Cryptic crossword No 376

Found this tough to solve while clutching pearls in one hand and smelling-salts in the other. Just kidding. The long ones helped at the start and I understood all except 25a, which I needed your annotation to explain. I'm guessing you've set puzzles before because most of it seemed sound to me, and you're probably female (according to 8d), which might deflect some criticism! 13a, 21a, 3d, and particularly 10a, were my faves. Some SPOILERS in my reply below...

Well, Bottom, my inner schoolboy certainly reacted to the photo, the Special Instructions and the initial glance at the surfaces. I shall probably lose what friends I might have here by confessing I laughed myself silly as I did this. And the clueing is excellent throughout. One or two anagrams were fairly well signalled and a couple of clues raised an eyebrow (well they all raised BOTH eyebrows but you know what I mean). i didn't know it was possible to rise to the bottom (!) but you have!

Thanks Bottom - I’m not sure this would make it into the Times (or even the Grauniad) but I enjoyed it! I was particularly tickled by 10A, 20A (having persuaded myself that the indicator works), 21A and 18D. I also think 25A is brilliant but needed your annotations to fully appreciate it. I’ve been wrestling with a clue in my next puzzle, changing it in case it was deemed to cross a poor taste line. That may now be reinstated!

Thanks bottom- very much enjoyed this rather naughty grid. Favourites were 8d, 5d and 10a. Very nice flow and the longer ones led to the tricky ones becoming manageable! Still needed one or two reveals to finish the grid! Oddly 1d appeared in my latest attempt at setting a grid- in a clue, not an answer though!

Wow, that was a wonderful puzzle - absolutely hilarious clueing, bravo! I particularly loved the surfaces of 9a, 11a, 12a, 13a, 20a, 2d, 4d, 15d, and 18d had me cracking up! As for wordplay, I particularly liked 10a, 12a, 20a (quite creative I thought), 8d (a lovely use of your name :) ), and 25a was awesome!

That was good fun. Not entirely convinced by 9a or 12a, or by the definition in 15d, and needed the explanation to understand 25a (which is clever). But particularly enjoyed 1a, 10a, 16a, 21a, 1d, 2d, 6d, 8d, 18d, 22d and the general snigger worthiness. Thanks for brightening the weekend

Thank you all for solving and commenting. I was a little worried that I'd been too foul in my clues, but clearly there's an appreciative audience. Once again thank you all. I've addressed some of the points raised in my reply.

Good effort Bottom - but don't send one like this to Big Dave! I recall getting enough stick with my "May need to change sheets after this lunatic watered them at the end (3,5)". In my case, the lewdness was in the solution rather than the clue. I couldn't parse 25a; 24a was a new word to me; and for 14a I tried 2 or 3 other second words before the crossers gave me the correct one. I knew 12a though some might not have heard of it. In 20a I think you need another indicator. Otherwise, fine!

Nice work, Bottom. Many appreciative schoolboy sniggers, especially for 13a, 16a, 23a, 18d

Absolutely disgraceful. I'm horrified. Please send more.