Welcome all cryptic crossword solvers.
Some cryptic crosswords are tough purely because local lingo is used and not understood by all, especially those living outside of Australia. This post seeks to fill this vernacular gap.
The clues listed here may contain a component not familiar to all outside of Australia.
(click on the clue number to see the inside information)
Like to add something I’ve missed to help others, or comment on a meaning, term or expression? Please leave a reply below.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SMILER | |
| Runner finishing second is a delighted one (6) | MILER after S | |
| 5 | MUSTARD | |
| Brownish-yellow clay containing lead (7) | MUD outside STAR | |
| 10 | TONOMETER | |
| It measures fluid pressure and oxygen encountered in cosmetic lotion (9) | (O + MET) inside TONER | |
| 11 | RAISE | |
| Increase is accepted by retiring auditor (5) | IS inside (EAR reversed) | |
| 12 | POTTER | |
| A crafty person, one known for his magic acts (6) | Double Definition | |
| 13 | DIAGONAL | |
| Slash aid brought back by American girl carrying on (8) | DIA reversed + (GAL outside ON) | |
| 15 | ATOM | |
| Something fundamental at home with no limitations? (4) | AT + h(OM)e | |
| 16 | STRATIFIED | |
| Graded street with approval (10) | ST + RATIFIED | |
| 19 | BASKETBALL | |
| Track action taken about request before social game (10) | BET outside ASK + BALL | |
| 20 | GUMS | |
| Superior recalled surroundings of canines, say (4) | SMUG reversed | |
| 23 | SOCIABLE | |
| So, one into pay TV is outgoing? (8) | SO + I inside CABLE | |
| 25 | BANNER | |
| Standard prohibitionist? (6) | Double Definition | |
| 27 | USURP | |
| Take over firm downsized in a spell of prosperity (5) | (SUR)e inside UP | |
| 28 | SLIPPED UP | |
| Made a mistake and supplied wrong page (7,2) | Anagram of SUPPLIED + P | |
| 29 | TOP SEED | |
| Best performer’s time set with new speedos before the final (3,4) | T + anagram of (SPEEDO)s | |
| 30 | FUSING | |
| Fellow on drugs is getting stuff together (6) | F + USING | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | MONSTROUS | |
| Great storm twisted around close to land (9) | Anagram of STORM outside ON + US | |
| 3 | LIMPET | |
| Fruit mostly preferred with shellfish (6) | (LIM)e + PET | |
| 4 | RITE | |
| Confirmation, for one, about checking it (4) | RE outside IT | |
| 5 | MARGINALLY | |
| A little hurt by trap set by friend (10) | MAR + GIN + ALLY | |
| 6 | SERAGLIO | |
| Supplier of Turkish delight, perhaps, is large, out of shape and round (8) | Anagram of IS LARGE + O | |
| 7 | AVIAN | |
| One caged by a transporter of birds (5) | I inside (A + VAN) | |
| 8 | DWELLED | |
| Blue mounted LED remained (7) | LEWD reversed + LED | |
| 9 | UTOPIA | |
| University head, one taking on a perfect place (6) | U + TOP + I + A | |
| 14 | STABILISED | |
| Fixed bayonet is held by one being supervised (10) | STAB + [IS inside (I + LED)] | |
| 17 | IGUANODON | |
| Dinosaur droppings collected by one university fellow (9) | GUANO inside (I + DON) | |
| 18 | PECAN PIE | |
| Preserve marinated in spirit that is a nutty delight (5,3) | CAN inside PEP + IE | |
| 19 | BISCUIT | |
| Something made in an oven is copper in part (7) | (IS + CU) inside BIT | |
| 21 | STRIPE | |
| Feature of plastic and stone ready for collection (6) | ST + RIPE | |
| 22 | CARPUS | |
| Fish served by American joint (6) | CARP + US | |
| 24 | CLUMP | |
| Clubs put up with small gathering (5) | C + LUMP | |
| 26 | TIFF | |
| Firm not starting a minor dispute (4) | s(TIFF) |
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 235 |
 |
Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 235 |
 |
Solution to The Stickler Weekly 234 |
 |
Invest in the Future of The Stickler |
Please include comments or discussion about this crossword below.
Request help in the Clue Hints blog entry so all can see.
It’s a weekly crossword, so please don’t give/discuss any full answers until the solution is posted (such posts will be deleted/edited).
Enjoy!
(click on the clue number to see the hint)
Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.
Examples: before, after, leading, in the middle of, under (down only) etc.
Welcome all cryptic crossword solvers.
Some cryptic crosswords are tough purely because local lingo is used and not understood by all, especially those living outside of Australia. This post seeks to fill this vernacular gap.
The clues listed here may contain a component not familiar to all outside of Australia.
(click on the clue number to see the inside information)
Like to add something I’ve missed to help others, or comment on a meaning, term or expression? Please leave a reply below.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SPRINTING | |
| Superior’s initial impression is dashing (9) | (S)uperior + PRINTING | |
| 6 | BOGIE | |
| Small truck that is dumped behind marshland (5) | IE after BOG | |
| 9 | OWN | |
| Keep formal dresses with no sleeves? (3) | g)OWN(s | |
| 10 | MISCARRIAGE | |
| Error is caught in union (11) | (IS + C) inside MARRIAGE | |
| 11 | CHILDREN | |
| Doctor in South American country first to nurture little ones (8) | DR inside CHILE + (N)uture | |
| 12 | PAST IT | |
| Father’s little bird is no spring chicken (4,2) | PAS + TIT | |
| 14 | FRET | |
| Wear away part of a guitar (4) | Double Definition | |
| 16 | TALL ORDER | |
| Difficult task commander described in report, right? (4,5) | LORD inside TALE + R | |
| 18 | MISSED OUT | |
| Young lady, due to being crook, failed to get a look-in (6,3) | MISS + anagram of DUE TO | |
| 20 | SNOW | |
| Fall in Whistler maybe, immediately after beginning to ski (4) | NOW after (S)ki | |
| 23 | RODMAN | |
| Type catching seafood, ultimately? (6) | ROMAN outside seafoo(D) | |
| 24 | WELL-READ | |
| Learned about promotion after spring (4-4) | (RE + AD) after WELL | |
| 27 | SUBORDINATE | |
| Junior coach turned around to talk about noise (11) | BUS reversed + (ORATE outside DIN) | |
| 28 | AWE | |
| Respect rower’s announcement (3) | Sounds like OAR | |
| 29 | TOTES | |
| They are employed by gamblers to arrange backing (5) | TO + (SET reversed) | |
| 30 | HAILSTONE | |
| Very cold skydiver welcomes distinctive quality? (9) | HAILS + TONE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SCOTCH | |
| Put an end to strong spirit (6) | Double Definition | |
| 2 | RENTIER | |
| Investor restricted by one breaking record (7) | R + (I inside ENTER) | |
| 3 | NOMAD | |
| Drifter turned on lunatic (5) | NO reversed + MAD | |
| 4 | INSPECTION | |
| Review power harnessed by elected district (10) | P inside (IN + SECTION) | |
| 5 | GOAD | |
| Leave a driver at the front to drive on (4) | GO + A + (D)river | |
| 6 | BARBAROUS | |
| Savage remark made to insult and stir up greatly (9) | BARB + (AROUS)e | |
| 7 | GRANTED | |
| Time spent in cultivation of garden certainly (7) | T inside anagram of GARDEN | |
| 8 | ERECTORS | |
| They build up leader of evangelical churchmen (8) | (E)vangelical + RECTORS | |
| 13 | GLITTERATI | |
| *One label backed and plugged by young beautiful people (10) | [(I + TAG) Reversed] outside LITTER | |
| 15 | THESAURUS | |
| He has found in house a reference book for you (9) | HES inside TAURUS | |
| 17 | SMART SET | |
| Sophisticated people test drive sedans primarily in reverse (5,3) | [TEST + RAM + (S)edans] reversed | |
| 19 | SIDE BET | |
| Minor flutter one hospital unit picked up in sequence (4,3) | (I + BED) reversed inside SET | |
| 21 | OREGANO | |
| Flavour enhancer or, say, a number (7) | OR + EG + A + NO | |
| 22 | ADHERE | |
| Stick with excited redhead mostly (6) | Anagram of (REDHEA)d | |
| 25 | LEEKS | |
| Potassium added into sediment for vegetables (5) | K inside LEES | |
| 26 | PITH | |
| Irrational character curtailed the most important part? (4) | PI + (TH)e |
* Clue changed from the original one published
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 234 |
|
Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 234 |
|
Solution to The Stickler Weekly 233 |
|
Invest in the Future of The Stickler |
Please include comments or discussion about this crossword below.
Request help in the Clue Hints blog entry so all can see.
It’s a weekly crossword, so please don’t give/discuss any full answers until the solution is posted (such posts will be deleted/edited).
Enjoy!
(click on the clue number to see the hint)
Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.
To qualify as an &lit, a clue must have no unused components either in the definition or the wordplay - it must be readable one way as a definition, and another as the wordplay.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: beheaded, cut short, endless, nearly, largely etc.
Welcome all cryptic crossword solvers.
Some cryptic crosswords are tough purely because local lingo is used and not understood by all, especially those living outside of Australia. This post seeks to fill this vernacular gap.
The clues listed here may contain a component not familiar to all outside of Australia.
(click on the clue number to see the inside information)
Like to add something I’ve missed to help others, or comment on a meaning, term or expression? Please leave a reply below.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | REPUTATION | |
| Energy put into helping character (10) | (E + PUT) inside RATION | |
| 6 | SPAR | |
| Part of rigging a boxing contest (4) | Double Definition | |
| 9 | STORM | |
| Part of forecast or, maybe, violent weather (5) | forecaST OR Maybe | |
| 10 | ALIGHTING | |
| A feature of stage management is coming down (9) | A + LIGHTING | |
| 12 | EPIDEMICS | |
| Medic is unsettled after recording outbreaks of disease (9) | Anagram of MEDIC IS after EP | |
| 13 | LATER | |
| A little peripheral (a terminal) in the future (5) | peripheraL A TERminal | |
| 14 | SPAM | |
| Keeps track of returned and unwanted mail (4) | MAPS reversed | |
| 15 | CONSTRUE | |
| Prisoner’s right to read (8) | CONS + TRUE | |
| 18 | ON THE SLY | |
| “Honestly” taken completely a different way? (2,3,3) | &lit; Anagram of HONESTLY | |
| 20 | IRIS | |
| One trimmed wax plant with showy flowers (4) | I + (RIS)E | |
| 24 | ONSET | |
| Start working as an actor (5) | Double Definition | |
| 25 | CRIMPLENE | |
| Writer occupied by language originally used in crime material (9) | [PEN outside (L)ANGUAGE] inside CRIME | |
| 26 | SNAIL MAIL | |
| Wild animal is attached to large, conventional post (5,4) | Anagram of ANIMAL IS + L | |
| 27 | ULTRA | |
| Radical one sacrificed in bizarre ritual (5) | Anagram of RITUAL minus I | |
| 28 | SHED | |
| Lose fragment right away (4) | SHRED minus R | |
| 29 | REAPPEARED | |
| Paper re-filed with auditors turned up again? (10) | Anagram of PAPER + EARED | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RASHES | |
| Skin problems are reportedly connected to remains (6) | R (sounds like) + ASHES | |
| 2 | PHONIES | |
| One wearing rings may be misleading people (7) | I inside PHONES | |
| 3 | TEMPERAMENTAL | |
| Harden a metal containing nitrogen that’s volatile (13) | TEMPER + A + METAL outside N | |
| 4 | THAT IS | |
| Sit up holding hat, for example (4,2) | SIT reversed outside HAT | |
| 5 | OMISSION | |
| Leader from overseas calling for exclusion (8) | (O)VERSEAS + MISSION | |
| 7 | PRINTER | |
| Fast runner, missing the start, connected computer equipment (7) | (S)PRINTER | |
| 8 | REGARDED | |
| Noticed rose, for example, growing outside pruned garden (8) | RED outside GARDE(N) | |
| 11 | HOLY SCRIPTURE | |
| Representation of Christ purely about heart of God? (4,9) | &LIT; anagram of CHRIST PURELY outside G(O)D | |
| 16 | COLOSSUS | |
| Giant loss accepted by company linked with America (8) | LOSS inside (CO + US) | |
| 17 | BLOCKADE | |
| Barrier is secure in criminal quarter (8) | LOCK inside BAD + (E)ast | |
| 19 | TO SPARE | |
| Seaport shifted over and above what is required (2,5) | Anagram of SEAPORT | |
| 21 | SHELTER | |
| Security is transparently thin around vacant lot? (7) | SHEER outside L(o)T | |
| 22 | FILLIP | |
| Dose of medicine, if knocked back, could be a shot in the arm (6) | (PILL + IF) reversed | |
| 23 | REWARD | |
| Cheque writer picked up pay (6) | DRAWER reversed |
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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