Clue contest No 33
Mon 1 Sep 2025, set bywiddersbel
Introduction
It's September and that means back to school, so we need your best clues for PENCIL CASE, please!
Submit your best cryptic clue for
PENCIL CASE
Results
# | Setter | Clue | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accommodation for unemployed writers? (6,4) CD - pencils being kept in a case when not being used | 13 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 54 | ||
| 2 | Tiny chest of drawers? (6,4) Cryptic def | 9 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 36 | ||
| 3 | Told to be here? (6,4) Homophone (told) of 2B (ie pencil) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 16 | ||
| 4 | Here, you might find rulers in awfully nice places (6,4) def. = anag. (awfully) NICEPLACES | 2 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 5 | Sort this out for reception class, perhaps? (6,4) composite anagram, &lit / (SORT + PENCILCASE)* = RECEPTIONCLASS* | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 15 | ||
| 6 | Writers in this place can easily get carried away (6,4) CD | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 | ||
| 7 | Nutty pecan slice is school essential (6,4) anag. (nutty) PECANSLICE = def. (school essential) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 12 | ||
| 8 | Misbehaving Conservative caught asleep in colourful drawers found here? (6,4) Anag. ('misbehaving') of C ('conservative') + C ('caught') + ASLEEP IN = def. ('colourful drawers found here?') | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 9 | I pan Eccles' cryptic with container that learner might use (6,4) *I PAN ECCLES def = container that learner might use | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 10 | Where we find ruler's nieces suffering with clap (6,4) (NIECES CLAP)*; def = where we find ruler | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 11 | Where artists keep their drawers? (6,4) Pencils are drawers and case is where they are kept | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 7 | ||
| 12 | Specially license a PC to provide set of educational tools? (6,4) (LICENSEAPC)*; def: "set of educational tools" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | ||
| 13 | It's necessary to go back to school finally, we are wanting silence and peace for a change! (6,4) Def: It's necessary to go back to school. Anagram (for a change) of SIL{e}NC{e} without (wanting) the last letters (finally) of wE arE + PEACE. The longest clue I've ever written 🙂 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 14 | Provisionally document lawsuit that might protect writers (6,4) Simple charade PENCIL + CASE, with definition of ‘that might protect writers’ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 15 | Since palace ransacked, a fugitive ruler may be found here (6,4) SINCEPALACE* (anagrind 'ransacked') - A (deleticator 'fugitive'). A ruler, usually 15cm or 6", is often found in a pencil case. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 16 | Supply every other kid packs in satchel, e.g. to take back to school? (6,4) *[k]I[d]P[a]C[k]S[i]N[s]A[t]C[h]E[l]E[g], taking ~L. Well, I never had one – but everyone else always did! | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 17 | Disorganised place since school equipment is kept here (6,4) PLACESINCE* | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 | ||
| 18 | What back to school pieces can burst? (6,4) back to schooL+PIECESCAN*burst &lit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | ||
| 19 | Ballpoint, note, unwrapped file, grade, and eraser, without mistake, found in this? (6,4) &lit. PEN + C + [f]IL[e] + C + [e][r]ASE[r] (mistake = err) -> PENCIL CASE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 20 | Schoolboy packing rubbers here? (6,4) CD | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ||
| 21 | Where one may find leads for an inquiry? (6,4) CD (Leads to a police investigation / Leads = pencils for a school task/inquiry) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | ||
| 22 | Children's chest of drawers? (6,4) Cryptic definition | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | ||
| 23 | The body of a writer is a stationary vessel (6,4) Double def | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 24 | Battle scene, a clip showing where ruler is captured? (6,4) [sceneaclip]*=where ruler is captured | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 25 | Ex-deputy head getting upset socials not so handy for school (6,4) (ex-VP Mike) PENCE containing anag. of (no SO)CIALS = def. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 26 | Revised encyclopedias exclude tips for youngsters organising debates but each contains options for written work (6,4) Anagram (revised) of ENCyLoPEdIAS minus (exclude, as imperative) 1st letters (tips for) of Y~ O~ D~ = def (each contains options for written work). Not the longest clue here!!😁 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 27 | Cancel pies baked with lead inside? (6,4) “baked” = anagram indicator; “cancel pies” = anagram fodder; “with lead [pencil] inside” = playful definition | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 28 | Frenziedly cleans epic carbon capture device (6,4) (CLEANSEPIC)* | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 29 | Mobile special enclosure for writers? (6,4) Anagram of SPECIAL + ENC, (indicator mobile) and semi & lit. Plastic as anagrind might work better but not all pencil cases may be plastic. | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 30 | Write about one student's trial exposing site for learning tools (6,4) write>PEN + about>C+ one>I + student>L ) trial>CASE exposing(link) def site for learning tools | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 31 | Doctor can see clip as essential for pupils (6,4) Anagram of CAN SEE CLIP = Definition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Safe place for drawers as roving penis could start to poke through frilly lace (6,4) Def: Safe place for drawers. Anag (roving) PENIS+C*[ould] (start) to poke through frilly (further anagrind indication) LACE* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 33 | Office holder in PLC abruptly ceased acting (6,4) Office holder = def. INPLCCEASE* anagram | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Where the Poet Laureate may cryptically keep her writer? (6,4) Reverse clue. CAD (Clue As Definition), PL = Poet Laureate (abbrev.) = PenciL case (case of PenciL cryptically) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Perhaps Premier League matches showing means of protecting leads (6,4) Def: means of protecting leads. Derived from (showing) a reverse clue - Pencil Case cryptically = PL, which is equivalent to (matches) Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Writer next to study where stationery is kept (6,4) PENCIL (Writer) + CASE (study) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 37 | Bent clip securing both ends of necktie round suit bag in office (6,4) Bent clip (anag=PCIL) securing (insertion) both ends of necktie (NecktiE) round (reversal=EN) suit (CASE) bag in office (def=PENCIL CASE) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 38 | Survey after we hear old Veep's sick bag full of stationery (6,4) Synonym for case (survey) after homophone of old Veep's sick (Pence ill). def = bag full of stationery | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Foolishly escape clink without key element. This might require a compass. (6,4) anag (foolishly) of ESCAPE CLINK minus K (key element) = definition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Dash off and run down holder of lead (6,4) (v. + v. = n.) Dash off (pencil) + run down (case) = “holder of lead” (Chamb, 2nd def) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 41 | School supply for science lab flips end over and explodes (6,4) sciencelap* (flips end b over to become p); def is school supply | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 42 | Peterhead off licence was latterly home for writers (6,4) P + (LICENCE wAS)* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Disordered pile holding North Carolina's shell, to keep stationary? (6,4) (PILE)* {Disordered} around {holding} NC {North Carolina} + CASE {shell} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 44 | To cryptically get short Profit & Loss statement, arrange a PC license (6,4) Abbreviation (short) of Profit & Loss statement = 'P & L'; P & L cryptically = case of P [enci] L; anagram (arrange) of 'a PC license' | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |