Cryptic crossword No 3,333

A big thank you to Henri for test solving the puzzle and offering some very useful feedback, I'm incredibly grateful!

Hi Ghoti. This is great. As someone who likes to get an element of theme into grids I am in awe of the pervasiveness of your theme. Really great fun and I loved the varied ways you used your central word

Superb work, this must have been a nightmare to put together, especially given how little it *feels* contrived.

This is great Ghoti, I'd like to say it took me 33 minutes but it was a bit longer than that! I found it quite chewy in places and had to reveal a few I couldn't parse (inc. 5d and 6d knowing no Dutch and although I read the comic with D the M as a kid, it didn't twig)! However, a nice challenge and very enjoyable, impressive too how you incorporated the theme into fun surfaces. Top picks 12a, 19a, 21a, 27a, 1d, 4d 8d, thank you.

Well I got 3d! And echo the 3 cheers for a fantastic puzzle. Great idea, seamlessly crafted and not too clever for its clogs. Hard to pick favourites but 10a was a chuckle, 21a a nice whimsy, 26a stylish, 6d for nostalgia, 16d for offending the homophobes, and 23d for neatness. I think we can thank puzzle 3,332 for saving the place! Thanks Ghoti!

Very interesting exercise - congrats on working the theme so thoroughly through the clues. As Polymath says, it does not feel overly contrived and you have been very creative in your references to the key word. A lot of fun and you have, of course, dissociated yourself from Henri earlier so all the credit is yours! Thanks. PM

Thanks Ghoti, that was as much fun as the Three Stooges! Very impressive theming with my top picks being 12a, 17a, 27a, 6d, and 23d. I failed with 5d and couldn't parse 10a, 4d, and 22d, the latter I should have seen. More in reply.

Brilliant execution, with very clever use of the theme as others said. I'll be putting my solve up on YouTube soon. Thank you!

Very late to the party but just want to add my congratulations on compiling this excellent puzzle. I don't think I've seen anything so entirely thematic. Very good job putting it all together and, as polymath said, it's incredible to avoid anything seeming even the least bit contrived. Well done!