About the Setter
David Stickley has been writing crosswords professionally since 1995. His cryptic puzzle, The Stickler, reached number 4786 before being axed in July 2013 due to cutbacks. In 2024 David and his wife Linda secured a weekly cryptic and quick slot in The SMH and The Age. David has also been published in the NYT, the UK's FT and Church Times.-

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Category Archives: The Stickler
The Stickler Weekly 59 Solution
A few weeks ago an avid solver pointed out an ambiguous clue in a Stickler Weekly. To be ambiguous two things must happen – first, there must be at least two answers to the clue that satisfy all the normal … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 59
**** Crossword updated on 12/11, correcting mistake in 17-down **** The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format. The solution to this puzzle will appear next week. Clue Hints for The Stickler Weekly … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 59 Clue Hints
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Tagged clue hints, crosswords, cryptic, stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 59 Overseas Help
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Tagged crosswords, cryptic, stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 58 Solution
A few years ago I ran a number of community college courses on how to solve cryptic crosswords. Each course covered the whole term (2-hour sessions for 8 weeks) as I believe there’s a need to learn and do and … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 58
**** If you do a direct deposit into my account, please let me know via email as the bank statement doesn’t usually have enough info for me to identify contributors. I really would like to personally thank those who contribute, … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
1 Comment
The Stickler Weekly 58 Clue Hints
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Tagged clue hints, crosswords, cryptic, stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 58 Overseas Help
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Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler
Tagged crosswords, cryptic, stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 57 Solution
In my early Australian Financial Review (AFR) days, I was told to create a difficult weekly crossword for use in a competition. “Times style” was the term used – the idea was to create a real challenge and keep a … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 57
The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format. The solution to this puzzle will appear next week. Clue Hints for The Stickler Weekly 57 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 57 Solution … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments