A very brief introduction today. This was an excellent puzzle with a tough twist at the end. Oddly my other blog today, IQ100, is also about the puzzle name. Here variations of ENIGMATIC made up each of the rows and columns making up the central 9 by 9 square. This final jigsaw was quite a feat, I’m not even convinced I have it right but it looks okay. The outer rows and columns were entered normally as was 18ac. I assume his last one was to force a unique solution.
The final TWO WORDS making up the message, ENIGMATIC VARIATIONS, could be found starting in 1dn and weaving down the first two columns and across the bottom two rows. The letters to be highlighted making up these two words are shown in red in the answers below.
Finally, apologies for the lateness of this blog, a combination of being away last weekend and work. In order to get something up I have left out my comments on clues. Piccadilly’s clues were, however, very fair and clear but if there are any questions I will happily clarify things.
(XYZ)* anagram
[XYZ] insertion
[xyz] deletion
ZYX< reversal
X.Y.Z. initials
vwXYZab hidden word
Central 9 by 9 square
| T | M | E | A | I | C | I | N | G | |
| E | C | A | G | M | I | T | I | N | |
| N | I | C | I | T | A | G | E | M | |
| A | E | M | N | I | G | I | T | C | |
| M | T | I | I | G | N | E | C | A | |
| I | G | I | C | N | E | A | M | T | |
| C | I | T | E | A | M | N | G | I | |
| I | N | G | T | C | I | M | A | E | |
| G | A | N | M | E | T | C | I | I |
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | ALTERNATIVES | A LATER NATIVES |
| 13 | R | DAINTY | DA IN TRY |
| 14 | R | SUDANIC | abSURDANICar |
| 15 | A | MICHIGAN | MICAH I.G. AN |
| 16 | N | CANED | CANNED |
| 17 | G | TIMING | (GIT IN MG)* |
| 18 | E | IONIC | I ONE IC |
| 20 | M | GAMETAL | GAM METAL |
| 21 | E | GEMMAN | GEM MEAN |
| 22 | N | CIG-IT | oiCINGITal |
| 24 | T | TIMMY | ThIsTiMeMaY |
| 27 | S | GIN | GS IN |
| 28 | O | CEASE | CO EASE |
| 29 | F | ICING | (MAGNIFICENT – MEANT)* |
| 30 | N | MARKET | RAM< KENT |
| 32 | I | STATICE | STATIC IE |
| 34 | N | GAINS | G A INN S |
| 37 | E | CITING | (GIN ICE T)* |
| 39 | L | GLEAM | (ALL GEM)* |
| 40 | E | MAGNETIC | (MEETING A)* C |
| 42 | T | AVARICE | A V[TAR]ICE |
| 43 | T | CONSUL | CONSULT |
| 44 | E | EMPHATICALLY | (TEAM PLAY CHILE)* |
| Down | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | ADENI | (IN RED A)< |
| 2 | S | LAPDOG | SLAP DOG |
| 3 | A | INTIMATE | (IMITATE AN)* |
| 4 | C | MINCE | MIN[CC]E |
| 5 | E | MATRICE | MEAT RICE |
| 6 | G | ANY | ANG[r]Y |
| 7 | I | SIAM | IS I AM |
| 8 | I | MUTAGENIC | (IMAGINE CUT)* |
| 9 | M | DIGIT | DIM GIT |
| 10 | N | VECTIAN | A in VINCENT* |
| 11 | T | SIMPAIS | S [IMP] AITS |
| 12 | O | SCHILLER | SO CHILL ER |
| 19 | R | CINEMATIC | CRI[AMEN<]TIC |
| 20 | I | GIANT | GI ANTI |
| 21 | N | MYSTICAL | (LATIN’S MY C)* |
| 23 | O | SILICATE | SOCIALITE* |
| 25 | T | MASSIVE | MAS STIVE |
| 26 | H | PARTING | PAR THING |
| 28 | E | MECCANO | (ONCE CAME)* |
| 31 | R | KAGOUL | K.[ARGO]U.L. |
| 33 | W | THING | W[a]T[c]HING |
| 35 | O | AGAIN | AGA [nat]ION |
| 36 | R | SLILY | SeLlInLoRrY |
| 38 | D | CETE | DETEC[t]< |
| 41 | S | TIC | STIC[k] |
Colin
“This final jigsaw was quite a feat, I’m not even convinced I have it right but it looks okay.”
You need have no concerns, your completed grid agrees with mine. Not only was it quite a feat for the solver to complete the 9×9 square but Piccadilly must have found it an effort as well.
A most enjoyable puzzle and one that gave a high degree of satisfaction on completion.
Thanks for the confirmation Geoff. Yes, Piccadilly’s feat was impressive. Many of the letters in the “perimeter” were also in ENIGMATIC, necessarily in some cases, giving him a limited set of letters to work with.