The Stickler Weekly 231 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.





12-across



23-across

24-across


27-across

29-across

2-down

3-down





17-down


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 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 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.
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 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.

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.
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.
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 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.

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20 Responses to The Stickler Weekly 231 Clue Hints

  1. Steve Ball says:

    I just couldn’t see the answer to 26-ac and eventually weakened and did a pattern search to fill in the answer – the fault is entirely mine; it’s a good clue – but that’s the only help I needed with this one. I think it’s aged well. I really like 18-ac, 27-ac, 29-ac,11-dn, 14-dn, and 21-dn but there’s nothing weak.

    In 3-dn, some of the clue appears to do double duty, but maybe I’m missing something.

    • David Stickley says:

      No double duty, maybe a little architectural licence. I believe the various parts of the Palace are considered “buildings”, but a better definition would be “Vatican location” or something similar.

      David

  2. Cathy says:

    Finally got them all! 22d is a new word for me. Thanks for another good weekly challenge David.

    • Greg Mansell says:

      I was familiar with 22d, but interestingly it only appears in one of the four dictionaries where I looked for it.

      • Arthur Maynard says:

        Google search for the answer plus bread reveals photos, songs, and a reference to money (slang). The last also rang a bell for me, although I was satisfied with the pictures and commentary. It does come up as American slang in a google search. Apparently it is also Spanish for money. It now seems to me that this may be the definition David intended.

  3. Arthur Maynard says:

    Lots of words penciled in this week before the crosses confirmed them.
    18a was last in. A superb clue in my opinion. I had to access the periodic table for this one.
    5d I thought the construction was very clever. A quiet chuckle when it was resolved.
    15a I did not know of this variety, and Stanthorpe is less than an hour away.
    4d is short and sweet.
    22a Totally unknown. I went astray by reading the clue too hastily.
    29a Brilliant. Thanks for the clue hint. I would have been totally out of it otherwise.
    Once again a hearty thank you.

  4. Richard Sternes says:

    OK – All you Fast Finishers, I’m catching up & almost there.
    27a & 7d – have answers but can’t fit Cluing
    22d – DO NOT have a Clue.

    • Patrick Lewis says:

      Likewise, Richard, re. 22d. Stuck on 29a too. Will try again after breakfast.

      • Arthur Maynard says:

        27a The word you have should meet the definition. The key is “a head”.
        7d take away the carbon and google the rest
        22d is a type of American bread. You should have most of the letters. Significant misdirection here but if you have 29a you will recognise the part it played by one letter.
        29a Daivd’s hint tells us that outstanding is due. The definition must be at the end. Build the word piece by piece. This is a bit like a jigsaw, each piece has to fit into its correct place, and must remain in order as a recorded in the clue.
        I hope I have been obscure enough. Good hunting.

        • Patrick Lewis says:

          Ok, got it, thanks Arthur, but must admit for 22d used the solver in sheer frustration. Not wanting to sound miffed, but I haven’t used, and hardly ever heard, this use of bread since the 60’s in sentences that usually finished with ‘man!’ No doubt I will be corrected and presumably it is still in vogue, after all, we still need our daily bread!

          • Patrick Lewis says:

            22d – nevertheless, a very simple, straightforward clue that I was too dumb to work out!

        • Richard Sternes says:

          Thank You Arthur.
          27a – fresh perspective on “a head” did it
          7d – got the “particle”- total unknown until now
          22d – likewise with Patrick sheer frustration, had to resort to Solver of Last Resort – again, tho. so simple a total unknown

          • Patrick Lewis says:

            Seems we are both lacking in Americanese, Richard, though this one does ring a bell – gangster movies perhaps?

          • Arthur Maynard says:

            Nothing did the trick for me. Then I went back to the clue and read it word by word. Certainly I had never heard of it. Travel broadens your horizons, but crosswords do the same with less expense.

  5. Greg Mansell says:

    A few phrases which I particularly enjoyed:
    * 9a: “cleaning units”
    * 13a: “letter read out”
    * 27a: “a head”
    15a: the first definition was a new one for me
    14d: nice definition
    17d: I was going to question the use of “Golf”, but one of my references reminded me about the NATO phonetic alphabet. I can’t remember having seen this device used in a Stickler before.

  6. Steve Clarke says:

    Thank you nice people, with the help of the clue hints and your (cryptic) help I managed to stagger over the line. Last one in of course was 22d, I did know the word just couldn’t think.
    Other great clues were 10d, 26d, 2d, 3d, 14d and 19d, thank you David ?

  7. Andrew Gibson says:

    If I could only get 24 I think everything else would fall into place.

    • Arthur Maynard says:

      David tells us that retired agent is rep. This has one has a high level assignment – orders passed down from on high. Leave is not a verb.
      You may kick yourself when you get it.