Private Eye/Cyclops 361 – 3 Queens

Across
1	OFFBEAT OFF-BEAT I liked “copper back in the station”
5	ODD FISH Perch is a FISH, and 3 is an ODD number, and John Redwood is …
10	BLOOD MONEY M-ONE (chief of Manchester United) inside BLOODY (bleeding)
11	NAVY V[ery] inside NAY – I think. Originally I was thinking vaguely of an old warmonger who gained a reputation for use of the cat, but there was no Admiral Nay that I can find – I must’ve been conflating Marshal Ney. So how does this work? Full clue: Sailors strapping chap, very taken (4) Dan points out that the “strapping chap” is a NAVVY and the V[ery] has been taken away.
12	EMINENCE EMINE[m] N[elly] C (hundred) E(uros)
13	REEFER REEF (spit) ER (Brenda)
14	BOSS DD
16	CRUMPET RUMP inside (ETC)*
18	ISTHMUS (SHIT)* (SUM)<
21	ROWS Homophone “Woes” when Jonathan Ross says it
23	WALLOP WA (Washington state abbr.) (POLL)< Here we go again equating decent ale with piss. The many pints of wallop I’ve had have been brilliant!
24	THE QUEEN T[ickle] HE (male) QUEEN (homosexual) HRH getting a name-check that isn’t Brenda for a change
26	SHOE O (ball) inside SHE (female) I’m not sure if the final question mark is necessary.
27	CHECK DIGIT Couple of good offbeat definitions. Full clue: Examine member – it might get stuck into a PC (5,5)
28	SMUGGLE MUG (dick) inside (LEGS)*
29	CRUNCHY C (about) R[a]UNCHY

Down
2	FULL MOON DD
4	ALMANAC AL (Gore) M[onica] AN (one) AC (Bill)
6	DAY TRIP (Robin) DAY TRIP (error)
7	FAN LETTER A[ct] N[ervously] L[egs] inside FETTER This was a close second for the favourite clue: Starts to act nervously, legs in shackle, enveloped by admirer? (3,6)
8	SOVIET VIE (compete) inside SOT (drunk). This was the last I put in. I was misled by “drunk” to try anagrams of “old Russian” etc. but it’s a solid answer once you know it. As a result I’ll give it the favourite clue award. Full clue: Compete – but hemmed in by drunk old Russian (6)
9/3	KNEES UP MOTHER BROWN KNEES UP (party) MOTHER (mum) BROWN (PM) On first sight of this crossword I went straight to this long answer and it was apparent immediately. The “mum” = “mother” part was a complete give-away for me.
15	SPIELBERG SPIEL (pitch) (B[UG]GER)* UG = “what caveman said”. I wonder if Spielberg will ever do a caveman pic? It’d be much better than the latest offering, 10,000 B.C., whose release was timed to coincide with this clue. The clue is far better than the movie.
17	SWEETISH S[ulphur] WEE (SHIT)* Two anagrams of shit in one crossy and neither making “this” – that’s OK by me
19	TOPICAL TOP (bust) [mon]ICA [bil]L Yet another ref. to Clinton+Lewinsky – I think this one’s getting long in the tooth now
20	SPEAKER S (second) PEAK (climax) ER (Brenda)
22	MAYHEM (Dr Brian) MAY HEM (“bit of skirt”) Ref. the well-known astrophysicist, OBE and Chancellor of Liverpool Uni. who plays a bit of guitar as well
25	UNION CD

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