Monthly Club Special 20,232: Strip Jack Naked
Those who don't like these puzzles could do worse than to point at the run of down answers from, say, 10dn to 16dn: UREDINIOSPORE, ANOBIIDAE, DAIDZEIN? Give us a break! Random bits of science jargon and words from Oceanian languages are not my all-time favourites it must be said, but the cluing here makes it all worthwhile. Let me point at 1dn, 2dn and 21dn as fine specimens, and if you are a connoisseur of the saucy surface, then 1ac and 23dn may qualify. Strip Poker is a well-known game but I wonder if anyone has ever tried Strip Solving? If they wanted to make the 50th Times Crossword Championships live forever in infamy, it's certainly an idea...
Thanks to the setter for another entertaining one!
ACROSS
1 Are pants down? Cringes (5,2)
SUCKS UP - SUCK [are pants] + SUP [down]
5 Primate’s entreaty to stare (3-3)
DOG-APE - or else an injunction: "DO GAPE..."
8 Once needing fare suspended before opening promotion (9)
AHUNGERED - HUNG ERE [suspended | before] "opening" AD
9 Frowned on finding a meal ticket enclosed in letter (3,2)
MAL VU - A L.V. [luncheon voucher] "enclosed in" MU
11 Henry runs to leave bouquet and ritual drink (5)
HAOMA - H + A{r}OMA
12 One maybe inclined to carp over pics I distributed (9)
PISCIVORE - (OVER PICS I*)
13 Juicy extract from a book on bachelor boy is gripping (8)
LABDANUM - A NUM. [book (of the Bible)] on B "gripped by" LAD
15 Calculus authority is getting on with integration finally in paper (6)
AGNESI - AGES, with {integratio}N in, + I [paper]
17 Persist with gas ring setting (6)
CHATON - or CHAT ON [persist with (as in continue to) gas]
19 Scotland’s own rock band with fine welcome in Hamilton, say (8)
HAEREMAI - HAE [Scottish word for "own" (as in "have")] + R.E.M. + A1
22 Old red mouse, tail lopped by daughter, turned white! (9)
CHEMICKED - CHE [old red (as in Communist)] + MICKE{y} [mouse, "tail lopped"] by D
23 Asian cigarettes from another time originally in double packs (5)
BIDIS - BIS [another time], "packed" by I{n} D{ouble}
24 Having been climbed all over and nagged, casting off chain (5)
IVIED - {ch}IVIED, though what kind of monster wouldn't spell it "chivvied"?
25 Recent arrival from New York having fled Caucasus state jail briefly (9)
CHECHAQUO - CHECH{ny}A + QUO{d}
26 Keen for network of leaks, perhaps, to be turned over (6)
BEWEEP - reversed PEE WEB. Which is nice!
27 Public place to browse retro artefact enhancing exhibits (7)
NETCAFE - hidden reversed in {art}EFACT EN{hancing}
DOWN
1 Copy’s Catholic, not Orthodox, giving causes for complaint (13)
STAPHYLOCOCCI - (COPY'S CATHOLIC*). Credit where it's due, that's a very nice anagrist/anagrind combo.
2 Physicist might fail without dubnium (7)
COULOMB - COUL{d b}OMB
3 Stingily, periodically withheld a set of symbols (5)
SIGLA - S{t}I{n}G{i}L{y} + A
4 Hazards that have turned up separately in world tour (8)
PERIPLUS - PERILS that have reversed UP, non-consecutively, in
5 Smart tips for unexpected upset leading to knockout (6)
DUDISH - Reversed U{nexpecte}D, + DISH [knockout]
6 Drug, eg, I’m taking finally after troubling Victoria’s old dentist (3-6)
GUM-DIGGER - (DRUG EG I'M {takin}G*)
7 Sport for Italy in China being without allies? (7)
PALLONE - PAL [china] + LONE [being without allies]
10 Transmitter of disease in flowers, ten planted in rows opening beyond river (13)
UREDINIOSPORE - 10 "planted" in DINS PORE [rows | opening], beyond URE [rive]
14 In one abode, a frightfully boring family (9)
ANOBIIDAE - (IN I ABODE A*)
16 Health supplement from day one kept in wood dresser at home (8)
DAIDZEIN - D + I in ADZE [wood dresser] + IN
18 Mixed material from answer, something dropped quietly in general (7)
ALEPINE - A + PIN [something dropped quietly] in LEE [general (Robert E.)]
20 African runner furious as required to take in oxygen (7)
MADOQUA - MAD QUA [furious | as required], taking in O
21 One lifting cases in Pensacola, Cody and Kansas? (6)
SKYCAP - reversed P{ensacol}A C{od}Y K{ansa}S, and a very clever semi-&lit, a skycap being an American airport porter
23 Item of underwear, right away, shed, revealing chest (5)
BAHUT - B{r}A + HUT
Thanks to the setter for another entertaining one!
ACROSS
1 Are pants down? Cringes (5,2)
SUCKS UP - SUCK [are pants] + SUP [down]
5 Primate’s entreaty to stare (3-3)
DOG-APE - or else an injunction: "DO GAPE..."
8 Once needing fare suspended before opening promotion (9)
AHUNGERED - HUNG ERE [suspended | before] "opening" AD
9 Frowned on finding a meal ticket enclosed in letter (3,2)
MAL VU - A L.V. [luncheon voucher] "enclosed in" MU
11 Henry runs to leave bouquet and ritual drink (5)
HAOMA - H + A{r}OMA
12 One maybe inclined to carp over pics I distributed (9)
PISCIVORE - (OVER PICS I*)
13 Juicy extract from a book on bachelor boy is gripping (8)
LABDANUM - A NUM. [book (of the Bible)] on B "gripped by" LAD
15 Calculus authority is getting on with integration finally in paper (6)
AGNESI - AGES, with {integratio}N in, + I [paper]
17 Persist with gas ring setting (6)
CHATON - or CHAT ON [persist with (as in continue to) gas]
19 Scotland’s own rock band with fine welcome in Hamilton, say (8)
HAEREMAI - HAE [Scottish word for "own" (as in "have")] + R.E.M. + A1
22 Old red mouse, tail lopped by daughter, turned white! (9)
CHEMICKED - CHE [old red (as in Communist)] + MICKE{y} [mouse, "tail lopped"] by D
23 Asian cigarettes from another time originally in double packs (5)
BIDIS - BIS [another time], "packed" by I{n} D{ouble}
24 Having been climbed all over and nagged, casting off chain (5)
IVIED - {ch}IVIED, though what kind of monster wouldn't spell it "chivvied"?
25 Recent arrival from New York having fled Caucasus state jail briefly (9)
CHECHAQUO - CHECH{ny}A + QUO{d}
26 Keen for network of leaks, perhaps, to be turned over (6)
BEWEEP - reversed PEE WEB. Which is nice!
27 Public place to browse retro artefact enhancing exhibits (7)
NETCAFE - hidden reversed in {art}EFACT EN{hancing}
DOWN
1 Copy’s Catholic, not Orthodox, giving causes for complaint (13)
STAPHYLOCOCCI - (COPY'S CATHOLIC*). Credit where it's due, that's a very nice anagrist/anagrind combo.
2 Physicist might fail without dubnium (7)
COULOMB - COUL{d b}OMB
3 Stingily, periodically withheld a set of symbols (5)
SIGLA - S{t}I{n}G{i}L{y} + A
4 Hazards that have turned up separately in world tour (8)
PERIPLUS - PERILS that have reversed UP, non-consecutively, in
5 Smart tips for unexpected upset leading to knockout (6)
DUDISH - Reversed U{nexpecte}D, + DISH [knockout]
6 Drug, eg, I’m taking finally after troubling Victoria’s old dentist (3-6)
GUM-DIGGER - (DRUG EG I'M {takin}G*)
7 Sport for Italy in China being without allies? (7)
PALLONE - PAL [china] + LONE [being without allies]
10 Transmitter of disease in flowers, ten planted in rows opening beyond river (13)
UREDINIOSPORE - 10 "planted" in DINS PORE [rows | opening], beyond URE [rive]
14 In one abode, a frightfully boring family (9)
ANOBIIDAE - (IN I ABODE A*)
16 Health supplement from day one kept in wood dresser at home (8)
DAIDZEIN - D + I in ADZE [wood dresser] + IN
18 Mixed material from answer, something dropped quietly in general (7)
ALEPINE - A + PIN [something dropped quietly] in LEE [general (Robert E.)]
20 African runner furious as required to take in oxygen (7)
MADOQUA - MAD QUA [furious | as required], taking in O
21 One lifting cases in Pensacola, Cody and Kansas? (6)
SKYCAP - reversed P{ensacol}A C{od}Y K{ansa}S, and a very clever semi-&lit, a skycap being an American airport porter
23 Item of underwear, right away, shed, revealing chest (5)
BAHUT - B{r}A + HUT