
I don’t solve other cryptic crosswords nearly as much as I should. Continue reading

I don’t solve other cryptic crosswords nearly as much as I should. Continue reading
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 197 | |
| Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 197 | |
| Solution to The Stickler Weekly 196 | |
| 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.
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: part of, associated with, types of.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
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 | PATIENCE | |
| Cards match completed by bridge player in time (8) | (TIE + N) inside PACE | |
| 5 | STRAND | |
| Run aground with anchor finally in position (6) | ANCHO(R) inside STAND | |
| 9 | EXPERIMENTALIST | |
| Professional admitting terrible ailment is testing person (15) | EXPERT outside (anagram of AILMENT + IS) | |
| 11 | SEE THROUGH | |
| Penetrate boil not completely hard (3,7) | (SEETH)E + ROUGH | |
| 12 | YARN | |
| Energy not maintained in long story (4) | YEARN minus E | |
| 14 | PASTOR | |
| Minister finished work at the centre (6) | PAST + W(OR)K | |
| 15 | STOUTEST | |
| Most resolute students ultimately not allowed into examination (8) | STUDENT(S) + (OUT inside TEST) | |
| 17 | SLAVERED | |
| Hard worker, suffering from exposure, showed signs of hunger (8) | SLAVE + RED | |
| 19 | BIASED | |
| Partisan, one for instance, engaged by foundation (6) | (I + AS) inside BED | |
| 22 | HALL | |
| Everybody gathered at the back of hospital’s assembly room (4) | ALL after H | |
| 23 | LIBERATION | |
| Release abridged form of written accusation and share (10) | (LIBE)L + RATION | |
| 26 | SHRINKING VIOLET | |
| Shy person accepted sovereign wearing odd-looking short veil (9,6) | (IN + KING) inside anagram of SHORT VEIL | |
| 27 | EMERGE | |
| Come out and mingle after end of performance (6) | MERGE after PERFORMANC(E) | |
| 28 | URINATED | |
| Weed, one found in nature, weirdly died (8) | I inside anagram of NATURE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | PEELS | |
| Soft fish sheds skin (5) | P + EELS | |
| 2 | TAPPETS | |
| Drain and measure up engine parts (7) | TAP + (STEP reversed) | |
| 3 | EARTHMOVER | |
| The army greatly worked over a digger, say (10) | Anagram of (THE ARM)Y + OVER | |
| 4 | COMMON | |
| Ordinary punctuation?mark not totally acceptable (6) | (COMM)A + ON | |
| 6 | TEAK | |
| Timber cut down one side (4) | S(TEAK) | |
| 7 | ANIMATE | |
| Encourage one engaged by an associate (7) | I inside (AN + MATE) | |
| 8 | DETONATED | |
| 24 rolled up, arranged date, and went off? (9) | NOTED reversed + anagram of DATE | |
| 10 | NIGHTS | |
| Times when people find it hard to see things at sea (6) | Anagram of THINGS | |
| 13 | MUTILATION | |
| Physical deformity, one located originally in evolution (10) | [I + (L)OCATED] inside MUTATION | |
| 14 | POST-HASTE | |
| Speedy delivery has limitations of time? (4-5) | POST + HAS + (T)IM(E) | |
| 16 | GEMINI | |
| Sign, for example, lifted on top of small car (6) | EG reversed + MINI | |
| 18 | AT LARGE | |
| Tonne carried by a jumbo for free (2,5) | T inside (A + LARGE) | |
| 20 | SKILLET | |
| Frying pan butcher spotted among a collection of items (7) | KILL inside SET | |
| 21 | VERGER | |
| Church official is ignored by upset grievers (6) | Anagram of GRIEVERS minus IS | |
| 24 | NOTED | |
| Not one in charge of a paper is prominent (5) | NOT + ED | |
| 25 | SNUG | |
| Compact weapons turned up (4) | GUNS reversed |

When I write the Stickler Weekly, I make a mental note of clues I think will cause solvers some trouble and clues that I think solvers will especially like. 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 196 | |
| Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 196 | |
| Solution to The Stickler Weekly 195 | |
| 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: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
Examples: beheaded, cut short, endless, nearly, largely etc.
Examples: beheaded, cut short, endless, nearly, largely etc.
Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.
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.

| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | ANGEL | |
| An application in semi-solid form is a very good one (5) | AN + GEL | |
| 4 | DECORATOR | |
| Interior designer last month briefly hooked up with speaker (9) | DEC(ember) + ORATOR | |
| 9 | TALIPOT | |
| A mouthpiece clutched in youngster’s palm? (7) | (A + LIP) inside TOT | |
| 10 | MAUNDER | |
| Mother included in ramble (7) | MA + UNDER | |
| 11 | POLYNESIA | |
| Pacific island group is openly maligned by America’s leader (9) | Anagram of IS OPENLY + (A)MERICA | |
| 13 | HOODS | |
| Bad guys lifted car parts (5) | Double Definition | |
| 14 | LION-HEARTED | |
| Brave told stories about another in a bad way (4-7) | LIED about anagram of ANOTHER | |
| 16 | SAD | |
| Sea, oddly, died down (3) | (S)E(A) + D | |
| 18 | TOP | |
| Leading vessel turned back (3) | POT reversed | |
| 20 | PRETENTIOUS | |
| Pompous goody-goody keeping on big top, say (11) | PIOUS outside (RE + TENT) | |
| 22 | ADEPT | |
| Experienced associates of intolerant pedagogue returned (5) | intoleranT PEDAgogue | |
| 23 | ON THE WANE | |
| Mixture of ethane now past its prime (2,3,4) | Anagram of ETHANE NOW | |
| 25 | STILTED | |
| Wooden pole put on an angle (7) | S + TILTED | |
| 26 | HIS NIBS | |
| Blow off steam about writer, one in authority (3,4) | HISS outside NIB | |
| 27 | TREASURED | |
| Favourite walk around stable (9) | TREAD outside SURE | |
| 28 | LINED | |
| Wrinkled, like the inside of a good suit (5) | Double Definition | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | AUTOPILOT | |
| A perfect place contracted group’s guide on board ship (9) | A + (UTOPI)A + LOT | |
| 2 | GALILEO | |
| Great Italian goalie tossed around ball finally (7) | Anagram of GOALIE outside BAL(L) | |
| 3 | LAPIN | |
| Go round wearing rabbit fur (5) | LAP + IN | |
| 4 | DOT | |
| Complete time period (3) | DO + T | |
| 5 | COMPARTMENT | |
| Division’s remark about gin turning up (11) | COMMENT outside (TRAP reversed) | |
| 6 | ROUGHED IT | |
| Resistance leader from Germany, living in hide-out, somehow did without basic comforts (7,2) | R + [(G)ERMANY inside anagram of HIDEOUT] | |
| 7 | TEDIOUS | |
| Outsider, greatly disconcerted, is tiresome (7) | Anagram of (OUTSIDE)R | |
| 8 | RORTS | |
| Reports missing record number of dishonest schemes (5) | REPORTS minus EP | |
| 12 | SHAREHOLDER | |
| Investor has fixed her up with senior (11) | Anagram of HAS + (HER reversed) + OLDER | |
| 15 | HEPATITIS | |
| High temperature – it is restricting onset of patient’s viral disease (9) | (HEAT + IT IS) outside (P)ATIENT | |
| 17 | DISPERSED | |
| Broadcast is essentially produced in vacated dockland? (9) | (IS + PER SE) inside D(OCKLAN)D | |
| 19 | PUERILE | |
| Adolescent turned up on ecstasy to irritate (7) | UP reversed + E + RILE | |
| 21 | ORATION | |
| Prepared to air one unfinished speech (7) | Anagram of TO AIR + (ON)E | |
| 22 | ASSET | |
| Help a small group (5) | A + S + SET | |
| 24 | EASEL | |
| Carefully move large piece of artist’s equipment (5) | EASE + L | |
| 26 | HAD | |
| Experienced firm giving up right (3) | HARD minus R |