A solver emailed me saying they really liked 24-across in this puzzle. If you’ve solved many Sticklers, you’ll be aware that I love anagrams involving subtraction. Wordplay for such clues always require appropriate anagram and subtraction indicators, offering a setter multiple ways to come up with good surface readings. They can cause division though – should the letters to be removed be contiguous in the anagram fodder? Some say yes, but I view anagrams as letter mixtures, and can’t see logically why letters need to be removed as a unit. After all, composite anagrams, where abbreviations of a word or words must be combined with other anagram fodder to work, treat the process as letter-based, so I can’t see a lot of difference. I also would like to claim that the increase in subtractive anagrams in cryptics worldwide is largely down to me, as one of the best crossword programs out there, Crossword Compiler, contains an anagram function that makes spotting and creating them fairly easy, and I suggested its inclusion.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | AMBASSADOR | |
| A male singer runs following trouble with foreign agent (10) | A + M + BASS + (R after ADO) | |
| 7 | DRUB | |
| Beat knight pierced by spear in the back (4) | DUB outside R | |
| 10 | ACROBATS | |
| Top performers steal from one taking part in performances (8) | (ROB + A) inside ACTS | |
| 11 | SECURE | |
| Find out about dog in the bag (6) | SEE outside CUR | |
| 12 | ADJOIN | |
| A nightclub employee on about one neighbour (6) | A + DJ + (ON outside I) | |
| 13 | ILL-FATED | |
| Unlucky fall – it altered focus of procedures? (3-5) | Anagram of FALLIT + ED | |
| 14 | ANTI | |
| Against a religious work written by Isaiah primarily (4) | A + NT + I | |
| 15 | DIGRESSION | |
| Archaeological site, viewed by seniors, organised departure (10) | DIG + anagram of SENIORS | |
| 18 | MASTERMIND | |
| Health professional holding, for instance, title in authority (10) | MD outside (AS + TERM + IN) | |
| 21 | SUIT | |
| Administrative official reduced size of hotel accommodation (4) | SUITE shortened | |
| 22 | RETRENCH | |
| Reduce one’s workforce on excavation (8) | RE + TRENCH | |
| 24 | STATIC | |
| Steady activist not supporting one opposed to changing (6) | Anagram of ACTIVIST minus (I + V) | |
| 25 | LEAVEN | |
| Don’t change nitrogen in raising agent (6) | LEAVE + N | |
| 26 | BRAINPAN | |
| Fall in blood pressure connected to one part of the head (8) | RAIN inside BP + AN | |
| 27 | DESK | |
| Associates of guides knocked bureau (4) | guiDES Knocked | |
| 28 | OVERRIDDEN. | |
| Drunk driver, one punched by detective and set aside (10) | Anagram of DRIVER ONE outside D. | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | MACEDONIA | |
| Country club fellow and I hooked up with head of Apple (9) | MACE + DON + I + A | |
| 3 | APOLOGIST | |
| A ball game is clinched by great defender (9) | A + POLO + (IS inside GT) | |
| 4 | SCANNED | |
| Peas finally sealed in a tin should be examined closely (7) | S + CANNED | |
| 5 | DISTINGUISHABLE | |
| Clear building site has changed (15) | Anagram of BUILDING SITE HAS | |
| 6 | RESOLVE | |
| Lovers lacking cohesion and energy break up (7) | Anagram of LOVERS + E | |
| 8 | ROUST | |
| Stir up leader of sect in hiding (5) | S inside ROUT | |
| 9 | BLEND IN | |
| Wine store securing loan to match others (5,2) | BIN outside LEND | |
| 16 | SUSTAINED | |
| American wearing black is held up (9) | STAINED outside US | |
| 17 | ORIGINATE | |
| Speak about one game pioneer (9) | ORATE outside (I + GIN) | |
| 18 | MARBLED | |
| Streaky sheep stood up and haemorrhaged (7) | RAM reversed + BLED | |
| 19 | RAN INTO | |
| Came across river bordering developed nation (3,4) | R + anagram of NATION | |
| 20 | DESPAIR | |
| Padre is not right to give up hope (7) | Anagram of PADRE IS | |
| 23 | TEATS. | |
| Closing of supermarket finishes off food and milk suppliers (5) | T + EATS. |
BIG TICK, David – almost got there on one and two, here comes three.
This is all working so very well. Great work and best wishes.
regards Richard