October 05 2010

Sisters of Song

imagesCAHDQBIQ Australia is blessed by songbirds of the vocal variety. And as the annual ARIAs loom later this month, we get to celebrate these sisters with a clue contest. Nine singers, all local, and any one artist in need of your deft wordplay.

In alphabetical order, here is the dream ensemble:

SARAH BLASKO
CLARE BOWDITCH
MIA DYSON
DELTA GOODREM
MISSY HIGGINS
ELLA HOOPER
KATIE NOONAN
LISA MITCHELL
HOLLY THROSBY

Twelve winners will be picked – the best for each singer, with a leeway of three extra billings for those clues whose quality is impossible to split.

No call for a definition element, since any clue you do will be for one of these elegant gals. Instead, just to make it clear which Muse of music you’ve selected, just preface your post with the singer’s unique initials. Hence Mia Dyson can be offered this way:

MD: Suffered dismay when working

Or likewise Clare Bowditch can appear like so:

CB: Sag before desert east of Irish county

The stage is set. The doo-wop chorus is in good harmony. All that’s needed is your magical manipulation before the hushed and expectant mosh – with Storm deadline this Thursday twilight.

Comments

Mr X — 05 October at 11:30AM

I'll open up this Lilith Fair of Cryptics with:

MD Grand Final day is going alternative.

AS — 05 October at 11:53AM

MD: Mixed up Madison with Broadway end

Mr X — 05 October at 11:54AM

Number 2:

DG Detective has a shocking tale. Sweet dreams !

xobhcnul — 05 October at 12:07PM

MD: Monday is mayhem!

DA — 05 October at 12:21PM

Whoa team - don't set the bar TOO high, otherwise you'll daunt any newcomers. Those three Mia Dysons are dynamite.

Mr X — 05 October at 01:24PM

SB Alaska's herb - wacky drug for nothing.

Mr X — 05 October at 01:38PM

EH She ran off holding a note and a laugh

Mr X — 05 October at 01:43PM

KN I take about 12 a night

SK — 05 October at 01:46PM

KN- Take in a meal around midday

SK — 05 October at 01:57PM

CB- Confused with cable cord (which could follow the singer definition nicely for surface sense...)

ps. I hadn't seen Mr X's KN when I posted mine....honest!

DA — 05 October at 02:00PM

Don't sweat it, SK. These Storms will often toss together nuanced variations - nobody owns a copyright. And often a subsequent draft, even if it's accidental [!], can shade the original thought. That's how my own finessing works anyhow.

SK — 05 October at 02:07PM

LM- Lamest Chilli Peppers

Mr X — 05 October at 02:14PM

MH Spooner's tantrum from a fictional purveyor of pies and coffee.

SK — 05 October at 02:15PM

KN- Who sang in Vienna? No-one?! I take it back.

Mr X — 05 October at 02:18PM

CB Clear tangled knot and cast off.

Mr X — 05 October at 02:31PM

This one may need either a definition or ellipsis to aid the surface reading:

HT Student in blessed shortfall by ... (singer/songwriter)

SJK — 05 October at 02:54PM

A bit of a long clue - and I have kind of provided a definition to help with surface sense, but let me know what you think.

MD: A beautiful singer, the maid collaborates messily with Sony.

SJK — 05 October at 03:45PM

SB: Brash koalas go bananas.

Also, I don't know if we are allowed to vote, but I particularly like SK's clue for KN.

SK — 05 October at 03:57PM

Thanks SJK. (...and we are not related, as far as I am aware)

DA — 05 October at 04:04PM

Yes, it's a ripper clue. And any compliment on the run is noted, and I'm sure appreciated.

Lamest Chilli Peppers is tough to resist as well, as is Mr X's nautical motif for Clare B. Keep up this quality and I'll be jobless.

Mr X — 05 October at 04:19PM

LM Sail away. I have an itch for a couple of lines.

PRS — 05 October at 06:40PM

LN: Mixed malt chillies

PRS — 05 October at 06:46PM

MH: Upset my sighing sis

PRS — 05 October at 06:51PM

DG: Confused? Add merge tool

PRS — 05 October at 06:56PM

CB: Nasty witch led cobra

SK — 05 October at 08:47PM

EH- Wave hello, opera singer

(Sorry, but had to include the def so the clue made sense)

I know this is outside the flags, but I couldn't help but think of a clue for a diva from an earlier time-

Chrissie Amphlett- Santa's flyer heads off, we hear

SK — 05 October at 09:07PM

MH- Girl starts yodeling, however I generally sing poorly

SK — 05 October at 09:23PM

HT- Sounds like buddy was short-changed by...

SK — 05 October at 10:07PM

MD- Namesake was around the time of Christ?

DG- Dared Mel to go mental

DG- Loaded germ to explode

SB- Violently abhors laksa

PRS — 05 October at 11:37PM

MD: Email and eyes porn alternately

PRS — 05 October at 11:59PM

MD: Milady's working without a logical beginning

Mauve — 05 October at 11:59PM

With a little help from "The New Cryptic Alphabet"....

DG: Great Doodle interfered with the opening of Moomba

MH: Sadly sighing, Miss Pussyfoot goes inside

PRS — 06 October at 12:03AM

MD: Lost vets passed over, we hear

PRS — 06 October at 12:35AM

Oops, a but of a tense problem, better as:

MD: Lost vet passes over, we hear

and is MD: Lost vets passover, we hear too much of a stretch

DA — 06 October at 07:11AM

Surface sense is king, PRS. And perhaps those lost vets of yours do amount to an overstretch. However, where a sleek clue can't be rendered, then a comic image can always ease the shortfall.

For example, Paul went for broke when clueing PIRANHA:

Underwater stripper managed to break a joint while cartwheeling

DA — 06 October at 07:12AM

I wonder why we're appearing in italics now? Must be the stress.

SK — 06 October at 07:18AM

A few tributes to Ella Hooper-

"Abandon hope all who enter!" He went out.

Wallaby legend who operates on the inside

(Whole clue)- Involved in girl's murder, she had a record and a dodgy parole hole

DA — 06 October at 07:27AM

By the way SK, your ineligible Chrissie Amphlett is hyper-elegant. A great clue.

My tough tribute to Holly, her definition included: Jam shortly (or shortly jam) near ethereal singer

Mauve — 06 October at 08:09AM

HT: Bing lost his head after Ivy’s partner took his crowns

MD: Half of Sydney is back working on half a Koori home

SK — 06 October at 08:39AM

Amend my earlier HT clue to drop the "sounds like" (just realised Buddy Holly dropped the "e" in his surname for stage). So-

Buddy was short-changed by...

JD — 06 October at 11:01AM

HT: Ilex pulsates,switch finals, funny ending.

Mauve — 06 October at 11:02AM

EH: The Spanish and the French circle Queen Elizabeth

CB: Worry about second-placed blue ribbon reject

JD — 06 October at 11:23AM

LM: Miss Simpson Johnson?

Mr X — 06 October at 01:22PM

After a slight revision to my LM clue:

"Sail Away" - I have an itch for a couple of lines.

and suddenly I have "Orinoca Flow" by Enya stuck in my head

Mauve — 06 October at 05:51PM

KN: Mark finally ate an onion (by mistake!)

LM: Hire a B-25 soundalike

JS — 06 October at 09:44PM

DG: God dealt more style to her

philth — 06 October at 10:44PM

looks like i'm a little late to the party...

KN: In time to see Meerkat, i.e. noon anyone?
DG: Voice gave her nice dreams
EH: The Spanish, French...o...um...
LM: Air bag inflated while brakes being put on the inferno.

PRS — 06 October at 11:15PM

EH: Took New York railway to Los Angeles, round Queens, almost

JS — 06 October at 11:31PM

MD: Back track the sucker!

Mauve — 07 October at 02:05AM

and finally...

SB: Brash koalas love dancing

Great fun, DA

Mauve — 07 October at 02:25AM

whoops, cancel my last clue - one too many Os

please replace with...

SB: Enquire into odd ballot on Ms Palin

DA — 07 October at 07:01AM

As a side-note, if you dropped by the Wheeler last night for the cryptic hoedown, thankyou, and hope you enjoyed it. I did meet xobhcnul and re-meet the lovely JD, and presume that others of you may have been in the mosh. It was quite the horde - great to see so many souls dijon-keen for a clue.

(Off quizzing all day today, so have fun with the Sisters if the spirit moves, and will post a fresh post manana for your delectation. Wilco + momentarily out.)

JD — 07 October at 08:07AM

It was quite a turnout indeed. I wonder how many other crossword compilers could fill a room. I also had the pleasure of meeting AS. It was worth the battle with the elements and the public transport system.

JD — 07 October at 09:25AM

MD - I appear to be nosy,DA,I'm just a bit contrary.

AS — 07 October at 10:07AM

A pleasure to meet you too, JD. Faces, names, voices and initials are a great thing to combine.

And now for a clue:

EH: In Spain, The The sing Who chart-topper portion

And philth, your EH was brilliant.

JD — 07 October at 10:49AM

EH: Integral to the cellar, the barrel-maker.

JD — 07 October at 11:21AM

DG: Triangular product of orange crush creators.

DA — 07 October at 08:25PM

Lower the curtains - the all-girl chorale is complete with some virtousa clues - well done, and great crafting. Will determine the ten-strong ensemble to make an elite encore on the weekend.

A little quazzled (frazzled from quizzing) right this minute. But will post a new 'word rusk' to chew in the AM. Thanks for a fine Storm.

Mauve — 08 October at 11:39AM

I know it's closed but I have to honor an improvement I just thought of...

KN: Mark finally ate an onion pie