The Stickler Weekly – Clue-writing Challenge 1 – Response

Posted on September 12, 2017 by David Stickley

I’m thrilled many of you had a go at writing a few clues and experienced just a taste of what I go through for about 30 clues every crossword. I intentionally picked “good” words to clue, with a mix of vowels and consonants, multiple definitions and fairly obvious wordplay paths. Next time I might add a harder one.

I’m just back from 10 days away celebrating 30 years married to Linda. I’ve been planning this trip for 6 months, but not everything turned out well. There was five days in Mollymook, south coast, NSW, with four friends who attended our wedding. Somehow, I contracted the flu before the start of the holiday and managed to infect the rest. Two friends went home, and the other two travelled with us to Stroudover Cottage in Bemboka, southern NSW, to attend a live-in cooking course, tailor-made to our requirements. Day one was exhausting as I was really ill and the others gradually got worse. At the start of day two, I contacted the chef and cancelled what was remaining AND a cheese-making course that we had tagged on to the end of the cooking course. Graciously, the chef offered us extra accommodation and the chance to recover and complete both courses, which we did eventually, but with great effort and without the enjoyment that such an experience should involve. Saddest of all, the flu zapped our appetites – the last thing we wanted! We had planned to visit friends in Merimbula, far south coast NSW, but that leg had to be cancelled completely.

We left Stroudover Cottage on the improve but the chef and his wife were suffering quite badly from the flu. A memorable trip, and one that didn’t allow me to be as actively involved with all the clueing efforts as I would have wanted. Still not 100% but back on deck, I’ll endeavour to go through the submitted clues and report back (maybe next week).

If you like cooking, I can’t recommend chef Patrick and Stroudover Cottage highly enough. He created a plan specifically for our needs and at a very reasonable price. Please check it out.

Best

David
The Stickler

Posted in Crosswords General, Stickler Weekly General, Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler | 2 Comments

The Stickler Weekly – Clue-writing Challenge

Posted on September 6, 2017 by David Stickley

My wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary yesterday. As a result, I’m giving myself a week off, but I thought I’d give fans a chance to get their hands dirty and write a few clues. I know most of you aren’t interested, but give it a go anyway. Even if you don’t end up posting a clue, I would like you to go through the process of trying to devise a clue.

I used to give my community college students the task of writing just one clue to open a window into my world. There’s no doubt they had a different appreciation of the art of clue-writing after trying to write their own.

Here are three words:

SEPARATE

RESTRAIN

AEROPLANE

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

Best of luck.

The Stickler Weekly will return next week along with last week’s solution.

David
The Stickler

Posted in Crosswords General, Stickler Weekly General, Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler | 78 Comments

The Stickler Weekly 192

Posted on August 30, 2017 by David Stickley

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 192
  Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 192
  Solution to The Stickler Weekly 191
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 192

The Stickler Weekly 192 Clue Hints

Posted on August 30, 2017 by David Stickley

(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

12-across

13-across

14-across

15-across

18-across

21-across

23-across

26-across

27-across

28-across

1-down

3-down

6-down

8-down

11-down

16-down

24-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.
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.
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 clue has two parts, each one defining the answer without using cryptic devices. Ideally each definition should have no etymological relationship.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).

Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.

A word or phrase that defines the answer. All cryptic clues usually have a minimum of one definition which will be located at the beginning or end of the clue.
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 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 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 the result of removing the first or last letter from part of the clue or its synonym. A truncation indicator will be present.
Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

The Stickler Weekly 192 Overseas Help

Posted on August 30, 2017 by David Stickley

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.

Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Stickler Weekly 192 Overseas Help

The Stickler Weekly Solution 191

Posted on August 30, 2017 by David Stickley

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 YELLOW STREAK
Quality of chicken store well treated in talk (6,6) Anagram of STORE WELL inside YAK
9 DIGITAL
Really like it all largely available in electronic form (7) DIG + IT + (AL)L
10 BAR NONE
To a man a farm building must be next to one (3,4) BARN + ONE
11 THEORY
Helium forming minor part of conservative hypothesis (6) HE inside TORY
12 IRONCLAD
Very strict club (and clubs) dealt with youngster (8) IRON + C + LAD
14 DONER KEBAB
Accomplished baker cooked starter of brilliant Middle Eastern food (5,5) DONE + anagram of BAKER + (B)RILLIANT
16 EDEN
Residents of NZ entered paradise? (4) enzED ENtered
18 RARE
Bloody exceptional (4) Double Definition
19 FIELD EVENT
Shot put, say, lifted awkwardly across square (5,5) Anagram of LIFTED outside EVEN
22 PRESENTS
Leading member of parish is offended by offerings (8) (P)ARISH + RESENTS
23 AT EASE
A drink, followed by sex, mostly is relaxed (2,4) A + TEA + (SE)X
26 CRIMSON
Crook family member is flushed (7) CRIM + SON
27 IN A WORD
One on ward suffering disorder briefly (2,1,4) I + anagram of ON WARD
28 SPACE BLANKET
Step clear wearing regular warm clothing (5,7) (PACE + BLANK) inside SET
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
2 EAGLE
Each golfer regularly recorded shot on course (5) EA + (G)o(L)f(E)r
3 LITERARY
Learned final part of testimony after ordering of retrial (8) TESTIMON(Y) after anagram of RETRIAL
4 WOLF
Playboy issue turned up (4) FLOW reversed
5 TABERNACLE
Celebrant prepared outside a place of worship (10) Anagram of CELEBRANT outside A
6 ERRING
Sleeper, say, with a piece missing, is slipping (6) EARRING minus A
7 KNOWLEDGE
King immediately left border with specific information (9) K + NOW + L + EDGE
8 SEND ON
Forward’s goal guarded by local lad (4,2) END inside SON
9 DATED
Square is late getting up, taking time (5) DEAD reversed outside T
13 RESISTANCE
Opposition’s rise changed a point of view (10) Anagram of RISE + STANCE
15 NURSERIES
Plant growers run back and forth? (9) RUN reversed + SERIES (synonym for RUN)
17 RESTRAIN
Check wet weather after time of little activity (8) RAIN after REST
18 REPACK
Restore music collection kept in stand (6) EP inside RACK
20 TREND
Fashion centres in Britain and Australia close (5) BRI(T)AIN + AUST(R)ALIA + END
21 PERSIA
Is agent withdrawn by a division in Asia once? (6) (IS + REP) reversed + A
24 ADORE
Really like a means of access provided by auditor (5) A + sounds like DOOR
25 TILL
Turn over store for money (4) Double Definition

 

Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Stickler Weekly Insights 191 – Cultural Concerns

Posted on August 30, 2017 by David Stickley

A while back, prominent Stickler blog contributor, Arthur, responded to my story regarding a crossword that proved to be too popular for its own good. Continue reading →

Posted in Crosswords General, Stickler Weekly General, Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler | 2 Comments

The Stickler Weekly 191

Posted on August 23, 2017 by David Stickley

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 191
  Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 191
  Solution to The Stickler Weekly 190
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 191

The Stickler Weekly 191 Clue Hints

Posted on August 23, 2017 by David Stickley

(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

9-across

10-across

11-across

12-across

16-across

19-across

22-across

23-across

26-across

28-across

6-down

7-down

8-down

9-down

15-down

20-down

24-down

25-down

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 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 answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
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 butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
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 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.

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 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.
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.

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 answer is found by using the sound of a word or phrase. Sounds-like indicators point the way.
The clue has two parts, each one defining the answer without using cryptic devices. Ideally each definition should have no etymological relationship.
Posted in Stickler Weekly Clue Help, The Stickler | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

The Stickler Weekly 191 Overseas Help

Posted on August 23, 2017 by David Stickley

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)


16-across

26-across

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 191 Overseas Help