Kairos is not a setter that I have blogged very often.
When I solved the puzzle I struggled quite a bit. When I came to write the blog I wondered why I had so much difficulty as all the parsing was clear. This is often the sign of a very goof crossword
I think my difficulty was down to the inclusion of words like PLASTRON and TEETOTUM which I haven’t come across before. I reckon they were forced on Kairos by the position of some of the theme words.
The theme fell out about half way through the solve when the link between BLUE PETER and JOHN NOAKES became clear. I had got SHEP earlier and thought ‘how many people know that’s a dog’s name?’ Of course once the theme was established I realised why SHEP was included. While solving the clues, the name Lesley Judd rang a few bells but it wasn’t until later in the puzzle that I remembered that she too was a BLUE PETER presenter. There was also a reference to Valerie [Singleton] in the clues.
The puzzle was a tribute to JOHN NOAKES who died three weeks ago.
I think the theme words and / or phases were JOHN NOAKES DAREDEVIL BLUE PETER PRESENTER, and GET DOWN SHEP.
FAREWELL was probably a theme word as well.
Films are not my strong point so I had to do a bit of research to relate Prometheus and PREQUEL. I have explained the link in the detail of the blog below.
Thanks for the challenge Kairos.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
9
|
Cherished ambition of Hillary to dance with old German leader (4,5)
|
Anagram of (HILLARY and O [old] and G [first letter of {leader}]) HOLY GRAIL* |
HOLY GRAIL (cherished ambition or goals) |
|
10
|
Benefit of a yashmak, we hear (5)
|
AVAIL (sounds like [we hear] A VEIL [a yashmak is the double VEIL worn by Muslim women in public, leaving only the eyes uncovered) AVAIL |
AVAIL (benefit) |
|
11
|
Maybe Prometheus has quiet dance embracing queen (7)
|
P (piano; quiet) + (REEL [dance] containing [embracing] QU [queen]) P RE (QU) EL |
PREQUEL (apparently the re is debate in film critic circles about whether director Ridley Scott’s "PROMETHEUS" is a full-on PREQUEL to his 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece "Alien" or not)
|
|
13
|
Commanding officer accommodates Lesley Judd and others? (2-5)
|
CO (commanding officer) + HOSTS (receives and entertains as one’s guest; accommodates) CO HOSTS |
CO-HOSTS (Lesley Judd and other were CO-HOSTS of BLUE PETER [theme of today’s puzzle])
|
| 14 | Madcap designated driver travelling with Valerie (9) |
Anagram of (travelling) DD (designated driver) and VALERIE DAREDEVIL* |
DAREDEVIL (unreasonably rash and reckless; madcap) |
|
15
|
Look closely around opening of the safe (5)
|
PEER (look closely) containing (around) T (first letter of [opening of] THE) PE (T) ER |
PETER (a safe)
|
|
16
|
Joyful element seaside town curtailed (7)
|
FE (chemical symbol for iron) + ST IVES (seaside town in Cornwall) excluding the final letters (curtailed) S FE STIVE |
FESTIVE (joyful)
|
|
19
|
Alight to pick up party opponents (3,4) |
GET (pick up) + DO (party) + WN (West and North – opponents at the game of bride E and W play N and S) GET DO WN |
GET DOWN (alight)
|
|
22
|
Back peacekeepers to abandon a further appearance (5)
|
REAR (back) excluding (to abandon) A + UN (United Nations; peacekeepers) RER UN |
RERUN (perform or play again; further appearance)
|
|
24
|
Master of ceremonies attending leading lady (9)
|
PRESENT (here; attending) + ER (Elizabeth Regina; leading lady) PRESENT ER |
PRESENTER (master of ceremonies)
|
|
26
|
Plots to include computer-aided manufacturing in IT devices (7)
|
WEBS (plots) containing (to include) CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) WEB (CAM) S |
WEBCAMS (small digital video cameras attached to a computer that can be used to send visual images across the Internet; IT devices)
|
|
27
|
Support Japanese and French aircraft (7)
|
PROP (support) + J (Japanese) + ET (French word for and) PROP J ET |
PROP-JET (type of aircraft)
|
|
30
|
Gymnastic movement with long rope (5)
|
LUNGE (in gymnastics, a rapid movement forwards or sideways with one leg bent at the knee and the other leg stretched out behind) LUNGE |
LUNGE (long rope used in horse-training) double definition
|
|
31
|
Improved detail in part of musical instrument (9)
|
TOUCH (detail [as in ‘apply the finishing TOUCH‘]) contained in (in) REED (part of a musical instrument) RE (TOUCH) ED |
RETOUCHED (improved)
|
| Down | |||
|
1
|
Heartless sheep dog (4)
|
SHEEP excluding the middle letter (heartless) E SHEP |
SHEP (name of JOHN NOAKES dog when he was a presenter on BLUE PETER)
|
| 2 | Sad broadcaster leaves upset and emotional originally (4) |
BLUE (first letters of [originally] of each of BROADCASTER LEAVES UPSET and EMOTIONAL) BLUE |
BLUE (sad) |
|
3
|
A guide’s composed about new part of the liturgy (5,3)
|
Anagram of (composed) A GUIDE’S containing (about) N (new) AG (N) US DEI* |
AGNUS DEI ( part of the Roman Catholic mass beginning with these words)
|
|
4
|
Russian physiologist taking the base from the meringue cake (6)
|
PAVLOVA (type of sweet dish consisting of a meringue base topped with whipped cream and fruit) excluding the final letter (taking the base from) A PAVLOV |
PAVLOV (reference Ivan Petrovich PAVLOV [1849 – 1936] a Russian physiologist known primarily for his work in classical conditioning
|
|
5
|
Sullen upper class girl stands up swindler (8)
|
BLACK (sullen) + (GEL [facetious rendering of an upper-class pronunciation of GIRL] reversed [stands up; down clue]) BLACK LEG< |
BLACKLEG (swindler)
|
|
6
|
Do part of housework with a small word of encouragement (4,2)
|
W (with) + A + S (small) + HUP (word of encouragement to a horse to go faster) W A S HUP |
WASH UP (do part of the housework)
|
|
7
|
High pitched river conflict (8)
|
FAL (river in Cornwall) + SET TO (fight; conflict) FAL SET TO |
FALSETTO (usually in a man, a forced [especially singing] voice of a range or register above its natural one; high pitched)
|
|
8
|
Proposal to put short leather strip in front of dress shirt (8)
|
STROP (leather strip) excluding the final letter (short) P contained in (to put … in) PLAN PLA (STRO) N |
PLASTRON (front of a dress shirt)
|
|
12
|
Be excited about earl’s old rifle (5)
|
RAVE (be excited) containing (about) E (earl) R (E) AVE |
REAVE (archaic word meaning to rob or plunder [rifle])
|
|
16
|
Cheer properly – "Toodle-pip" (8)
|
FARE (food or provisions for the table, a similar meaning as CHEER) + WELL (properly) FARE WELL |
FAREWELL (goodbye; toodle-oo)
|
|
17
|
Dance group supports South American artist (8)
|
SA (South American) + RA (Royal Academician; artist) + BAND (group) SA RA BAND |
SARABAND (slow Spanish dance)
|
|
18
|
Risk public appearance (8)
|
EXPOSURE (openness to danger or financial disadvantage; risk) EXPOSURE |
EXPOSURE (appearance in public) double definition
|
|
20
|
Support corporation describing beginning of trend over finger spinner (8)
|
TEE (support) + TUM [stomach; corporation]) containing (describing) (T [first letter of {beginning of} TREND] + O [over]) TEE (T O) TUM |
TEETOTUM (any small top twirled by the fingers)
|
|
21
|
Used to be holding husband in which position? (5)
|
WERE (used to be) containing (holding) H (husband) W (H) ERE |
WHERE (in which position)
|
| 23 | See 28 | [JOHN] NOAKES | |
| 25 | Maybe those who take tiffin without bits of butter (6) |
EX (without) + PATS (small soft masses of butter) EX PATS |
EXPATS (people living or working abroad. During the rule of the British Raj in India a light meal was known as tiffin) |
|
28 / 23
|
Little woman badly shaken on becoming 14 2 15 24 (4,6)
|
JO (one of the main characters in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) + an anagram of (badly) SHAKEN ON JO (HN NOAKES*) |
JOHN [NOAKES] – the numeric section of the clue translates to DAREDEVIL BLUE PETER PRESENTER which are all entries in the grid. JOHN NOAKES died recently on 28th May
|
|
29
|
On reflection change the course of events (4)
|
EDIT (change) reversed (on reflection) TIDE< |
TIDE (course of events)
|
Enjoyed this, PLASTRON and TEETOTUM both defeated me entirely, had to come here for help.
St Ives featuring over at the Graun too! What are the odds?
Thank you Kairos and DS
A very goof crossword indeed!
Couldn’t get the parsing in WASH UP, PREQUEL and LUNGE and a few obscure words such as REAVE, TEETOTUM and PLASTRON. I’m not very familiar with Blue Peter but recognised the theme after reading about the death of JOHN NOAKES a few weeks ago. Some “goofy” clues of which the EXPATS and their tiffin was my favourite.
Thanks to Duncan and Kairos
Great puzzle and a nice tribute to a man whose exploits (and dog training!) enthralled my girls week after week.
8&20d were new to me as well – typical of Kairos to throw in the odd curved ball.
Particularly liked the high pitched river conflict and must pass on the 25d clue to Chris on ‘the other side’.
Thanks to Kairos and to Duncan for the review.
many thanks Kairos
didn’t grow up with blue peter but still enjoyed the theme. RIP.
I also did the guardian just before this and was amazed to find the same curtailed seaside town.
And some new words for my vocab! Let’s see if i can remember them.
Thanks also Duncan – I had missed the parsing of 24a.
Very challenging for me and enjoyable too. Without wanting to expose my ignorance too much, there were 7 new words for me here so I was up against it solve-wise. Spotted the theme early and that helped, but was still bested by a fair few in the end. No particular fave clue today so honours go to the theme for commemorating a much-loved TV personage and the overall challenge. Many thanks to Kairos for the work out and to DS for the enlightenment.
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mr Noakes, an ebullient and engaging presenter. A very nice tribute today from Kairos.
Nice tribute to Noakesy from Kairos. I was of that generation who watched him each week: mad as a box of frogs, which was eyeopening to a young lad who thought adults were all serious.
Put me down as well as one who didn’t know TEETOTUM and PLASTRON, but that’s what wordsearches are for (I know some solvers eschew such things).
I guess in a roundabout way there is also a reference to PETER Purves, who together with VALERIE Singleton and Lesley Judd, were CO-HOSTS with Noakes. We’ll say nothing of the liaison between Peter and Valerie while they were working on the programme, at least pas devant les enfants.
Thanks, both.
Having made a printout of the puzzle and re-formatted it to show the clues in sensible lines the first thing to catch my eye was 1dn, closely followed by 13 and 14ac, and I guessed the theme even before entering my first answer. Not that I grew up with Blue Peter but my children did. PLASTRON was new to me, but I did know TEETOTUM. REAVE and LUNGE were lurking in the back of my memory and just needed confirming in Chambers.
A fitting 16dn to a well-loved 24ac – thanks, Kairos.
And thanks, Duncan, for the usual comprehensive blog.
Got 1dn to start, and immediately guessed the theme, which helped. TEETOTUM is a word I’ve known for years since coming across it in Through the Looking Glass.
Despite having read Through the Looking Glass we still didn’t know 20d. But as K’sD has mentioned that’s what word searches are for. Thankfully though we had all the checking letters and guessed at the answer! We did use a word search though for 8d which was our LOI.
1d and 2d were our first ones in so the theme was guessed at a very early stage. This didn’t spoil the enjoyment though. Fond memories of John Noakes and his antics. Not forgetting Shep of course.
Thanks to Kairos and Duncan.
I had to check that 30a was also a rope, and to look up my answer for 12d too. Then, lacking time and awakeness and being overheated, I cheated on a few others as well, mainly in the SE. 20d was new to me, as was 8d which I couldn’t parse either.
I wasn’t even born in the John Noakes era so it was fortunate that I’d read some of the recent tributes or I’d have failed on more.
So this beat me today but hey, I’m a masochist. All excellent stuff, even if I can’t handle the heat. Thanks to Kairos and Duncan.
B&J@10: It comes in the chapter where Alice finds herself in a shop kept by a sheep. ‘Are you a child or a teetotum?’ the Sheep said … ‘You’ll make me giddy soon, if you go on turning round like that.’ I learnt the word from my grandmother, though, long before I read Through the Looking-Glass.