Enigmatic Variations 1665 Untitled by Luxor

A regular alphabetical jigsaw with a title to find from a single letter from each column. Sounds interesting.

As with any unnumbered puzzle the key is to solve enough clues to start grid entry. In this case the 2 8s and 2 9s let the grid fill commence. And it was relatively plain sailing to complete the grid. The final bit took a little longer to see but….

The letters in each column were from the phonetic alphabet and spelled out ALPHABET SOUP

ALPHA/LIMA/PAPA/HOTEL/ALPHA/BRAVO/ECHO/TANGO/SIERRA/OSCAR/UNIFORM/PAPA

What a delightful construction and relatively straight forward too. Thanks Luxor

Key: * anagram; underline definition; Rev. reverse, DD double definition

Clues
* Arrears occasionally covered by returning pop fans (7)
aRrEaRs in Rev. soda (pop) = ADORERS

* Scottish element of property rental platform losing two billion (4)
Airbnb(property rental platform) – bb = AIRN

* Superb time – endless fun – it’s divine being in Tonga! (4)
A1(superb) + t (time) + u (endless fun) = AITU

* Bishop needing oxygen after morning in pulpit (4)
b(bishop) + o (oxygen) after am (morning) = AMBO

* Components of soup-maker on the counter unit (3)
Rev. hidden souPMAker = AMP

* Twisted talon in predatory creature (7)
(talonin)* = ANTLION

* Rainy time of year dislodging soft covering of seed (4)
April(rainy time of year) – p (soft) = ARIL

* Brief negative outcry about a quiet wrestling tournament (5)
boo(negative outcry) – o around a + sh(quiet) = BASHO

* Drink heavily and smell regularly sozzled (5)
Bo(smell) +sOzZlEd = BOOZE

* Charge electronic vehicle in advance (4)
car(vehicle) + e (electronic) = CARE

* Product of hardwood tree – barrier overturned in wind (7)
coil(wind) around rev. bar(barrier) = CRAB-OIL

* Hollow chapter at an end (3)
c(chapter) + up (at an end) = CUP

* Makes kerfuffle surrounding gravel ridge (5)
Hidden makES KERfuffle = ESKER

* One-time naval force captured by enemy resistance (6)
rm(one-time naval force)in foe(enemy) + r(resistance) = FORMER

* Send to press editor having gained outside broadcast beforehand (7, three words)
ed(editor) after got(gained) + ob (outside broadcast) = GO TO BED

* Hard at work alone in Brisbane (3)
h(hard) + at = HAT

* Bogus alert call to start nuclear reactor (7)
hey(call) + sham (bogus alert) = HEYSHAM

* Couple from south in hotel in Italy – one renowned for great escapes (7)
Rev. duo (couple) in h(hotel) + in + I(Italy) = HOUDINI

* Moon framing island race (4)
Io(moon) around gb(island) = IGBO

* Fools chasing devil in irresolvable situations (8)
asses(fools) after imp = IMPASSES

* Tax-free saving scheme, account for patriarch (5)
isa(tax free scheme) + ac(account) = ISAAC

* Having similar forms of depression from social mixing holding nothing back (9)
(social) around rev. nil(nothing) = ISOCLINAL

* Language orally reflected now and then (3)
Rev. OrAlLy = LAO

* Why don’t we allow strangeness? (4)
let(allow) + s (strangeness) = LET’S

* Badly nourished and tailless bird (5)
low(badly nourished) + and – d = LOWAN

* Has to cut short part for old bridle nosepiece (6)
must(has to) + role(part) – te = MUSROL

* Elderly approach darkness without end (4)
night(darkness) – t = NIGH

* Peeled carrot served up and left over in Balmoral (4)
Rev carrot – ct (peeled) = ORRA

* Rosie weaving flexible willow for baskets (5)
(Rosie)* = OSIER

* Trashy boxing simulation set up giving out-of-hand predictions? (9)
paltry(trashy) Around Rev. sim = PALMISTRY

* Returning before a meal, clumsily handle fruit (5)
Rev. ap(before a meal) + paw(clumsily handle) = PAPAW

* Highest point above Earth for this astronaut (5)
peak(highest point) + e(earth) = PEAKE

* Portugal possesses islands in stage of development (6)
P(portugal) + has + is(islands) = PHASIS

* Fliers’ caps in a heap at the front (5)
a after pile(heap) = PILEA

* Frog prince (4)
DD RANA

* Keen artist cross with king (5)
ra(artist) + zo(cross)n + r (king) = RAZOR

* Characters from Greece and old region of Wales (4)
DD (moor in Welsh) RHOS

* Close up over hoax hypnotic drug (7)
seal(close up) around con(hoax) = SECONAL

* Second West Indian ditching island in dust storm (7)
s(second) + Haitian(West Indian) – I = SHAITAN

* Greasy rogue sidled by tracks (8)
(sidled)* + ry (tracks) = SLIDDERY

* Sanctimonious person wearing socks oddly hiding amateur bandages (6)
pi(sanctimonious person) in SoCkS around a(amateur) = SPICAS

* Smooth shave acceptable for husband (5)
shave swap h(husband) for u(acceptable) = SUAVE

* Reported evil leader of triad, an agent of unnatural darkness (6)
Homophone of sin(evil) + t(leader of triad) + an = SYNTAN

* Act with violence right after drink (4)
r(right) after tea(drink) = TEAR

* Directs tense trade moving first of stock southwards (5)
t(tense) + sell(trade) moving s = TELLS

* Shell and taste nuts (5)
(taste)* = TESTA

* Cast heard informally from beginning to end (4)
Homonym of threw(cast) = THRU

* Trite literary themes to corrupt missing son (5)
to + poison(corrupt) – son = TOPOI

* Pitch surfaces of two streets (4)
twO StreetS = TOSS

* Climber’s rubber underwear stifling passion? On the contrary (6)
bra(underwear) in vim (passion) = VIBRAM

4 comments on “Enigmatic Variations 1665 Untitled by Luxor”

  1. crypticsue

    There is a Setter’s Blog for this crossword here:
    https://bigdave44.com/2024/10/31/ev1665-setters-blog/#more-206673

  2. Kippax

    Many thanks to Luxor and Twencelas. I really struggled to work out what was required for the endgame, and it was a lovely PDM when it came.

    I’m relatively new to solving EVs – really only the last couple of months or so, but in that time there must have been 3 or 4 jigsaws. Has this type of puzzle always featured so frequently, or is this just a recent quirk?

  3. ub

    @2Kippax: My recall is that 3 or 4 in a short span is unusual for the EV.

  4. Kippax

    Thanks ub 🙂

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