The Stickler Weekly 5 Solution

There’s a device used in this puzzle linking 12 and 13-across (“…”) that solvers often don’t know how to interpret. It’s not surprising really, as it can mean different things depending on the circumstances. In this case the answer to 12-across feeds into the next clue, effectively making the whole clue for 13-across a combined effort. However, it’s also possible that one clue, taken literally (ie forget the cryptic aspect), feeds into the next clue, or that the second clue provides the ending for the first, or even more confusing, that there’s NO relationship between the two “linked” clues. How does this last scenario work? It’s actually a ploy used by setters to cover for one clue ending awkwardly or the other clue starting awkwardly. For example, if the answer to one clue ended with “LAND”, then the setter may use AND in the wordplay. If AND ends the clue, and there doesn’t seem a way around it, something has to follow. Cue our linking dots. Of course, the following clue’s wording needs to fit it with the previous clue’s otherwise the combined effort would be gibberish. There’s no real way to tell which kind of linking is at play, but at least one of the clues will be a whole clue in its own right, so solve what you can and consider all options.