We only see Dogberry a couple of times each year (at most) and invariably on a Wednesday. I’m not sure why this is because Wednesday puzzles usually either have a theme or gimmick or they are towards the more difficult end of the FT spectrum. This puzzle meets neither of these criteria though it was still a pleasant solve.
I was not too happy with the loose definition in 4dn but this was offset by the succinct cluing in 3dn, though one of the definitions in the latter will probably only be familiar to persons of a certain age.
Across
1 BUCOLIC B[rought] U[p] COLIC (gut disorder)
5 BOOTLEG BOOTLE (Merseyside town) G[oods] – given Liverpool’s (unwarranted) reputation this could be an &lit.
9 CANON C[omposer] ANON (unattributed)
10 UNIVERSAL *(LAVS URINE) – this clue doesn’t paint a very pleasant picture!
11 LITTERBUG *(BIG TURTLE)
12 TERSE [blun]T ERSE (language)
13 GEN UP PUN (joke) EG (say) reversed
15 BREAKDOWN dd
18 FREEWHEEL FREE (liberated) W (woman) HEEL (unscrupulous man)
19 NITRE *(INERT)
21 EAGLE E (point) ELGA[r] (Unfinished composer) reversed – ‘unfinished’ can be doing double duty here, hence the capitalisation. As well as a curtailment indicator it can also be an adjective describing the composer because, at the time of his death, Elgar‘s Third Symphony (and an opera) were unfinished.
23 LANZAROTE LANZA (tenor) ROTE (repeated process) – Mario Lanza, American tenor.
25 BLACK SPOT B (Belgium) LACKS (is short of) POT (grass)
26 DRAMA DRAM (snifter) A
27 EPERGNE *(PE[a]-GREEN)
28 NARWHAL H (hospital) in LAW (decree) RAN (administered) reversed
Down
1 BACKLOG ACK (AA half-cut) in BLOG (electronic communication) – ack-ack was formerly a military signaller’s name for the letters AA. Good misdirection with ‘half-cut’ leading to one thinking that AA was Alcoholics Anonymous.
2 CONSTANCE dd – Lake Constance
3 LANCE dd – Lance Percival and &lit because Sir Percival was one of the Knights of the Round Table.
4 CLUBBABLE d&cd – a loose definition because one can be sociable without being ‘partial to a drink’.
5 BLING [ram]BLING (incoherent sheep wanting)
6 OVERTAKEN VERT (green) in OAKEN (made of wood)
7 LASER S (south) in REAL (true) reversed
8 GALLEON NOEL (boy) LAG (prisoner) reversed
14 POWDER KEG *(WORKED) in PEG (Maggie)
16 ELLINGTON [w]ELLINGTON (English duke doffing cap) – Duke Ellington, American big band leader
17 OSTEOPATH POETS (writers) reversed in OATH (curse)
18 FREEBIE *(BIERFE[st]) E (Euro)
20 EYEBALL as a Cockney woud pronounce ‘highball’ (cocktail)
22 GLAZE G[ranary) LAZE (loaf)
23 LAPSE LAPS (drinks) [sw]E[et]
24 ALDER [b]ALDER (god going topless) – in Norse mythology, the god of light and peace, noted for his beauty and sweet nature; son of Odin and Frigg and husband of Nanna; killed by Hoth.
Thank you, Gaufrid for the blo [which is a detailed blog :)].
I must say I did like this puzzle.
As you (more or less) say, not tricky, but the various devices were cleverly used (like in 1ac, 5ac, 21ac, 25ac, 1d and so on).
I learned a new word today (BUCOLIC), and needed the blog to understand where 5d’s BLING was coming from.
Indeed, we don’t see Dogberry very often.
Having said that, today’s Guardian crossword is by Andreus who is Dogberry’s mother, and as many people know ‘normally’ the day after Shed (Dogberry’s alter ego) will produce one.
So, some Happy Family Days.
Wasted a bit of time today on 23A. With most of the letters inserted, I attempted to justify tenor as a homophone for singer and couldn’t fathom out where the pore came from 🙁
Thanks Gaufrid.
An enjoyable solve for me,which I found easier than “mum’s” puzzle in the Guardian.
21 across: Elgar was not alone in leaving unfinished works at his death,other notable examples being :- Schubert(7th and 8th Symphonies),Mahler(10th Symphony),Mozart(Requiem),Bruckner(9thSymphony),Tchaikovsky
(3rd Piano Concerto),Puccini(Turandot),Berg(Lulu) and no less than 3 operas by Mussorgsky!
Top clues for me – 23 across,14 down and the brilliant 17 down.Also enjoyed the “Pauline” 10 across.