Twin fills the Tuesday slot.
If it hadn’t been Tuesday which is ‘Theme Day’ we would have missed this one. Bert noticed “I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU’ hidden in the grid. A quick check on line revealed that it was a song written by the US rock duo – The Rembrandts. They reluctantly agreed to it being used as the theme tune for the sitcom – Friends when it debuted in 1994. We were aware that Matthew PERRY (23ac) died recently. He played CHANDLER (30ac) Bing in the series.
There may be other references to the sitcom in the grid – some people may think that the show was 25ac – we cannot comment as we never watched a single episode!
Thanks Twin – a few tricky moments but an enjoyable puzzle to solve.
An anagram (‘rolling’) of BOUNCES ‘along with’ A (first letter or ‘intro’ to Adele)
KID (pretend) around or ‘keeping’ (SSE – opposite direction or ‘away from’ North by Northwest. Twin is reminding us of the film North by Northwest starring Gregory Peck.
A ‘reversal’ of E (last letter or ‘conclusion’ to provide) CURT (brief)
An anagram (‘supply’) of WRONG D D AS
An anagram (‘bamboozled’) of E (East) MEXICANS
BA (fliers) KED (fly). This was our last one in and we had to check that HIGH = BAKED – it is, in the sense of being stoned or high on drugs as a slang term.
TE (Tennnessee) around or ‘claiming’ AVER (state)
REsTRAIN (to stay) without or ‘apart from’ S (son)
REST (lean) ORE (source of iron?)
TOY (Barbie perhaps) OT (books) A
PER (A) dRY (missing first letter or ‘unopened’). Why do we always tend to forget that A = PER?
cHILd (losing first and last letter or ‘coat’) vARIOUS (several missing first letter)
BatH (last letter only) OI OI (pay attention to me twice) around or ‘holding’ POLL (election)
A whimsical reference (‘sort of’) to people of Bristol being from the SW or SW-ISH. Bert and I could be described that way although I am not sure we could be described as ‘swish or fancy’.
IS inside or ‘breaking’ THEM (the enemy as in them and us)
HANDLE (name) inside or ‘obtained by’) CR (King)
PERT (forward) IS all reversed or ‘back’
BLUE (sad) C (about) OATS (porridge)
Alternate letters or ‘regularly’ in CaLlEd FaSt
An anagram (‘somehow’) of BAND around or ‘gathering’ hOME (in – missing the H – some Londoners have a reputation of missing this letter in speech)
An anagram (‘peculiarly’) of I SIT BY STY
S (second) HOOK (part of song) – I was unaware that a hook can be a ‘catchy phrase in pop music’ thankfully Bert did so he solved this one.
D (first letter or ‘leader’ to Durham) U (university) in ENDING (conclusion)
lEARNER (student missing first letter or ‘failing to start’)
An anagram (to dance’) of MOSEY ON UP
An anagram (‘tearing’) of ALl (missing last letter or ‘almost’) and HAIR OUT
DR (doctor) OPS (surgeries) ahead of HOT (dangerous)
EX (no longer) HALE (fit)
TASH (facial hair) around or ‘covering’ ILL (sick – reversed or ‘up’)
Hidden or ‘carried in’ reservES THE Right
Sounds like (‘mentioned’) RAYS (light’s)
RESIgN (leave) missing or ‘without’ G (good)
It was all going so well – until I ground to a halt in the far NE and NW corners (1D/10A and 7D/13A), which I couldn’t see at all. Didn’t think to look for a theme and it wouldn’t have helped anyway, like our bloggers never having watched Friends or its spin-offs. Apart from those little cavils very enjoyable, so thanks Twin and B&J.
I found this quite tough – nho 1d or 1a, so a slow start.
But I got by with a bit of help from my…..
so thanks to B&J and to Twin.
Very much enjoyed this. Spent an age staring at my last two, SHOOK & BAKED but managed to get them both. Only ever seen KED in crosswords but remembered it. Guessed BAKED could mean ‘drunk’ or possibly high on drugs but couldn’t confirm it with Chambers.
KISSED — N by NW(1959) starred Archie Leach.
[typo — TAVERN — TN (Tenn[n]essee)…
SWISH — Archie Leach came from Bristol.
Thanks for pointing out the typo. We are out and about in the Lakes at the moment so will amend the blog later.
It was my mistake but Bert apologises as he forgot to check the blog!
DROP SHOT was appropriate — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Perry — ‘practiced tennis, often for 10 hours per day, and became a top-ranked junior player in Canada with the possibility of a tennis career. However, at age 15, he moved from Ottawa to live with his father in Los Angeles, where competition was tougher.’
Loved the puzzle – fine surfaces and knotty wordplay. Thanks T & B&J.
Excellent puzzle, impressive nina.
I saw him on a rainy day at Wimbledon in early 2000’s with a pal under each arm, apparently from a combination of affection and leglessness. DROPSHOT, double scotch
Thanks Twin and Bertandjoyce.
Tough!
SHOOK, BAKED last two in.
Couldn’t parse ABDOMEN and SWISH, so, thanks.
Saw the nina, well done!
LIked:
KISSED
BAKED
HILARIOUS
Foolishly spent some time wondering about the significance of I’LL BE THE REF OR YOU, imagining it must be a well-known episode of FRIENDS. Nice puzzle. I am another who always forgets PER. Thanks both.
Tough but rewarding (with help). Dallied too long with INHALE not EXHALE Silly me
Enjoyed TALLISH and BLUECOATS
Thanks all
Thanks both. A struggle at times, yet enjoyable, and a rare occasion when the Nina came partly to my aid, therefore spotted all elements of the theme highlighted in the blog, but of no use to guide whether there are any other linked entries. US TV still invokes an allergic reaction in me, but I can hardly argue this is not common general knowledge
Thought 1a was a brilliant clue. I hadn’t heard of the term specifically I don’t think, but it came after a bit of wriggling.
I think I parsed eveything which is pretty rare for me, so all completely fair from my point of view. Lovely puzzle even if there were a few which had me scratching my head for a long time.
Didn’t spot the Nina/theme. That’s not unusual.
Thanks to Twin and B&J.
Not one of my best day’s solving. Got less than half done, Never watched Friends, but I do recall Perry in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
Incredibly difficult and has put me into a state of low confidence of all cryptic puzzle solving.