This puzzle was difficult but entertaining, with themewords at three evels – 23D GOON, the three Goons. at 13, 19, 16D, and characters associated with them at 15, 6 & 2, and 16A & 1D respectively. It was maybe a minor weakness that only one Secombe character could be squeezed in. Although I wasn’t alive when the Goons were popular and have never been a great fan, all the characters rang some kind of bell – possibly because they’re what the Wikipedia article calls major characters.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 8 | CAR,R(IERB=brie*)AG |
| 9 | ELBA = able rev. |
| 10 | LINAC = linear accelerator – hidden word |
| 11 | DI(R)TCH,E,A,P |
| 13 | SECOMBE = becomes* |
| 15 | SEA(GOO)N – Neddy Seagoon was a chara |
| 16 | MINNIE BANNISTER – (meat in Berni Inns)* |
| 18 | LARD(I)ER |
| 19 | SELLERS – clued by plain definition! |
| 21 | IN,FAN=cooler,TILE=hat |
| 22 | GIGUE – first letters of words in clue |
| 24 | HELL=torment,ESPON=opens*,T – nice &lit clue. Already had bonus points with me for no mention of Hero or Leander. |
| Down | |
| 1 | ECCLES = Eccles.=Ecclesiastes, biblical book |
| 2 | C.,RUN |
| 3 | CIRCU(MCI = rev. of I,C,M)S,ION=rev. of NOI = “no one” |
| 4 | BRIDGE – 2 defs |
| 5 | HARRIS,ON – ref. Arthur Harris of Bomber Command, and George Harrison of the Beatles, the kind of combo you get in cryptic clues! |
| 6 | BLUE=filthy,BOTTLE=face – by way of bottle=courage, face=boldness, I think |
| 7 | DAM,PE(N)ER |
| 12 | CRANIOLOGIST=(scoring a lot I)* |
| 14 | CENT,RIF(U,G)E |
| 16 | M(I,LLIG = rev. of gill)AN |
| 17 | BER(L,I)NE,R – not sure this apparent attempt at an &lit quite works, but the required answer was clear enough |
| 19 | ST(EEL)Y – pigs should of course be in a sty |
| 20 | S(HEAT)H – nice reference to Heat magazine = “glossy”. |
| 23 | GOON = go on = “don’t go off” |
I too found this quite tough. It got easier when the theme became apparent. This was when it looked like 16 would be MINNIE BANNISTER. At most it rang a vague bell, but looking for it with Google made it all clear. I’d have known about the Goons many of whom went to even greater things, but less familiar with the characters. Very impressed at how much thematic material was packed in a pretty normal grid and, as always with Punk, the clues were very good.
Pete – thanks.
You missed out 24ac, ARGO(n) and consequently misnumbered 25ac as 24.
As I was (unfortunately) born in time to listen to the Goon Show WELL into my teens and beyond, most of this fell pretty comfortably into place. Some pretty cluing but nothing really taxing I felt. 7 was a bit of naughty fun!
I had to look up the Goons characters unfortunately although I knew the members were Sellers, Secombe and Milligan. Before I looked them up though I tried getting a ‘Goonish’ Character name out of the 16A anagram and came up with ‘Mister Ninnibean’. After I checked it though I knew it would be impossible to guess them all right.