We still think of Kairos as an IoS setter, even though this is his 7th puzzle in the Indy and the third that we have had the pleasure of blogging.
Kairos is not renowned as a compiler of themed puzzles, but here he is on a Tuesday … and what a great theme there is to be uncovered.
9ac provides an early indication that there is a theme, but it was not until we solved 26ac that Bert realised that the theme was 28ac, the 70s/80s 20ac band, whose best known singles were 23ac/6d/2d, 22ac/7d and 17ac/31ac, recorded on the 26ac record label. Once we had BAGGY we started looking for TROUSERS.
Thanks to Kairos for bringing back memories of the amusing and original videos that accompanied Madness tracks on Top of the Pops.
THE (article) round EM (space, as in typesetting)
PLASTEREd (drunk) with the ‘d’ (Democrat) omitted or ‘leaving’ + R (Republican)
An anagram (‘arranged’) of LESSON I
A MULE (smuggler) round or ‘hiding’ POt (drug) without the last letter or ‘cut’
Double definition, the American president being Theodore Roosevelt, president from 1901 to 1909
MO (modus operandi – ‘way of working’) + D (first or ‘original’ letter of damsons) – the definition refers to the 70s/80s mod revival / punk rock band, contemporaries of 25ac
Hidden in (‘sample of’) collAGEN Treatment
hOUR (time) with the ‘h’ (Henry) omitted
CARDIe (cardigan – ‘top’) with the last letter omitted or ‘short’ + A C (cape). We had to check the definition here.
S (special) KA (soul)
G G (two goods) in BAY (alcove)
Double definition – the second as in ‘a quick one’
Hidden in (‘checked by’) HeaTH ROBinson
An anagram (‘designed’) of NEW TOOT – the clue that gave away the theme for Bert – Joyce would never have noticed it
NESS (head) after or ‘pushing’ MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction – ‘deterrent theory’) – another new acronym for us
An anagram (‘in a stew’) of MEAT DICEd (without the last letter or ‘briefly’) and A (first letter or ‘head’ of artichoke)
Double definition
LIT (literally) reversed or ‘raised’ in SET-TO (fight)
BEY (governor – in Turkey) O (over) ND (North Dakota)
A homophone (‘heard’) of SEED (successors as in descendants)
O (old) PUSs (cat) without the last letter – Manx cats have no tail
An anagram (‘stormy’) of DAWNED FAIR
PETS (animals) reversed or ‘reared’
Double definition
RA (artist) reversed or ‘standing’ + REST (the others)
dUCKY (endearment) with the ‘d’ (director) omitted or ‘expressed’ after Y (last letter or ‘end’ of play)
An anagram (‘possibly’) of AIM TO ENTER – a reference to one of the puppets in the 1960s ‘Thunderbirds’ television series
A ST (street – ‘way’) round or ‘welcoming’ CO (company)
An anagram (‘construction’) of IRON AGE + L (last letter or ‘closer’ of hill)
BUSHED (tired) with AM (Assembly Member – of the Welsh Assembly) first
Double definition
RUE (French for road or ‘way’) + FULl (rich) without the last letter or ‘footloose’
cOOk without the first and last letters or ‘discovered’ round or ‘circumnavigating’ HI (Hawaii)
A homophone (‘mentioned’) of MEAD (honeyed wine). The Medes were ancestors of Kurdish people living in the north-western area of present-day Iran
First or ‘initial’ letters of A Head Of Department reversed or ‘returned’ – the capital of Qatar
This was a delight from start to finish with a theme that even I managed to spot.
It was unusually light for a Kairos puzzle and I only needed to look up two things: I didn’t know that 19a could be used as a noun; and I’ve never come across the (very apposite) acronym in 28a before.
7d was my favourite.
Many thanks to Kairos and to B&J.
There’s another Madness track in there… 19a/8d Cardiac arrest. My way into this was firstly SKA and then TWOTONE
Another delight.. the theme was a very pleasant meander back in time.. One Step Beyond…awesome saxe! As Bertandjoyce with the Baggy Trousers.. except in reverse..
Thanks Kairos n Bertandjoyce
I should have spotted this theme but didn’t. Despite my lack of knowledge of rock etc, I’d heard of Madness and am even aware that Suggs is actually Graham McPherson, an excellent presenter on TV and radio. Like others above, this was relatively easy for Kairos, and this may be due to the constraints of fitting in a theme. Thanks Kairos and B&J.
Thanks Kairos and BnJ
I think MOD can be added to the theme, as it was the original mods who adopted Bluebeat and Ska the first time round.
Very enjoyable puzzle.
I’d like to think the setter also had Night Boat to Kairo[s] in mind !
Nice to be reminded of the quintessentially English quirky band and as Simon S says the mods were first to cotton on to rock steady. blue beat, ska .
Great clips of them too-I must grab some of their stuff
“I like driving in my car ” still cracks me up
Thanks Kairos for the pleasant reminder and B&J for blog
Not being into that particular music genre the THEME passed us by – in fact we wondered if Kairos was having a bit of a joke with the theme being simply that entry.
A delightful puzzle all the same, although it was over too quickly.
A minor quibble about 21dn: since May 2020 “Welsh politicians” are no longer Assemby Members (AM) but Memebers of the Senedd (MS) – Aelodau’r Senedd (AS) in Welsh.
Favourites were AMPOULE and MARIONETTE.
Thanks, Kairos and B&J.
It’s rare for me to spot a theme as I go and today was no exception. So it didn’t help me finish but I did have the pleasure of casting my eyes back over the completed grid and seeing the theme materialise (having briefly, as it was FOI, wondered like allan_c whether the theme would be THEMEs.) Well spotted MrG @2 – I had forgotten that one. Undrell – I shall now think of you as the one in baggy trousers – but reversed!
Thanks Kairos and B&J
Cardiac Arrest is also the most crossword-related of Madness songs. The sleeve design was a crossword, the video features a commuter doing his crossword on the bus and the lyrics cite a clue (sort of) for the word cardiac.
Ten more minutes till he gets there
The crosswords nearly done.
Its been so hard these days
Not nearly so much fun.
His mind wanders to the office
His telephone, desk and chair
He’s been happy with the company
They’ve treated him real fair.
Think of seven letters
Begin and end in C
Like a big american car
But misspelt with a D
My thanks to Bert and Joyce for unpicking the clues and to all for the comments. I am glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane and particular thanks to Bluth who stopped and shared a picnic – does anyone remember commuting? My daily journey to the office is all of 20 seconds these days.
It was interesting to read that this is my 7th puzzle in the Indy. Looking back at my records, it seem that I have had 32 crosswords in the Indy and 44 in the Indy on Sunday over the years.
To Hoodie #6, Night Boat to Kairo[s] would have been One Step Beyond!
Apologies Kairos from Bert – he didn’t go back far enough in the records plus his memory is not what it was! Also annoyed that we missed CARDIAC ARREST. Thankfully our commuting days are a thing of the past.