The consolidation of print media and the rise of internet news services has led to reduced outlets for cryptic crosswords – we all know that. One crossword can now service a stable of newspapers and an online site can have just a single cryptic for world-wide consumption. The demise of The Stickler had me scratching around for alternative outlets, one of which was The Guardian, a UK-based paper that launched an Australian website that actually employs Australian staff in Australia. Online news means that you can keep your core business and add components that cover news specific to a particular country or region. The owners of The Guardian have done this for Australia, the US, “International” and of course its homebase, the UK. I thought adding Australian content would be a priority, and therefore sent multiple emails asking them to consider an Australian Guardian cryptic for the website. I didn’t get a reply. It seems they believe their crossword section is covered by their regular setters, however, Guardian crosswords are still very English, and wouldn’t attract any more solvers than their UK site where the crosswords are freely available.
The other day I noticed that another English institution, The Spectator, has an Australian online version and I keenly went looking for the crossword section. Again, I think they had a great opportunity to add genuine Australian content, but chose to rely on their UK offering which has limited appeal here. If you believe a crossword like The Stickler Weekly has a place on The Guardian Australia website, drop the editor an email and let her know:
Lenore Taylor
Other Guardian contacts are here.
If you think The Spectator Australia could do with an Australian cryptic crossword, drop the editor an email:
Rowan Dean
Feel free to contact both!
A while back I was reading an article on the Australian version of The Huffington Post, which is what’s called a news aggregator. That is, there’s no printed version, just an ordered collection of news items from the internet. Most countries have a version of The Huffington Post, and Australia’s one has quite a few people working on it. This is quite different from the print-turned-online publishers, as the result is a tailor-made feed which some local comment (in the form of blogs) thrown in. It occurred to me that recommending a cryptic crossword to solvers would be an easy thing for such a site to do as pointing to other people’s work is largely what they rely on. I contacted the CEO in Australia, Chris Janz, who I knew through his News Ltd online work, and asked him to consider giving The Stickler Weekly a plug. He responded positively, but I’ve heard nothing since.
Maybe you’d like to suggest the Australian Huffington Post add a link to The Stickler Weekly? Here is his email address:
Chris Janz
Thanks for your support.
| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RABBIT | |
| Arab, after a short time, recognised breeder (6) | A(RAB) + BIT | |
| 5 | FRONTAGE | |
| French name inscribed on the inside of one facade (8) | FR + (TAG inside ONE) | |
| 9 | MANIFEST | |
| Fellow in case established patent (8) | MAN + IF + EST | |
| 10 | IN A ROW | |
| One after the other is arguing (2,1,3) | Double Definition | |
| 11 | PEDDLE | |
| Sell cycle by word of mouth (6) | Sounds like PEDAL | |
| 12 | FREAKISH | |
| Very unusual rake fashioned into perch, for example (8) | Anagram of RAKE inside FISH | |
| 14 | PEOPLE PERSON | |
| Pope converted social outcasts working with social worker (6,6) | Anagram of POPE + LEPERS + ON | |
| 18 | OFF THE RECORD | |
| Private – he put in effort changing line (3,3,6) | HH inside anagram of EFFORT + CORD | |
| 22 | BEGETTER | |
| Father, for example, wearing top (8) | EG inside BETTER | |
| 25 | PLANAR | |
| Best option, right, for flat? (6) | PLAN A + R | |
| 26 | WANTON | |
| Pale colour mostly pointless (6) | WAN + (TON)E | |
| 27 | EARNINGS | |
| False reasoning yielding zero income from investments (8) | Anagram of REASONING minus O | |
| 28 | CLARINET | |
| First item of note in recital arranged for a wind instrument (8) | (N)OTE inside anagram of RECITAL | |
| 29 | DEGREE | |
| A number of renegade greenies recognised qualification (6) | renegaDE GREEnies | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 2 | AMAZED | |
| Energy consumed by a Japanese car manufacturer greatly surprised (6) | E inside [A + (MAZD)A] | |
| 3 | BLIND SPOT | |
| Ties up vessel outside large area where reception is poor (5,4) | (BINDS + POT) outside L | |
| 4 | THEREFORE | |
| Cattle breed not finished off during extremes of temperature then? (9) | (HEREFOR)D inside (T)EMPERATUR(E) | |
| 5 | FATEFUL | |
| Black solid fuel in a refined state (7) | FAT + anagram of FUEL | |
| 6 | OPINE | |
| One punched by irrational figure, say (5) | PI inside ONE | |
| 7 | THANK | |
| Recognise large container filled with hydrogen (5) | TANK outside H | |
| 8 | GOOD SHOW | |
| Property in what way is well done? (4,4) | GOODS + HOW | |
| 13 | ALE | |
| Ingredients of medicinal ethyl alcohol (3) | medicinAL Ethyl | |
| 15 | PROSPERED | |
| Skilled expedition crossing river did well (9) | PRO + (SPEED outside R) | |
| 16 | RADIATING | |
| Organisation of aid in class is branching out (9) | Anagram of AID inside RATING | |
| 17 | AFTER ALL | |
| A territory included in trip in spite of everything (5,3) | A + (TER inside FALL) | |
| 19 | HUT | |
| Accommodation for skiers may be closed after start of season (3) | S(HUT) | |
| 20 | EARNEST | |
| Thoughtful auditor leaves home? (7) | EAR NEST | |
| 21 | TANGLE | |
| Time to fish for catch (6) | T + ANGLE | |
| 23 | ENTER | |
| Tenant stripped of initial right to take possession (5) | RENTER minus first R | |
| 24 | TENON | |
| Catch up on carpenter’s work (5) | NET reversed + ON |
Just wanted to say I especially enjoyed 27-across, 5-down and 23-down and that NEST = “leaves home” is inspired.
Thanks,
Steve = : ^ )