Clue contest No 41
Fri 1 May 2026, set byPolymath
Introduction
I know it isn't a May event for everyone, but if it's my pick, let's have some clues for ANNIVERSARY.
Submit your best cryptic clue for
ANNIVERSARY
Results
# | Setter | Clue | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regular post-match celebration? (11) Cryptic Definition | 10 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 47 | ||
| 2 | One arrives potentially around New Year (11) &lit AN(N)ARRIVES*+Y | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 16 | ||
| 3 | The King's sister drops an e and arrives dishevelled to join 4th of July commemoration (11) Anne minus e + arrives* + y (4th of July) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 16 | ||
| 4 | Nervy as rain disrupted commemoration (11) NERVY AS RAIN* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 5 | Topless bird swallowed everything with no limits - a date to remember (11) Canary without first letter, around universe without first or last letters | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 15 | ||
| 6 | Year marked by bombing Iran with nervy allies at the margins (11) Def: year marked, *[IRAN + NERVY + A~S] | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 7 | A 5 wood or a 6 iron to reach the milestone? (11) Wood is 5th wedding anniversary and iron is 6th | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 8 | Iran nervy as bombing leads to celebration in America this year? (11) IRANNERVYAS* (bombing) = celebration in America this year 250th anniversary of independence) as DBE (hence QM) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 9 | Raven's rainy rollicking regular remembrance (11) RAVENSRAINY* | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 10 | Special date and I exposed arse, Anna very angry (11) (I+[a]RS[e]+ANNA+VERY)* | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 11 | Surprising bit of news: "Sir" Andy Taylor's 2nd victory - with Lee Potter ultimately losing Mycrossword's latest event (11) Def: event --- Anagram of N[ews] + SIR + AN[d]Y [t]A[ylor] + V (as in VE-day) + [le]E [potte]R --- NB: Surprising as a verb wouldn't get the 'with' to mess with the cryptic grammar - - - Surface: Polymath (Andrew Taylor) clinched his 2nd clue contest victory after pipping ALP (Adam Lee-Potter) to the post 😁 Sorry chaps | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 12 | You observe it every year - A Rayner’s on manoeuvres, inspiring northern industrial voters primarily (11) Def = you observe it every year; Anag of ARAYNERS containing NIV | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 13 | For jubilee blanket tips are suspended in one line (11) Def: JUBILEE. [U]NIVERSA[L] (blanket - tips are suspended) in AN (one) RY (line) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 14 | An exotic river, say, with number and second diamond maybe (11) An + riversay* with extra n (number) and s (second). Def by example - diamond | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 15 | Celebration of Nirvana’s filthy lines about Love’s tail (11) NIRVANAS* + RY, about ~E. A celebratory Courtney Love claimed Heart-Shaped Box was about just this. I’ll spare you her quote and Cobain's lyrics! Tail = female genitalia (Chambers) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 16 | Annual "Celebration of Fusion" concert: Yes, Nirvana & Radiohead? (11) Def. is "Annual celebration of fusion"; anagram ("concert", as a verb) of YES + NIRVANA + R(adio), "?" for the dodgy R. | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 17 | Jubilee line tracks switched after fault becomes top transporting news (11) RY(railway/line) tracks/follows VICE VERSA after vice/fault becomes A(N+N)1 = jubilee | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 18 | Musical with lyrics by Prince announced in London celebration (11) Homophone of ANNIE (musical) VERSE (lyrics) ‘ARRY (London pronunciation of Harry) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 19 | Ryan raves in mixed-up date night? (11) RYANRAVESIN is an anag of ANNIVERSARY, mixed-up is anagram indicator, 'date night?' is definition | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 20 | Date short girl discovered cosmos with scattered beam (11) Date (def) = (AN)N + U(NIVERS)E + RAY anagrammed | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 21 | 1/4, 3/6, 1/11, 4/4, 3/11, 4/12, 3/4, 1/9, 2/5, 10/12, 3/5 and a special day on the calendar (11) 1st April, 3rd juNe, 1st Nov, 4th aprIl, 3rd noV, 4th decEmber, 3rd apRil, 1st Sept, 2nd mAy, 10th decembeR, 3rd maY. | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 22 | Spun yarns in rave to get date (11) 'Spun' [anagram] 'YARNS IN RAVE' | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 23 | Vera, Ryan sin merrily in celebration? (11) VERARYANSIN*; def = "celebration" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 2nd year given cotton for project in yarn and vice versa (11) [definition: traditional wedding anniversary gift] = anagram (project) INYARN to grip (vice) VERSA | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 25 | Enemy taking daughter to north Norway island for a date (11) Def = a date, Substitution of NNI (north Norway island) for D (daughter) in a word for enemy (ADVERSARY) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 26 | Time to celebrate good match as opponent departs, leaving for pub in reflection (11) Def: Time to celebrate good match. ADVERSARY (opponent) with D (departs) leaving for INN (pub) reversed (in reflection) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 27 | Church avoids anarchy, admitting Reverend caught in sin brought up wedding date? (11) ANAR(ch)Y admitting NIVERS ('Reverend caught in sin brought up') = Defn. ('wedding date?') | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 28 | Shortened Play on words, as lines for celebration of love (11) ANNI(e)+VERS(e)+A(s) (Shortened play, words, as) + RY (lines=railway)=celebration of love | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 29 | Celebration at pub held up by a poem almost completed, a line to follow (11) NNI (INN reversed, 'held up' in a down clue) inside A + VERS (poem almost completed) + A RY (a [railway] line to follow) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 30 | A backward cleric in northern Iran's getting drunk with Yankee for Independence Day? (11) A + REV< in (N + IRANS*) + Y | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Ryan an unlikely host of 4 queens for Jubilee (11) 'Ryan an' unlikely (anag- ANN__ARY) host of (containing) 4 (IV) queens (ERS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Nirvana's out of tune, gulping down mixed Canadian Whisky to commemorate date (11) Anagram of Nirvana mixed with Anagram of Rye | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 33 | Musical and poem both unending creative, timeless celebration (11) "Musical and poem both unending" = ANNI(e)+VERS(e), "creative, timeless" = AR(t)Y, def: "celebration" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Some guards reciprocally losing grip right after province's jubilee (11) AN{NI+[vice]VERSA+R}Y | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Dover's enemy attacked by bomber squadron from Innsbruck - a day to remember (11) Dover = remove D from enemy (ADVERSARY); attacked by (INN)* = defn (a day to remember) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Any ravers drunk in wild celebration? (11) ANNIVERSARY (celebration) = ANY RAVERS drunk (anag.) + IN wild (anag.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 37 | With unending poetry, stunted orphan starts to almost remember your deathday? (11) with VERS(e), ANNI(e) + ARY = deathday? (DBE) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 38 | Nina edited by change welcoming Queen's Jubilee (11) *NINA + VARY containing ERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Rival's date concedes to revolting pub for yearly commemoration (11) A[d > NNI]VERSARY; adversary (rival) with D (date) becoming NNI (pub, reversed) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Date for two points I gave to foe losing 500 (11) Definition = Date; 2 points (N, N), & I in A(D)VERSARY (losing D) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |