(click on the clue number to see the hint)
Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.
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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 a jumbling of letters except for the initial or final letter of the anagram fodder. An anagram indicator and truncation indicator will be present.
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.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
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 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.
A type of clue where the WHOLE clue defines the answer, and the WHOLE clue also is the wordplay (a mechanism to derive the answer through various cryptic devices). "&lit" is short for "and literally".
To qualify as an &lit, a clue must have no unused components either in the definition or the wordplay - it must be readable one way as a definition, and another as the wordplay.
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 pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).
Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.
The answer is found by removing a letter, letters, or a word (either found directly in the clue or derived) from a word or words (or their synonyms). Subtractions involving synonyms must be done with contiguous letters, that is, a word will subtract directly unless specifically indicated. A subtraction indicator is present to initiate the action.
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.
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 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 entire answer is the result of removing the first or last letter from part of the clue or its synonym. A truncation indicator will be present.
Good morning,
after taking two or three days to finish the last couple of Sticklers (and not having much to add to the discussion) I managed this one in one sitting. Happy to help if anyone’s stuck.
Lots of good clues but 1-ac is a cracking way to start a puzzle!
Agreed. 1a and 26a are both rippers.
Greetings solvers.
An excellent workout for the grey matter.
1a was surely a great opening delivery
28a was a fitting finale.
3a is a classic clue, but did not hold me up for long.
My comments are for the clues which held me out for the longest.
19a Simple really, you just have to follow the clue.
23a A word seldom encountered. In my youth I played on a slag heap – waste from a c copper smelter. Wrong word but right direction.
22a Criminal activity involved here.
13d and 17d Just enough temptation to lead me up the garden path and back again
Glad to hear you had a better week Steve.
It was another great one from David.
I thought 2d and 28a very clever.
22a was a new word for me. Always learning!
Until next week.
Thanks David for yet another good challenge. After a slow start I got there without assistance this time. 28a my favourite. Always a highlight of the midweek.
A very enjoyable and satisfying puzzle which taxed the brain cells to just the right amount. Such a relief and a much needed confidence restorer after battling so unsuccessfully with the Guardian, whose setters can be so extremely obtuse. Thank goodness for David who always keeps within reasonable limits! Today, I jumped all too quickly to ‘claim’ 9d from the crosses even though not being able to fully parse it, but a more diligent reading of the clue finally revealed the word that did, nicely. Apart from this, most of my answers sprang from the crosses. Yes, 1a takes the prize for me, followed by 15d and 19a – and 17d was quite a surprise. I do wonder a bit about the ‘boss’, however.
Miriam Webster (the first dictionary I met on Google today) defines boss as this 4 letter word, and defines the second word as boss. That is repeated in several dictionaries.
Ah, THAT kind of boss! I was thinking of some kind of amorously domineering type! Thanks Arthur.
Just finished, last in were 25d and 27a. Favourites this week are 7d, 17d, 15d and 28a. Another grid with just the right degree of difficulty, thank you David ?
All the above encompass my Picks of the Week. Many delights as usual.
Agree – another stimulating tho no less challenging Romp thru David’s Cryptic Land.
Only Three missing, pretty good first run for me.
No assistance above with 11a & 16a , some guidance with 8d may help with 16a.
Meanwhile, open to suggestions………..
11-ac One of the seven deadly sins features.
16-ac Life’s a beach.
8-dn The clue hint helps and the first word is the definition
8d Starts with the definition. The word often appears in the context of a threesome which could involveto a pen, a stamp, and a pizza.
16a It is best to go barefoot here. The definition is at the end.
11a a charade. 2 words. The definition is the last word.
Many Thanks Guys. That’s all it took, too easy in the end.
All Done!!! …Only Six more sleeps……….
Yes – the pen/stamp/pizza threesome was made famous by the fabulous Mr Stevie Wonder – although you probably wouldn’t want him to be responsible for delivering your pizza…
I made very slow progress over a couple of post-dinner sessions…and then quickly knocked off the remaining 60% yesterday morning. So either I’m a morning person…or my dinner accompaniment (of the liquid kind) is not conducive to intellectual gymnastics.
There was plenty to make me smile this week:
1a, 26a: My faves, of course
19a, 28a, 8d, 17d: Clever definitions – one of my favourite features of the Stickler
2d: “without ownership of external…”
3d: “Lives repeatedly”
4d: A new indicator
7d: “like fish have”