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 48
**** I must apologise if this puzzle is missing something. There was medical emergency in our family that cut my preparation time short **** The Stickler for this week is now available. Please select your preferred solving format. The solution … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 47 Solution
I was reminded a few weeks back that as a setter I must not only cater for a huge range of solvers with different abilities but consider where people may be at in their lives and what experiences they may … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 47
**** Just a reminder that a “?” at the end of a Stickler clue can mean that language abuse is being used. That is, some part of the clue is technically incorrect and must be unravelled. If language abuse is … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
9 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 46 Solution
I’ve been solving cryptic crosswords since I was 15 – that’s almost 40 years. I compiled my first published crossword in my 20s in a staff magazine and considered myself a professional setter in my early 30s. Those early compiling … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 46
**** There is a bonus clue for 4-down in this week’s puzzle. It’s accessible directly in the online version – the PDF version doesn’t have it, but it is accessible here. **** The Stickler for this week is now available. … Continue reading
Posted in Stickler Weekly Puzzles, The Stickler
Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
1 Comment
The Stickler Weekly 45 Solution
Recently I was chuffed to find a reference to The Stickler Weekly in an article featured in The Atlantic, an American monthly publication. For many years The Atlantic published cryptics by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, two of my cryptic … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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The Stickler Weekly 45
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 45 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 45 Solution … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
2 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 44 Solution
In the early days I had no luck plugging my cryptic crosswords, so I turned to writing themed crosswords to try and sell to magazines, believing I was on a sure winner. Trouble is, writing theme crosswords is hard and … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
7 Comments
The Stickler Weekly 44
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 44 Overseas Help for The Stickler Weekly 44 Solution … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, online, printable, The Stickler
1 Comment
The Stickler Weekly 43 Solution
There are a number of rules of thumb regarding the structure of a cryptic clue that new solvers are taught to give them a good starting point. One is that most clues have two parts: definition and wordplay, with the … Continue reading
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Tagged cryptic crossword, solution, The Stickler
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