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I have all the wiggles solved but still stuck on clues 12, 14 and 15. Hints would be much appreciated.

Smartie
12 'catch' means sounds like. Look up cold in Bradfords and find a word which could sound the same if spelt differently and then check the meaning of that word - previously unknown to me!
14. Put of is as put off timewise thus causing a ????? which when you add a letter at the end becomes the soccer player
15 Abbreviation for each followed by piece as in weapon and reverse the whole.

Thanks mersault, very helpful as always. I have now given up solving unaided and read the thread. I now have all the answers but it looks like filling the grid is still a slog so I’ll give up. Second miss this year for me (messed up the snakes one). Still 90%+ success rate so far this year, up from 75% last year and just over 50% the year before that - experience and practice do seem to work.

When I saw it was Sabre I thought don’t bother, they are always a complete waste of time. Then I cracked a few clues so wasted six hours cold solving 27 clues. Then I gave up. I won’t be making the same mistake with the next Sabre, I shall be treating them like some people treat the numericals from now on.

Smellyharry, I didn't find filling the grid too much of a slog. Start with identifying which letters can possibly fill the cells common to octagons and squares. Make sure that you have all the centre cells filled for the numbered squares and octagons. I found that Gelid could be entered almost straightaway (don't forget the rule that letters, other than the central letter, are entered in sequence in one direction or the other). Pretty soon you'll have enough entered to begin to guess where some of the wigglies go.

Essira, I read 14 as a type of player (a back) with 'END' missing out of the middle.

Arrrgh! Back to the drawing board with the grid fill. Thanks Mersault for the hints re 6 & first letters of phrase. That helps enormously.

Mersault - both solutions seem to be accurate, I guess it is the one that fits the grid! Sorry if I have misled anyone, there was a French footballer called Delaye. I have given up on the grid so have not discovered which answer fits.

Okay i finally read the thread and thanks to all for hints and allowing us wiggle-room!

Despite the help i still cannot get 7 or 9...and i promise I've been looking. Without them I cant finish the grid.

Also I have assumed 7 10 word wiggle ends in Oct 16. Is that correct?

This has been time-consuming but an excellent puzzle from Sabre

Goodness, Essira, you have a deep knowledge of the subject. But I think 14 must be DEFER.

Sonambulist, 7 is PANES, 9 is ELIDE. You're correct about Wiggle 7(10) ending in Oct 16 (top right cell).

Thanks Essira and Meursault - finally got the last three. In 12 I misunderstood the clue and was looking for a word for sedated of 5 letters. 14 I was trying to find a player's name rather than a playing position and 15 is a word I've never heard before. Now let's see where these wiggles go!

Can someone tell me if two Wiggles start in the same place ? In my online version there are two clues each marked No 27. (The Siamese cook and the Great Dane). Sorry if someone has already asked, I did look, but may have missed it.
Thank you.