Monday 24 September 2018

Cryptic clue time

I did a crossword on here this time last year; it was quite popular, so I've had another go. All answers are bands or solo artists or record-related. Some clues are cryptic, some are straightforward, and some are anagrams.

You can click the grid below for a bigger view. And new for this year, I've made the whole thing downloadable as a PDF, in case you want to print it off and do it at your leisure. Here's the PDF.

Good luck. Answers on the 1st of October. And yes, I recycled one clue.

ACROSSDOWN
1. Political writings, sort of (7,7)
3. They loved different lengths of tape (3,3,3)
5. He was in a NY state of mind (5,4)
12. Eternal funk now, from singer (6,8)
13. Had an eye to the telescope (1,1,8)
15. They should have reformed to cover Candy Girl (5)
19. Cuddly brothers and their band (7)
23. Not big from the neck up (3,5,5)
26. Doing us all a favour on the radio (6,7,12)
29. They promised that things could only get better (1,4)
33. Strange ____, bitches’ ____ (4)
35. She was torn (7,9)
36. Shortened tune (3,10)
37. Danté’s favourite band (3,6,6)
39. Lawrence’s soft material (4)
40. Not a dick (4)
42. Unicycles the lot (3,5,7)
45. Play cricket for a beating (3,3,6)
46. Extra dinosaur loses indefinite article (1,3)
47. Left waterhole to fly high (4,9)
48. The girl kept dry (7)
49. “I like ___ ____,” she said, sticking her tongue in my ear (3,4)
52. All points west (5)
56. They went from Guildford to Japan (3,6)
57. A wild rose grew from his bad seeds (4,4)
58. They asked Johnny Dee (3,13)
61. Empty stomach? (9)
66. Guitarist urinates (5)
67. Crikey, it’s the rozzer! (6,8)
69. Palindromic root vegetables (4)
71. Requires antihistamine (5)
72. _____ Washington (5)
74. Tree feeders (5)
75. Richard _____, one-time drummer with 105D (5)
76. Norfolk girls show no respect for their elders (4,3,7)
78. When Bernard met Brett … again (3,5)
79. Trap dry owl? (5,5)
80. Definite, definite article (3,3)
81. A confrontation (3,5)
84. Lettuce and tomato (5)
86. They made no criminal records (3,6)
87. Ordains as a singer? (5,4)
89. Took a tumble (3,4)
92. Sweetest trip for half a zebra (5,7)
94. Milkshake vendor (5)
97. First man and a killer yoghurt? (7)
98. Left Deptford by the underground (5,7)
99. Always correcting their own lyrics (7)
100. His dad has a new suitcase (5,5)
101. Not a hard amoeba (4,4)
103. Oye Esteban, indeed (10)
104. Stretchy first letter (8)
106. I get caught up in her hair (7)
107. The males gave birth in this band (3,9)
109. Sang ‘Between John and Yoko’ (4)
111. Angry Billy (4)
112. Others have moves like him (4,6)
115. Half audible (9)
117. Rubbish music (7)
122. Sang about matches (3,7)
123. Sounds like roe and muntjac (3,5)
126. Twin research facilities (9)
127. With rabbit breeders, on this beach? (4)
128. He felt safe, stuck in traffic (4,5)
130. A definite sphere (3,3)
131. This band are walked all over (8)
133. Two beards and a beard (1,1,3)
136. He liked his OJ… (5,7)
137. …but Shaun preferred a darker drink (5,5)
138. English prog rockers, sound Eastern (4)
139. They had the first base for la renard (2,7)
140. Model heathens? (3,10)
141. Ancient Mexican Leica (5,6)
142. Michael Fish and Billy Giles (3,7,8)
143. ___ A, Real Gone ___ (3)
1. Trains rely on it (7)
2. Little dog goes from Oz to Africa (4)
4. Lupine, down the rabbit hole (4,5)
6. Arthur Lee’s 60s band (4)
7. Composer Philip _____ (5)
8. Blue _____, _____ Jam (5)
9. Everything but the girl (3,4)
10. They had a cardiac groove (4,4)
11. High powered song by 34D (3)
14. Lots of TIAs (3,7)
16. The bookmakers? (3,5)
17. Wide screen film format (8)
18. Sounds like they record in a shed (5)
20. Rosy Keith? (4,5)
21. Home to Mick before he joined the council (3,6,6)
22. Plain rude (3,7)
24. Luxuriant 4AD band (4)
25. Had to get the best out of them (3,7)
26. Debuted with equines (5,5)
27. Family business for alchemists (8,8)
28. Late queen (6,8)
30. Just playing at being a band (3,10)
31. Just playing at video games (4,3,3)
32. A certain Mr Yorke’s quartet (5,3,5)
34. The band The Beatles could have been (5)
38. All About ___ (3)
41. To the end… the focused bit (9,5)
43. Not us (4)
44. They were out of their brilliant mind (9)
47. She wanted to kiss the pope … of mope (5,7)
50. Positively prog! (3)
51. Total blockhead (3,4)
53. Loudon or Martha (10)
54. A good source of vitamin C and anti-oxidants (3,11)
55. Chris, guitarist in 106A (5)
59. Nothing ever happened for them (3,6)
60. The pretenders (10)
62. Beloved of cannibals (8)
63. They were upstairs at Eric’s (5)
64. He sold the heat (6,6)
65. _____ Basie (5)
67. No nut allergies for these boys (7)
68. Easy as 1-2-3 for Sheffield band (1,1,1)
70. Main enema for singer? (5,4)
73. Cold relations of 114D (6,7)
74. They scratched in a spiral motion (9)
76. Indie rockers from Duluth (3)
77. Not gone up in smoke (3)
82. A bashful, manic filth (4,3,4,7)
83. Stylish dance act (4)
85. Did she lament for Stan? (4)
88. Amusements up in smoke? (6,4)
90. Not the 80’s TV alien (6,5)
91. Jenny was a friend of theirs (3,7)
93. You might expect this band to grow in number (3,8)
95. ___ Vicious (3)
96. Full-on vocals (8)
102. Relatives of 114D? (3,7)
105. Take a pew to listen to this band (3,6)
107. Test version of a group (3,4,4)
108. Former president on Viagra? (6,1,1,1)
110. They were on my radio (8)
113. Ropey Norfolk indie also-rans (4)
114. Monkey men (8)
115. They would write crossword cluze (5)
116. Label for early Suede releases (4)
117. Stick a bottle in the face of casino town (9)
118. He had a satanic hairstyle (4)
119. Dangerous, their drab light (6)
120. He played a wicked game (5,5)
121. Chilly theatre? (8)
124. Spanish archer? (5)
125. A band with oomph, with energy (3,5)
129. From deadly comedy to in-demand producer (5)
132. Go to Oxford by bike (4)
134. Metal but thin, not heavy (4)
135. Sadly spliced in 2004 (4)

9 comments:

  1. Yes! Can't wait to get stuck in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's a bit easier than last year's (but then I know the answers). But it's bigger too, so maybe that will balance out.

      Let me know if I've made any mistakes - I looked at using some online crossword-making software but nothing quite worked so I ended up building this manually. There's bound to be a mistake somewhere, a missed number or an answer without a clue.

      Delete
  2. Ouch. Brain hurts.

    3. Bow Wow Wow.

    5. Billy Joel.

    13. KT Tunstall.

    Am I supposed to be posting answers here?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No! Don't give them away!

      Or do, I don't mind really. They're all correct, of course.

      Delete
    2. I'm trying not to look at Rol's answers! Going to work my way through it slowly whenever I get a few spare mins.

      Delete
  3. I've been, erm, AWOL again for a little bit and have only found this via Rol's gaff. Currently printing off a copy to take to work. That's my lunchtimes sorted for the next few days. I'll let you know how I get on!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Whoops, temporary problem with the PDF today fixed.

    ReplyDelete