A puzzle by our Editor this week, starting with the preamble:
Answers to 17 clues are too short for the allowed space, and must be entered leaving one or more cells empty; solvers must shade the empty cells, and add one clue number to the grid, to complete a representation of the theme. All other clues contain either an additional word or two consecutive additional words that must be removed before solving; the word(s) removed from each clue can be jumbled to give one of THOSE RESPONSIBLE. Clues are presented in the normal order, one answer is an abbreviation, and Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.
There was also a comment, which said it all:
The first Enigmatic Variations puzzle was published on October 18, 1992
Yes, that last bit was a give-away. Those responsible for Enigmatic Variations puzzles must be the setters. I thought of one at random, Oxymoron, and scanned the clues to see if he was one with an anagram there. Sure enough, “moor Onyx” was at 33ac. I managed to get all seventeen without resorting to the Crossword Database. And what an eclectic mix it was, from Oyler who has only had one EV (and the mathematical one to boot), right through to the frequent setters such as Oxymoron and MynoT.
The one clue number that was required to be entered was 25 for YEARS.
Finally, it was nice to see Rustic at 1ac. That was the EV pseudonym of the late James Leonard who started the whole series off and edited it for the first twenty-two years. Thanks to him, and to Samuel, the current editor. Indeed, thanks to all those setters who entertain us here (and elsewhere!) every week.
Solving time: about 1¼ hours
Legend:
Definition in clue
[Extra words] in clues
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Unjumbled Setter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 1 | CAIMAN | Rustic | After college, fantasy author [is curt], scrapping third of pages to get something snappy C + GAIMAN – (pa)G(es); reference to Neil Gaiman, fantasy author |
| 6 | GANA | Warbler | Hang dodgy American [brawler] in African country HANG* + A (American) |
| 11 | BEE | Gathering of people moan, not loudly BEEF (moan) – F (loudly) |
|
| 12 | POE | Horror writer’s misery when wife leaves for Portugal WOE (misery) with P (Portugal) for W (wife) |
|
| 13 | OPINION | Nothing to restrain view O (nothing) + PINION (to restrain) |
|
| 14 | CRECHE | Rector exposed sect in revolutionary nursery R (rector) + [s]EC[t] (sect, exposed) in CHE (revolutionary) |
|
| 16 | SAN | Put article in tin for nomad A (article) in SN (tin) |
|
| 18 | AIT | Amateur appeal is key, perhaps A (amateur) + IT (sex appeal) |
|
| 19 | HOSE | Shoe damaged socks SHOE* |
|
| 22 | UNHEALTHY | Nutmeg | Infirm [men tug] then haul broken bit of yacht [THEN HAUL]* + Y[acht] |
| 24 | TEAR | Oyler | Drop [Leroy] in Bellafonte, Arizona hidden in bellafonTE ARizona |
| 26 | MOOP | Ifor | Chew, [or if] low, ultimately chomp MOO (low) + [chom]P (ultimately) |
| 28 | ACHAENOCARPS | proXimal | [Mix polar] fruits, a peach, acorns, in stew [A PEACH ACORNS]* |
| 29 | BORN-AGAIN | Charybdis | [Shady crib] rejuvenated Rob suffering with angina [ROB ANGINA]* |
| 30 | ASTI | Samson | [Masons], having seen better days, discovered wine [p]AST I[t] (discovered) |
| 31 | RAPTURES | Eclogue | Setter’s climax — erupt as upsetting [“ego” clue] delights [sette]R (climax) + [ERUPTS AS]* |
| 32 | TRASS | Chalicea | Drunk stars cement [AA cliché] STARS* |
| 33 | HESSLE | Oxymoron | Upset less he [moor Onyx] somewhere by the Humber [LESS HE]* |
| DOWN | |||
| No | Entry | Jumbled Setter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 2 | ALECOST | American allowed to hold function in plant A (American) LET (allowed) holding COS (function) |
|
| 3 | ISAIAH | Book one owns about adopting artificial intelligence I (one) HAS< (owns) holding AI (artificial intelligence) |
|
| 4 | MON | Short start to the working week for Asian MON[day] (start to working week) |
|
| 5 | APT | A drill? That’s fitting A PT (drill?) |
|
| 6 | GEYSER | Man said to be source of hot air? sounds like GEEZER |
|
| 7 | HEN | Girl lengthens trousers in lengtHENs |
|
| 8 | APICAL | A friend embraces one cold on top A PAL (friend) holding I (one) C (cold) |
|
| 9 | AHITHOPHEL | Counsellor’s surprised interjection confused hip hotel AH (surprised interjection) + [HIP HOTEL]* |
|
| 10 | VENETO | Piccadilly | [Cap idyllic] start to visit with teen going crazy over Italian region V[isit] (start) + TEEN* + O (over) |
| 11 | BACS | Serpent | Branch regularly [repents] singular payment method B[r]A[n]C[h] (regularly) + S (singular) |
| 15 | STORERS | Rosters organised people working in warehouse? ROSTERS* |
|
| 17 | TOHUNGAS | Gaston | Priests [on stag] do hang out with soprano [DO HANG]* + S (soprano) |
| 20 | URANIA | Managed course in university institute about goddess RAN (managed course) in U (university) + I (institute) + A (about) |
|
| 21 | ATABAL | Poat | Bill in rock number gets [atop] drum TAB (bill) in AA (rock) + L (number, 50) |
| 23 | ACCITE | Syd Lexis | Summon [DS sexily], one arresting townsman ACE (one) holding CIT (townsman) |
| 25 | YEARS | Kcit | [Tick] off payers short of pence for ages [PAYERS – P (pence)]* |
| 26 | MANUS | MynoT | Hand [Monty] some aftersun – a monsoon’s lifting reversed in afterSUN A Monsoon |
| 27 | PSIS | Salamanca | Prince and sibling [can salaam] for Greek characters P (prince) + SIS (sibling) |
Thanks for this, DH. An enjoyable and appropriate puzzle but by not putting himself in I think Samuel being was far too modest! I started attempting these a couple of years after they started (I was attracted by the design of a cricket scoreboard on which the time had to be added). Many thanks to all the contributors for over 20 years of weekend entertainment.
A nice (and gentle!) tribute – usual thanks to setter and blogger. Happy anniversary…
I’m not sure how long I have been solving EVs – not from the start, but for longer than I care to remember, and thanks to all past and present editors and setters for all the pleasure…and frustration, sometimes in equal measure!
I have been trying to work out if there is a gap in the vortex – if 18-Oct-1992 was EV0001, then my Excel date formula tells me that 15-Oct-2017 would be EV1305. I reckon there have been four Sundays that were Christmas Days, the only day papers don’t publish(?), so that would make this EV1301, unless there was another missed date? Maybe an Easter Sunday in the early years, before it was taken over by Cadbury and Toblerone…
(NB. At least the latest two Christmas Day gaps – 2011 and 2016 – were filled by online-only puzzles numbered EV 800,00x, presumably to avoid any overlapping for the next few millennia…so anyone who has stayed the whole course is technically on EV1302 or 3, and counting!…)
I know, I should get out more (;+>)
Re comment at #2, I’ve not researched it myself, but the database (available to all) of blogger Dave Hennings goes right back to the start of the EV in 1992 and should be able to answer that question.
I’ve been struggling with EVs since #1.
I claim to have attempted (or at least stared at) most of them- – but only the printed ones.
I have a vague memory of the gremlins giving us a repeated number many years ago.
Although, my memory never was very reliable.
Many congratulations to all involved on reaching the milestone.
Thanks to Dave for the Blog.
I’m a relative newcomer to the EV, having been attempting them for only a couple of years. I enjoyed the hunt for the jumbled setters and a managed to get them all, including a couple who were new to me. A nice gentle stroll for a landmark EV. My thanks to bloggers and setters over the last couple of years and onwards.