About the Setter
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.
Tag Archives: crosswords
AFR Year In Review 2023 Solution
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AFR Cryptic (16/12/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 CHALET Short fellow rented small house (6) (CHA)p + LET 5 BUCKLED Stag once showed the way and collapsed (7) BUCK + LED 9 VIRTUAL REALITY A rival utterly upset about one computer-simulated environment … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (9/12/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 RECESS Break up services arranged with 6 down? (6) Anagram of SERVICES minus VI 4 MAJESTIC A joke, one acquired by host, is superb (8) (A + JEST + I) inside MC 9 PURSE … Continue reading
AFR Cryptic (2/12/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 DISTRESS Is time in outfit agony? (8) (IS + T) inside DRESS 5 SEATED Occupants of house ate dinner sitting down (6) houSE ATE D inner 10 CONCERN Business, once in credit, now losing … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (25/11/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 DEAD DRAW Added new green for bowling of the highest level (4,4) Anagram of ADDED + RAW 5 FIBBER Fellow organised bribe for one delivering fabrication (6) F + anagram of BRIBE 9 ARTERIAL … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (18/11/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 STAPLE Principal is to join paper (6) Double definition 4 REVERSAL Odd bits of rust appearing in display switch (8) (R)u(S)t inside REVEAL 10 BUILDING SOCIETY Barrister’s first guilty decision ruined prominent lender (8,7) … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (11/11/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 CLERIC Divine relic excited head of church (6) Anagram of RELIC + (C)hurch 5 HABITAT Natural environment is rather active in Panama possibly (7) (A BIT) inside HAT 9 FORTUNE-TELLERS Timber gatherers collecting erratically … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (4/11/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 INCISE Cut segments from CSI, NCIS etc (6) csI NCIS Etc 4 ACADEMIC A person studying a rat and mutated mice (8) A + CAD + anagram of MICE 9 SAMOA Small NZ bird … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (28/10/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 LOG CABIN Register when taxi returns home (3,5) LOG CAB IN 5 UTTERS Speaks total sense at the start (6) UTTER + (S)ense 10 TRAPEZE Swing part pulled back with ease by the sound … Continue reading
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AFR Cryptic (21/10/2023) Solution
Across Answers and Clues Explanations 1 CORRESPOND Run in hearts added to pool tally (10) R inside CORES + POND 6 CHIT Leading member of choir reached note (4) (C)hoir + HIT 10 RADICAL Basic form of carbon used in … Continue reading
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