Subject: CWC 133 - Full results (includes spoilers!) Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 13:24:21 +0100 From: Philip Rose Newsgroups: rec.puzzles.crosswords 133 CLUE WRITING COMPETITION - THE RESULTS ========================================== I am pleased to be able to announce the results of the 133rd Clue Writing Competition. The winning clues are for word 1... Doctor held livers that look like prunes (10) submitted by Richard Irving, and for word 2... Where the boards burr (7) from Kurt Storm. The overall winner is Richard's entry for word 1. Richard is not in a position to moderate the next competition, so Kurt has accepted the responsibility to do so. Also for word 1, second place goes to Deb Bouchard and Honourable Mentions to Kurt Storm, Dave Shield and Gareth Williams. For the second word, runner-up position is taken by Greg Brume, and HMs for Dirk Laurie and Kevin Wald. The full evaluation of the clues follow after a spoiler alert and short intermission. ========================================================= S P O I L E R S ! S P O I L E R S ! S P O I L E R S ! ========================================================= My comments follow each clue and are preceded by a #. Note that entries are ordered differently for the two words ======================================================= Clues for SHRIVELLED 1) You should have drunk held - liver's contracted (10) (You should have drunk(en)) = anagram indicator held - liver's = anagram fodder contracted > definition # The phrasing has a certain quaintness, that I don't # particularly object to. I'm not convinced, however, # that holding a drunk can lead to liver damage, so the # anagram is well signed. Also a lot of redundant words. 2) Ruckled whirling dervish encircles topless supermodel (10) surface : Hey! Down in front! Ruckled = syn. of shrivelled (Brit.) whirling = anagram indicator dervish = fodder => SHRIVED encircles = container indicator topless supermodel = Elle MacPherson => (e)LLE SHRIVE (LLE) D => SHRIVELLED # Use of supermodel for a specific instance of one, is # probably OK in a crossword where there are checked # letters. Surface reads to me as a Moslem war dance # against blatant femininity. # Honourable Mention to Kurt Storm 3) She'll drive around withered Explanation Definition - WITHERED (shrivelled) Around = anagram indicator SHE'LL DRIVE - to be anagrammed = SHRIVELLED # Driving Miss Daisy? Not sure in the surface which is # cause and which is effect between driving and withering, # and so it doesn't zing. # Don't forget to enumerate your clue. 4) Administered confession to about fifty the French wasted (10) wasted = SHRIVELLED Administered confession to = SHRIVED fifty = L the French = LE SHRIVED about L+LE = SHRIVE(LLE)D # Massacre of the Huguenots? Surely Last Rights are more # appropriate? Does a priest administer confession? I would # have expected to hear a confession and administer absolution. # Good cryptic construction though. 5) Like a raisin? I've got fifty twice in a scrap (10) ---- def ----- IVE ---- LL --- -SHRED- Surface reading suggests a schoolboy offering to share his spoils with a friend. # I don't understand the surface even with the explanation. # Let down by the en-clair "I've", and 50 twice, although # there are no unnecessary bits. 6) Wrinkled up news reporter Maria goes bottomless in front of retiring young woman (10) SHRIVEr + LLED (rev.) DELL is an obscure term for young woman, admittedly. # "Bottomless" would infer a down clue, "retiring" - an across one. # Being a slut, a dell is hardly a retiring young woman. I have to take # your word on Maria Shriver, so this clue is a tad parochial. # The following word also uses famous people's names, but does not # rely on the solver knowing who they are in order to work out a cryptic # element. 7) Senna's attitude in very dry conditions? He'll drive recklessly, following Schumaker's lead (10) "Senna's attitude in very dry conditions?" = definition (Senna being a plant - could use Moss apart from anachronism in surface reading) "He'll drive recklessly" = HRIVELLED "Schumaker's lead" = S Senna and Schumaker were contemporary Grand Prix drivers, both known for reckless driving. # Don't think the definition works, do plants have an attitude? # If they do it's more their orientation than their looks. # "Senna" is better than "moss" as at least the dried leaves # are used as an infusion. 8) Doctor held livers that look like prunes (10) Doctor = Anagram indicator held livers = fodder that look like prunes = def'n # The anagram signature is masked by the grammatical structure of # the sentence, the clue structure is flawless, and the structure # ... well, pass me the number for Alcoholics Anonymous! # The winner for both word 1 and overall from Richard Irving. 9) Drives hell of a strange route to get to a smaller state (10) Anagram clue Drives hell = fodder of a strange route = anagram indicator to get to = to become a smaller state = definition Surface: Could be a celebrity trying to flee the limelight and lose his /her pursuers. # Definition is nominal, whereas the word is an adjective. The # anagram indicator is weak, and surface is peculiar to say the # least. 10) Withered husk of a journalist, hiding a heart of ambition (10) Withered definition husk SHELL (of a) journalist ED hiding container indicator a heart of i.e. central letters ambition dRIVe hence SH (RIV) ELL+ED # The clue loses a little for the extraneous "of a", though the # surface requires it. # Honourable Mention to Dave Shield. 11) Dehydrated, she'd swallowed chopped liver, liquid first (10) Dehydrated =3D definition Swallowed =3D container indication chopped liver =3D RIVEL liquid first =3D L[IQUID] # Yet another hangover cure? # Honourable mention to Gareth Williams 12) Shrunken edition follows Sharp's penning of "Last Two in Love" (10) Shrunken - definition of SHRIVELLED edition - ED follows - position indicator Sharp - SHRILL 's penning of - container indicator "Last Two in Love" - VE SHRI(VE)LL + ED The book must have been a real stinker. # Although a fairly well constructed clue, the surface is totally # arbitrary, at least to me. Who is Sharp, and did s/he write # this book? 13) Disorderly shell diver dried out (10) Disorderly: anagram indicator shell diver: anagram fodder dried out: definition Note: For the surface of both my clues, "dried (or dry) out" is intended to mean "sobered up." I'm not sure if this meaning is strictly American slang, but the clues will still make sense with the "lost all moisture" meaning of the phrase. # This is another lovely clue. # Runner-up from Deb Bouchard 14) Skinny non-oriental sang about foreign miss. Skinny=SHRIVELLED sang=confessed=SHRIVED non-oriental= less E so SHRIVD foreign miss=ELLE (French for she) SHRIVD about ELLE=SHRIVELLED # Definition misses the mark. You can be skinny and still have # flawless skin. Also, "to shrive" is to hear confession, and not # to confess. Bonus clue for SHRIVELLED -1) Wizened "Leader of Leaders" led after nervous shiver (10) Wizened - definition of SHRIVELLED "Leader of Leaders" - L led - LED after - position indicator nervous - anagram indicator shiver - anagram fodder for SHRIVE SHRIVE + L + LED Poor guy - perhaps he should have retired earlier. # This would have got into the rankings. Have a nice image of an # elderly shaman raising war fever amongst the tribe. -2) Become feeble, half-shrunk, and sort of vile after getting told where to go? (10) Become feeble = SHRIVELLED ("become" here is being used as the past participle) half-shrunk = SHR sort of = anagram indicator vile (anagrammed) = IVEL told where to go? = LED SHR+IVEL after getting LED = SHRIVELLED # Well constructed charade from Kevin Wald (as if you needed # telling!), but rather a severe reaction to a reprimand. -------------------------------------------- Clues for WHITHER # I marked down clues that lacked the directional sense of # "whither" over "where". That said, the winning clue lacked it # as well. 1) Why welcome every climate change? Why=WHITHER welcome=HI every=each=EA climate=WEATHER change EA with HI gives WHITHER # Definition is wrong! I also don't particularly think this # type of replacement clue to be solvable. 2) Where head of Huns goes in to dry out (7) Where: definition head of Huns: H (meant to mislead the solver into thinking "ATTILA") goes in to: stick H into... dry out: WITHER # "Head of" is a fairly obvious acrostic indicator. Also the need # to use "goes in to" spoild the surface. 3) Where bit of ham is inserted into low-cal egg roll's opening (7) Where - definition of WHITHER bit of ham - H is inserted into - container indicator low-cal egg - WHITE roll's opening - R WHIT(H)E + R At Yin Yang's low-cal egg roll factory. # I don't get the charade for "white", I would have though there were # as many calories in egg-whites, given it's the food for the developing # embryo. 4) Walker starts to beat girl. Where? (7) Where? =3D definition Walker starts =3D W[ALKER] to =3D link word beat =3D HIT girl =3D HER # Well constructed clue 5) "Where?" "Mostly around" "Where!?" (7) Where mostly WHER (truncated) around container indicator smack HIT Where definition Implies the (violent) interrogation of an uncooperative subject # Nice clue with the charade obscured by the punctuation. # Don't like the ungramamtical use of exclamation and question # marks together. 6) Twisted with a lady but not sure where (7) Partial anagram. Twisted with = WHIT ("with" twisted) a lady = HER not sure where = definition Surface: Morning after recollection? # The "not sure" is a tautological distraction in the definition. # The very fact it's a question word infers not knowing. # I'm not sure what twisting with a lady is... 7) Why play with her? (7) Why = Def'n play = anagram indicator with her = fodder ? is simply used because the clue is an actual question (and the def'n is a bit weak). (This is a HARD ONE--especially to get a good def'n) # Definition wrong, not just weak. Pity it could have been a pithy clue. 8) To which place is having more snow around hot? (7) "To which place" = definition "having more snow" = WHITER "hot" = H WHITER around H = WHITHER The real answer is anywhere where snow reflects sunlight which would otherwise be absorbed by the ground. # The surface just doesn't gel. The directional question jars # with the positional nature of the verb, and requires a hot # something to pile the snow around. 9) Bit that woman where? (7) WHIT + HER # Lovely use of "bit" with separate meanings and separate parts # of speech. # Runner-up to Greg Brume. 10) Where to go? West, having assaulted a woman (7) --- def --- W ---- HIT HER ---- # I first read this as... # "This guy, West, having hit her,...." # and so a subsequent action is missing from the surface, but # on further reading I realised that West was where to go. # Honourable Mention to Dirk Laurie 11) Where to find the woman after Wednesday (7) Where to = WHITHER find = HIT the woman = HER Wednesday = W HIT+HER after W = WHITHER # At last a non-violent action on that poor defenceless woman! # I am a bit unsure how exact "find" and "hit" are synonyms, but # otherwise a fine charade... #... Honourable mention to Kevin Wald. 12) Where head waiter struck woman Explanation Charade clue Definition - WHERE (whither) Head waiter - W Struck - HIT Woman - HER W+HIT+HER = WHITHER # She is definitely getting punch drunk now! # Nothing to mark this clue down, but then nothing to mark it up on. # Don't forget the enumeration 13) Where the boards burr (7) surface : a sawing tip from Bob Villa Where = syn. of whither the = THE boards = insertion indicator burr = WHIR WHI (THE) R => WHITHER # 'Tis a good thing I checked on this spelling of "whir" as a variant # of "whirr". The charade is wonderfully obscured. I don't understand the # surface explanation, but I can imagine a soft shoe shuffle on stage # giving this effect # Winner for word 2 from Kurt Storm. 14) Where to find a woman after Pentecost? (7) Where > definition a woman = her whit = pentecost # Loses out due to the extraneous "find" versus the similar clue above. Bonus clue for WHITHER -1) Bit her where? (7) Bit - WHIT her - HER where - definition of WHITHER I couldn't figure out a way to make this fair - that is, lose the question mark. I tried "Where Little bit her," but "little bit" really isn't the same thing as "bit" or "least bit." Too bad - it seemed to have great promise. # You should have had a crack at it! I don't get too stuck up on # the odd question mark to complete the surface. This clue though # very similar to one above would have lost out to that because # of the en-clair "her" -2) Become feeble, half-shrunk, and sort of vile after getting told where to go? where to go = WHITHER Become feeble, half-shrunk, and sort of vile? = WITHER after getting told = homophone indicator WITHER = (homophone of) WHITHER # The other half of Kevin Wald's double whammy. # The long charade for WITHER was a bit too long, and I, for # one, differentiate the voiced "w-" and unvoiced "wh-" sounds, # so the homophone failed. From - Sat Nov 21 17:13:10 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 TAA16908 for ; Mon, 16 Nov 1998 19:36:36 GMT Received: by DSC001 with Internet Mail Service (5.5.1960.3) id ; Mon, 16 Nov 1998 19:34:29 -0000 Message-ID: From: "Lundon, James" To: Subject: CCC (321): CWC138 results Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 19:34:26 -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 Jake for a copy of the results. James. ++ The judging is complete for CWC number 138, and the winning clues are An objective pronoun goes after the subject (5) submitted by Jolaine Morlan, and Playing time is in final minute (13) sent in by Tony McCormack. The runner-up awards went to Doug Peterson and Gail Koontz. Tony wins the overall prize by the thinnest of margins, and you may look to him to kick off the one hundred thirty-ninth running of the contest. All the clues for the first word: --------------------------------------- &Put me back in the focus (5) 'I' replaces 'he' in newsmagazine essay (5) Subject those people to a drug (5) I object to article subject (5) [BONUS] The melodic bit! (5) "The Short Opera as a Student Writing Exercise" (5) &Shirt he mended has motif (5) The medium is - in part - the message (5). !!An objective pronoun goes after the subject (5) !Subject those people to final bit of torture (5) &Subject of the first person singular (5) &The objective I used as a motive (5) Kind of song you once embraced: Mahler's First (5) subject topic to introductory music thrice (5) I object after they cut short the recycled air (5) The mermaid has a pattern. ---------------------------------------- All the clues for the second word: --------------------------------------- Tiny mistake in alien misfit (13) Little Rock in semifinal! Catch it! (13) One break in filament is very small (13) Approaching zero - initialise faulty main nozzle before complete reassembly? (13) ! _Minute In Time_ is final novel (13) !!Playing time is in final minute (13) &I smile in faint perplexity, to say the least. (13) Furiously I smite in final minute (13) Independent film -- it's inane, awful, insignificant (13) Very slight rearrangement in time is final (13) Microscopic life is in a mint condition (13) Faint, faint smile clumsily conceals innermost opinion (13) A tiny bit derranged if i'm sat in line (13) ---------------------------------------- In the lists above, the winners are marked '!!', the runners-up '!', and the honorable mention awardees '&'. Now, if you like, you can read all the clues and author's comments, with my own comments attached after a '++' indication. ---------------------------------------- Put me back in the focus (5) Put ME back = EM in THE = TH(EM)E focus = theme ++ An outstanding use of the word 'the', and the smoothest ++ of surfaces, almost gave this the gold ring. I'm doubtful, ++ however, about the definition. Unfocussed things can also ++ have themes. But Honorable Mention anyway. Tiny mistake in alien misfit (13) Tiny = definition mistake = anag indicator in alien misfit = anag fodder ++ The indicator is quite acceptable: "mistake" as a transitive verb. ++ Unclear what's going on in the surface, though, there's a sort of ++ clash or redundancy between the three nouns. Clues from Nigel Bardsley. Welcome back to Nigel after some time away from the competitions. ---------------------------------------------- 'I' replaces 'he' in newsmagazine essay (5) (no first person reporting here...) He=HE replaced = indicator first person = I newsmagazine = TIME essay = definition of T(i)HEME ++ Strikes me as backwards, and I don't know whether it's an ++ error or just different reasoning. My take: ++ 'I' replaces 'he' in newsmagazine -> ++ [the letter] 'I' replaces [the letters] 'HE' [which are] in 'TIME' ++... so, on that basis, I'd have preferred, ++ 'He' replaces 'I' in newsmagazine essay (5) Little Rock in semifinal! Catch it! (13) [exclamation points for surface only] Little = definition Rock = anagram indicator in semifinal = fodder catch = container it = IT => INFIN(IT)ESIMAL ++ The Arkansas secondary school basketball playoffs, I guess. ++ Anyway, a decent clue, marred by the weakness of the ++ definition, and by the form of the container indicator. ++ Do the eleven letters INFINESIMAL collectively 'catch' 'IT'? ++ Mind-broadening... Clues from Ed Coulson. ---------------------------------------- Subject those people to a drug (5) subject - definition those people = THEM to - connector a drug = E(cstasy) ++ The double jump from drug to Ecstasy to E is problematic. ++ I know I've seen something like this for 'E' before in ++ the newsgroup, so maybe it's me who's out of step. Possibly ++ with a different moderator... BONUS CLUE I object to article subject (5) I object = ME (i.e. the accusative case of "I") to - indicator to place after article - THE subject - definition ++ A bonus clue, so I'll limit my comments to noting how ++ differently the word 'to' is used in two clues for the ++ same word by the same composer! One break in filament is very small (13) One = I break - anagram indicator in filament is - anagram fodder = NFINITESIMAL very small - definition ++ Good job. No thirteen-letter sequence of words to give ++ away the use and location of the anagram. Clues from Keith Engers. --------------------------------------------- The melodic bit! (5) &lit, The + (melodic bit) = The(me) ++ A yeoman effort. I give &lits a little slack, but guessing ++ to use exactly 2/7 letters as the 'bit' is something of a flaw. Approaching zero - initialise faulty main nozzle before complete reassembly? (13) Approaching zero = definition initialise [that's how we spell it here!] faulty main nozzle = FMN complete reassembly = anagram indicator covering the whole of "initialise FMN" before = indicates that "initialisation" must be done before the "complete reassembly" ? = warning, there may be an overlap here. It also helps the surface, which suggests an astronaut seeking instructions as time runs out on his attempts to fix a rocket engine. Clues with overlapping elements seem to be frowned on, but I rather enjoy them. In this case I have tried to flag the overlap as clearly as possible. ++ Frowning, and trying to keep my mind open, I still think ++ I prefer a more tightly-constructed clue. For example, it's ++ not clear what 'complete' contributes here. 'Complete reassembly' ++ of an engine during the launch sequence-- wow!-- right out of Tom ++ Corbett, Space Cadet. Clues from Bob Goddard. ---------------------------------------- "The Short Opera as a Student Writing Exercise" (5) The - THE Short Opera - ME(t) as - connector a Student Writing Exercise - definition of THEME (This article probably appeared in a scholarly journal.) ++ Does this work in cities other than New York? Could be ++ there are Metropolitan Operas all over, but I hadn't heard ++ it. But generally a good clue. _Minute In Time_ is final novel (13) _Minute - definition of infinitesimal In Time_ is final - anagram fodder novel - anagram indicator ++ ... by Madeleine L'Engle? Jack Finney? I think the anagram ++ fodder in mixed font is a plus for the clue, concealing ++ it (momentarily). The definition is also nicely concealed, ++ and this wins the runner-up award. Clues from Gail Koontz. ---------------------------------------- Shirt he mended has motif (5) Hidden Word shirT HE MEnded has = hidden word indicator motif = defn. THEME ++ This wouldn't be a difficult clue to solve, but the surface ++ is well-integrated, there are no waste words, and, in short, ++ it wins an honorable mention. Playing time is in final minute (13) Playing = anagram indicator time is in final = fodder minute = defn. INFINITESIMAL ++ Another exceptionally good use of 'minute', and this ++ surface is even better than in Gail's fine clue. Ladies ++ and gentlemen, here's your winner. Clues from Tony McCormack. ---------------------------------------- I smile in faint perplexity, to say the least. (13) Analysis: I smile in faint = anagram of infinitesimal perplexity = indicator of anagram to say the least = definition of infinitesimal ++ 'To say'-- not bad! Haven't seen it before, but read ++ it as [cryptic reading] to say [definition] -- ++ seems to work. The weak part may be the definition, ++ having a spurious superlative form. The rest is good ++ enough for an Honorable Mention. The medium is - in part - the message (5). Analysis: (THE ME)dium is - contains THEME as hidden word in part - hidden word indicator the message - definition of THEME ++ Definition: iffy. Surface: McLuhanescally impressive. ++ Hidden word with no preceding letters to help the hiding: ++ the main question mark. Clues from Peter Millen. ------------------------------- An objective pronoun goes after the subject (5) the+me ++ A clue that could be dropped all unnoticed into any ++ secondary school grammar textbook. Color me impressed! ++ 'An objective pronoun' is OK -- there are a limited ++ number of possibilities. The winner for this word. Furiously I smite in final minute (13) anagram ++ Construction is fine. 'Smite' sounds Biblical or at the ++ latest medieval. 'Final minute' seems to require accurate ++ timekeeping that only became possible in 1700 or so. Clues from Jolaine Morlan. ---------------------------------------- Subject those people to final bit of torture (5) Subject = THEME (defn) those people = THEM final bit of torture = E ++ Good part-of-speech shift for the word 'subject', and it's ++ also a plus that the two words aren't pronounced the same. ++ The phrase 'those people' seems to echo the phrases of ++ genteel racism or political repression. Good for the ++ runner-up award. Independent film -- it's inane, awful, insignificant (13) Independent = I film it's inane = NFINITESIMAL (anag) awful = anag indicator insignificant = INFINITESIMAL (defn) ++ As in Keith's clue above, the anagram fodder adds up to ++ one letter less than the enumeration count, which may throw ++ the solver a curve temporarily. An awful lot of complaining ++ coming from a critic who dismisses the film at last as ++ 'insignificant'. Clues from Doug Peterson. --------------------------------------------- Subject of the first person singular (5) Subject definition the THE first person singular ME ++ No objections to the indicator for 'ME'. Enjoyable ++ clue, winning an honorable mention award. Could it ++ have been better (better surface reading) as, ++ Subject in the first persion singular (5) ? Very slight rearrangement in time is final (13) Very slight definition rearrangement anagram indicator in time is final anagrem fodder ++ Uh-oh, here come the cryptic police. The charge is ++ writing "rearrangement XYZ" and barefacedly claiming it ++ to be an anagram of XYZ. Clues from Dave Shield. ---------------------------------------------- The objective I used as a motive (5) "the" = "the" "objective I" = "me" (the objective case of "I") "used as" = connector "a motive" = def. ++ Good definition, acceptable connector, Honorable Mention ++ award. Microscopic life is in a mint condition (13) "microscopic" = def. "a life is in mint" = anagram fodder "condition" = anagram indicator (verb, "to put in a proper state") ++ Cryptic police back again-- no time for a donut break. ++ Charges are similar. The perpetrator has written ++ 'ABC condition' and claimed that the transitive verb ++ 'condition' can work on words preceding it. Clues from Brian Spollen. ---------------------------------------------- Kind of song you once embraced: Mahler's First (5) kind of song = defn. ("theme song") you once = THEE ("you", once) embraced = container indic. Mahler's First = M THE(M)E ++ Is that the symphony that borrows heavily on Mahler's ++ own song cycle, 'Songs of a Wayfarer?' My Grove's ++ Dictionary doesn't say. So I won't really object to ++ calling a symphony a song. My more serious quibble is ++ that the embracing is happening in the past tense. ++ A pretty decent clue nonetheless. Faint, faint smile clumsily conceals innermost opinion (13) faint = defn. faint smile (anagrammed) => INFTESIMAL clumsily = anag. indic. conceals = container indic. innermost opinion = opINIon INF(INI)TESIMAL ++ The misleading repetition of 'faint' adds a lot to this clue, ++ so I can understand where the cluer was going with this. ++ However, 'infinitesimal' doesn't primarily mean 'nearly ++ indetectable'. And... while INI is 'more inner' than ++ 'PINIO', one can't really call it 'innerMOST'. (Hope you like container clues!) ++ Absolutely -- the staff of life. Clues from Ben Zimmer. --------------------------------------------- subject topic to introductory music thrice (5) subject = theme topic = theme to = link introductory music = theme thrice = indicates triple clue (oh no!! not again ;-) ) ++ But three things thrice are nine... actually it's hard ++ enough to carry off a double definition for a word like ++ this whose variant meanings all come from the same root. A tiny bit derranged if i'm sat in line (13) A tiny bit = definition derranged = anagram ind. if i'm sat in line = anagram fodder ++ I'm not sure how much of this presentation was deliberate, ++ but if you want to write like archy and mehitabel and ++ e.e.cummings, i don't think you can capitalize the first ++ words of sentences either. --------------------------------------------- I object after they cut short the recycled air (5) Explanation: I object = ME after = put the "previous" after the "following" they cut short = THE (Therefore); THE(ME) the recycled air = definition ( a recurrent melody within a symphony or sonata is called a theme.) Another name for a melody is an air. ++ "I object" is very shorthandish for "I as an object". Also, ++ there's a difference between recycled and recurrent. Recycled ++ more strongly suggests being in a new setting, or a redistillation. ---------------------------------------- The mermaid has a pattern. Embedded. ++ A scale pattern, I'd guess. Wonder whether it could be one ++ of those new regular-but-nonrepeating patterns recently discovered ++ in tiling theory..? Back to the clue: I like my hidden/embedded ++ clues better when they're embedded on both sides. And put in that ++ enumeration! All for now, +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jake Bergmann jbergman@domainpharma.com Domain Pharma Corporation Lexington MA USA 781-778-3804 -- 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.