An enjoyable puzzle from Serpent today; perhaps not as hard as some of his, or perhaps it just worked for me.
Last month Vigo set a puzzle with a theme of musical band names, which I completely failed to notice. I’m glad to say I didn’t miss it this time: Serpent has done the same, with a few of the bands from Vigo’s puzzle and plenty more. Every across clue is the name of a band, or (at 14, 23, 29 and 30) the singular form of a plural band name. I wasn’t familiar with 1a but it was fun spotting all the others as they appeared. There’s a bonus band in the wordplay at 27a too. And in fact there’s another one at 2d: Keats was the name of a short-lived band (one album in the 80s) made up of various musicians from the Alan Parsons Project and Camel. Music geek? Who, me?
The only clues that didn’t work for me were the cryptic definitions: I’ve never been a fan of this clue type, because it always leaves the solver looking for more. 10a seems barely cryptic at all to me, and 9d passes only because the last three words have a double meaning. But otherwise there were some great clues; 17a and 4d used some neat tricks, 15d was a clever way to clue a slightly obscure phrase, and 20d was a very nice clue-as-definition.
Thanks Serpent for the challenge, and for all the musical memories!
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CAKE |
Plaster frame of artwork in religious establishment (4)
|
| Outer letters (frame) of A[rtwor]K in CE (Church of England = religious establishment).
Cake = plaster = cover thickly, as in “caked in mud”. |
||
| 3 | FALL |
Lost boot not seen during football season (4)
|
| F[ootb]ALL with an anagram (lost) of BOOT removed (not seen).
Old word for autumn, which is still the standard term in the US but less so in the UK. |
||
| 6 | VERVE |
Energy equals discharged voltage doubled, divided by resistance (5)
|
| V[oltag]E (discharged = contents removed), twice (doubled), separated by R (symbol for resistance). | ||
| 10 | PLACEBO |
What could have an unexpectedly beneficial effect? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition? Pretty much a straight non-cryptic definition I think, unless I’m missing something. A placebo is a “dummy” medicine with no active ingredients, which can appear to have a beneficial effect because the patient thinks it will – or because the patient just gets better independently of the treatment. | ||
| 11 | GENESIS |
See sign involved creative act (7)
|
| Anagram (involved) of SEE SIGN.
The Creation story in the Biblical book of Genesis, or (metaphorically) the act or event that starts something. |
||
| 12 | OASIS |
Refreshing place with nothing staying the same (5)
|
| O (zero = nothing) + AS IS (staying the same). | ||
| 13 | FOREIGNER |
King follows period in office beset by enemy alien (9)
|
| REIGN (period in office) surrounded (beset) by FOE (enemy), followed by R (abbreviation for king, from Latin Rex). | ||
| 14 | SUPREME |
Greatest power invested in certain author (7)
|
| P (scientific symbol for power) inserted into SURE (certain) + ME (the author writing this clue). | ||
| 16 | ARGENT |
Instrument lined with lead to reinforce old metal (6)
|
| AGENT (instrument) containing the first (leading) letter of R[einforce].
Old term for silver, from Latin argentum via mediaeval French. |
||
| 17 | PIXIES |
Brownies regularly press skirts one by one (6)
|
| P[r]E[s]S (regularly = alternate letters), around (skirting) I X I (1 x 1 = one by one).
Pixie, brownie, fairy, and so on – I’m sure someone will insist they’re not the same thing. But sub-groups of Brownies (as in junior Girl Guides) are named after various small mythical creatures, including Pixies, so that works for me. |
||
| 19 | MADNESS |
Confusion spread by broadcast and stupidity (7)
|
| MESS (confusion), around (spread by) an anagram (broadcast = scattered) of AND.
Madness = stupidity in the sense of “that’s madness” = “that’s a stupid thing to do”. |
||
| 23 | PRETENDER |
Person making a claim before proposal (9)
|
| PRE (before) + TENDER (proposal to take on a business contract).
Someone who claims entitlement to a throne or other position of power. |
||
| 25 | TRAIN |
Work out zero in school (5)
|
| Triple definition. To do gym work or similar physical exercise; to move closer to a target, especially when aiming a gun sight at it; or to teach. | ||
| 27 | CHICAGO |
Musical group attempt to tour America (7)
|
| CHIC (group: American band, at their peak in the 70s but still active on and off since then) + GO (attempt, as in “have a go”), around (to tour) A (abbreviation for America).
Musical based on a 1920s play. |
||
| 28 | BAUHAUS |
Vintage department store regularly checks gold standard for design (7)
|
| BHS (British Home Stores = department store chain, no longer operating, hence “vintage”), containing (checking = holding on to) AU (Au = chemical symbol for gold) in two places (regularly).
Early 20th century German art school and its approach to design. |
||
| 29 | EAGLE |
High-flier who predates good result for part of course (5)
|
| Double definition: a predatory bird, or a very good score on one hole of a golf course. | ||
| 30 | STEP |
Stage is plain to the audience (4)
|
| Homophone (to the audience) of STEPPE (grassland plain). | ||
| 31 | KISS |
Collide briefly with runners when cycling (4)
|
| SKIS (runners), with the letters cycling round so that the first S ends up at the end.
Snooker terminology for a contact between two balls, usually just a glancing blow (deliberate or not) rather than a direct strike. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | COPIOUS |
Generous admission of liability stops arrests (7)
|
| IOU (abbreviation for I owe you = admission of liability), inserted into (stopping) COPS (arrests, as in “it’s a fair cop, guv”). | ||
| 2 | KEATS |
Romantic writer inspired by lake at sunset (5)
|
| Hidden answer in (inspired by) [la]KE AT S[unset].
English Romantic poet. |
||
| 4 | ALOOFNESS |
Cold air, almost -18C, disrupts a swimming lesson (9)
|
| OF (O°F = zero degrees Fahrenheit = roughly -18 Celsius), inserted into (disrupting) A + anagram (swimming) of LESSON.
Aloofness = cold air = unfriendliness. |
||
| 5 | LAGER |
Drink fit for royalty served up (5)
|
| REGAL (fit for royalty), reversed (served up = upwards in a down clue). | ||
| 6 | VENDING |
Hawking‘s essential part in proving conclusion (7)
|
| Middle letter of (essential part in) [pro]V[ing] + ENDING (conclusion).
Hawking = vending = selling, especially from a street stall. |
||
| 7 | RESONANCE |
Article rendered on screen captures something evocative (9)
|
| A (the indefinite article), contained in (. . . captures) an anagram (rendered) of ON SCREEN. | ||
| 8 | ENSURE |
Guarantee criticism spares leading clubs (6)
|
| [c]ENSURE (criticism), without the leading C (abbreviation for clubs in card games). | ||
| 9 | LESSEE |
He should honour contract to the letter (6)
|
| Cryptic definition, referring to the contract between the lessee (the user of a property or other asset) and the letter (or lessor = the owner). The cryptic element is in the last few words: “to the letter” = exactly. | ||
| 15 | PRIZE RING |
What Gollum did in fight scene? (5,4)
|
| Double definition. The first refers to the character Gollum in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, who wanted the ring (“my precious”) for himself; the second is the ring used for prizefighting (boxing for money). | ||
| 16 | ADMIRABLE |
Fine and bail armed suspect (9)
|
| Anagram (suspect) of BAIL ARMED.
Fine = admirable = very good. |
||
| 18 | ITERATE |
Do over American couple snubbed by judge (7)
|
| ITE[m] (couple = romantic partners, as in “I didn’t know those two were an item”; snubbed = cut short = last letter dropped) + RATE (judge, as a verb = assess the quality of).
“Do over” in American usage (or in computer-speak) can mean “do again” = iterate. In British usage it can mean “beat up” (a person), “ransack”, or “redecorate”, depending on the context. Isn’t language fun? |
||
| 20 | DETOUR |
Head to destination by alternative route (6)
|
| First letter (head) of D[estination] + anagram (alternative) of ROUTE.
Clue-as-definition (&lit): to travel by an indirect route. |
||
| 21 | SINUSES |
Offence exploits openings in person? (7)
|
| SIN (offence) + USES (exploits).
Sinuses = body cavities (in the face) = openings in a person. |
||
| 22 | APACHE |
Original American term for “ultra cheap shot” (6)
|
| Last letter (term = end? I wasn’t sure but Chambers says so) of [ultr]A + anagram (shot) of CHEAP.
Original as in Native American. |
||
| 24 | DROSS |
Refuse to meet with democrat instead of conservative (5)
|
| [c]ROSS (to meet, as in paths crossing / meeting), with D (Democrat) instead of the C (Conservative).
Refuse, as a noun = dross = rubbish. |
||
| 26 | AMATI |
One takes a bow when playing this part in dramatisation (5)
|
| Hidden answer (part) in [dr]AMATI[sation].
A violin made by the Amati family in Italy (who pretty much invented the instrument as we know it). One would use a bow to play it. |
I usually miss every theme going but once I’d solved GENESIS and OASIS, I knew exactly what I was going to find in the rest of the crossword
Thanks to Serpent for an enjoyable solve (I managed to finish without an ear worm!) and to Quirister for the blog
Only three acrosses that I cant associate with bands. CAKE, STEP and TRAIN
But DETOUR(S) was Roger’s band before Pete and Keith joined
APACHE was the Shadows first single
and I dare say an Amati was used on a string session for one of these acts.
Great grid fill and fun puzzle
thanks Serpent and Quirister
Thanks Serpent and Quirister
‘Term’ as ‘end’ is probably most commonly seen in reference to pregnancy ‘coming to term’ with labour/birth.
Well, I’m afraid much of this didn’t work for me – sorry Serpent – and it was a DNF in the SW corner. I totally missed the bands/groups theme, although I did spot it in Vigo’s. To use an obscure (isn’t it?) band like ‘Chic’ as part of the wordplay at 27A, and so many obscure (aren’t they?) bands elsewhere is a step too far in the wrong direction for me. At 20D I thought ‘on’ would have been better than ‘by’. Despite all the above, thanks Serpent and Quirister. Now here’s a bone of contention: recently a blogger was taken to task for revealing the theme very early in the blog, which has happened here, but I fail to see what’s wrong with that. Could somebody please clarify?
Tatrasman @ 4
It’s not so much revealing the theme in the blog, but revealing it in the first couple of lines, which can be seen on the 15^2 home page (eg when looking for the blog for a different puzzle).
I’m no “music geek” but even I could spot the theme, if not all the bands. I agree that this was not as difficult as some of Serpent’s puzzles, though there were some hard clues such as BAUHAUS and I missed the parsing of MADNESS.
I didn’t know the band connection, but thematic or not, DETOUR was the highlight for me today.
Thanks to Serpent and Quirister
Many thanks to Quirister for the fine blog and to everyone who has taken the time to comment.
I wouldn’t normally comment on a comment, but I don’t think it’s important whether the elements of a ghost theme are well known (@4). My criterion is whether the grid entry is a well known word. The point about a ghost theme is that the puzzle should be solvable without any knowledge of the theme; spotting the theme and the thematic entries is just a bit of extra fun for the solver.
(I do accept that using CHIC in the wordplay for CHICAGO is possibly a bit unfair, but CHIC and founding member Nile Rodgers are well known in some circles and have had a considerable influence on popular music.)
Slow solve for me.. .mind none are exactly meteoric… didn’t spot the theme but no surprise there… despite knowing pretty much all the bands… didn’t alter the solve so no argument as per Serpent@7… still fun regardless.. BAUHAUS probs fave
Thanks Serpent n Quirister
The top half went in very fast but the bottom half not so much. Spotted the general theme but had no idea it was so pervasive. BAUHAUS my #1. Thanks to Serpent and Quirister.
We didn’t spot the theme but enjoyed the rest. A small complaint about 4 down – surely after several decades of using sensible units for temperature we shouldn’t be expecting solvers to know how to translate into an archaic one! Just a scientist’s hobbyhorse I guess.
Like Ericw, we didn’t spot the theme but enjoyed the rest. As far as 4dn is concerned, although we automatically think temperature in Celsius (not centigrade, please!) the Fahrenheit scale still persists in places and temperatures are frequently quoted in both; in the case of -18C we think most people will know the conversion to 0F since it is the recommended temperature for domestic freezers.
In fact 4dn was one of our favourites, along with AMATI, once we realised ‘Viola’ was wrong (Viola being also a principal character in Twelfth Night hence possibly a ‘part in dramatisation’ – a nice misdirection there). But we needed a wordfinder for BAUHAUS.
Thanks, Serpent and Quirister.
Ericw @10, allan_c @11: I agree Celsius is now standard in most places (though not in the US), but the solver doesn’t really need to know how to convert. My reasoning was roughly as follows: Serpent is asking for something significantly below zero, which can be expressed simply in a few letters (this is a crossword after all); Fahrenheit is that awkward scale where water freezes at 30-something and zero F is a lot less than zero C; so it’s probably O F for zero Fahrenheit. (I did check, for the sake of the blog, but if I’d just been doing the crossword for myself I’d probably just have put it in.)
Too challenging for me, but very cleverly done when I read this (as ever excellent) blog. Chalked down to learning experience
Thanks Serpent and Quirister