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mc_rapper67

Enigmatic Variations No. 1104: Nice by Ferret

Sat January 25, 2014 at 8:48 amSat January 25, 2014 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

The preamble tells us that twelve answers need to be substituted with a ‘thematically associated’ word before entry. And the one unclued entry can be ‘similarly’ associated with a word which must be … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 5 Comments

Independent 8494 by Nimrod (Saturday Prize Puzzle 4 January 2014)

Sat January 11, 2014 at 8:05 amSat January 11, 2014 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

After the veritable smorgasbord of fancy themed and Nina’d centenary/Christmassy puzzles across all sources over the past few weeks, Nimrod brings us back down to basics with a good, honest hard-working cryptic prize puzzle…a … Read more >>

Categories Independent 8 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1100: Compère by Oxymoron

Sat December 21, 2013 at 12:36 amSat December 21, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

The EV series clocks up another hundred on the mileometer and, due to the rotation of the four current bloggers, I am the lucky one to mark the occasion (as I was with EV1000 … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations

Independent 8465 by Monk (Saturday Prize Puzzle 30 November 2013)

Sat December 7, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

A tough (but fair) mental workout from Monk this week. This needed a few return sessions to get to completion – in fact I think my first scan through only offered up the … Read more >>

Categories Independent 6 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1096: Demand by Samuel

Sat November 30, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

The preamble to DEMAND tells us that ‘the hunt is on’ for the unclued 14D. In 34 clues an extra letter in the wordplay will give us a ‘group’ met on the way, … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 4 Comments

Guardian Genius 124 by Picaroon

Sun November 3, 2013 at 8:45 pmSun November 3, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

The preamble, or ‘Special Instructions’, as the Genius calls them, tell us to resolve one clash in each across solution, working out which of the clashing pair ‘best fits’ the grid. These corrected … Read more >>

Categories Guardian Genius 13 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1092: Burnt Offering by Mynot

Sat November 2, 2013 at 9:36 amSat November 2, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Hmmm…a ‘burnt offering’…not quite the 5th of November, so unlikely to be Guy Fawkes…the (reasonably brief) preamble tells us that in ‘most’ clues the wordplay will lead to an extra letter, which will … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 2 Comments

Independent 8435 by Anax (Saturday Prize Puzzle 26 October 2013)

Sun November 3, 2013 at 9:43 pmSat November 2, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Remember, remember, the 26th of October…unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it up to the Northern S&B get-together last weekend…but will Anax have remembered?… Not just any old S&B get-together, but a celebration … Read more >>

Categories Independent 17 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1088: Aarrgghh by Samuel

Sat October 5, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Well, belay there ye landlubbers – Cap’n Samuel has a piratical offering in celebration of ‘International Speak Like A Pirate Day‘ (an event which, I have to admit, had passed me by until I set … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 3 Comments

Independent 8405 by Morph (Saturday Prize Puzzle 21 September 2013)

Sat September 28, 2013 at 9:10 amSat September 28, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

A nicely accessible (at least for a prize puzzle?) offering from Morph, with some hidden fun and games which nearly eluded me… …as did the parsing of 22A…oh, and part of 12A. Maybe … Read more >>

Categories Independent 4 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1084: Means by Chalicea

Sat September 7, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

What does it all ‘mean’? Do I have the ‘means’ to solve this puzzle? The preamble is fairly clear to start with – 1A and 41A are thematic, with 41A being a description of … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 7 Comments

Independent 8375 by Bannsider (Saturday Prize Puzzle 17 August 2013)

Sat August 24, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

The rota has given me a second Bannsider Saturday Prize puzzle in a row and, while not quite as intractable as Indy 8345, it was another tough mental workout…as one might expect. No particular themes … Read more >>

Categories Independent 14 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1080: ATOL by Owzat

Sat August 10, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

In ‘ATOL’, the preamble tells us that a ‘specific’ 10D of nine letters is formed by the addition of seven letters to answers to seven clues which are not ‘fully clued’. Each addition … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 2 Comments

Independent 8345 by Bannsider (Saturday Prize Puzzle 13 July 2013)

Tue July 23, 2013 at 9:12 amSat July 20, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Phew! What a scorcher…and I don’t mean the actual summer heatwave we are enjoying (enduring?) here in the UK, I mean the tough mental workout this week, from a man at the top … Read more >>

Categories Independent 14 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1076: Equivalence by Samuel

Sat July 13, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

All the hallmarks of a classic EV in the preamble: misprints in the definitions of fourteen clues leading to a ‘suggestion’ as to how to enter eight answers ‘thematically’ – with three other … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 2 Comments
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