The Stickler Weekly 227 Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 CROSSWORDS
Lines drawn around empty squares in sequence – puzzling stuff? (10) CORDS outside [(S)QUARE(S) in ROW]
6 DRIP
Drug supplier and doctor, one with power (4) DR + I + P
9 COUPLET
Pair left in car ahead of time (7) L inside COUPE + T
10 PRELATE
Church dignitary is first to pray and tell (7) (P)RAY + RELATE
12 ONE-LINER
Funny thing on stern of pirate ship (3-5) ON + PIRAT(E) + LINER
13 VEINS
Traces of sedative in subclavian blood vessels (5) sedatiVE IN Subclavian
15 STAPLE
Fastener starting to perish in old hat (6) (P)ERISH inside STALE
16 CERUMEN
Cure disoriented people with otic discharge (7) Anagram of CURE + MEN
18 VIE
Contest that is initiated by basketball team (3) IE after V
19 RECURVE
Bend back constantly moving around carrying dog (7) EVER reversed outside CUR
21 ANNUAL
Head of auditing brought in to void a book of accounts (6) (A)UDITING inside ANNUL
24 MEDIA
Met briefly to support backing news channels (5) (ME)T + AID reversed
25 OFFENDER
Volunteer punched by extreme criminal (8) OFFER outside END
27 SKITTLE
Knock over slalom championship, say, with finalist from Helsinki out (7) SKI TITLE minus HELSINK(I)
28 OPTIMAL
Best man nearly stabbing pilot going through turbulence (7) (MA)N inside
29 DEEP
Intellectual visited ladies, say, heading west (4) PEED reversed
30 STORYLINES
Retail outlets stocking last of celery left in plots (10) STORES outside [CELER(Y) + L + IN]
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
1 CUCKOO
Nuts should be sliced mostly by cook in a mess (6) (CU)T + anagram of COOK
2 OPULENT
Lavish musical work not finished with fast time (7) (OPU)S + LENT
3 SELF-IMPORTANT
Two mischievous characters embraced by star not unusually arrogant (4-9) (ELF + IMP) inside anagram of STAR NOT
4 ON THE LEVEL
Not distracted by first woman in agony behaving honestly (2,3,5) Anagram of NOT + (EVE in HELL)
5 DOPE
Drugs look after pet with tail chopped off (4) DO + (PE)T
7 REALISM
Practical view of things is accepted by monarchy (7) IS inside REALM
8 PLEASING
Quietly engaging? (8) P + LEASING
11 ENVIRONMENTAL
Green with envy – mainly tough nuts (13) (ENV)Y + IRON + MENTAL
14 OCEAN FLOOR
Seabed of coral, one in poor condition (5,5) Anagram of OF CORAL ONE
17 PROMISED
Tight-fisted person, finishing early in poker, is assured (8) (MISE)R inside PROD
20 CODEINE
Established standard in drug, an analgesic (7) CODE + IN + E
22 ABDOMEN
Stomach awfully bad writing on the wall (7) Anagram of BAD + OMEN
23 TROLLS
Christ’s back with pieces of bread and fishes (6) CHRIS(T) + ROLLS
26 HEAT
He engaged in passion (4) HE + AT

 

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The Stickler Weekly Insights 227

I can’t remember how many times CROSSWORD or CROSSWORDS has appeared as an answer word choice during my history of completing the grid-filling process. Continue reading

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The Stickler Weekly 227

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 227
  Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 227
  Solution to The Stickler Weekly 226
Insights for this week
  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!

The Stickler

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The Stickler Weekly 227 Clue Hints

(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.


1-across



19-across


24-across

25-across




1-down

2-down


4-down

5-down



11-down

17-down

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by removing a letter, letters, or a word (either found directly in the clue or derived) from a word or words (or their synonyms). Subtractions involving synonyms must be done with contiguous letters, that is, a word will subtract directly unless specifically indicated. A subtraction indicator is present to initiate the action.
The entire answer is found by reversing part of the clue, or a synonym for part of the clue. A suitable reversal indicator will be present.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A type of clue where the WHOLE clue defines the answer, and the WHOLE clue also is the wordplay (a mechanism to derive the answer through various cryptic devices). "&lit" is short for "and literally".

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.

The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
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The Stickler Weekly 227 Overseas Help

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)


29-across

Like to add something I’ve missed to help others, or comment on a meaning, term or expression? Please leave a reply below.

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The Stickler Weekly 226 Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 PROP UP
Brace for a small boxer perhaps (4,2) PRO + PUP
5 VACATE
Leave a pet locked in empty vehicle? (6) (A + CAT) inside V(ehicl)E
8 MULTIPLICATION
Leader of massive political unit reviewed expansion? (14) (M)ASSIVE + anagram of POLITICAL UNIT
10 TREMOR
Edges of timber fractured more with vibration (6) (T)IMBE(R) + anagram of MORE
11 COLLAPSE
Scalpel manoeuvred around opening of oesophagus breaking down (8) Anagram of SCALPEL outside (O)ESOPHAGUS
13 OWES
Offspring of widow, essentially, is in debt? (4) widOW ESsentially
14 MEDIA SCRUM
The press gathered around doctor, drinking, for instance, alcohol (5,5) MEDIC outside AS + RUM
17 INSIGHTFUL
Discerning one fellow implicated in hustling abroad (10) I + F inside anagram of HUSTLING
18 HUNT
Search contents of van pulling away from hangout? (4) HAUNT minus v(A)n
20 ANSWERED
Acknowledged bridge partners were used in publicity (8) (N and S + WERE) inside AD
22 WADDLE
Dawdle ungainly? (6) Anagram of DAWDLE
24 CRUISE MISSILES
Squads heard lies fabricated after failure with weapons (6,8) Sounds like CREWS + (anagram of LIES after MISS)
25 HEIGHT
He might, after misgivings initially, summit (6) HE + M(IGHT)
26 ANNOYS
An unfavourable response by judges ultimately causes irritation (6) AN + NO + B(Y) + JUDGE(S)
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
2 RELIEVERS
They back up wrong information stored in reconfigured server (9) LIE inside anagram of SERVER
3 POISON
Toxin in marijuana mostly is concerning (6) (PO)T + IS + ON
4 PALE
Part of fence washed out (4) Double Definition
5 VICTORIOUS
Savage securing hill is triumphant (10) VICIOUS outside TOR
6 CATALYST
Company, engaging one departing Italy, is manipulating agent (8) CAST outside (ITALY minus I)
7 TROOP
Head of operations in shipping town upset military unit (5) (O)PERATIONS inside (PORT reversed)
8 METHODICAL
Drug overdose, one caught by a large orderly (10) METH + OD + I + C + A + L
9 SEAMSTRESS
Marine must oddly lock sewer (10) SEA + (M)U(S)T + TRESS
12 SETTLEMENT
One leaving title with people in established colony (10) [(TITLE minus I) + MEN] inside SET
15 ROUNDELAY
Manage to put off including love song (9) (RUN + DELAY) outside O
16 AGREEING
A conservationist accepting one thousand dollars for reaching a settlement (8) (A + GREEN) outside I + G
19 PARSON
Minister’s unlawful firing after termination of bishop (6) ARSON after BISHO(P)
21 SERVE
Work for American camper during visit (5) RV inside SEE
23 PICA
Four linked characters of typical type (4) tyPICAl

 

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The Stickler Weekly Insights 226

I have discussed a number of times the importance of having good wordlists available to assemble crosswords. In fact, if your wordlists are good, the software you’re using can manage them well, and you pick the answer words with how to clue them in mind, you will almost always create a good crossword. A poor wordlist and ill-chosen answer words will always result in a substandard crossword.
I realised this from the start and set about collecting and creating wordlists to make my job a bit easier. My age and IT background gave me a distinct advantage when it came to using software to create crosswords and to massage wordlists. I had enough knowledge of the programming language Visual Basic to write programs to do those things most people couldn’t without professional help. I’ve currently got about 50 wordlists of different sorts, some general, some very specific and some topical. In 2001 I came up with a plan to create the ultimate set of wordlists, ones that had no redundancy, no wastage – all preselected and approved. This would save me much in grid-filling time and give me a level of confidence that would be unprecedented. The plan was relatively simple:

  1. Create a set of files, all uniquely identified, from the wordlists I had available from many sources and covering many different areas of language.
  2. Sort these all together alphabetically into one huge file.
  3. Write a program to read through the file one word at a time, telling me where it came from, and giving me the option of including it in verified master lists. Selection would depend on the suitability of each word for the various crosswords and word puzzles I was supplying.

As I was designing the process, I realised I had an opportunity to go much further, as each word would require a significant amount of investigation (lookup) that should be exploited. The plan expanded to include the creation of a set of theme wordlists (for specialist magazines), and the bolstering of clue databases (by adding more clues) that I had been building up for a number of years. Effectively I was sourcing every word and term I could, analysing them, and splitting them into discrete lists. One word could end up in multiple lists or be discarded completely.
Unlike many of my ideas that don’t get past the preliminary design stage, this one actually came to fruition, at least it got off the ground. The master input list, which consisted of multiple instances for every word and term in the English-speaking world, consisted of about 500,000 entries. This was daunting, but I considered this a long-term project that I could just chip away at. I started strongly and toiled away at it for months, but there was one major thing working against me. I had no way to easily look up each word in all the source references: I had multiple programs open at once and tried to sequentially run through them, making the processing of each word dreadfully slow.
I eventually abandoned the project after getting to about “ad…”. That doesn’t seem very far, but it was far enough to make me realise I’d been too ambitious. As my paid work increased, there was little time to indulge in pet projects like this.

Here is a design shot of the program I wrote:

WordListProg

My brief thoughts of resurrecting this thankfully quickly dissipated.

The Stickler

Spread the word
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The Stickler Weekly 226

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 226
  Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 226
  Solution to The Stickler Weekly 225
Insights for this week
  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!

The Stickler

Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Stickler Weekly 226

The Stickler Weekly 226 Clue Hints

(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.



5-across

8-across


14-across



20-across


24-across

26-across

2-down

3-down


6-down

8-down

9-down

12-down


16-down

21-down

The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
A question mark has been used to indicate "language abuse", that is, a word or words in a clue are used in a technically incorrect way, but the meaning can be still inferred.

Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.

A question mark has been used to indicate "language abuse", that is, a word or words in a clue are used in a technically incorrect way, but the meaning can be still inferred.

Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.

A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.

Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.

Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) on the INSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).

Examples: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.

Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
The answer is found by removing a letter, letters, or a word (either found directly in the clue or derived) from a word or words (or their synonyms). Subtractions involving synonyms must be done with contiguous letters, that is, a word will subtract directly unless specifically indicated. A subtraction indicator is present to initiate the action.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A type of clue where the WHOLE clue defines the answer, and the WHOLE clue also is the wordplay (a mechanism to derive the answer through various cryptic devices). "&lit" is short for "and literally".

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.

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

The Stickler Weekly 226 Overseas Help

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)


8-down

Like to add something I’ve missed to help others, or comment on a meaning, term or expression? Please leave a reply below.

Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Stickler Weekly 226 Overseas Help