Feedback is a really good tool for anyone supplying a service or product to improve what they offer. Good feedback provides encouragement and reinforces what someone does well. Negative feedback can force changes so that more of the public are happy with what’s provided. In our increasingly busy world, we tend to focus on the negative feedback because we have a vested interest, and time is too short to pat anyone on the back for what we consider as “doing their job”. The crossword setting business is a little different, but not much. In the 15 years I wrote The Stickler, I had just a handful of letters and emails, with the majority pointing out mistakes or things that solvers thought weren’t right. In some cases I received malicious feedback from people wanting to undermine my work by providing general criticism with no examples or a foundation for their beef. It’s disappointing not to get more feedback, but I believe no news is good news, so lack of feedback probably means I’m doing OK.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | DOMESTIC FLIGHT | |
| Soft medic treated weak travel agent operating locally (8,6) | (Anagram of SOFT MEDIC) + LIGHT | |
| 10 | ASSET | |
| Help dog with no lead attached (5) | (B)ASSET | |
| 11 | RISE ABOVE | |
| Overcome one base not normally within range (4,5) | (I + anagram of BASE) inside ROVE | |
| 12 | ORIFICE | |
| Vent, one put in for contaminated coolant (7) | (I inside anagram of FOR) + ICE | |
| 13 | BASEMAN | |
| Worthless starter from Minnesota, an infielder (7) | BASE + (M)INNESOTA + AN | |
| 14 | SEA | |
| It’s stocked with fish, as we say, regularly (3) | aS wE sAy | |
| 15 | ELAPSE | |
| Go past fellow leaving chapel, part of a large church (6) | (CHAPEL minus CHAP) + APSE | |
| 16 | CANADA | |
| Dismiss a lawyer in the US part of the world (6) | CAN + A + DA | |
| 19 | NETTLE | |
| A number inside felt tense about bug (6) | fELT TENse reversed | |
| 21 | JAMMED | |
| Played music in a confined space (6) | Double Definition | |
| 25 | VET | |
| Check solider once (3) | Double Definition | |
| 27 | IMAGINE | |
| Suspect that is taking publication in (7) | IE outside (MAG + IN) | |
| 29 | ORCHARD | |
| Area set aside to grow fruit or vegetable (7) | OR + CHARD | |
| 30 | INDONESIA | |
| Popular right is backed by a republic in Asia (9) | IN + DONE + IS reversed + A | |
| 31 | TRITE | |
| Start of the religious ceremony is repeated too often (5) | (T)HE + RITE | |
| 32 | HUNDRED-PER-CENT | |
| Savage doctor misused precedent completely (7-3-4) | HUN + DR + anagram of PRECEDENT | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | OBSTINATE | |
| Persistent botanist replanted eucalypts at the front (9) | Anagram of BOTANIST + (E)UCALYPTS | |
| 3 | ENTRIES | |
| Guards beheaded those given admittance (7) | (S)ENTRIES | |
| 4 | THROES | |
| Violent pangs of suffering – the mothers worked ignoring them (6) | Anagram of THE MOTHERS minus THEM | |
| 5 | CASHBACK | |
| Taxi reversing into shack arranged partial refund (8) | CAB reversed inside anagram of SHACK | |
| 6 | LIAISON | |
| Mediator is against ending mounting trouble (7) | (IS + ON) after AIL reversed | |
| 7 | GROOM | |
| Grand part of house is ready (5) | G + ROOM | |
| 8 | THE ONE | |
| Male, acting in character, is a special person (3,3) | HE inside TONE | |
| 9 | PAROLE | |
| Conditionally release play without every second part (6) | P(L)A(Y) + ROLE | |
| 17 | DAMNATION | |
| Eternal punishment upset mad people (9) | MAD reversed + NATION | |
| 18 | REVERSED | |
| Part of the Bible printed in colour is withdrawn (8) | VERSE inside RED | |
| 20 | THINNER | |
| The shaved Private could be leaner (7) | TH(E) + INNER | |
| 22 | ASCETIC | |
| Jerk at the end of unusual case is self-disciplined (7) | TIC after anagram of CASE | |
| 23 | DODOES | |
| Party satisfies people with little intelligence (6) | DO + DOES | |
| 24 | FINISH | |
| Deal with roach for one checking in (6) | FISH outside IN | |
| 26 | TO DATE | |
| Point raised at end of page so far (2,4) | DOT reversed + AT + PAG(E) | |
| 28 | ADD-ON | |
| Rescheduled downloads not affected by slow equipment attached to a computer (3-2) | Anagram of DOWNLOADS minus SLOW |
No doubts about that David, you sure are.
Highlight of my week.
‘Orchard’ was an oldie but goodie.
Here’s hoping you will continue to make my day – or so, each week!
sincerest regards, Richard
I looked forward to the Saturday Cryptic in the Adelaide Advertiser every week for years! Then suddenly it was gone! My delight at finding you again quite by chance is indescribable! I print off the Stickler every Wednesday, and then make myself wait until Saturday morning, when I have many leisure hours to puzzle over it.
Never stop, David, you compile the best crossword I’ve ever tried!
Many, many thanks.
Lyn
My wife and I do the AFR Cryptic and the STICKLER’s weekly, the AFR for the last18 months and the STICKLER’s for the last six. We both think your crosswords are fantastic. Your provision of Clues Help and solution explanations are unique and are a good teaching process as well.
You are truly indispensable.
Many thanks
Norman
I’m falling behind, due to a trip away followed by a busy couple of weeks. But I’ll catch up again.
19ac defeated me. It was obvious when I saw the solution — I shouldn’t have given up so easily.