The title refers to a French rococo painter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Honor%C3%A9_Fragonard) whose name I eventually guessed once I had all the letters. But I did find this one pretty tough, and I don’t think it was just my hangover. Some good clues though.
ACROSS:
1. WITH STAND. One of the last to fall into place.
9. SUNSET BOULEVARD (ASSURED NOVEL BUT*). One of a pair of long titles, suggesting a novel theme – but in this case novel is part of the anagram fodder. Wilder (lower-case) is the anagram indicator, but Billy Wilder also wrote and directed the film. Not sure if it’s +lit – was there a novel first?
10. RAYS. Hom. ‘raise’. Economical clue. ‘Light’ a slightly inexact definition, perhaps?
11. ALL RIGHT. As in none on the left.
15. THE F T. Quite complicated, but I think the F and T are the first and last of ‘first’ and ‘last’ respectively.
18. FRAGONARD. (FOR A GRAND*). Again, an anagrind (rococo) that contributes to the definition.
21. S TUN (NUT<). The union being appropriate to the clue.
25. LORD PETER WIMSEY (PEER, MOSTLY WEIRD*). This time it is a novel, but with ‘novel’ doubling as anagrind it can be considered +lit – though he’d more usually be called ‘eccentric’ than weird. Very neat.
26. SLA(N)G.
27. DUB LINERS. Nice word division.
DOWN:
1. (which)WESER(ve). I find this a bit problematic, partly because it’s not properly hidden, and partly because I don’t think it’s well-known enough to be clued just as ‘river’ – I’m not sure I’d know it had I not been on a school trip to Bremerhaven aged 14.
2. TIN TYPE. A new word for me, but fairly clear from the wordplay.
3. SLEW. Double meaning.
6. EXEC RATION.
7. S(ho)P ANGLE.
12. CLOT(HE)S P EG. Like the definition – ‘online device’.
13. C ON FR(ON)TED. Good construction – I was trying to make a word out of ‘ON’ in ‘POPE PA TED’.
17. A(US T)RIA.
19. A.R. ‘TIS T.E. Ref the book ‘Tis, by Frank McCourt.
24. G.I., G.I. A ‘grunt’ is an ordinary soldier.
I originally had “Plate” for 1 down, which I think is a much better answer.
15a does seem very tortured.
20a – was this PUSHED ON or PASSED ON and how doers dumbbell give either USH or ASS. Is a dumbbell a disagreable person as well as a weight?
I put ‘passed on’ on the basis that (I think) dumbbell can mean idiot – as can ass.
Chambers gives dumbbell meaning fool as an Americanism