Monday 16 October 2017

Cryptic-schmyptic

I may or may not have too much blogging time imminently, for reasons too numerous to go into. In case I don't, I'd thought I'd just leave something here that might last passing readers a while. And I'll be honest, I was also inspired by Rol's Saturday Snapshots series, with their cryptic clues.

So here's a crossword. All answers are bands or solo artists. If you've been reading this blog long enough you'll have an idea of my musical taste, so you'll have a head start there, I should imagine. Either way, you'll probably solve it all in a lot less time than it took me to compile. Some clues are cryptic, some are straightforward, and there may even be an anagram or two. Oh, and you might want to click the grid to view it a little larger than it displays below.

Click to embiggen

ACROSSDOWN
1Purveyors of dead air space (9)2Essential French duo (3)
4Pentito (10)3New York childminders (5)
5Covered 41A's feast day (7)4Velveteen trash (5)
7...but neither Jane Fonda nor Donald Sutherland (1,2,5)6Bald, bony? (3,5)
9Panacea, they dropped the 'easy' (3,4)8Suicidal Swedes (3,9)
11A hand reached down to him (5,5)9Liverpudlians who always had one eye on the cover (3,3)
13Over experienced (4,7)10Symbol's mother (5)
14Oh Susanna! Plus three. (3,7)12Neither acoustic nor heavy but philharmonic (1,1,1)
16The beginning of all bands (7)14A modest, dizzy bunch (3,6,5)
21She stopped wearing cardigans (4,7)15Spanish archer (5)
23Dancers of the leggy mambo (3)17Tight fit (but not Tight Fit) (7)
24Bickle boys (6)18Kopavagur's finest (8,7)
25Time for Sleep for these indie also-rans (6)19When Bob was sweet, not mouldy (5)
27Insistent insect (4,3)20Sounds like they should be Alan's favourite band (1,2)
28Allowed the country to quiver (1,1,6)22Shy poets bop (3,4,4)
30Shoegazing was easy (4)25Ann Coates (9)
31They bore a rose banner (4)26Quite good (3,12)
32Rearrange Mancunians (3,5)29He plays guitar (6,4)
34Locus of deoxyribonucleic acid (4)32They saw off the fear (5)
37Sad aviation (4,10)35The decline of ... (7,3,5)
40They reflected in the en-suite (3,4)36Alternate heroes' stetson (3,5,5)
41Still suitable for miners (5,5)38No longer an attraction (5,8)
42Gift chosen from a list (3,7,7)39Changing man (4,6)
45Goes well with Streetband hit (3,3)43Not Middleton, not burning (4,4)
46Gave 41A an extra verse (6,7)44Gaussian smudge (4)
48After-hours training for the philharmonic (1,1,1)47Is Georgia the dream state? (3)
49The Office Block Persecution Affinity (3,5)51(W)hole lot of water (5)
50Gave Val Kilmer his finest hour (3,8)53Fallen in French farce (7)
52Not as hard as stainless steel (4)54Diminutive Cornish or Devonians (6)
55Their sophtware did not sell well (9)56Pre-Banksy stencillers, Essex anarcho-punks (5)
57They always sounded so happy (1,1,1)59Gudmund's daughter, once sweet and die-shaped (5)
58Multiple stationers (3,6)60Left the opera Scott-free (5)
61Scouse anglers? (4)63Grunge Yoko and co (4)
62Change for vending machine (6,4)65White Van men (4)
64Kubrick's favourite band? (11)70Entwistle (2)
66Handy for nurdling, if Gallic (5)
67Not the high street soap pedlars (4)
68Kept in a creel? (4)
69Oh, duo screwed (7,5)
71Not Screaming Lord Sutch's backing band (7)

30 comments:

  1. Blimey, this looks super-impressive and I can't wait to give it a go (although already I'm thinking it looks like a toughie!) Thank you - what a lovely idea, this whole music quizzing malarkey is a real tonic (at least to those of us who aren't having to compile them, but hopefully is enjoyable to you too). I'm sure I once heard The Office Block Persecution Affinity on Peel too... ;-) Anyway, I'll come back to you re. any solved crossword clues, although I may be some time...

    Meanwhile, hope all's okay there for you, and that you're busy in a good way?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, yes, great lost Peel band name.

      Busy - not in a good or necessarily bad way, just busy and potentially busier to come.

      As for the crossword, I think it's mostly pretty straightforward...but then I know the answers, so I would say that :)

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    2. I've printed out the grid and the clues and we're off...! Managed about half of it so far - excellent stuff - brilliant clues. Love this kind of thing!
      Good luck with everything too...

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    3. Thanks, C. And I would offer you good luck with this, but I don't think you'll need it (especially for 18 Down).

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  2. I'm a lot better at setting these than I am at solving them.

    I got 9 across so far.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. Fear not, 10 Down is right up your street.

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    2. And 29 down.

      (While 35 down is hardly cryptic.)

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    3. No, 35D is more of a "complete the sentence".

      If my blog stats are to be believed, only you and C are doing this so far... which makes it a crossword head-to-head!

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    4. Okay, so will keep shtum on the answers so far....
      I have 37 answers at the mo, but I'm coming up against some roadblocks, including Rol's 9 and 64 across and 29 and 35 down (tho' I do have 10 down) - we'd probably work better as a team!

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    5. Ah now, I'd you can get 25D then 29D follows. Or you could ask The Tribe Of Toffs. Sorry, that's another clue... 9A though? You'll kick yourself...

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  4. The Man Of Cheese18 October 2017 at 20:38

    I'm going to print it off and take it to work to have a crack,although from a brief initial look I've far from mastered it. Hopefully I'll find inspiration travelling through the tunnel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Think of our gig history and shared musical past and you won't go far wrong mate. Especially with 34A.

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  5. It's taken me 6 attempts and half an hour to print the bloody thing off,finally got more than two thirds of it on one page. Doesn't bode well really. 34A is eluding me-I like 37A though!
    Will you publish the answers in due course or send them on request?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 34A - you'll kick yourself...

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    2. Oh, and I'll publish the answers at the end of the month.

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  6. I'm doing a lot better now... But mostly on the downs. It'd probably help if I printed it out too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is it sad that I'm genuinely excited by everyone's progress?

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  7. I recommend printing it out and leaving it in the loo!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Man of Cheese19 October 2017 at 09:51

    17 answers so far.....very poor Mr Reeves. Waiting for inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uvavu indeed. Answers will go up on in week or so.

      Delete
  9. Made a little more progress and just have 15 clues to solve now! (By the way, there's no clue for 8 Down, I could always make up an answer though as I've got some letters!)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gah! The clue for 8 Down is "Suicidal Swedes (3,9).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Okey dokey, you said Monday morning for the answers so I'm going to stop now. I'm missing:

      4a - wtf is a pentito?!
      5a - I've got 41a but it hasn't helped...
      23a - Only 3 letters for such an exotic clue, "dancers of the leggy mambo"? - oh how can this be?!
      66a - I thought it might be Curve but only because of the letters I've got so it probably isn't!
      67a - I have a feeling I should know this but it escapes me.

      3d - The Manhattan Nannies didn't fit...
      6d - nor did Moby!
      26d - I got as far as The....
      32d - nope
      53d - Je n'ai aucune idée

      So if anyone wants to trade me some answers....?!


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    2. 66A. I'd go with that, if I were you ;)

      Everything else - all is now revealed!

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