The Age Cryptic by DP for 23rd July

I set myself a challenge here. I wanted to see how many clues I could get without using my laptop. No dictionary, no thesaurus - just my brain. Me alone. It was scary, I yearned for the quick fix. My anagram solver! Having to work anagrams Ye Olde Style with no back-up tech to help soothe my anxious heart. What if that's the wrong answer?!

I trudged along. Took a couple hours but I quit with only five clues unsolved. I was feeling proud. I'd beaten those demons, those crows of doubt. I can do this on my own, even a little bit! From now on I'll work the puzzles from the start on my own and only use the aides when I'm at a wall and can't go further. I needed those comforts when starting out, I needed their reassurance. Now it's time to take off the training wheels.

1A - Fido's first meal was a mess! (4,9)
Easy! Got it in one. Common UK expression DOG'S BREAKFAST. We could be forgiven for thinking "mess" was an anagrind, yes?

9A - Refuse to put front of Bentley in the shed (7)
"Refuse" is the definition and we want to think rubbish. "front of Bentley" = B and "shed" = GARAGE. Put the B "in" the  GARAGE for GARBAGE.

10A - Italian food which could produce anal gas (7)
I've seen this tossed around the Cryptic Crossword Society's Facebook page. It's juvenile humour. Always with a giggle behind hands. Definition is "Italian food" and "produce anal gas" is anagrind and fodder to bring us LASAGNA.

11A - Broken piece rent at the focal point (9)
"Broken piece rent" is anagrind + fodder with "focal point" the definition. Mix up "piece rent" to give us EPICENTRE.

12A - Looks into paper money (5)
Double definition clue. NOTES means to look into "I'll take note of that" and paper money.

13A - Mesa dish has a gold finish (7)
"Mesa" is the definition and "dish" = PLATE and "gold finish" = AU the chemical symbol for gold giving us PLATEAU.

15A - Yacht gets rising variant of 8-down (7)
I'd gotten 8D first and lightly pencilled in an answer. 5D was looking insane so I wasn't confident in my answer until the very end. "Yacht" = KETCH and "rising" = UP for KETCHUP.

18A - Charmed, but not so much in bed (7)
"Charmed" is the definition and "not so much" = LESS which is to be put in BED like this B(LESS)ED for BLESSED.

19A - I regain composition somewhere in Africa (7)
"I regain composition" is fodder + anagrind. Mix up I REGAIN to reveal NIGERIA.

21A - It could be right around the middle! (5)
"It could be right" I think is anagrind + fodder, "around the middle" is the definition for GIRTH (which also puts the R from "right" in the middle and I had cross letters so I got the clue that way. Noticed the right = girth thing later. I was thinking big bellies and belts)

24A - Fresh reading of supermodel in real setting (9)
I had to cheat for this one and used One Across. I had all the cross letters. I can see "Super" and "real" are fodder and perhaps "fresh reading" is an anagrind? Is "supermodel" an anagrind + fodder in one word "SUPERmodel"  in  "REAL" -That looks right-  RE (PERUS) AL.  REPERUSAL. None of my dictionaries like this word. This makes "Fresh reading" the definition.

26A - Back up about doggerel (7)
I took a guess and had all cross letters. Answer is REVERSE. I figured it was the definition for "Back up" and I didn't know what "doggerel" was without my dictionary. Turns out it's a kind of verse. So that worked out well.

27A - Catcall jeers at such mistakes (7)
I put this in last. I had most cross letters and thought, could this really be the answer? I'd thought BOO HISS - one for "Catcall" and another for "jeers" but that's not one word. This is a double definition and we just want BOOBOOS.

28A - Objectless after first course of lovers' words (5,8)
"Objectless" = NOTHINGS and we don't want starters, or entrees but "course" = SWEET for those lovers' words, SWEET NOTHINGS.

1D - What do you say to a stingy miner? (3,4)
Punny pun is pun. DIG DEEP! You know, because miners dig and we tell people giving to charity to "dig deep" into their pockets for donations. You got that...

2D - Produce shoots at gate confining unruly miner (9)
"Produce shoots" is the definition. "Gate confining" tells us the word GATE (or could be a word for gate, but here it's just gate) will confine an "unruly MINER"  - anagrind + fodder - to give G(ERMIN)ATE. or GERMINATE, the process of seeds producing shoots.

3D - Pair permits some jewellery (9)
I got this late. I'm unsure about how "pair" is used here. I could get "permits" = LETS but how does "pair" = BRACE for the "jewellery BRACELETS?

4D - Tango, when smooth, creates the occasion (5)
I got with cross letters. "Occasion" is our definition. "Tango" = T and "when smooth" = EVEN for EVENT. I wonder if "creates" is an anagrind and that gets the T to the end of the word?

5D - It holds wine - drink-like perhaps (9)
I was stuffed on this one. And I saw random Ks and thought - what the hell is this word?! I resorted to One Across and got KILDERKIN. Odd enough, I did know what a Firkin was! I used to live near a pub in Scotland called the Physician and Firkin, where I downed many. But looking closer I can now see "drink-like perhaps" is fodder + anagrind.

6D - Hard-hearted lad is lighting fires (5)
"hARd - hearted" is an instruction to take the "heart" from the word "hard" giving us AR and "lad" = SON for a word for "lighting fires" ARSON.

7D- Binding under the influence (5)
Double definition and compilers do love that old word for "under the influence" meaning drunk TIGHT.

8D - Tom's high on sauce (6)
"Tom's" = CATS "high" = UP for a "sauce" CATSUP.

14D - Inadequately sensed carpet padding (9)
"Carpet padding" is the definition. "inadequately sensed" = UNDER FELT, but as one word. I'd had the "under" part in a long time but took longer to get "sensed" = FELT.

16D - Biplane involving feline insect (5,4)
Again it was easy for me as I live near one of these and it flies over my house all summer. "Feline" = TIGER and "insect" = MOTH for the "biplane" TIGERMOTH.

17D - How to thrash Ron using ammonia as a solution (9)
I know "thrash" is an anagrind, right? Has to be. No? Damn! "Ammonia as a solution" is the definition and "thrash Ron" is our fodder and you can see I fumbled about with a couple tries but couldn't get HARTSHORN. I'd never heard of it before. (notes say I used anagram solver and google)

18D - Did Humphrey produce graffiti in the toilet? (6)
Really? Ouch. That's painful. The only "Humphrey" I know is BOGART who I doubt ever made BOG-ART, where bog is slang for toilet. (Yes I shared this on Twitter. I'm not a total prude, you ken. I like juvenile humour!)

20D - Are books of maps as stale perhaps? (7)
"Books of maps" is the definition and "as stale perhaps" is fodder + anagrind. Mixing "AS STALE" gives us ATLASES.

22D - Flies off the handle at wild parties (5)
Double definition: RAVES.

23D - Nag with husky voice (5)
Double definition: HORSE.

25D - Half-blotto under cover of Father Picasso (5)
"half-BLOtto" means take half of blotto for BLO and that goes "under" the  "Father" = PA for Picasso's first name PABLO. I'm not sure what "cover" is there for. Well without cover it does look like someone is drunk and under Father Picasso which may be a bit risqué given current controversies.

There, done. How does that feel? Good? Good. Moving on it's a Puck puzzle from the Guardian today so I'll give that one a go and tomorrow is DA-day. So much to look forward to on a rainy, cold end to the week. I'd printed out yesterday's Quos (Is that pronounced Chaos?) and will give it an eyeball, too. That's three puzzles for today - counting the Age's NS. Oh we are ambitious aren't we! Riding high on some success, am I? Absolutely! I'll ride that wave until I crash.

Have a good day!