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Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
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A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.
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.
The answer is hidden among the words of the clue. No spare words should be present. A suitable hidden indicator will point to the buried text.
Examples: part of, associated with, types of.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
A word or series of words that signify the turning around (across & down clues), or overturning (down clues only) of letters.
Examples: upset, reversed, retired, in withdrawal, over etc.
A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.
Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A question mark has been used to indicate "language abuse", that is, a word or words in a clue are used in a technically incorrect way, but the meaning can be still inferred.
Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The entire answer can be discovered by mixing up letters. An appropriate anagram indicator will be present.
A word or series of words that signify the turning around (across & down clues), or overturning (down clues only) of letters.
Examples: upset, reversed, retired, in withdrawal, over etc.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.
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.
The answer is found by removing a letter, letters, or a word (either found directly in the clue or derived) from a word or words (or their synonyms). Subtractions involving synonyms must be done with contiguous letters, that is, a word will subtract directly unless specifically indicated. A subtraction indicator is present to initiate the action.
It’s baaack!
ThanksDavid for another challenging workout. My last one in was 24 ac. Took an extra cup of coffee over that one!!!!
18ac was a new word fo me.
Hope the bread making was a success.
Finished it but didn’t get the congrats. Puzzled until I realised I had spelled a word wrong. Grrr …
I managed to get this out over a long lunch and 24-ac was also my last to fall. I put ticks next to clues I thought were of an exceptional standard and I’ve got about a dozen ticks. If pressed, I’d say 2-dn and 21-dn were favourites.
I’ve also highlighted 12 favourites. I wonder how many of them coincide with yours?
Quite a relief to get back to another Stickler, having finished the archives and after grappling rather unsuccessfully with the Guardian puzzles for the last fortnight. Once again, the seemingly impossible slowly unravelled to be feasible after all. 24a likewise last to fall. Liked 2d, 4d, 5d……. well all of them really, with 14d best of all. Thanks David – all the more appreciated now with the weekly wait. Please forgive a twinge of sour grapes about the sourdough though!
Didn’t think I was going to get this one but managed to stumble over the line this morning with the difficult 24a last in. Liked 12a and 4d, thank you David, your bread looked very nice 😀
7d and 6a have me stuck. Finally got 24a (great clue) but no congrats. Checked all the spellings (Christine which did you spell wrong) so went back and couldn’t really support the answers I had for 7d and 6a.
Solved 7d and 6a but still no congrats. Hoping I have the same spelling error as Christine but can’t seem to find it. Help appreciated.
It was 11d I spelled wrong, silly transposition of letters. Check the spellings for 12a and 24a as well. Good luck!
Sterling Performances All, well done – but I am not amongst you.
Stuck at 24a & 22d
& the “Why So” List is long
13a – ???
15a – where does the extra “e” come from?
29a – can perhaps accept “wallowing” as ???? – as in crass
3d – got it, but can not unscramble this Egg
8d – got it too, but can’t grasp “under new building”?
Hi Richard,
13a is an obscure anatomical term, luckily found by chance in google. The clue is clear enough. Likewise 24a, though better known – sprang to mind from the crosses.
22d – a Perth soccer fan might have a head-start!
15a – follow the direction!
29a – wallowing as in, found as verb….
3d – coaches plural, assistant back, take it easy.
8d – indicator!
Hope that helps, but not too much!
Many Thanks Patrick – almost All-Good
22d – had the letters, Perth was the key which then led to 24a
13a – did not fly high enough!!!
15a – thought so
8d – yes, it’s all in the Indicator (good one)
Remains to take a step back & reconsider cluing for 24a, 29a & 3d.
It will all be there, somewhere!!!
22d – I’m a Perthonality and I never got the connection?
Perth was no help to me either. I got my solution in church where we used to sing it ever y week.
Christine – Patrick is referring to the name of the Perth team in the A-League.
Richard 11 hours after your post, so I hope you have sorted out your 24a, 29a and 3d.
Rested on my laurels Arthur & haven’t been back so Apologies for seeming to ignore you.
As it happened I was on track with 24a & 29a
but lost on 3d – the CAR/CAR escaped me, I was thinking “CARS” & I was going with “AIDE”.
I am Clueless on ALL matters football, not even sure if Perth Glory is Soccer??? Surprised others missed it tho.
So many highlights this week:
1a: a new expression for me
9a, 3d: great definitions
12a: topical – but the wrong sort of bakery. The sourdough looked fabulous, by the way.
13a: a new word for me
24a: another great definition. Thanks to Mrs Mansell for coming up with the right farm animal. That, plus the cross letters, led to the answer.
26a: “utter regret”
27a: loved the wordplay
1d: “Bless rebel” was tricky and clever
5d: “former union member”
8d: “under new building”
19d: “mother on farm”
21d: good fun – the sort of flow experienced by someone suffering from cruciverbalist’s block
Loved all these too Greg. Overall, quite a work-out.
Couple of weeks off would seem to have restocked David’s arsenal.
Mine wasn’t a spelling error but just a typo that I finally saw and then got Congrats. This was one of the best Sticklers ever. The Bless rebel clue, when I finally got it, was worth a big chuckle.
Beetlebom finally arrives. Had to do this in fits and starts, and got lost in several places.
Had a few discussions with myself about the accuracy of definitions (silly me). Particularly 1d where I had the word, but was puzzled by stare. I had to use the hint with google to confirm.
24a was my last in, I wanted a small farm animal, but that meant one wrong letter. Eventually worked out.
We have a 1a in our church. I have not seen that particular one in other Anglican churches, but my experience here is limited to a few localities.
As others have commented there were too many great clues to identify one above the other. A number of intriguing ploys in the cluing.
Greg pointed me to the internet post. Google took me to the right address. Great stuff which left me salivating.