
Last week there was a reasonable amount of discussion about 23-down: 7 – 5 = 2? Continue reading

Last week there was a reasonable amount of discussion about 23-down: 7 – 5 = 2? Continue reading
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 199 | |
| Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 199 | |
| Solution to The Stickler Weekly 198 | |
| 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.
Examples: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.
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.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
Examples: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.
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.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
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 | ABSOLUTELY | |
| By all means use lot mixed in well (10) | Anagram of USE LOT inside ABLY | |
| 6 | LOUD | |
| Rowdy pair left a different way (4) | (DUO + L) reversed | |
| 10 | PROPS | |
| They support items seen on stage (5) | Double definition | |
| 11 | ERADICATE | |
| Get rid of distracted dear that is occupied with cat (9) | Anagram of DEAR + (CAT inside IE) | |
| 12 | RETAILED | |
| Sold dog in a rush (8) | TAIL inside REED | |
| 13 | NO-GOOD | |
| Worthless sentimentality stuffing affirmative action (2-4) | GOO inside NOD | |
| 15 | DAUGHTER-IN-LAW | |
| Handle guitar restored by widower’s first son’s wife (8-2-3) | Anagram of HANDLE GUITAR + (W)IDOWER | |
| 18 | NUCLEAR WEAPON | |
| Warplane, on cue, deployed a destructive device (7,6) | Anagram of WARPLANE ON CUE | |
| 22 | LOCUST | |
| Place stripped its false acacia? (6) | LOCUS + I(T)S | |
| 24 | FLOUNDER | |
| Come unstuck trapping large fish (8) | FOUNDER outside L | |
| 26 | WINNEBAGO | |
| Camper’s accommodation secured by network in the past (9) | INN inside WEB + AGO | |
| 27 | DELAY | |
| Head of department backed American school’s suspension (5) | (D)EPARTMENT + (YALE reversed) | |
| 28 | RAYS | |
| Pick up sound beams (4) | Sounds like RAISE | |
| 29 | CONSIDERED | |
| Fool, embarrassed about large body part, should be studied (10) | CON + (RED outside SIDE) | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ASPIRE | |
| Have high ambitions as detective progressed at the centre (6) | AS + PI + PROG(RE)SSED | |
| 2 | SPOTTED | |
| Polka-dot snotrag initially put in pocket (7) | (S)NOTRAG + POTTED | |
| 3 | LASSITUDE | |
| Lab mostly studies treated apathy (9) | (LA)B + anagram of STUDIES | |
| 4 | THERE THERE | |
| The retired in this place don’t cry (5,5) | THE + RET + HERE | |
| 5 | LOAD | |
| Prepare to fire young man outside ring (4) | LAD outside O | |
| 7 | ON A ROLL | |
| List of distinguished people reportedly having continued success (2,1,4) | Sounds like HONOUR ROLL | |
| 8 | DEEP DOWN | |
| Page in legal document now modified fundamentally (4,4) | P inside DEED + anagram NOW | |
| 9 | LINO | |
| Strip of vinyl in ordinary floor covering (4) | vinyL IN Ordinary | |
| 14 | REBELLIOUS | |
| Be unfortunate with upturn in fluctuating euros defying lawful control (10) | [BE + (ILL reversed)] inside anagram of EUROS | |
| 16 | IMPOUNDED | |
| Legally seized drugs primarily used in shady opium den (9) | (D)RUGS inside anagram of OPIUM DEN | |
| 17 | IN FLOWER | |
| Come to a conclusion about poor blossoming (2,6) | INFER outside LOW | |
| 19 | COCKNEY | |
| Unloved one embraced by arrogant Londoner? (7) | O(NE) inside COCKY | |
| 20 | NODULAR | |
| Unload broken container finally with a few bumps (7) | Anagram of UNLOAD + CONTAINE(R) | |
| 21 | PRAYED | |
| Padre, upset about conclusion of homily, talked to God (6) | Anagram of PADRE outside HOMIL(Y) | |
| 23 | SEEN | |
| 7 – 5 = 2? (4) | SEVEN minus V | |
| 25 | TACO | |
| Types bound to eat a cooked Mexican dish (4) | eaT A COoked |

Over the years I have tried to do my bit to help people learn something about solving cryptic crosswords. For a number of semesters I ran a solving cryptic crossword course at one of my local community colleges, with the course running for two hours a week for eight consecutive weeks. Attendance was never great, and early drop-outs (“What have I got myself into!”) were relatively common. When I got really busy with other crossword work, I had to stop these courses, but there was (and still is) a need to have an introductory taster presentation prepared for various groups who want some cryptic insight. I’m generally reluctant to give two-hour presentations unless it’s made abundantly clear to particpants that I’m not teaching people how to solve, I’m just opening a small window into the cryptic world. No-one should expect to be a cryptic crossword solving expert after a two-hour download of pure head knowledge. I think it takes about a year of practice to become proficient at solving. As long as that’s clear, I’ll happily run a session for allcomers.
A couple of years ago I ran some introductory courses for a mob call Laneway Learning, which operates mostly in the inner city. These sessions were one-time only, so I had to come up with something that wasn’t too academic, a bit of fun, and got the message across. The result was a series of word games, each one representing a common cryptic device. After talking briefly about the basic structure of a clue (definition and wordplay), I would seemingly stop the cryptic talk and launch into the word games, saying that I want them in the right frame of mind for what is to come. First one is a letter jumble, starting with direct letter matching, followed by something a little more complex, a letter jumble that results in a word that means the same as a given one. Next, a basic search among words followed by finding hidden words that mean the same as given words. Then, joining words to make new ones, and last putting words around or in others to make new words. In each case, I took the concept beyond the original one by introducing complexity without changing the structure. By the end of the four word games I had the basis to to talk about anagrams, hiddens, charades and container and its contents, four common cryptic clue concepts. I used one example from each of the word games and turned them into cryptic clues, showing how my instructions on playing the word games were replaced by indicators in the clues.
I think this is a really good way to ease newcomers into cryptic solving, using concepts they are familiar with in a non-threatening way. Almost everyone can deal with a few simple word games.
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.
| Clue Hints for The Stickler Weekly 198 | |
| Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 198 | |
| Solution to The Stickler Weekly 197 | |
| 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.
Examples: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: part of, associated with, types of.
Examples: upset, reversed, retired, in withdrawal, over etc.
Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.
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 | MALEFACTOR | |
| Offender’s manly characteristic (10) | MALE + FACTOR | |
| 6 | GRIP | |
| Handle complaint briefly (4) | (GRIP)E | |
| 10 | DEMONIC | |
| Hellish protest against turning in leader of cult (7) | DEMO + (IN reversed) + (C)ULT | |
| 11 | CONTACT | |
| Get through to fraud with subtlety (7) | CON + TACT | |
| 12 | OBSTACLES | |
| Drunken constable is not counting in bars (9) | Anagram of CONSTABLE IS minus IN | |
| 13 | O-RING | |
| Seal section of floor in garage (1-4) | floOR IN Garage | |
| 14 | RESTED | |
| Estate with investment in wine ceased activity (6) | EST inside RED | |
| 16 | FOOTING | |
| Metal, transported by mistake, brought back for foundation (7) | TIN inside (GOOF reversed) | |
| 17 | CAN | |
| Adolescent slipped out of food outlet with drink container (3) | CANTEEN minus TEEN | |
| 19 | BASTION | |
| Italian wine stocked in good French stronghold (7) | ASTI inside BON | |
| 20 | WIND UP | |
| Good conditions for sailing to finish (4,2) | Double Definition | |
| 23 | TRIAL | |
| Aussie showman returned after end of important court action (5) | LAIR reversed after IMPORTAN(T) | |
| 24 | THE MATTER | |
| Those people with treat arranged may be wrong (3,6) | THEM + anagram of TREAT | |
| 26 | LEANS ON | |
| Child who doesn’t like fat bullies (5,2) | LEAN SON | |
| 27 | EMINENT | |
| Renowned enterprise’s closing mine on border of Northern Territory (7) | ENTERPRIS(E) + MINE + NT | |
| 28 | SEEM | |
| Appear to identify with mass (4) | SEE + M | |
| 29 | GERMINATED | |
| Mutated form of garden mite began to grow (10) | Anagram of GARDEN MITE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | MEDIOCRE | |
| Doctor holding oxygen on pedestrian (8) | MEDIC outside O + RE | |
| 2 | LIMES | |
| Uses basic stuff to fertilise fruit trees (5) | Double Definition | |
| 3 | FUNDAMENTALISM | |
| Support a leader of theology after people misinterpreted Islam’s uncompromising religious beliefs (14) | FUND + A + [(T)HEOLOGY after MEN) + anagram of ISLAM | |
| 4 | CACKLE | |
| Egg supplier’s informative call? (6) | Cryptic Definition | |
| 5 | OCCASION | |
| Part of casino is accommodating uplifting event (8) | casiNO IS ACCOmmodating reversed | |
| 7 | REALIGNED | |
| Was king, accepting all, largely straightened out? (9) | REIGNED outside (AL)L | |
| 8 | POTAGE | |
| Soup, for example, a superior served up (6) | (EG + A + TOP) reversed | |
| 9 | INDOCTRINATION | |
| Training concerned with GP and triathlon race (14) | IN + DOC + TRI + NATION | |
| 15 | STAMINATE | |
| Male, a minister, imprisoned by political power (9) | (A + MIN) inside STATE | |
| 16 | FAN | |
| Cool person who provides support (3) | Double Definition | |
| 17 | CONTINUE | |
| Maintain unit set up inside volcanic hill (8) | UNIT reversed inside CONE | |
| 18 | SPIRITED | |
| Lively insect’s wings tied up by agitated spider? (8) | (I)NSEC(T) inside anagram of SPIDER | |
| 21 | STILLS | |
| Suppliers of alcohol not moving spirits in the end (6) | STILL + SPIRIT(S) | |
| 22 | REDEEM | |
| Buy back diamonds owned by emeer abroad (6) | D inside anagram of EMEER | |
| 25 | TREAT | |
| Menacing statement not supported by hospital doctor (5) | THREAT minus H |