Times 26,483: Bang! Shake-Shake-Shake The Slang

It might be that I’d recently finished blogging an inevitably more evocative TLS puzzle – just scroll down a bit if you want to check that out – but I found this a little bland for a Friday. A nice economy about the cluing for sure, but with only one literary reference (1dn, also with a pleasing surface, if a slightly optimistic one on the setter’s part) and one remotely obscure item of vocab (14dn, and I don’t think it’s even that obscure if you do a lot of crosswords), I finished the whole thing with plenty of change from 10 minutes and a vague sense of dissatisfaction. It has been repeatedly stressed to us that there is no reason to expect anything different from the Friday Times than any other day, but I don’t know, it still feels wrong for it to be such a quickie.

As I say I did like 1dn and surely everyone likes a good &lit as at 20dn, but either my blogging powers are failing me or there’s not a lot to say about many of these clues! I did enjoy myself so thanks to the setter, but I just might go off and do another TLS now I think…

Across

1 Page studied on historical period showing development of corporation (6-3,6)
MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD – P READ [page | studied] on MIDDLE AGES [historical period]

9 New star in computing or creator of latest technology (9)
INNOVATOR – N NOVA [new | star] in I.T. OR [computing | or]

10 Vessel harboured in Murmansk if foggy (5)
SKIFF – “harboured” in {murman}SK IF F{oggy}

11 To send almost empty supplies is negligent (6)
REMISS – REMI{t} [to send “almost”] + S{upplie}S [“empty” supplies]

12 Assailant mauled after releasing second dog (8)
ALSATIAN – (AS{s}AILANT*)

13 Additionally unpleasant smell’s penetrating honk (2,4)
TO BOOT – B.O. penetrating TOOT

15 I allow clothes back on in the dark (8)
IGNORANT – I GRANT “clothes” the reverse of ON

18 Carrying piece of hose (8)
STOCKING – double definition

19 Highlight hair on sister’s head (6)
STRESS – TRESS on S{ister}

21 Unreliable leader in cushy job given sideways move (8)
INSECURE – a cushy job is a SINECURE; move its first letter two places to the right

23 Minor damage by area left of teeth (6)
DENTAL – DENT [minor damage] by A L [area | left]

26 One has raced around after daughter — it may lead to exhaustion! (5)
DRAIN – I has RAN around, after D

27 Smuggler demanding an arm and a leg? (9)
GUNRUNNER – a GUN is an arm, and a LEG is a runner, more or less

28 A dash, say, to go in Geordie version of a drop scone (3-3-5,4)
EGG-AND-SPOON RACE – E.G. GAN [say | to go “in Geordie”] + (A DROP SCONE*)

Down

1 Great, I’m perplexing brilliant solver (7)
MAIGRET – (GREAT I’M*)

2 Material that’s dug up (5)
DENIM – reverse of MINED

3 I have way to break security device for farm animals (9)
LIVESTOCK – I’VE ST to break LOCK

4 Article upset Italian opponent (4)
ANTI – AN + reverse of IT

5 Mufflers are incredibly soft on appropriate parts of the body (8)
EARPLUGS – (ARE*) + P on LUGS

6 Glue running short? Attach a staple (5)
PASTA – PAST{e}, attach to which A

7 Abolish European restriction confining sodium intake at last (9)
ELIMINATE – E LIMIT [European | restriction] confining NA [sodium] + {intak}E

8 Not working is enjoyable in period around Christmas time (7)
DEFUNCT – FUN in DEC [period around Christmas] + T [time]

14 Snake prospers with tongue half out (9)
BOOMSLANG – BOOMS [prospers] + LANG{uage}

16 Going off like a Catherine wheel? (2,3,4)
ON THE TURN – if there’s one thing that Catherine wheels do, it’s turn

17 One never reacting to foul ingrates (5,3)
INERT GAS – (INGRATES*)

18 Large diamonds lifted in rogue’s scam (7)
SWINDLE – reverse of L D [large | diamonds] in SWINE

20 Start to spend pence and pounds on impulse? (7)
SPLURGE – S{pend} + P [pence] + L [pounds] on URGE [impulse], &lit

22 List of works including chapter by prolific author, perhaps (5)
CANON – C [chapter] by ANON – surely the most credited, albeit mysterious, author of all time

24 Not from the South Georgia archipelago (5)
TONGA – NOT running from south to north + GA

25 Release setter, maybe, that’s no good at all (4)
UNDO – {g}UNDO{g} losing all of its G’s for good.