbreviated will, last letter to single ward (8,4) (HONORABLE MENTION) Angry resistance to old troublemaker's endless nonsense (6,4) Obvious gasp surrounds the heartless clamor at end of hearing, after jail is imminent (6,7) Collaborator in trial experimented on gerbil. To start with, set up genetic material. His noted partner commuted from tumbledown villa in the sun. (7,3,8) Be given a thousand - alien arranged group (3,3) However, Paris's expensive provisioner to embargo dark beer, bottling fifth of Chablis (7,5) For example, in for a previous swindle, stupid cousin accepts ultimately nonsensical verdict (8,10) Send housing company assistant to establish Abe's spread (6,4) An incomplete fear has prosecutor taken in, or I'm a one liner. (5,5) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are all the clues with full explanations. Moderator's comments preceded by ">". --------------------------------------------------------------------- Holy man briefly sick -- nevertheless, provided filler for the French magazine (5,4) STILL LIFE Holy man = saint Holy man briefly = ST sick = ILL nevertheless = still Provided = IF filler for = containment indicator the French = LE Provided filler for the French = L(IF)E magazine = Life >Excellent surface, and I like that STILL is defined as an adverb >in the sub-clue and used as an adjective in the phrase. Construction >is smooth and flawless. This fine clue earned Bob Rosenberg Second >Place. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Slumping over, Mel's waitress very quietly starts yawning and spinning kid's plate (10) FLOPPY DISK Slumping over: definition of floppy Mel's waitress: FLO very quietly: PP (from music) starts yawning: Y (start of yawning) spinning kid's rearrange kids to get DISK plate: definition of disk >Another great surface in this clue from Deb Bouchard, especially to >those of us familiar with the old sitcom _Alice_. "Mel's waitress" >for FLO may be questionable to some, but I think it's fair for an >American puzzle. Mel's Diner is a fairly well-known pop culture >reference, whether we like it or not. My only quibble is that "starts >yawning" doesn't quite equate to Y for me. I'd prefer something like >"start to yawn" or even better "yawn's start" (neither of which would >work here unfortunately). Well written clue. -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Sunset Compact" contains abbreviated will, last letter to single ward (8,4) TWILIGHT ZONE Sunset = definition 1 compact = TIGHT contains = container abbreviated will = WIL =T(WIL)IGHT last letter = Z single = ONE (in the dollar bill sense, if nothing else) ward= Z/ONE =TWILIGHT ZONE a bit morbid, but it fits the overall phrase... >Yes, it does sound like the premise for an episode of _Twilight_Zone_, >and the cryptic construction is impeccable. I have no problem with >"single" = ONE or any other portion of this clue. Honorable Mention >to Ed Coulson. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Angry resistance to old troublemaker's endless nonsense (6,4) RAGING BULL Angry = definition (raging) resistance = R to = joiner old = AGING troublemaker = BULLy 's endless = deletion indicator nonsense = definition (bull) R+AGING BULL[y] >Here's another clue with a top-notch surface. I've been docked in >the past for using "'s" as a possessive in the surface and as a >contraction for "is" in the cryptic construction. But I find that it >works well in this clue and is certainly solvable. Excellent entry >from Theresa Gies. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus Clue: Obvious gasp surrounds the heartless clamor at end of hearing, after jail is imminent (6,7) PATENT PENDING Obvious = definition (patent) gasp = PANT surrounds = container indicator ThE heartless = TE clamor = DIN at = joiner end of hearinG = G after = positioning indicator jail = PEN is = connector imminent = definition (pending) PA(TE)NT PEN+DIN+G >Intriguing surface, although I'm not sure how the gasp could surround >the clamor. This bonus clue is from the prolific Theresa Gies. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Collaborator in trial experimented on gerbil. To start with, set up genetic material. His noted partner commuted from tumbledown villa in the sun. (7,3,8) GILBERT AND SULLIVAN Collaborator in trial = definition = GILBERT (one of whose collaborations was Trial By Jury) experimented on = anagram indicator gerbil = fodder To start = t = fodder with = definition = AND set up = reversal indicator (assuming a "down" light) genetic material = DNA = fodder His noted partner = definition = SULLIVAN (who wrote the music) commuted from = link tumbledown = anagram indicator villa = fodder in the = container indicator sun = fodder >Take your time in digesting this impressive clue from Bob Goddard. He >was the only clue writer to tackle a 3-word phrase and did an admirable >job. Despite the clue's length, the cryptic wordplay is not overly >convoluted. However the jump from "trial" to the opera "Trial By >Jury" is probably too large. And once you make the connection, the >solution becomes obvious. But it's still fun to work out all the >wordplay. Enjoyable clue. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Be given a thousand - alien arranged group (3,3) GET SET be given - definition GET a thousand - G (for GRAND) alien - ET arranged group - double definition SET >I appreciate the brevity in this clue from Phil Rose, but the surface >is not as strong as some of the others. Do most of you accept G for >"a thousand", or do you prefer G to refer to "a thousand dollars"? I >think G is fine for "a thousand" with or without the dollars, so no >points off for that. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Christmas tree with a sprig of mistletoe will ring in wild revels (4, 7) FIR+M RES(O)LVE (revels anag., o = ring) >Evocative surface and superb construction. I enjoy inventive >indicators, so "sprig of mistletoe" is right up my alley. But it >was the ingenious "will ring in wild revels" portion that sold me >on this clue. Wonderfully disguised and completely fair, as all >good cryptic clues should be. First Place to Bruce McKenzie. -------------------------------------------------------------------- However, Paris's expensive provisioner to embargo dark beer, bottling fifth of Chablis (7,5) BUTCHER BLOCK however BUT Paris's expensive CHER (French for "expensive") provisioner defn. of BUTCHER to embargo defn. of BLOCK dark beer BOCK bottling container signal fifth of Chablis L >My knowledge of French is woefully inadequate, so I may have stumbled >on "CHER". It took me a couple of readings to make sense of the >surface, but I think it works for me now. Despite the slight awkward- >ness, a solid clue from Jake Bergmann. -------------------------------------------------------------------- For example, in for a previous swindle, stupid cousin accepts ultimately nonsensical verdict (8,10) FOREGONE CONCLUSION For example - EG in - container indicator for - FOR a - ONE previous - definition of FOREGONE FOR(EG)ONE swindle - CON stupid - anagram indicator cousin - anagram fodder for CUSION accepts - container indicator ultimately nonsensical - L verdict - definition of CONCLUSION >The surface reading is a bit cumbersome at the end, but not terribly >so. The cryptic construction is splendid, and I especially like the >way FOREGONE is put together for some reason. Perhaps because it would >be so difficult to write a clue for FOREGONE that made sense on its >own. Anyway, a nicely done clue from Gail Koontz. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Send housing company assistant to establish Abe's spread (6,4) SECOND BASE Surface: "So Mr. Lincoln, where do you want that log cabin?" Send = SEND housing = container indicator company = CO assistant = def. of "second" (noun) SE(CO)ND =SECOND to establish = def. of "base" (verb) Abe's = ABES fodder spread = anagram indicator ABES =BASE >This nifty clue from Kurt Storm is another with a great surface >reading, and as an added bonus (for me anyway) the solution is >baseball-related. My sole complaint is that "spread" isn't one of >my favorite anagram indicators. "Abe's spread" seems to lead to >A B E S. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ANDREA DORIA An incomplete fear has prosecutor taken in, or I'm a one liner. An + drea DA ( OR I) >This one from Jerry Rosman didn't follow the format set out in the >rules, but it has some nice elements nonetheless. I'm not sure about >"one liner" as the definition though, and using "am" to link the >cryptic and straight parts is a no-no. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks again to all the participants. Doug Peterson dougp@alumni.caltech.edu -- James A. Lundon, DSC, Ballybrit Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway, Ireland. mailto: james dot lundon at dscie dot com. phoneto: 353+91+760541. All opinions expressed here are my own, unless otherwise mis-stated. *************** How many of the Mr. Men can you name? *************** From - Sat Nov 21 17:13:49 1998 Received: from dsc001.dscie.com (mail.dsc.ie [194.125.37.252]) by irwell.zetnet.co.uk (8.8.7/8.8.5) with ESMTP id JAA06401 for ; Thu, 5 Nov 1998 09:07:26 GMT Received: by DSC001 with Internet Mail Service (5.5.1960.3) id ; Thu, 5 Nov 1998 09:05:27 -0000 Message-ID: From: "Lundon, James" To: Subject: CCC (315): ACC119 results Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 09:05:24 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.1960.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" X-Mozilla-Status: 2001 Thanks to Evan for a copy of the results. James. ++ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ ACC119 Trick Or Treat RESULTS @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ The results are in for the One Hundred and Nineteenth Araucaria Clueing Contest. And the winner is... >>>>> Kurt Storm <<<<< for his exceptionally devious clue that requires a double-take: Doctor Right pierces swelling on the skin (5) Honorable Mentions go to >>Will Johnston<< and >>Keith Engers<< for their devilish entries, as well. Kurt has agreed to moderate ACC120. The purpose of ACC119 was to devise a Halloween- or Autumn-related cryptic clue that was exceptionally tricky or deceptive, yet still solvable to anyone familiar with cryptic crossword styles. Here are all nine clues submitted to ACC119. I invite you to try your hand at solving them, but be forewarned: they are quite a mischievous lot! My comments, which comprise my thought processes while solving each clue, follow 31 lines of spoiler space. See if you think like me. :-) ========================================================= Count returning after end of summer's flag-waving opportunity? (8,4) Could this be when all old English saints are honoured? It isn't a long while away (9) Disturbing news for commuter - exits at risk (6,2,3,4) Doctor Right pierces swelling on the skin (5) Contract even let the last tenth be re-ordered (9) In follow up, sound out Knicks' forward for Magic coach (7) Disguised with flayed scar, grimace about colors of death's-head (11) Period charm (5) .......... spells "broomstick" (10) ========================================================= 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Although there were relatively few entries compared to other CCCs, I felt the overall quality of submissions was quite high. Most folks spent a lot of time and thought on their clues, and that made my job thoroughly enjoyable. Because there were only nine entries to judge, I had the luxury of spending as much time as needed to solve each clue, or in a couple of cases, decide I would never solve before Xmas. I want to thank everyone who participated for giving me some delicious treats for Halloween. The only clues that I did not come close to solving are also the clues that received Honorable Mention. I felt these clues were solvable by others, if not me. Their clever deception grabbed hold of my thought processes and wouldn't let go, and since that was the whole point of ACC119, I applaud them. Below are the clues along with their authors' explanations more or less word-for-word, which required not only an explanation of the cryptic, but also why it was tricky and topical. My comments are marked with a right arrow (>). -------------------------------------------------------------- Count returning after end of summer's flag-waving opportunity? (8,4) Count returning after end of summer = defn. of STANDARD TIME 's = link flag-waving opportunity? = punny definition of STANDARD TIME TOPICALITY The surface refers to "end of summer" and the solution, STANDARD TIME, is what we "fall back" to in autumn after daylight savings time is abandoned. TRICKINESS Although I believe this clue is not too difficult to solve, I introduced a number of diversions deliberately. Because the clue is in a contest with Halloween as a theme, I begin with "Count" (capitalized), in case this might lead solvers to think of DRACULA. The word "returning" could be read as a reversal indicator, and "after" as a charade positional indicator. The "end of summer" might typically refer to the letter R, and "flag-waving" could be interpreted as instructions to anagram FLAG. So I suppose that in a worst-case scenario, a solver might imagine RALUCARD GLAF is the solution, if that meant "opportunity." The clue is tricky in another sense for solvers who know the composer -- almost all of my double definition clues are of the two-word concise variety, so this lengthy double definition is nonstandard for me. Also, the fact that "end of summer" is in the surface may lead solvers to believe that the solution phrase might not have anything to do with Halloween or autumn. Factors that increase the solvability are the use of ('s) as a link, and the two-word enumeration, which limits the variety of potential answers. >This clue was the first to be received, and I knew I was going >to be in for a treat in the days to come, because it was exactly >what I was looking for in ACC119. It has deception. It has >seasonal relevance. It has vampires. It even has patriotism. >Its weakest feature is its odd surface, which scans as a >quickly contrived clue, yet that also contributes to its >strength. What looks like a clue full of obvious cryptic >hints is actually a maze full of dead ends. I fell into the >DRACULA trap and could not escape. I was sure the answer was >-----ALU CARD and desperately tried to make sense of RAFLGALU >CARD or SLAGFALU CARD. PLATINUM CARD had possibilities for >"opportunity," but no way to get there from here. I have a >problem with "end of summer" for time change. Here in >California, the time change occurs more than a month into Fall. >The clue could have been worded more fairly as "Count returning >in mid-autumn's..." without sacrificing any deception. But even >so, I don't think I ever would have solved it without some >help with crossed letters. Didn't solve it, but Honorable >Mention to Will Johnston, for a superb bit of trickery. -------------------------------------------------------------- Could this be when all old English saints are honoured? It isn't a long while away (9) Solution (you guessed it): Halloween Actual way to solve it: - Could this be = anagram indicator - when all + o e (abbreviation for Old English) = fodder - and the whole clue is an '+ lit' definition: another name for Halloween (in England, anyway) is All Saints Eve, the day before All Saints Day, which is 1 November. Tricky part: 'isn't a long while' can be taken 'away' from 'when all old English saints' to leave a false 9-letter anagram. Comment: I haven't done one of these for a while, and I don't suppose the clue is going to fool anyone for long; but I liked the way the surface came out, so I thought I'd send it anyway, 'cause....... ........I wanna be there in that number, when the saints go marching in! >Yes, I did guess HALLOWEEN right away, mostly because I >recognized much of my own fodder ;-). Though substitution >of common abbreviations (such as O.E. for Old English) in >anagram fodder is probably allowed in British-style crosswords, >it is considered a faux pas in US-style, generally speaking. I >interpreted "It isn't a long while away" merely to be the >straight definition. I'm not nearly clever enough to have >fallen into the false anagram trap hidden there. Sort of like >using an intricately woven spiderweb to catch a bear: > "What's this stringy thing? It doesn't look like food. > Hey, I see some food over there..." [tromp tromp tromp] >Nevertheless, I welcome the newcomer to the group. She had >fun writing this clue, and in the end, that is what this whole >thing is all about. -------------------------------------------------------------- Disturbing news for commuter - exits at risk (6,2,3,4) Answer: LEAVES ON THE LINE Double definition: Disturbing news for commuter = straight definition exits at risk = cryptic definition (or charade if you prefer, but to me charade suggests some manipulation of the fodder) (exits = LEAVES, at risk = ON THE LINE) Deception: "Disturbing" appears to be an anagram indicator. The following phrase "news for commuter" has the correct number of letters to be anagram fodder. "Exits" suggests a deletion might be involved. "At risk" (to me at any rate) suggests there might be further trickery afoot. Topicality (especially for those outside the UK): The phrase "Leaves on the line" will be all too familiar to British readers. Much of our rail system is bordered by swathes of deciduous trees. At this time of year, falling leaves settle on the tracks. What with the seasonal damp weather, the leaves quickly become pulped into a highly effective lubricant slime which has an unfortunate effect on the friction between a locomotive's driving wheels and the track and, more seriously, where a "third rail system" provides electrical power, on contact with the power supply. The announcement "All trains are subject to delays due to leaves on the line" is the source of much frustration, sardonic humour and criticism of the rail companies. >I was close. I guessed LEAVES ON THE ROAD. Having grown up in >Los Angeles and now living in San Jose, I equate commuting >with driving a car, not taking a train. LEAVES ON THE ROAD >is disturbing news to me. Who cares about lines? :-) >I agree that ON THE LINE describes "risk" better than ON THE >ROAD, though that is a risky way for a possum to travel. >I noticed the false anagram trap but didn't fall for it >before noting that "exits" = LEAVES, which I then pursued >because it was the only topical reference evident. Had that >not been a requirement, I might have spent more time >anagramming up front. Nice surface and construction. -------------------------------------------------------------- Doctor Right pierces swelling on the skin (5) Doctor = def. of treat Right = R pierces = insertion indicator swelling on the skin = TEAT => T(R)EAT ******OR****** Doctor = def. of trick (i.e. adulterate) Right = R pierces = insertion indicator swelling on the skin = TICK => T(R)ICK TRICK OR TREAT !!! (that's the topical part) ...besides the use of the word "trick", I believe the use of "doctor" preceding words may imply anagramming - a clue for GIRTH? (that's the tricky part) >Bravo! I thought of GIRTH and also B(R)OIL, which of course, got >me nowhere. Then a bout of drooling, and finally (Aha!) the word >must be TREAT! Then I peeked at the solution and discovered I had >been TRICKed, as well. I find being tricked by the very word >itself to be so delightful that I can't help but love this clue, >which demonstrates the spirit of ACC119 so well. Very clever and >daring, and the winning entry belongs to Kurt Storm. -------------------------------------------------------------- Contract even let the last tenth be re-ordered (9) contract even = een (Websters and Chambers) let = allow the last tenth = h be re-ordered = anagram ind. (thus) Halloween tricky bit the last (DAY) 31 tenth (month) October >Nyeeeaah. [Picture moderator squinting in doubt.] I don't think >so. First of all, I did guess HALLOWEEN. The biggest clue was the >enumeration, but it took me a while to piece it together - as you >have indicated, the parts, which are all accounted for, are not in >order. Had I not been wondering, "How the heck do you get >HALLOWEEN from this?" I doubt that I would have solved it. Though >"be re-ordered" is specified as an anagram indicator, it is used >as a "charade rearrangement" indicator, which is better since >it is only a misdemeanor as opposed to felony indirect anagramming. >(I'm kidding! Please don't send letters.) The Oct. 31 reference >is buried a bit too deep to be unearthed as the straight defn., >but you get points for trying. Appending "at ten thirty-one," for >instance would make it more fair without being too obvious. I do >think the surface has merit, but I'm still wondering "the last >tenth of what?" Perhaps that mystery will be solved in ACC120. -------------------------------------------------------------- In follow up, sound out Knicks' forward for Magic coach (7) In follow up - IN follows rest of cryptic part sound out - PUMP Knicks' forward - K for - connector Magic coach - definition of PUMPKIN (Cinderella's) It's topical because pumpkins are part of the fall season as well as part of Halloween (jack-o'-lanterns) and Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie). It's tricky because: 1 - "in" could be a hidden word or container indicator; 2 - "sound out" could be a homophone indicator; 3 - the team names are meant to mislead as to the type of coach. >Though I made "Magic coach" = PUMPKIN connection fairly soon, I >think it is woven neatly into the surface, and not an obvious >defn. However, I was unable to piece the cryptic parts together >as shown to my satisfaction (without peeking). I noted that IN >could appear at the end, as indicated, but also that "followup" = >"inquire" = PUMP. The forward half of "Knicks" contains fodder >for the rest of it, and "out" is an anagram indicator, but then >I'm left with "sound." If I sound out "Knick" in reverse, I get >the rest, but it's supposed to be forward (and what I would >really get is SKIN, not KIN). At this point, I could see lots of >ways to dance around PUMPKIN, but no particular way to stomp on >it. After looking at the answer, the leap from "sound out" to >PUMP left me cold, at first, but I'm warming up to it. Because >I had the right answer, I don't feel like I was ever really >trapped, but I certainly got tangled. Nice job. -------------------------------------------------------------- Disguised with flayed scar, grimace about colors of death's-head (11) disguised definition of CAMOUFLAGED with link to cryptic flayed scar CA; 'flay' means to strip the skin off of grimace MOUE about container signal colors FLAG of waste word death's-head D CA + MOU(FLAG)E + D "disguised" would be an anagram indicator in some other clue. >Aaargh! I was staring right at it but couldn't make it work. >My first guess was MASQUERADED, but the pieces didn't fit. >Then I noticed "flayed scar" = CA and immediately thought >of CAMOUFLAGED. I even wrote it down and stared at it for >several minutes, but I somehow missed "colors" = FLAG. I was >looking for REDS or HUES in the word instead. Now my head >is sore from slapping it so much. (Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!) >MOUE is not a word I use every day - or ever - so I'm not >surprised I didn't see that one coming, but I agree it is >fair game. > >Since, technically, I did not solve it, I think that makes >the clue difficult, but not necessarily tricky. The anagram >fodder following "disguised" is only 10 letters. That could >have been solved perhaps by using "flaying" instead of >"flayed." But even so, there is a whole lot of clue leftover, >so I would not have been trapped for very long. When I saw >"death's-head," I thought that *that* must be a trap because >the cluer wants to trick me into thinking "D" when it is >really supposed to be "SKULL" or something else. Tricking >me by *not* tricking me doesn't count. :-) -------------------------------------------------------------- Period charm (5) SPELL Double definition Period (of time) = spell Charm (as in magic) = spell The only subtlety to this clue is the misleading surface that, hopefully, mis-directs the solvers train of thought along the 'Antiques' siding. The topicality is the answer. >Although this clue is fine as a standard cryptic, it registers >only about 1.3 on the Trickster's Scale. Two-word cryptics >in N. America are nearly *always* double defns. I guessed this >one right away, but I didn't peak at the answer afterward >because it seemed to be too easy. I thought that maybe the >cluer was exceptionally devious and actually had a different >answer in mind via &lit or some other device, but alas, >no tricks in this treat. -------------------------------------------------------------- .......... spells "broomstick" (10) In order to be as devious as possible, my clue is deceptively straightforward. It is a double definition, the second definition being slightly punny. spells = witchcraft broomstick = witch craft (i.e. mode of transportation used by a witch) The punctuation is purely for misdirection. Tricky? Well, the dots, ten in number, are intended to make the solver think that this is one of those "fill in the missing word" clues. Then again, I used "broomstick" rather than "broom" because that might suggest that "spells" indicated an anagram. On the other hand, I realise this clue would be more devious to a UK solver than to a US solver, because, a two word clue according to N American "rules" will very often be a double definition. Hence the dots in an attempt to mislead. Topical? The clue and the answer are surely Halloweenish enough to satisfy the requirements of the comp. >Oh, this one looked so intriguing! I really wanted to solve >it, but no such luck, I'm afraid. That doesn't mean I don't >like the clue - quite the contrary. The ten dots threw me off the >double defn. scent as planned, especially since dots played a key >part in one of the honorably mentioned clues in ACC118. Had >it been clued simply as spells "broomstick" (10), I would >have put all my effort into searching for double defn. > >I was not tricked into thinking anagram because "spells" is >a very poor indicator of such. That could have been remedied >by cluing it as .......... miss-spells "broomstick" (10) >where "miss-spells," as in, "spells of a woman," would still >be valid for WITCHCRAFT, and is now an amusing anagram indicator, >being misspelled itself. Plus it is another 10 letters to boot. > >So, what else could this clue be... I thought of HEXADECIMALS for >"spells" and dots, but of course, that didn't fly. For a brief >moment I had considered that the dots were meaningless, but then >I was left with even less to work with, and not a lot of things >can be done with "broomstick." I did consider it to be a mode >of transportation, but never came up with CRAFT. Also, because >the surface was topical, I could not rely on the answer being so, >which opened the door for a whole lot of non-topical >possibilities. > >Simple, yet clever punctuation turned a good clue into a great >one. Honorable Mention for a sneaky Keith Engers. -------------------------------------------------------------- Again, thanks to all who participated. I had a great time with my first ACC. I hope it isn't my last. Evan Whitney evan@scd.hp.com -- James A. Lundon, DSC, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway, IE. james dot lundon at dscie dot com - 353+91+760541. "To be natural is such a difficult pose to keep up." O.W.