Cryptic crossword No 1,687

Thanks PostMark this was fun to solve even though I needed a couple of reveals to get over the line. Nicely done with the theme and very impressive to cover all across answers. Particular favourites were 22a (nice misdirection with all those potential anagrinds), 32a, 1d (!), 7d and 22d.

Excellent PM. V clever inclusion of so many themed words and some lovely clues and surfaces, esp 9a, 31a, 32a, 2d, 6d (professor held me up, but nice!), 7d, 19d. Have said that and judging by your own recent v high standards - and being very pedantic - there were a handful of surfaces that left me a little perplexed. Spoilers...

Thanks PostMark for a cleverly themed crossword. I did reveal a few at the end (29a, 19d) but generally this was slow & steady for me. I liked 1d for the surface, 2d, 5d, 21d, and 16a. (I like words that are 'unusual' that I can learn through clear wordplay much like Pasquale, Tees, and Monk often provide us.)

Great stuff, PM. Really impressive working of the theme and a good set of clues to boot. Bottom half held me up longest but in the end I only had to reveal 17d. Favourites: 1a, 24a, 31a, 2d, 7d (COTD), 18d, 22d and 25d. Spoilers …

Really lovely stuff PM, a satisfying construction making for a fun solve. It's always nice when spotting the trick helps with the solve as happened with a few of the across clues here, and plenty of ticks and smiles throughout, particularly for 4a (smooth), 9a (fun), 15a (neat), 22a (nice), 32a (nice), 1d (lol), 2d (smooth), 7d (nice), 21d (nice trick), 25d (fun surface) and 28d (very neat)...

I enjoyed this, thank you. I didn't mind the obscurities at all, and indeed 19D was perfectly familiar, being an Orcadian. The theme is one of my favourites and very nicely done here.

Thanks PM. This took me quite a while with some of the subtle and complex wordplay used. Needed a few reveals to make progress. Great accomplishment on embedding the theme so thoroughly. I particularly appreciated 10a, 12a, 15a, 5d, 25d, 26d among others.

Thanks PM, top stuff. The two "unusual" entries both somehow familiar, personally I found 1a (well, a familiar word but I don't really know what it means!) & 21d more unusual ... but all nicely clued. Faves include 9a, 15a, 27a, 30a, 5d, 7d, 11d & 25d. Thanks again!

As so many other commenters have mentioned that there’s a th*me I’m not giving too much away to say that not only did I see it but it helped me finish the puzzle! The ‘obscurities’ were fairly clued so I don’t think the apology was needed. Particularly impressed with the short 3d 😁 including 11d, 14d, 17d, 22d and 28d - not easy to make short clues interesting but these were all great. Thanks 👍

Very good, again, PM… enjoyed this v much especially 16a. 31a was prob my fave for a nice PDM, and restricting myself to a genuine podium I will add 6d and 7d. Thanks, as ever