NEO kicks things off this week…
An excellent puzzle, I thought, and hugely enjoyable. Wasn't entirely sure about the parsing of 12a, so please let me know if I've missed a trick.
Thanks NEO!
ACROSS
9. Just one Roman poet’s written about power (9)
IMPARTIAL
I (one) + MARTIAL (Roman poet) written about P (power)
10. Overweight villain in film (5)
HEAVY
11. Short account about Channel Island current (7)
THERMAL
TAL[e] (account, short) about HERM (Channel Island)
12. Disliked newcomer stumped in superior role (7)
UPSTART
ST (stumped) in (UP (superior) + ART (role))
13. Neverending journey made free (3)
RID
RID[e] (journey, neverending)
14. Columnist is for slamming 1/24 hit (4,2,5)
LOST IN MUSIC
(COLUMNIST IS)* (*for slamming)
17. Ancient region lately evacuated, charity recalled (5)
LYDIA
L[atel]Y (evacuated) + (AID)< (charity, <recalled)
18. Ottoman officer edges away from infidel (3)
AGA
[p]AGA[n] (infidel, edges away)
19. Impressive flower by river in country (5)
RURAL
URAL (impressive flower) by R (river)
21. Wife early, dancing round before noon for 1/24 hit (2,3,6)
WE ARE FAMILY
(WIFE EARLY)* (*dancing) around AM (before noon)
23. Fool starts with absolutely stupid statement (3)
ASS
A[bsolutely] S[tupid] S[tatement] (starts)
25. A special check for bituminous substance (7)
ASPHALT
A + SP (special) + HALT (check)
27. Pressure to cause irritation for yak (7)
PRATTLE
P (pressure) + RATTLE (cause irritation)
28. Ancient Peruvian preserved? (5)
INCAN
Double (cryptic) definition
"IN CAN" being preserved
29. Girl embracing boy after the 14 or 21 vis- à-vis 1/24? (5,4)
THEME SONG
(MEG (girl) embracing SON (boy)) after THE
DOWN
1/24. Nuns on ridge in vocal group (6,6)
SISTER SLEDGE
SISTERS (nuns) on LEDGE (ridge)
2. Spindle wounded daughter, cracking (8)
SPLENDID
(SPINDLE)* (*wounded) + D (daughter)
3. Publicly announce metal group’s break- up? (10)
PROMULGATE
(METAL GROUP )* (*break up)
4. Herb swallowed at last by crook (4)
DILL
[swallowe]D (at last) by ILL (crook)
5. Enlightened and elevated, I beat two crossing Scots isle (10)
ILLUMINATI
(I + TAN (beat) + (II (two) crossing MULL (Scots isle)))< (<elevated)
6. So tense, American seen outside hospital (4)
THUS
(T (tense) + US (American)) seen outside H (hospital)
7. Small girl heading north finds badger (6)
HARASS
(S (small) + SARAH (girl))< (<heading north)
8. Goodness! Saint with sloshed laic becomes obscure (8)
MYSTICAL
MY (goodness) + ST (saint) with (LAIC)*( *sloshed)
15. Cave deposit no longer fresh — work with it inside (10)
STALACTITE
STALE (no longer fresh), (ACT (work) with IT) inside
16. One revelling in somewhat tight score, needing runs (10)
MERRYMAKER
MERRY (somewhat tight) + MAKE (score) needing R (runs)
17. Wiseacre in LA beginning to talk in vulgar language (3,5)
LOW LATIN
(OWL (wiseacre) in LA) + T[alk] (beginning to) + IN
20. Response from sappers joining battle (8)
REACTION
RE (sappers) joining ACTION (battle)
22. Animal in mountain pasture a feline lacking tail (6)
ALPACA
ALP (mountain) + A + CA[t] (feline, lacking tail)
26. Good riddance to thin-faced kinswoman? (4)
AUNT
[g]AUNT (thin-faced, G (good) riddance)
27. Sunak’s written about Old English verse (4)
POEM
PM (Sunak) written about (O (old) + E (English))
UPSTART
U(superior) PART(role)
ST in U PART
Thanks Neo and Teacow. I had 12ac the same way as KVa@1. I think we need to take U=superior in terms of self-image rather than reality.
The mini disco mini theme from Neo was an unexpected pleasure today. Two memorable dance hits but my favourite was He’s the Greatest Dancer, for the style-conscious line,
“Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci”!
Thanks to him and Teacow.
Reading through the across clues 14a intrigued me, so I detoured to 1d/24d and solved SISTER SLEDGE first
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Sledge_discography
They had their first Top 20 UK hit – only just, it peaked at number 20 – with their third single “Mama Never Told Me“- in 1973 – a 50-year anniversary
Then 14a was obvious from the enumeration LOST IN MUSIC. Ditto the symetrically-placed 21a WE ARE FAMILY, title track of their…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_Family_(album)
‘… third studio album … 1979 … written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic’ includes a further two hit singles: “He’s the Greatest Dancer” and “Thinking of You” – making it the band’s most commercially successful album. They’re all “slamming hit”s.
Then the clue for 29a translates to LOST IN MUSIC “or” WE ARE FAMILY “vis-a-vis” SISTER SLEDGE -> THEME SONG
So, for once, I’m sure I’ve spotted the theme. WE ARE FAMILY is particularly appropriate for the band because they’re SISTERs named SLEDGE…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Sledge
Debra Edwina “Debbie” (born 1954), Joan Elise “Joni” (1956–2017), Kim (born 1957), and Kathy (born 1959)
There are other ‘touring members’ named SLEDGE – Carol, Julie, Camille, Lola – but not a MEG among them. Shame.
I enjoyed this but didn’t finish. Monday’s always hectic cruciverbally. Having done the cryptics in the Sydney Morning Herald, then two in the Guardian, my concentration was beginning to wane. Next Monday I’ll start with the FT.
A 2d themed crossword with some lovely ear worms
Many thanks to Neo and Teacow
Their biggest UK hit – four weeks at number one here (but a flop in the US) was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_(Sister_Sledge_song)
“Frankie” … 1985 … written about Frank Sinatra … produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers … The sisters suggested the song to him, but he hated it on first hearing. A week later, he went back to them saying he could not stop singing it and so he insisted that the band recorded it.’
[Other Frankies available: Singers: Avalon, Laine, Valli, Vaughan; Actors: Faison, Muniz; Comedians: Boyle, Howerd; Athlete: Fredericks; Lieutenant: Columbo]
Thanks N&T
Thanks for the blog and the extras from Diane and Frankie, good set of clues and clever use of the theme.
There is a memorable version of We Are Family in Phoenix Nights.
Roz reminds me of Peter Kay’s “Just let me staple the vicar”. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google it. Very funny.
Yes, crypticsue@7 – 2d SPLENDID – but speaking of EarWorms, here’s what I’ve got stuck in my head…
LYDIA the Tattooed Lady sung by Groucho in the Marx Brothers’ movie At the Circus(1939):
Here it is, complete with subtitles so we can all sing along:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO9xXk5qUtg
Witty Gilbert & Sullivan type rhyming: Amazon pyjamas on. An extra line during WWII: ‘When she stands, the world grows littler. When she sits, she sits on Hitler.’
Hovis@10 – ‘…We’re giving love in a femidom’ 🙂
I agree with crypticsue. Super fun puzzle. Thanks, Neo and Teacow.
I do like a bit of Sister Sledge but of course, the very best version of Lost In Music is the one by The Fall:
https://youtu.be/RTLzOp3uTYw
Roz@9 – Is this it? Phoenix Nights S02E04:
‘Go wild and crazy, give a lovely welcome to Two’s Company!
Put the eyes back in, Granddad. | I’m Candy Floss. | And I’m Barbara Q.
# We are family | # I got my stepsister with me…’
Thanks Neo for an entertaining crossword. WE ARE FAMILY is now stuck in my head but there are far worse earworms. Lots of great clues as usual. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
Great fun and thanks for the Peter Kay memory. I found myself singing the tune to Lost in Music before I had consciously solved it.
Frankie@14 it is that episode , black and white singers, the episode with Quiz Night.
Thank you Neo and Teacow.
Excellent puzzle! Loved the Sister Sledge theme.
Cheers Teacow et al. Crazy busy right now, but many thanks.