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.
There aren’t any extra hints needed this week.
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 | POSTMARKED | |
| Hard drive put back inside reconfigured desktop should be stamped (10) | RAM reversed inside anagram of DESKTOP | |
| 6 | APED | |
| Section of videotape digitally copied (4) | videotAPE Digitally | |
| 10 | SHOOT | |
| Snap a new branch (5) | Double Definition | |
| 11 | TEA FOR TWO | |
| A shared drink of water brewed in centre of Victoria (3,3,3) | Anagram of OF WATER inside vic(TO)ria | |
| 12 | ELEVEN | |
| Missing one cricket team? (6) | Twelve minus one; Double Definition | |
| 13 | SLIGHTED | |
| Put down saw broken by end of nail (8) | NAI(L) inside SIGHTED | |
| 14 | PRIMAL | |
| Greatest friend biting lip (6) | PAL outside RIM | |
| 16 | GRUESOME | |
| Awful rogues tortured men before the end (8) | Anagram of ROGUES + (ME)N | |
| 17 | SACRISTY | |
| Christ sacrificing much ultimately in, say, part of church (8) | [CHRIST minus MUC(H)] inside SAY | |
| 19 | STARCH | |
| Celebrity chef reduced by half important foodstuff (6) | STAR + (CH)EF | |
| 21 | EXPLICIT | |
| X-rated clip not usually stocked in outlet (8) | Anagram of CLIP inside EXIT | |
| 22 | OXYGEN | |
| It’s drawn in an ‘O’ formation? (6) | Double Definition | |
| 25 | SPINNAKER | |
| Sail to hold fast in wind, right? (9) | PIN inside SNAKE + R | |
| 26 | EMITS | |
| American news magazine backed first of several issues (5) | TIME reversed + (S)EVERAL | |
| 27 | PINT | |
| It may be needed to identify one temperature measurement (4) | PIN + T | |
| 28 | PROMETHEAN | |
| Specialist not nice about the original (10) | PRO + MEAN outside THE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PASTE-UP | |
| Small seal covering a modified set draft of a printed page (5-2) | PUP outside (A + anagram of SET) | |
| 2 | SPOKE | |
| Talked in bar giving support to framework (5) | Double Definition | |
| 3 | MATHEMATICIANS | |
| Academic dealing with a concept is restricting an arithmetic group (14) | MA + THEMATIC + (IS outside AN) | |
| 4 | RATE | |
| Value teller placed on Euro (4) | RAT + E | |
| 5 | E-TAILER | |
| Relative, one fed up with an internet seller (1-6) | (REL + I + ATE) reversed | |
| 7 | PETIT FOUR | |
| Outfit dashed in for a sweet treat (5,4) | Anagram of OUTFIT inside PER | |
| 8 | DO-OR-DIE | |
| Desperate detective that is stationed behind access point (2-2-3) | (D + IE) after DOOR | |
| 9 | TO A GREAT EXTENT | |
| Message received during regatta – one scrambled considerably (2,1,5,6) | TEXT inside anagram of REGATTA ONE | |
| 15 | INCEPTION | |
| Foolish one on about carbon’s rise (9) | (INEPT + I + ON) outside C | |
| 16 | GUY | |
| Take off stabiliser (3) | Double Definition | |
| 17 | STEPS UP | |
| Upset dog, say, with cat around, comes forward (5,2) | (PET inside PUSS) reversed | |
| 18 | THINKER | |
| Philosopher’s writing material found in the capital of Russia (7) | INK inside THE + (R)USSIA | |
| 20 | HANGS ON | |
| American sweetheart filled with apprehension briefly waits (5,2) | HON outside (ANGS)T | |
| 23 | GUIDE | |
| Director is fatigued terribly losing excess weight (5) | Anagram of FATIGUED minus FAT | |
| 24 | CRAM | |
| Overfeed cold sheep (4) | C + RAM |
A number of comments on this blog over the last few months have led me to question the effort I put into creating an Insight post every week. I’ve checked the stats since I split the Insight from the Solution and less than half of those who solve the crossword take the time to read it. So, people don’t read it and those that do don’t always seem to understand it.
I’ve decided, therefore, to stop the weekly Insight posts. I will, however, post the occasional Insight when I’m moved to do so.
The Stickler Weekly will continue for the time being.
The Stickler
The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format.
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The solution to this puzzle will appear next week.
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Clue Hints for The Stickler Weekly 232 |
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Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 232 |
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Solution to The Stickler No. 3024 |
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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: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.
Examples: taken from, decreased by, less.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.
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.
The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format.
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|
The solution to this puzzle will appear next week.
|
Solution to The Stickler No. 3023 |
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Invest in the Future of The Stickler |
Enjoy!
I’m having a couple of weeks off attending to matters that just have to be done. So this week and next week I’ll be publishing some regular Sticklers that appeared in The Daily Telegraph in late 2007. These are “warts and all”, that is, they have Australian clues and clues of the time, that may slow some of you down. Remember these crosswords were created for a daily audience and so won’t be at the same level as The Stickler Weekly. I’m also not publishing any clue hints and the solutions will be newspaper-style (no workings).
Good luck!
The Stickler
The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format.
|
|
The solution to this puzzle will appear next week.
|
Solution to The Stickler Weekly 231 |
|
Invest in the Future of The Stickler |
Enjoy!
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ROBUSTNESS | |
| Fracture in sensor adversely impacted health (10) | BUST inside anagram of SENSOR | |
| 6 | ICED | |
| Slices of liquorice dessert should be kept cool (4) | liquorICE Dessert | |
| 9 | TUBES | |
| Pipes are finally put inside cleaning units (5) | AR(E) inside TUBS | |
| 10 | CHRISTMAS | |
| Monarchists abroad missing out on holiday (9) | Anagram of MONARCHISTS minus ON | |
| 12 | ILLITERATE | |
| One lacking education is threatening to repeat (10) | ILL + ITERATE | |
| 13 | SEE | |
| Recognise letter read out (3) | Sounds like C | |
| 15 | RENNET | |
| Apple extract used in making cheese (6) | Double Definition | |
| 16 | DEADENED | |
| A study in legal documentation may be toned down (8) | (A + DEN) inside DEED | |
| 18 | MARSH GAS | |
| Methane from planet Mercury, for instance (5,3) | MARS + HG + AS | |
| 20 | UNISON | |
| Tertiary institution’s operating with complete agreement (6) | UNIS + ON | |
| 23 | TUN | |
| Large quantity of beer and fruitcake knocked back (3) | NUT reversed | |
| 24 | PERMISSION | |
| Leave retired agent with high-level assignment (10) | REP reversed + MISSION | |
| 26 | CAVALCADE | |
| Train a large rat captured in cave (9) | (A + L + CAD) inside CAVE | |
| 27 | REACH | |
| Come to a head after end of semester (5) | EACH after SEMESTE(R) | |
| 28 | SURE | |
| Stable land by the sea by the sound of it (4) | Sounds like SHORE | |
| 29 | DENOUEMENT | |
| Outstanding people, holding one, turned back time in final act (10) | (DUE + MEN) outside (ONE reversed) + T | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RATS | |
| Principal recalled an exclamation of annoyance (4) | STAR reversed | |
| 2 | BABYLON | |
| Child left working in historic city in Iraq (7) | BABY + L + ON | |
| 3 | SISTINE CHAPEL | |
| Sister reserved place in the Vatican building? (7,6) | SIS + anagram of PLACE IN THE | |
| 4 | NICKEL | |
| Steal centrepiece of bell metal (6) | NICK + B(EL)L | |
| 5 | SERRATED | |
| River rat tucked into kernel with sharp, forward-pointing teeth (8) | (R + RAT) inside SEED | |
| 7 | COMES ON | |
| Carbon combined with oxygen particle develops (5,2) | C + O + MESON | |
| 8 | DISTENDING | |
| Doctor initially is looking after swelling (10) | (D)OCTOR + IS + TENDING | |
| 11 | SPENDING SPREE | |
| Special resolutions altered peer’s extravagant use of money (8,5) | SP + ENDINGS + anagram of PEER | |
| 14 | DRUMSTICKS | |
| Last drop of methylated spirit penetrates beaters (10) | METHYLATE(D) + RUM + STICKS | |
| 17 | FAIR GAME | |
| Golf following broadcast hosted by celebrity is sport (4,4) | (G after AIR) inside FAME | |
| 19 | RAN OVER | |
| Denial admitted by party animal should be reviewed (3,4) | NO inside RAVER | |
| 21 | STORAGE | |
| Space for keeping stuff held by publicist or agent (7) | publiciST OR AGEnt | |
| 22 | DINERO | |
| One who eats nothing with American bread (6) | DINER + O | |
| 25 | CHAT | |
| Informal talk has not finished in court (4) | (HA)S inside CT |
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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