Another Fifteensquared regular with a crossword that can be found here: Dalibor @ Nottingham 2017
Still want to have a go at it? Then click on the link before going any further.
Just like last year (in York and Derby) Dalibor gave us a puzzle that had no particular link to the event or its location.
Eleven clues were of a kind.
They turned out to be female first names (which has been done before, e.g. years ago by Bonxie in The Guardian, and brilliantly too!).
As they were the titles of classic pop songs, they may also be an enjoyable trip down Memory Lane.
That said, 21d is not really a song but an instrumental (well-known to those who adore Top Gear).
In the blog below there are links to You Tube videos to add to the fun (at least for some solvers, as the preamble says).
The completed grid can be found at the end of the blog, with all the theme words highlighted.
| Across | ||
| 1 | RHIANNON | Hairstyle new across the Channel? I don’t think so (8) |
| (HAIR)* + N (new) + NON (I don’t think so, ‘no’ in French, across the Channel) [* = style] Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac [1975] |
||
| 5 | SYLVIA | 56 accepted after 60 evacuated (6) |
| LVI (56, in Roman numerals) + A (accepted), coming after S[ixt]Y Sylvia – Focus [1973] |
||
| 9 | MACULATE | Spotted actual changes in condition (8) |
| (ACTUAL)* inside ME (condition, myalgic encephalomyeletis) [* = changes] | ||
| 10 | AGENDA | Dagenham rejecting Her Majesty’s busy schedule (6) |
| (DAGENHAM minus HM (Her Majesty))* [* = busy] | ||
| 12 | NUMEN | Not all monuments will symbolise divine spirit (5) |
| Hidden solution [not all]: monuments | ||
| 13 | MAHARISHI | Hi I’m Sarah, cryptic guru (9) |
| (HI I’M SARAH)* [* = cryptic] Wonder who Dalibor might mean? |
||
| 14 | STATIN | Victoria’s one wanting love drug (6) |
| STATION (Victoria’s one, an example of) minus O (love) Statins are all the rage nowadays, aren’t they? |
||
| 16 | MUSICAL | False claim about you and me in Chicago? (7) |
| (CLAIM)* around US (you and me) [* = false] | ||
| 19 | ROXANNE | Stones on the radio joined by Queen (7) |
| Homophone [on the radio] of ROCKS (stones, lower case) + ANNE (Queen) Roxanne – The Police [1979] |
||
| 21 | JOLENE | American soldier saving little boy (6) |
| JOE (American soldier) around LEN (little boy) Jolene – Dolly Parton [1973] |
||
| 23 | AS IT COMES | Friends possibly drowned in rough sea anyhow (2,2,5) |
| SITCOM (Friends, possibly, an example of) inside (SEA)* [* =rough] | ||
| 25 | NORTH | Old politician has a point (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 26 | DIALOG | Face self-harm in discussion with Trump? (6) |
| DIAL (face) + OG (self-harm, i.e. own goal, abbreviated) This is an Americanism, therefore the addition ‘with Trump’. But who would like to have a discussion with Trump? By the way, in the UK we call it dialogue. |
||
| 27 | MICHELLE | Minnie and Mickey suffering inside (8) |
| MICE (Minnie and Mickey (Mouse)) with HELL (suffering) inside Michelle – The Beatles [1966] or, alternatively, The Overlanders [1966] |
||
| 28 | ELOISE | Lane closure ultimately on both sides (6) |
| LOIS (Lane, think Superman) with [closur]E on both sides Eloise – Barry Ryan [1968] |
||
| 29 | KAYLEIGH | Noisy dance party with Peter and Mike? (8) |
| Homophone [noisy] of CEILIDH (or CEILI) (dance party), or – additionally – [Peter] KAY + [Mike] LEIGH Talking about Peter Kay, the name the lovely woman car-sharing with him was? Yep, Kayleigh. Kayleigh – Marillion [1985] |
||
| Down | ||
| 1 | RAMONA | Artist has half of famous painting destroyed (6) |
| RA (artist) + MONA [Lisa] Ramona – The Blue Diamonds [1960] This was one of the first Dutch records hitting the charts in the US (Billboard #72). |
||
| 2 | INCOME TAX | A simple autograph, pop star’s first duty (6,3) |
| A X (simple autograph) preceded by {IN (pop, short for ‘popular‘) + COMET (star)} | ||
| 3 | NYLON | Stocking filler for many Londoners (5) |
| Hidden solution [filler for]: many Londoners | ||
| 4 | OTTOMAN | Turkish-German war is over (7) |
| OTTO (German, stereotype) + a reversal of NAM (war, the Vietnam war) Is it over? |
||
| 6 | YGGDRASIL | Left with expression of surprise about horse doctor hiding inside ash tree (9) |
| Reversal [about] of L (left) + I SAY (expression of surprise), together around {GG (horse) + DR (doctor)} Not just a simple ash tree but one, according to Norse mythology, binding together Earth, Heaven and Hell. |
||
| 7 | VENUS | Concert halls in which Electronic cancelled second appearance (5) |
| VENUES (concert halls) minus E (electronic , the second one) Venus – Shocking Blue [1969] or, alternatively, Bananarama [1986] |
||
| 8 | AMARILLO | A group of 29 missing in US city (8) |
| A + {MARILLION (group of 29 i.e. Kayleigh) minus IN} | ||
| 11 | WHAM | Hit for George Michael et al (4) |
| Double definition May he R.I.P. |
||
| 15 | TENACIOUS | Tough to abandon EU, so I can’t (9) |
| (EU SO I CAN’T)* [* = (to) abandon] | ||
| 17 | CONTRALTI | Voices being tested in court, one should be as low as possible (9) |
| ON TRIAL (being tested) inside CT (court), then moving I (one) to the bottom | ||
| 18 | ORGANDIE | Hammond perhaps starts to deal in Egyptian cotton (8) |
| ORGAN (Hammond, a kind of organ) + starting letters of D[eal] I[n] E[gyptian] | ||
| 20 | EMMA | Award ceremony’s ending trashed by Academy (4) |
| EMMY (award) minus [ceremon]Y, then + A (academy) Emma – Hot Chocolate [1974] |
||
| 21 | JESSICA | Le Pen’s the first person to root out supporter of rape? (7) |
| JE (I, the first person, in French (indicated by: Le Pen’s)) + {BRASSICA (rape, as an example) minus BRA (supporter)} Brassica is a genus of plants containing cabbage, turnip, mustard and also rape – hence the question mark. Jessica – Allman Brothers Band [1973] |
||
| 22 | THRESH | As to Schubert’s peak, the Unfinished comes first, hard to beat (6) |
| TH[e] + RE (as to) + S[chubert] + H[ard] Actually, I do like Symphony No 5 a lot more. And in case someone starts to complain about all these poppy tunes, here is ample compensation: No 8. |
||
| 24 | IMAGO | Idealised representation of Dalibor’s past (5) |
| I’M (Dalibor’s) + AGO (past) | ||
| 25 | NIHIL | Love and Pride, the hit tantalising hearts (5) |
| The middle letters [hearts]: and Pride, the hit tantalising Love & Pride was a truly colourful hit by Coventry based band King. It went to No 2 in the UK charts in 1985. |
||
Thanks Dalibor, Sil and perhaps more importantly Bob for his help solving this puzzle
We couldn’t parse Jessica completely
Enjoyed the day
Cheers
Geoff
I found the clues generally rather tricky, which is how I like them, but there were some that defeated me. I think I needed help from a companion, as Geoff had, to complete it!
I’ve clued IMAGO myself recently, using a similar device, so that one went down well, and I also liked SYLVIA, AS IT COMES, THRESH and CONTRALTI particularly.
I got the primary theme from the names I had, but I didn’t spot the secondary one. I appreciated the way that for the most part one did not have to know about the pop scene to solve this. I knew WHAM, but I didn’t get AMARILLO because I don’t know Marillion. (I didn’t get Kayleigh either – what a strange name!)
That was an interesting sideline on Schubert. I too like Schubert’s 5th, but best of all I like his 9th (the Great C Major), which is nearly an hour long but a masterpiece (IMO).
Thanks to setter and blogger.
I thought this was absolutely brilliant
Thanks, Sil, for a great blog of an excellent puzzle.
I recognised some of the names as being pop songs but I’m afraid { wasn’t interested enough to follow the rest up! I’m impressed by how many Dalibor managed to include and also how he found another way of cluing YGGDRASIL, which I first learned through crosswords.
Favourites: CONTRALRI, STATIN, CHICAGO, THRESH, to name a few.
Many thanks, Dalibor – I really enjoyed it.
I had this puzzle with me for the bus leg of my journey from Peterborough to Norwich. Not the best environs to solve as there was no mini-table to lean on, the bus was blazing hot, I was sat next to a man somewhat larger than the seat he had been allocated and, moreover, I had drunk eleventy-seven beers the night before.
And so it was I tackled a sophisticated and clever crossie and came up short (story of my life) by about two thirds. Still, enjoyed what I did and having looked at the blog and answers thought it very well-done and themed and wished I had have waited until I got home to tackle it. Honours go to theming and some very inventive clues and humour and so thanks to Dalibor for the puzzle and to his alter-ego for the blog.
Started this in a rather desultory way at the event then tried to finish it today, but didn’t get very far. So a bit of careful access to the blog (covering up most of the screen) gave me not just 1 and 5 across but also the theme to put me on the way. Trouble was I didn’t know most of the pop connections of the names but I got there with a bit more help. LOI was AMARILLO from a word finder.
So my CoD has to be the non-pop musical reference for THRESH. Actually my fave Schubert symphony is No 3, first heard at a concert in the Rector’s Palace, Dubrovnik fifty years ago, when Croatia etc were still Yugoslavia. Ah, the power of memory.
And as Hoskins has already blown the gaff (for those who didn’t know already) I can just say Thanks to Dalibor/Sil
We didn’t attempt any of the puzzles compiled for the Nottingham S&B at the event and were fully occupied al day on Sunday. Bert started the puzzle on Sunday evening and found it very tricky.
The theme gradually became apparent once 1ac, 19ac and 28ac were in.
With some electronic assistance, all but 6d were sorted, but because he’d got JOANNA for 21ac (Scott Walker – 1968) despite not being able to parse it – there was no chance of getting 6d – a completely new and extraordinary word to him.
Needed to come here for the parsing of 8d (not making the 29ac connection with Marillion) and 21d.
Many thanks to Sil / Dalibor for the challenge and the blog
My mistake was thinking that the theme was girls’ names that had been immortalised in one was or another so I saw EMMA as Austen or Flaubert and lazily wrote NORMA for 25a without properly parsing.
I guessed AMARILLO from the crossers and worked backwards to find a band I had never heard of. I wasnt o’fay with Peter Kay although I love Mike Leigh.
So consequently I was beaten in the SE.I wasnt aware of a JESSICA in any shape or form (except the “Toon” film) but that fit
So-good puzzle-my bad! Thanks for blog and baerchen for pointing me to it on a Monday!
MrC @6 – Oops! I hadn’t realised the identity of the setter was a secret – my apologies to all. And, more importantly, apologies for my not saying hello to you at the do itself, I thought I’d managed to circulate quite well so am disappointed to have missed you – though more likely you saw me coming and did the sensible thing and avoided an idiot such as meself. Anyhoo, should it be the former I shall look forward to saying hullo next time around.
A big thank you from the both of me to everyone who commented (once or even twice! 🙂 ).
I only used this crossword – written months ago – to make a contribution to the S&B event because I really had no inspiration to come up with something more appropriate.
Call it a temporary writer’s block (even if I am not a professional).
I had a lovely day, or better: weekend.
Unlike Hoskins, I did not have to spend times in a bus to get back home [he’s from more or less the same direction as I am] but instead enjoyed the lovely countryside to the north of Nottingham with a 12 km circular walk including Newstead Abbey & Priory and the micropub at Newstead’s recreation ground which was full of overweight, crisps eating, slow moving people who were actually very kind and socially engaging.
Anyway.
Sorry that JESSICA was such a problem.
In January, I had a chat with Boatman (in a Brighton pub) and I told him that my mind couldn’t get rid of the ‘JE SUIS’ idea for that clue.
In the end, I got half rid of it.
YGGDRASIL couldn’t be avoided, I’m afraid, and it was very difficult to clue.
With hindsight, I think I would replace ‘found’ by ‘hiding’.
My personal favourites are INCOME TAX, EMMA (for its nod to the awful Academy Awards’ ending), MAHARISHI (dedicated to Sarah!) and THRESH.
Anax flattered me by saying that he never saw someone spotting ‘sitcom’ as a part of 23ac.
On the other hand, at the end of a great curry I annoyed him (and some others) by being very stubborn about the role of crossword editors. 🙁
I have only two hands (well, with my alter ego we can manage four) to applaud Chris and Lynette’s great work.
It was a lovely (and trendy!) venue, in which my high point was meeting a couple of ‘lurkers’.
Finally, I tried to link 8d to 29ac but not through Marillion – that aside, 1985’s Misplaced Childhood is an absolute masterpiece, isn’t it?
Question to you: what was I thinking of?
Oh, and thank you baerchen for your kind words here and on the Guardian website.
Hoskins@9: I think the identities of the folk who use different pseudonyms for setting, blogging and commenting are something of an open secret at S&B events – I for one put both my commenting and setting monikers on my name badge at Nottingham. That we didn’t meet at Nottingham is probably because I left early, having a quiz evening to attend elsewhere, but I’ll look out for you at Macclesfield if you’re there.
Dalibor @10 ach – sounds like you had a much better plan than I (and I trust Procol Harem were good – or was that a figment of my imagination?). As for Jessica being a problem, well – at least Je Suis has given me an idea for a new clue so not all bad! Really good crossie, mate – I just wasn’t up to the task (though that should be no surprise to you as you know how dense I am solving-wise), though next time I shall conquer a Dalibor and that’s a stone-cold fact.
Exit @11 – glad to hear I didn’t let too much out of the bag setter-wise. BTW, you weren’t the fellow with the well-cultivated beard were you? If so, I saw think I might’ve seen you with B&J prior to your exit, but missed saying hi – very remiss of me so I hope you’ll accept my apologies. As for The Exit, I’ll take it on my trip to the London do tomorrow and give it a whirl on the train. Look forward to solving it and saying hello properly at the Macc do in July.
Procol Harum with a u, please.
I didn’t say anything about that but, hey, it was a kinda weird.
Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall is what looks like a concert hall for anything else than rock music.
Procol Harum, however, is still a rock band with great musicians in their line-up, notably Matt Pegg (indeed, Fairport’s Dave’s son) and a truly fantastic guitarist, Geoff Whitehorn.
I know, I’m not 40 anymore, but bloody ?><@(*, this was weird.
I don't have any grandparents anymore but many of the people there looked like they could have been them.
They played quite a lot of classics (Grand Hotel, in particular, a favourite – unlike ‘that one’).
Also Homburg which Araucaria thought was worth taking onto a desert island.
I sat next to someone who could hardly walk and looked like someone from a generation that would loathe these loud guitar solos.
Next time I’ll see you [who knows, tomorrow?] I will explain – weird.
By the way, I just googled the Gary Brooker profile.
71 of age, fine by me.
Supporter of the Countryside Alliance, not fine by me.
Where was I last night?
In Nottingham.
Despite my initial verdict ‘so depressing’, quite a nice place.
Sorry, dude – I’m always having an E where tradition demands I should have something posher.
Looking forward to the skinny on the PH gig if you are about on the morrow or at a later date. BTW, it’s just occurred to me that you were, amongst other things, talking of electronic bands and female singers of the 80s at the Nottingham do – by jove, if only that had have come to me on the train home I might’ve solved more!
Right – must go and watch a film now or I’ll never gets to Bedfordshire this evening and so might jeopardise my early rise for all me travelling tomorrow-wise.
I have been putting off commenting on this one because I was trying to finish it cleanly, but I gave up with a few to go mostly in the SW corner. All very enjoyable but pretty tricky in places…
Thanks Sil.
meant SE corner not SW – if only those keys were a little further apart!