Cyclops 467: Copious or lavish trousers

First, further apologies — I promised to post this, already late, yesterday, but didn’t get home to my office (where this almost finished blog was waiting for me) until late.

This was a pretty straightforward Cyclops, apart from — for me — 5d, which took my a long time to spot.

Across
7	BUMPTIOUS	Cocky politician gets in nevertheless — debts follow MP = politician; in BUT = nevertheless; IOUS = debts. Definition: cocky
8/3	BLACKLIST	Boycott is balls — tick off *(balls tick)
10	AMULET	Slipper involved in one time fetish? MULE = slipper; AM = one time (morning). Definition: fetish
11	PROTRUDE	Stick out belly embracing Rex Short POT = belly; ‘embracing’ R = Rex; RUDE = Short
12	BRUTUS	Backstabber Bush’s opening routine against his nation B = Bush’s opening; RUT = routine; US = his nation. A reference to the assassination of Julius Caesar
14	SOFT SOAP	Erection lost on TV series? Here’s flannel SOFT = Erection lost; SOAP = TV series
15	EUROPEAN UNION	Given Cameron’s stand-off attitude to it, not much in evidence of late? Cameron has a stand-off attitude to the EU; and there hasn’t recently been much evidence of union, in the sense of unity, within Europe
17	THE CURSE	There’s kinky: hugging copper’s bloody cycle *(there’s); ‘hugging’ CU = copper. Definition: bloody cycle, referring to menstruation
19	DREARY	Rather sad, arse-grabbing Nixon, say, is completely gutted DY = D[ick]y (President Richard Nixon was known as Tricky Dicky) with its contents removed; REAR = arse. Definition: rather sad
21	ABETTING	Backing a git — bent bastard *(a git bent), with ‘bastard’ as the anagram indicator
23	CELEBS	The well known cold Lee’s crushed and emptied balls C = cold; *(Lee); B[all]S. Definition: the well known
24	STUFF	Roger’s pad Double definition — to have sex with; to stuff, cover, or fill out with anything soft (fnaar, fnaar!)
25	LAUGHS OFF	Revolting, foul shag female makes light of *(foul shag F), with ‘revolting’ as the anagram indicator

Down
1	BUMMER	Beg before the main French pain in the arse BUM = beg; MER = the main (sea), in French
2	EPILATOR	One who pulls out (shock) of April — toe curling *(April toe). Someone who pulls out hair, which can be described as a ‘shock of hair’
4	BURP	Wind up RBS (pointless, in a mess)! (4) *(up RB). ‘Pointless’ means the S (south, a compass point) is removed; ‘in a mess‘ is the anagram indicator. Definition: wind
5	FLARES	Copes, suppressing the last of Merkel’s fulsome pants FARES = copes; L = last of Merkel. Definition: fulsome pants, of which here’s a particularly awful example. This one held me up for ages — I just couldn’t think of a word that made sense.
6	ACID RAIN	It makes for a bad atmosphere getting tart to do a Brenda out loud TART = acid; RAIN sounds like ‘reign’, which is what Brenda (the Queen) does
9	CONFOUND	Nick’s “guest” set up Fox CON = Nick’s “guest” (prisoner); FOUND = set up. Definition: fox
13	SUPERFIT	Copper’s having tantrum is more than healthy SUPER = (police) Superintendent; FIT = tantrum
14/22	SCAPEGOAT	Leader of Pakistan, beset by caste unrest, protecting Indian state’s victim P = leader of Pakistan; GOA = Indian state; in *(caste). Definition: victim
15	EXHIBIT A	Divorced party with Hello! piece, a major item of evidence in court EX = divorced party; HI = Hello! BIT = piece; A
16	IDEALISM	Quality found in few politicians now cultivating dailies (Murdoch chiefly)? *(dailies M), with ‘cultivating’ as the anagram indicator
18	CUT OFF	Isolated Blair, half gone, seen in clip TO[ny] (Blair; in CUFF = clip (to strike with the open hand)
20	REBUFF	Decline when Brenda backed Brown RE = ER (the Queen), reversed; BUFF = brown
23	CAGE	Pound Clegg’s head to get on C = Clegg’s head; AGE = get on. Definition: pound, in the sense of ‘enclosure’

In lieu of a joke, another image — a wonderful photo taken by Steve Mulligan and posted to Facebook:

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