A good-y puzzle from Soup this morning.
For those of a certain vintage, this puzzle will bring back memories. For those of the younger generation, some of it may go over their head. I was six years old when the Goodies first aired, but it ran from 1970 to 1982, so some slightly younger solvers may just remember it. It certainly helped me to solve some of the clues as I clearly remember the BIG CAT knocking down the POST OFFICE TOWER, the LOCH NESS monster episode, the GOODY GOODY YUM YUM at the end of the theme tune, and the FUNKY GIBBON and Black Pudding Bertha (OFFAL) songs. There may be more themed entries than the ones I’ve highlighted, but the setter also managed to get Tim, Bill and Graeme, the three actors who played the Goodies, into the clues.
Some of the clues were a bit wordy, the definition in 15 down is loose and the perennial LOCH does not sound like LOCK issue appears in the Spoonerism, but that apart, a fine puzzle, especially given the constraints of the theme.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Soup.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | EXPLOSION |
Big Bang Theory’s third on – spoil end of Netflix broadcast (9)
|
| *(e on spoil x) [anag:broadcast] where E is (th)E(ory) [‘s third] and X is [end of] (netfli)X | ||
| 10 | OFFAL |
Refuse very noisily, with a look back around (5)
|
| <=LO (“look”, back) around (FF (fortissimo, so “very noisily”) with A) | ||
| 11 | ACNED |
Dance about, get spotted (5)
|
| *(dance) [anag:about] | ||
| 12 | BOWSTRING |
Wrong bits used to make part of a weapon (9)
|
| *(wrong bits) [anag:used to make] | ||
| 13 | BRING ON |
Induce drummer to entertain battalion? Quite the reverse! (5,2)
|
| Bn. (battalion) to entertain RINGO (Starr) (“drummer”) | ||
| 14 | EXCEEDS |
29s from first principles, as on the 17 (7)
|
| EX (“from”) + homophone/pun/aural wordplay [as on the radio] of SEEDS (“first principles”)
The 29 in the clue refers to TRANSCENDS (solution to 29 across) and the 17 refers to RADIO (solution to 17 across) |
||
| 17 | RADIO |
Every so often, try and win on entertainment programmes here (5)
|
| [every so often] (t)R(y) A(n)D (w)I(n) O(n) | ||
| 18 | OBE |
Award given to Taco Bell (3)
|
| Hidden in [given to] “tacO BEll” | ||
| 19 | TOWER |
Big build-up to the pair of us beginning to reconcile (5)
|
| TO + WE (“the both of us”) + [beginning to] R(econcile) | ||
| 21 | SAYS YOU |
Delivers uniform? By one report, but not according to me! (4,3)
|
| SAYS (“delivers”) + homophone/pun/aural wordplay [by one report] of U (uniform, in the NATO phometic alphabet) | ||
| 23 | BILLING |
Oddie in front of Goodies line-up of stars (7)
|
| BILL (Oddie) + IN + [front of] G(oodies) | ||
| 24 | LAMENTING |
Deploring mis-alignment? (9)
|
| *(alignment) [anag:mis-] | ||
| 26 | FUNKY |
Strong-smelling lubricant behind pleasurable activity (5)
|
| KY (jelly) (“lubricant”) behind FUN (“pleasurable activity”) | ||
| 28 | CLUES |
Hints and tips for Colin ‘let’s upset everybody’ Sell (5)
|
| [tips for] C(olin) L(et’s) U(pset) E(verybody) S(ell) | ||
| 29 | TRANSCEND |
Go over Tim’s head and screen performance lacking energy (9)
|
| T(im) [‘s head] + *(and scren) [anag:performance] where SCREN is SCRE(e)N lacking E (energy) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MEGA |
Brilliant contribution from Graeme Garden (4)
|
| Hidden in [contributon from] “graeME GArden” | ||
| 2 | OPEN MIND |
If you’re not sure, keep it! (4,4)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 3 | GOODY-GOODY |
Twice turn round and, losing heart, deny being pious (5-5)
|
| [twice] GO (“turn”) + O (round) and D(en)Y [losing heart] | ||
| 4 | GIBBON |
One of Barry, Robin or Maurice performing – what an animal! (6)
|
| GIBB (“one of Barry, Robin or Maurice” (the Bee Gees)) + ON | ||
| 5 | ANYWHERE |
When at first you are getting frisky, position doesn’t matter (8)
|
| *(when y are) [anag:getting frisky] where Y is [at first] Y(ou) | ||
| 6 | POST |
Pale, stop messing around (4)
|
| *(stop) [anag:messing around] | ||
| 7 | OFFICE |
Position away from the freezer? (6)
|
| OFF ICE (“away from the freezer?”) | ||
| 8 | FLAG |
Tire jack (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 13 | BORES |
Floods burrows (5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | CUTTLEFISH |
Slippery customer felt up in quite sweet surroundings (10)
|
| <=FELT [up] in CUTISH (“quite sweet surroundings”)
Very loose definition? |
||
| 16 | SPRIG |
Spray a bit of scent on 3 (5)
|
| [a bit of] S(cent) on PRIG (“goody goody”, see 3dn) | ||
| 18 | OCULISTS |
Those restoring sight with chicken’s heart and rabbit’s foot could be witches (8)
|
| If (chi)C(ken) [‘s heart] and (rabbi)T [‘s foot] are added to OCULISTS (“those restoring sight”), you’d get OC(C)UL(T)ISTS (“witches”) | ||
| 20 | WHINNIES |
White offspring of stallions and donkeys sounds like a horse (8)
|
| W (white, in chess notation) + HINNIES (“offspring of stallions and donkeys”) | ||
| 22 | YUM-YUM |
Esteban’s really, really upset Japanese schoolgirl (3-3)
|
| <=MUY (Spanish for very, so “esteban’s really”, upset) but “really” is repeated, so it’s YUM-YUM, one of the “Three Little Maids from School Are We” in The Mikado | ||
| 23 | BIG CAT |
One that writes about grams, a tonne, or an ounce? (3,3)
|
| BIC (“one that writes”) about G (grams) + A + T (tonne) | ||
| 24 | LOCH NESS |
Spooner’s to drop some pounds somewhere in Scotland (4,4)
|
| Spooner’s version of LOCH NESS may have been KNOCK LESS (pound less often, so “drop some pounds”).
As a Scot, who has become tired of the argument, I’ll just stay silent about the pronunciation of “loch” that doesn’t rhyme with KNOCK. |
||
| 25 |
See 24 Down
|
|
| 27 | YODA |
‘Green sage stems in yogurt’ and other delicious appetisers (4)
|
| [stems in] Y(ogurt) and O(ther) D(elicious) A(ppetisers) |
A fun theme, as pointed out by loonapick, for us of a certain vintage, (although I suspect that covers must of us), referencing the opening sequence to the comedy show. There’s also a MEGA EXPLOSION and RADIO TOWER. I liked SAYS YOU, OPEN MIND, SPRIG, CUTTLEFISH and finally OCCULTISTS for the surface. Most enjoyable.
Ta Soup & loonapick.
OBE can possibly be regarded as thematic, as there was a long-running gag about Tim being obsessed with being awarded one – ‘maybe an earl and an OBE’ ‘You’d be an earlobe…’
FLAG is also possible, as part of his costume was a Union Jack waistcoat.
Morning, all! Thanks for the blog, loonapick. Well, this seems to have gone down a bit better below the line on the Guardian’s site than a couple of my last puzzles, so I’m showing my head above the parapet early in the day. Fun to have a bit of a trip down this alley, anyway, and it gives me an opportunity to say ‘happy birthday, Graeme Garden!’.
I’d not considered OFFAL part of the theme, but RADIO and OBE were at least in my mind as ‘potential themers’, as was ANYWHERE (I wanted ANY TIME and ANYTHING as well but ran out of places). I also wanted to include SCOUTS and maybe TONY BLACKBURN somewhere but didn’t want to do too much shoehorning; I had also hoped to get in one more which I won’t say as I might use it again in future. Words with repeats (GOODY-GOODY; YUM-YUM) are always hard to clue (see also TSETSE, which doesn’t rear its proboscis here) but I think I’ve done it fairly, though people over at the G say YUM-YUM is quite hard. My favourites were EXPLOSION and ANYWHERE, given rather neat surfaces. Fair cop re the lock-loch; the get-out-of-jail card is that Spooner could conceivably have pronounced it Lock, even if I most certainly would not, even given my anachronistic Eastbournian roots.
Also references to I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, with CLUES and the inclusion of Colin Sell in 28 across. All three Goodies appeared in ISIHAC at some point, with Tim and Graeme being long term participants. Thanks Soup for taking me back to my childhood and loonapick for the blog
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Thanks for popping in Hamish/Soup. I knew the Japanese schoolgirl but I have little Spanish, so it was the GOODY-GOODY that led me to the answer, an excellent combination. Anarchic for its time, I’m not sure it would be as hilarious nowadays, a bit like Morecambe & Wise.
Also, Tim used to wear a Union FLAG waistcoat, and wasn’t their slogan “Any time, any place, ANYWHERE “?
Oh dear. When I see all the pretty colours in the above grid, it confirms that alas I’ve missed another theme. I wasn’t a big fan of The Goodies, having watched it only occasionally. But at least it was screened in Australia.
I scratched my head at deploring/lamenting. Hadn’t heard of KY jelly. And my knowledge of Spanish was inadequate. Non-existent even.
One or two other speed bumps, but on the whole an enjoyable experience, thank you Soup.
Crispy @12: it was Anything Anytime ANYWHERE as mentioned by Soup @3.
Our boys were avid Goodies fans, we the adults absorbed random bits, like the yum-yum theme, and the dozens of Rolf Harris Rabbits (he went to the same school as me and mrs ginf, so we kinda noticed). All good fun, ta Soup and loona.
Oh and I’m no doubt being totally dim, but htf does bores = floods?
Nice to be reminded of a show from my childhood and I spotted some of the references as we went along but without quite clocking the entirety. I think getting both GOODY GOODY and YUM YUM into the grid is pretty neat. And it must be nice for Soup not to have an ear bashing for once 😉
Crispy @12: I think you might be thinking of Martini? But then, who wouldn’t at 8am on a February morning!
Thanks both
Muy buen rompecabezas. Gracias Soup.
PM@16 Yes, I woke up at 5am a bit nervous – if this had gone down badly then I was going to reconsider my approach (and potentially just stop). Nice to feel I might still have it…
Enjoyed this — got the theme early enough to help too, eg I started looking where FUNKY and GIBBON might fit before even finding the respective clues 😁 Liked EXPLOSION, SAYS YOU, OFFICE, OPEN MIND and my LOI, YODA.
Many thanks to Soup and loonapick
AlanC @14. My mistake. I was too keen to get my post done.
Hamish – you’ll have had your tea, I hope?
About 24D, I wondered whether we were supposed to rhyme with NOSH LESS, equally unScottishly.
(I have been expat far too long and never once watched the Goodies. Solved with no idea of the theme.)
Great stuff from Soup.
I’ve seen enough of the Goodies to know the three names but not enough to know the details of their sketches.
Missed the anagram part of TRANSCENDS and YUM-YUM was beyond my knowledge of Operas but the checking letters or wordplay allowed me to complete it.
Liked BOWSTRING,CUTTLEFISH and TOWER.
Thanks Loonapick and Soup
Muy muy bien. Top ticks for OCULISTS, YODA and CUTTLEFISH – at least it wasn’t “swimmer” 🙂
Cheers L&S
I liked the concealed anagrind for POST, which made me briefly wonder if the theme was going to extend to a range of old comedy shows. I thought the surface and construction of CUTTLEFISH made up for any vagueness in the definition.
Favourite: OCULISTS.
I could not parse 14c apart from def = transcends; the YOU in 21ac, 5d.
New for me: YUM-YUM = Japanese schoolgirl (and the names of the characters in “Three Little Maids from School Are We” seem to be very ridiculous); Bill Oddie (for 23ac).
I never heard of the Goodies so I did not see the theme.
It’s very rare for me to get a theme that I know and spotted early enough on to help. This time gibbon led me to funky, and I wouldn’t have been confident about yum yum without the connection. I recognised Muy and the japanese girl in retrospect, but they didn’t come to mind in time to help me parse the clue.
GiF@15: I thought it was to do with tidal bores, like the annual one down the River Severn – these are surge tides and often cause flooding.
Good fun – thank you Soup and loonpick.
Got the theme – and then didn’t use it making FUNKY (e.g.) harder than needed to be. I’m missing why PALE = POST and my Chambers appears not to be helping.
Enjoyed this – thanks to Loonapick and to Soup for popping in.
Oh yes, thanks JOFT, I’d forgotten about those continuous wave thingies.
PianoMan @28 – From Chambers (sorry!) “Pale – A stake of wood driven into the ground for fencing”
Piano Man @28, I think pale is another word for a fence post but I might be wrong
I concur with the posters who consider this good fun. The Goodies theme was sitting still half formed in my mind when I’d finished, I certainly didn’t see the bulk of the themers. I was sadly reminded of the year my parents were so disgusted at my b********g up my A levels that all I received for my birthday that autumn was a Goodies annual. Perhaps the loch/lock thing could have been ameliorated by the addition of “as a sassenach might say”.
To quote Afferbeck Lauder – mirsten choiple.
A late reply to Crispy, Bill Oddie was a regular in “I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again”, the predecessor to ISIHAC. His name was Angus Prune and he never missed ISIRTA.