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.-
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Tag Archives: The Stickler
The Stickler Weekly 53
Check out my post that talks about the first year of The Stickler Weekly here. The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format. The solution to this puzzle will appear next week. Clue … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 52 Solution
What kind of solver are you? A few of us from the Australian Crossword Club meet occasionally for lunch at the Harold Park Hotel to fill in the time between the official ACC functions every November. We don’t talk about … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
6 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 52
**** This puzzle represents a whole year of Stickler Weeklys. Thank you for your continuing support. **** The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format. The solution to this puzzle will appear next week. … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 51 Solution
A few weeks ago a regular contributor and friend, Steve, pointed out a flaw in one of my clues: Author’s claim must be heard (5). Take a look a the discussion here. It took me a while to understand exactly … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 51
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 51 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 51 Solution … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
1 Comment
The Stickler Weekly 50 Solution
A regular contributor to this blog asked me about 2-down, Dysfunctional topic men dislike ultimately? (9), a type of clue known in the trade as an &lit. This translates to “and literally”, and refers to the duplicity of the clue … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
1 Comment
The Stickler Weekly 50
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 50 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 50 Solution … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 49 Solution
I read with interest posts by solvers who proclaim clues as creative but slightly of the mark. To me, these two terms can’t co-exist in a cryptic clue sense. It’s no good if an architect’s elaborate design can’t be built: … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 49
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 49 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 49 Solution … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 48 Solution
I was told when I released the first Stickler Boxed Set that I was “giving it away” at the price I was asking, but believed I really couldn’t ask for more as the included crosswords had already been published. I … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Solutions, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
6 Comments