Tuesday has come around again very quickly – we have a Grecian to solve and blog today.
Right from the start we thought about the Sex Pistols being the theme as we solved 6ac and 2d very quickly. The rest fell into place quite quickly too – not a criticism as we enjoyed the puzzle.
When Joyce was writing up the blog it became apparent that there were not that many themed items in the grid. It looked as if we had missed some references. We had Sid VICIOUS, Johnny ROTTEN, Steve JONES as members of the band and JOHN PEEL who promoted them on the radio. Neither of us were into PUNK so a check was needed on-line to reveal the two other members of the group – Paul COOK and Glen MATLOCK. Malcolm MCLAREN was their manager/promoter and ‘Pretty Vacant’, one of their singles, features in the clue for 21d – an impressive grid-fill.
We are out and about today – meeting a small group of other bloggers for lunch in Leicester. We may not be able to respond to any errors or omissions until the evening.
Thanks Grecian.
PILS (lager) around or ‘drinking’ an anagram (‘performing’) of SOT
Sounds like (‘speaker’s) ROOM (chamber)
Hidden (‘a bit’) in alAN TItchmarsh
TOP (crown) THE BILL (TV show)
An anagram (‘fluid’) of SuIt (odd letters only) and GENDER
A (acting) VARY (range) around or ‘capturing’ I (middle letter or ‘essence’ of Nic)
S (Siemens) and a reversal or ‘backfire’ of TUM (corporation)
JOES (blokes) around or ‘touring’ N (Northern) – the answer relates to Indiana Jones
sPUNK (spirit) missing first letter or ‘headless’. We had to check the definition in Chambers.
ATTACHe (case) missing last letter or ‘detailed’
S (first letter or ‘origin’ of species) A PIECE (bit) around or ‘over’ N (first letter or ‘head’ of Norman)
TOUCHER (one making contact with) around PAP (breast)
X (cross) inside or ‘intercepted by’ a reversal or ‘back’ of YES (right)
ONE (individual) after Knee-trembleR (first and last letters only or ‘vacuous’)
VIC (vicar – ‘minister’) IOUS (promises to pay)
PI (sanctimonious) DIS (detective inspectors) inside to ‘going into’ ASTRA (a Vauxhall)
An anagram (‘building’) of TO RENT
ASP (snake) around or ‘swallowing’ A (first letter or ‘head’ of Animal)
Double definition
Hidden (‘secret’) in christopHER Biggins
PEN (write) C (about) E (European)
MC (Monaco) L (left) and an anagram (‘bend’) of NEAR
An anagram (‘treated’) of NURSE
I (current) and an anagram (‘failing’) of SENIOR MPS
MAT (felt) LOCK (secure)
JOHN (can) PEE (go) L (Luxembourg)
I (international) RA (artist) C (caught) inside PrettY (first and last letters only or ‘vacant’)
COE’S (Sebastian’s – relating to the Olympian runner and ex-MP See Coe) around or ‘pinching’ X (ten)
CO (company) OK (fine)
Hidden (‘attributes of’) and reversed (‘up’) in EVA Peron
Vivienne Westwood referenced in 11a was also closely connected with the band.
Great fun puzzle, thanks, Grecian and B&J
Thanks Grecian and BnJ
I think 21D PIRACY can be added to the themers, as SPUNK (source of the solution to 18) was the title of a bootleg of early Sex Pistols recordings and included a version of Pretty Vacant.
It’s always good to see Grecian’s name on a puzzle, part of the fun being that there’s no knowing what his theme is likely to be, his range is so wide.
My knowledge of today’s theme was slightly less than B&J’s – just enough, (Sid VICIOUS, Johnny ROTTEN, JOHN PEEL, PUNK, to alert me) but MATLOCK and MCLAREN seemed worth looking up and I enjoyed the research. (Thanks, Widdersbel and Simon for the extra bits.)
My favourite clues were 6ac PISTOLS, 11ac DESIGNER, 1dn ASPIDISTRA, 14dn IMPRESSION and 17dn JOHN PEEL – all great surfaces but top of the bill, in that respect, the highly amusing 20ac SAPIENCE.
Many thanks to Grecian for the fun and to B&J for a top blog.
Wasn’t expecting any more themers, so found the top right quadrant very chewy until my loi MCLAREN.
Seb Coe also appropriate in COXES – He ‘first caught the public’s attention’ in 1977, too. I preferred Steves Ovett & Cram.
Thanks G & B&J
Thanks both. I didn’t pause for breath for a while, then ground to a halt – should have spotted the theme but did not, hindered by PUNK and MCLAREN being my last entries, each of which I needed some help with, having not known the ‘miserable’ definition and assuming wrongly Monaco was just giving M or MO
It being Tuesday we expected a theme, and actually spotted it, although we failed to see all the thematic entries. But, as is often the case, our favourites were among the unthemed entries, SAPIENCE and TOUCHPAPER.
Thanks, Grecian and B&J
Ta for great fun! especially 7A with its link (for me) to Inspector Clouseau’s pronunciation of rheum/room=chamber
Many thanks to B&J for the customary excellent blog and to all of you who solved and commented on the puzzle. I wrote this a long time ago and Vivienne Westwood very sadly died between writing and publication. This necessitated a change to the clue involving her. One of the perils of using real people in clues, which I will continue to do, of course! G
Is 10a a reference to the Bill Grundy interview?
Thanks Grecian and B&J
Not a theme I knew anything about, or, indeed, spotted. Got about half of this.