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 | POSTLUDE | |
| Voluntary guard’s location ahead of arranged duel (8) | POST + anagram of DUEL | |
| 5 | CHOSEN | |
| Tube put in empty can is picked out? (6) | HOSE inside C(a)N | |
| 9 | THOUGHT | |
| Mental activity may be all the same with time (7) | THOUGH + T | |
| 10 | TALKING | |
| Head of Linguistics involved in delightful conversation (7) | (L)INGUISTICS inside TAKING | |
| 11 | TAPESTRIES | |
| Needlework samples shown at end of videos (10) | TRIES after TAPES | |
| 12 | BUST | |
| Work of art is broken (4) | Double Definition | |
| 14 | OSTRACISM | |
| Replacement of actors is mass exclusion (9) | Anagram of ACTORS + IS + M | |
| 16 | SEAL | |
| Ocean mammal ultimately? (4) | SEA + MAMMA(L) | |
| 18 | FINE | |
| Suitable punishment for doing something wrong (4) | Double Definition | |
| 19 | AD NAUSEAM | |
| Genetic material identified in gold layer time after time (2,7) | DNA inside AU + SEAM | |
| 21 | UNDO | |
| Open combined sections of playground only (4) | playgroUND Only | |
| 22 | DISCIPLINE | |
| Check record with one piano track (10) | DISC + I + P + LINE | |
| 25 | HEATHEN | |
| Irreligious head almost terminated at a later date (7) | (HEA)D + THEN | |
| 26 | EDIFIES | |
| Instructs journalist in case that is starting to surface (7) | ED + IF + IE + (S)URFACE | |
| 27 | DREAMY | |
| Wonderful doctor may be taking surgery without bookings initially (6) | DR + [anagram of MAY BE minus (B)OOKINGS] | |
| 28 | BRANCHED | |
| Area of garden enclosing large farm is spread out (8) | BED outside RANCH | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PETITION | |
| Lowly worker, taking it around twice, signed request (8) | PEON outside (IT reversed twice) | |
| 2 | SLOOP | |
| Craft shop’s opening collective up (5) | (S)HOP + (POOL reversed) | |
| 3 | LEGISLATED | |
| Section, one heavily criticised, made laws (10) | LEG + I + SLATED | |
| 4 | DETERMINATION | |
| Prevent one country following presidium’s final ruling (13) | DETER + [(I + NATION) after PRESIDIU(M)] | |
| 6 | HALT | |
| Walk unsteadily to stop (4) | Double Definition | |
| 7 | STIPULATE | |
| Lay down fresh tulips at base of gravestone (9) | Anagram of TULIPS + AT + GRAVESTON(E) | |
| 8 | NEGATE | |
| Neutralise agent tortured by enemy at the front (6) | Anagram of AGENT + (E)NEMY | |
| 10 | THERMONUCLEAR | |
| The column replaced in set up involving atomic fusion (13) | THE + (anagram of COLUMN inside REAR) | |
| 13 | ASSUMPTION | |
| Game official turned it on following dope seizure (10) | (UMP + IT reversed + ON) after ASS | |
| 15 | THIRD BASE | |
| Bids are greatly varied in the diamond area (5,4) | Anagram of (BIDS AR)E inside THE | |
| 17 | IMMERSED | |
| Essential elements of slimmer’s education should be absorbed (8) | slIMMERS Education | |
| 20 | PUSHED | |
| Backed up in front of storage unit in a hurry (6) | UP reversed + SHED | |
| 23 | IRISH | |
| Hippie originally behind Flower People (5) | (H)IPPIE after IRIS | |
| 24 | SHAM | |
| Fraud has adversely impacted millions (4) | Anagram of HAS + M |
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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.
 |
Clue Hints for The Stickler Weekly 211 |
 |
Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 211 |
 |
Solution to The Stickler Weekly 210 |
|
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!
(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: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
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.
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.
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.
It seems that although many people have time off over the Christmas/New Year holiday period, they don’t spend it solving cryptic crosswords. I suspect people generally take a break from what they regularly do, which is fair enough. Consequently the website stats show that most people are in catch-up mode (or still on a break), so I’m pausing for a week to hopefully let people get back into the swing of things.
Those right up-to-date might like to take on another clue-writing challenge, something that seemed to tickle the fancy of many Stickler solvers the first time round.
Here are four words:
DISCOVER
PIONEER
CONCISE
BALANCE
Submit clues here for one or more of these words, and feel free to comment on what’s posted but remember this isn’t easy, so be constructive and nice.
You’ll need:
A definition
Wordplay
Nothing else
Tip: Some of the words have obvious wordplay breakdowns – write good clues using these breakdowns BEFORE attempting other wordplays.
Best of luck.
The Stickler Weekly will return next week.
David
The Stickler
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SLEDGEHAMMER | |
| Hard hitter’s advantage hooligans primarily witnessed in jail (12) | [EDGE + (H)OOLIGANS] inside SLAMMER | |
| 9 | TRACHEA | |
| Hydrogen found in search for a gas-pipe (7) | H inside TRACE + A | |
| 10 | PAINTER | |
| Landscaper, perhaps, is not commonly breaking through (7) | AINT inside PER | |
| 11 | PROPERTY | |
| Quality veteran forward playing in the centre (8) | PRO + PERT + PLA(Y)ING | |
| 12 | SLINKY | |
| Coloured fluid used in clever children’s toy (6) | INK inside SLY | |
| 14 | DEED | |
| Exploit senior reporter running back and forth (4) | ED reversed + ED | |
| 15 | VACCINATED | |
| Victim’s head, impacted by a terrible accident, is protected from infection (10) | (V)ICTIM + A + anagram of ACCIDENT | |
| 18 | UNABRIDGED | |
| A bun, rough and crinkly, is whole (10) | Anagram of A BUN + RIDGED | |
| 19 | IBIS | |
| Wader is following one back to club (4) | IS after [I + CLU(B)] | |
| 22 | TOP HAT | |
| Surgery conducted in that head gear considered first-class (3,3) | OP inside THAT | |
| 24 | STURGEON | |
| Child taking time to encourage valued swimmer (8) | SON outside (T + URGE) | |
| 26 | LOADING | |
| A racket noted in journal is appearing on screen (7) | (A + DIN) inside LOG | |
| 27 | BONFIRE | |
| It burns wood in section of frame (7) | FIR inside BONE | |
| 28 | TESTOSTERONE | |
| Investigate store changing whole production of nuts (12) | TEST + anagram of STORE + ONE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SOAP OPERA | |
| Drama series very much appreciated by each generation (4,5) | SO + A POP + ERA | |
| 2 | ECHOES | |
| Bride finally chose fashioned rings (6) | BRID(E) + anagram of CHOSE | |
| 3 | GIANT PANDA | |
| Guinea interbred taipan and a vulnerable species (5,5) | G + anagram of TAIPAN AND | |
| 4 | HOPE | |
| Trust employees of shop explicitly? (4) | sHOP Explicitly | |
| 5 | MAINLAND | |
| Home computer system adopted by extremely enthusiastic part of a country (8) | (IN + LAN) inside MAD | |
| 6 | EATEN | |
| Had something scrambled after starter (5) | B(EATEN) | |
| 7 | STUPID | |
| Thickheaded boss probed by private investigator (6) | STUD outside PI | |
| 8 | X-RAYED | |
| I’m clear of fresh batch of Readymix examined internally for problems (1-5) | Anagram of READYMIX minus IM | |
| 13 | ACCEPTABLE | |
| PC ace reorganised data structure all right (10) | Anagram of PC ACE + TABLE | |
| 16 | TABLE WINE | |
| Yarn about expert oenophile’s choice, perhaps (5,4) | TWINE outside ABLE | |
| 17 | ORGANIST | |
| Love arrangement of a string instrument player (8) | O + anagram of A STRING | |
| 18 | UNTOLD | |
| Great unit losing one veteran (6) | UNIT minus I + OLD | |
| 20 | SINNER | |
| Wrongdoer’s small secret (6) | S + INNER | |
| 21 | GRINGO | |
| Band appearing in function is Foreigner (6) | RING inside GO | |
| 23 | PEACE | |
| Sound of musical composition’s harmony (5) | Sounds like PIECE | |
| 25 | AGES | |
| Passengers in carriage sat a long time (4) | carriAGE Sat |
Recently a well-known and prolific setter, named Roger Squires (Rufus in The Guardian), announced his retirement. Continue reading
First, I want thank those who have recently invested in The Stickler’s future. There were a number of gifts around Christmas that lifted my spirits greatly.
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 210 |
|
Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 210 |
|
Solution to The Stickler Weekly 209 |
|
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!
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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