The Stickler Weekly 212 Clue Hints

(click on the clue number to see the hint)

Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.

Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.


1-across

5-across

10-across

12-across

14-across

18-across


24-across



28-across


3-down

4-down

6-down

7-down

8-down



16-down




24-down

A word or series of words that signify the loss of one letter at the start or end of a word or string of letters.

Examples: beheaded, cut short, endless, nearly, largely 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 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 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 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.

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.

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 butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
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 word or phrase that defines the answer. All cryptic clues usually have a minimum of one definition which will be located at the beginning or end of the clue.
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.

Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
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.
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.
There is only one part to this clue, a definition, and it's usually a play on words. There aren't any indicators.
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38 Responses to The Stickler Weekly 212 Clue Hints

  1. Cathy says:

    Well Stickler, you have come back from holidays with a vengeance and have provided a good work out for an out of practice solver. I finally got there I think but while i have the letters for 16d, I am not sure how I got there.

  2. Cathy says:

    Yes I do…..very clever

  3. Steve Clarke says:

    Quite difficult today David with 25a an absolute gem involving a search for a cleaning product. Big laugh when I finally got it.
    Other notables are 1a, 10a, 24a, 6d and as Cathy says 16d, Thanks

  4. Richard Sternes says:

    Really Tough Gig this week. Barely half way Done.
    Not happy with self at all, requiring far too much assistance from Here.

  5. Michael Kaiser says:

    Stuck on 19 d and need a bigger hint than “container clue”.

    • Steve Clarke says:

      Michael, Heavy lifter’s charge is the definition, the rest of the clue is the container part.

      • Michael Kaiser says:

        Thanks. I’m not familiar with the word but now pretty sure I have the right entry. If 13a is both an appropriate answer for “write down” and “tip” (as a verb) than I have that right so there must be something else wrong.

  6. Michael Kaiser says:

    Also have 13a as “l__t” which seems right but I can’t figure out how I got there from the clue.

    • Steve Clarke says:

      Not sure how you got the “t” but the clue becomes simpler if you separate “orderly’s” from “tip”.

  7. Patrick Lewis says:

    Thought I had it but no congrats. Turns out the problem was 4d. My answer fit the words just perfectly but not the wording. I had the definition wrong with ‘killer’ being contained as HIV, making what seemed to be the perfect cold feeling!

    • Steve Clarke says:

      I had the same problem Patrick but then realised the clue wasn’t right. For that answer to be correct the clue would have been “killer admitted by serial cold feeling”. I too got the congrats once I changed it ?

  8. Patrick Lewis says:

    Have the right answer for 24a but still can’t figure out how ‘blob’ belongs. Any suggestions?

    • Arthur Maynard says:

      A great puzzle this week. I am still struggling with 6 clues. My excuse is lacka time.
      24a (which is a doozy) I could not find the offending letter in the fodder so thought about shape. After all a blob of cream is often that shape. Not quite right, but nearly acceptable for anybody but Stickler. Google was next and I found that a blog is a Binary Large Object which is depicted (). Nearly right, but a bit obscure except to programmers.
      Finally my son’s high school dictionary where I found a blob is a drop of liquid, small roundish mass, spot of colour and in scoring cricket a duck’s egg. Of course I should have remembered this as I was official scorer in Aramac, until I got the sack for going to sleep between balls.
      However several dictionaries indicate that a blob is something with no distinct shape.

      So David might enlighten us when the solution is aired.

      I like all the clues mentioned above, but am holding off my comments until I get the congrats- which may take some time.

      Back to the drawing board.

  9. Richard Sternes says:

    Are We There Yet.? …..NOOOO. …..One Tough Gig this, but loving it.
    13a – have the “write down” (Arthur) but not the “orderly’s tip”
    24a – yes went with THAT “blob”, Clue Hint does give it & all works in the end.
    Alphabet Soup of All-Time this.
    4d – also went with THAT “killer” – not so lethal as it once was.
    Likewise all works in the end.
    16d – have an answer which seems to bear no relation to the Clue.
    More thought required.
    23d – also have an answer, but not entirely convinced that the Clue fits.
    What a Picture may be in?

    • Arthur Maynard says:

      13a is actually just the last word. I think the orderly is on board in this one.
      4d I was using that killer disease, but it was not working. Patrick suggested I steer away from HIV. The hint provides an abbreviation for serial, and the “cold feeling” is not shiver. The definition is at the other end.
      16d Wendy said earlier that Neptune was a Greek god. What was he god of? include moon finally.
      23d Yes you could put a picture in part of it. I think this clue is Greg Mansell’s favourite type.

      • Richard Sternes says:

        Many Thanks Arthur & ALL
        First time in ages I will be awaiting Solution next week.
        Will revisit in the interim but:-
        13a – seems now seems dis-orderly – tip or no
        4d – could go with something found in a Deli – But???
        16d – God Forbid!!! still

        • Arthur Maynard says:

          4d It could be a wading bird right, or a Humber sedan right (you should remember the Humber) and this model was the super – too expensive for me.
          13d I wasted a lot of time looking for a reversal (down) but I found I was all at sea.

        • Patrick Lewis says:

          16d – Richard, sounds like you are looking for Neptune. I have a ‘hidden’ suspicion Arthur may be right!

        • Arthur Maynard says:

          Richard, if you are still looking for 16d
          Neptune was the God of something, which can be paraphrased as the supreme boss of that thing.

          • Christine Hulley says:

            Or a helicopter …

          • Richard Sternes says:

            Oh for Heavens sake!!!
            16d – the Helicopter did it Christine. Thanks ALL.
            Renewed vigour now to revisit 13a & 4d.

          • Richard Sternes says:

            Amazing the difference a few days make.
            4d – the Humber did it Arthur. Thanks again.
            Gosh Three days on, been a while since THAT happened. Now to re-ponder 13a.
            I WILL get there.

          • Richard Sternes says:

            & there is 13a – after visit to “Last Resort”
            Completely the wrong word – ex-bankers perception of “write down” No wonder the rest didn’t work.
            Whew!!!What a journey. Once again – Thanks All.

      • Michael Kaiser says:

        With Arthur’s redirection way from shiver and all the other helpful folks I finally got the correct solve. Very tricky puzzle. And some times it takes a village to solve it.

      • Greg Mansell says:

        Yes, I enjoy the 23d-type clue, but my favourite type is found in 9a (which I thought would normally have “?” at the end).

  10. Wendy Simpson says:

    Interesting, 24a was one of my first in, still bemused by 25a and 23d. Holding off on handing out my gold star.

  11. Wendy Simpson says:

    Right, gold star is 25a, what a nice piece of deception-really had to think outside the square!

  12. Arthur Maynard says:

    Finally got it done and the congratulations.
    I had to go to the tips for 14a for the “guard”; and 6d for the “say”; 12a for the “dash” – even then I spent ages before I realised 12a was not a container.
    I’m not quite so cock a hoop this week. But that is what the tips are for.
    Rapt with 5a and 10a.
    24a Once I stopped looking for the party, and looked at the crosses I had, it fell into place very early.
    1d is LOL material, 2d was late in as I had to use the crosses. I would not usually use that term for people.
    I agree with Wendy for the gold for 25a and Silver for 12a with bronze for 10a

  13. Christine Hulley says:

    Think I have them all but no congrats message so back to the drawing board …

  14. Greg Mansell says:

    Slow going for me this week – lots of interruptions, and a particularly tough Stickler.
    9a: Very elegant. David – shouldn’t this type of clue have “?” at the end?
    12a: Tricky to put together, even after nearly 40 years in IT. It would have been even tougher for non-IT types.
    25a, 6d, 19d: Nice definitions.
    16d: Loved Neptune.

    • Arthur Maynard says:

      I wondered whether you were on a break.
      9a I thought ! would have been a good indication. I am okay about the ? in 23d, but did it does not feel right at the end of 9a I don’t know why I see a difference.