Guardian 26,384 by Paul – Fifteensquared

Great stuff from Paul…

…I was slow in getting into the theme, but was already smiling at 17ac, 26ac and 4dn.

Across
8	JOHN PEEL	3 can strip (4,4) is a DJ. JOHN=can=lavatory, plus PEEL=”strip”
9	CHRIS EVANS	See 25
10	ESPY	Witness of crimes, Pythagoras (4) =”Witness”. Hidden in “crimES PYthagoras”
11	JANICE LONG	Winter weather, possibly lasting for 3 (6,4) is a DJ. JAN[uary] ICE=”Winter weather, possibly”, plus LONG=”lasting”
12,24	FATBOY SLIM	3 — eating nothing, it’s my flab that’s surprising? (6,4) is a DJ. (it’s my flab)*, around O=nothing, and a surface that alludes to his stage name.
14	ILL-FATED	Allied forces primarily failing to catch terrorist leader, cursed (3-5) =”cursed”. (Allied F[orces])*, around T[errorist]
15	MAHATMA	Wise man with two degrees taking in the Kentucky Derby, perhaps? (7) =”Wise man”. MA and MA are “two degrees”, around HAT=”Derby, perhaps” – I think “Kentucky” refers to the fact that “Derby” for a bowler hat is an American term.
17	BASENJI	Dog that’s nosy, just inquisitive, heads after bottom (7) an African dog. N[osy] J[ust] I[nquisitive], after BASE=”bottom”
20	PASTILLE	Though future perhaps healthy, given drug? Lozenge required (8) =”Lozenge”. PAST ILL, “Though future perhaps healthy”, plus E[cstacy]=”drug”.
22	MOTOWN	Backing singer Jones has personal musical style (6) =”musical style”. TOM “Jones” is the singer, reversed (“Backing”), plus OWN=”personal”
23	NORMAN COOK	12 24 across, one preparing a feast fit for a conqueror? (6,4) aka FATBOY SLIM. A NORMAN COOK might have prepared a feast for William the Conqueror
24	FATBOY SLIM	See 12
25,9	CHRIS EVANS	3 carves his initial in nonsensical scrawling (5,5) is a DJ. (carves his n[onsensical])*
26	HYDROGEN	Extremes in heavy drinker, overpowering even, producing gas (8) =”gas”. The “Extremes” or outermost letters of H[eav]Y D[rinke]R O[verpowerin]G E[ve]N
Down
1	BOTSWANA	Nation first to tag bird among feathers round neck (8) =”Nation”. T[ag] plus SWAN=”bird” inside BOA=”feathers around neck”
2	INDY	500 minute laps? Time must come off for motor race (4) =”motor race”. D=”500″ in Roman numerals, with [t]INY=”minute” lapping around it, minus the T[ime]
3	DEEJAY	Bird going after runner, hit player (6) =”hit player”, a player of hits. JAY=”Bird”, after DEE=”runner”=river
4	BLONDIE	Beach welcoming first of lovelies, the ultimate in Prince Harry’s group (7) =Debbie “Harry’s group”. BONDI Beach in Sydney, around L[ovelies], plus [Princ]E
5	MEA CULPA	Paul a crackhead, Paul high — I’ll put my hands up (3,5) =”I’ll put my hands up”. ME=”Paul” the setter, plus A plus C[rack] plus (Paul)*
6	PARLIAMENT	A number of owls climbing post to access the chick feeder? (10) =”A number of owls” – the collective noun for owls. MAIL=”post”, reversed (“climbing”) and inside PARENT=”chick feeder”
7	USANCE	Hopeless cause, with investment of unspecified figure, is normal practice (6) =”normal practice”. (cause)* around N=”unspecified figure”
13	BEAUTY MARK	Mole yet to negotiate with Mubarak (6,4) =”Mole”. (yet Mubarak)*
16	MILANESE	Topless Europeans in the distance, Italian of sorts (8) a sort of Italian. [d]ANES=”Topless Europeans” in MILE=”distance”
18	JO WHILEY	3 as absorbed by happiness (2,6) is a DJ. WHILE=”as”, inside JOY=”happiness”
19	LESOTHO	Country sign bearing direction that avoids the centre (7) =”Country”. LEO=star “sign”, around SO[u]TH
21	AT ONCE	Heavyweight punching wizard right here, right now! (2,4) =”right here, right now” – also the name of a Fatboy Slim song. TON=”Heavy/weight”, around ACE=”wizard”.
22	MIKADO	Write up a novel, then fashion the subject of a comic opera (6) =”subject of a comic opera”. A plus KIM=”novel” by Rudyard Kipling, all reversed (“Write up”), then plus DO=”fashion”
24	SNOG	Kiss record flipped over in the middle (4) =”Kiss”. SONG=”record”, with its middle two letters flipped over i.e. interchanged