“Extra words in some clues are synonyms for different words which each form a square in the grid within which a circle, touching all sides, must be drawn. In 14 other clues the wordplay gives one incorrect letter. Read from the grid the correct letters name an IMMUTABLE character. Read in clue order, the incorrect letters indicate what colour to fill the grid and how many circles to fill with what colour. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Mister Sting
Enigmatic Variations No.1706 – Impact by Ifor
“Four horizontal bars have been omitted from the two central columns. Having filled the grid, solvers must highlight a pair of words in the outer two columns that describe an action, and show its IMPACT on the grid by moving a thematic block of cells within the central columns, displacing another block and creating five new down entries, no two of which have the same length, to be delineated by adding four bars. The thematic block must also be highlighted. Clues to the 17 across entries that are unchanged each contain a letter to be dropped to enable solving. In clue order these letters spell a thematic name.
“All changes to grid and clues create new words, including one proper name in the grid.”
Enigmatic Variations No. 1702 – Low Rider by Kolya
“Four notable examples of a LOW RIDER are given by initial letters of single redundant words in each across clue in alphabetical order of their answers. A thematic quotation and its originator runs clockwise around the perimeter starting at the top left cell. Solvers must highlight the LOW RIDER (nine contiguous cells) in the final grid, at a stretch illustrating one of the four examples in motion.
Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1698 – Blanks by Eclogue
“Wordplay in each clue which does not involve theme-words or their variations generates an extra letter read in clue order, these provide a description of a text and its often repeated word. The completion of the unclued BLANKS must be deduced. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1694 – Final Scene by Kcit
“The grid represents the situation approaching halfway through the FINAL SCENE of an opera. Six entries (none of them words) are formed from clue answers by a representation of the events of the scene.
Enigmatic Variations No.1690 – Nob by Vismut
“Clues are given in alphabetical order of their answers and must be entered into the grid where they will fit. In 12 clues, a NOB’s word must be removed before solving; read in normal clue order the first letter of each of these clues gives a thematic expression, which is missing something removed from the person whose nickname and title complete the two unclued entries. Solvers must highlight a name (11 contiguous cells), circle the letter which has dropped vertically and insert one entry number.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1686 – Good Advice by Skylark
“Each clue contains a single letter to be removed before solving; in clue order, these spell out what solvers should highlight in the completed grid, involving perhaps GOOD ADVICE? Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1682 – Triple Change by Kruger
“In ten clues, part or all of the definition has had a letter added and the result jumbled, sometimes creating additional wordage. These clues need to be reconstructed before solving and then the ten extra letters arranged to describe how the answers to these clues are to be treated before (to complete the TRIPLE CHANGE) being entered at a different location in the grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1678 – Local Disturbance by Cranberry
“Clashes in 13 cells can be resolved to help reveal, obliquely, either a thematic question or a LOCAL DISTURBANCE. Select the question, thus eliminating the problem, and thematically modify four answers (of a kind) to illustrate its answer (30 cells), involving characters well-placed to deal with the issue. Enumerations refer to grid entries, which include non-words after thematic treatment. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1674 – Bang! by Chiffchaff
Rather a long preamble for this puzzle…
Enigmatic Variations No.1670 – Loop by Jaques
“Solvers must remove a superfluous word from each of 23 clues before solving. Taking either the first or last letter from these words, in clue order, indicates how to LOOP the remaining answers for entry, resolving any clashes. All entries in the final grid are real words.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1666 – DROP by proXimal
“All clues are normal, but a letter must DROP out wherever it occurs before entry in each down answer. Dropped letters, in clue order, spell two phrases pinpointing a year when an event befell the unclued entry. In the final grid, the event must be re-enacted by replacing one entry with another leaving empty cells. All entries are real words or names at every stage (ignoring gaps).”
Enigmatic Variations No.1662 – Invaders by Vismut
“In ten of the across clues, an incorrect letter has pushed out the correct one; in 17 of the down clues a letter has walked away from the clue. In clue order, these incorrect and missing letters spell out some thematic names. The proliferation, unexpected appearance and (in one case) mutation of INVADERS must be dealt with so that four titular motifs and an associated thematic name can be seen (making new real-word crossing entries, including a city name). Unchecked letters in the perimeter, before any adjustments, might make CHAFF OR IDIOM. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1658 – Pseudonym by Gaston
“Clues are presented in normal order, but there are nine unclued entries. One is the theme’s creator; the other eight comprise the seven members of a thematic group, with one member covering two entries. Twenty-two clues each contain a single-letter misprint. Read in clue order, the correct letters produce two names; the first eleven (all from across clues) spell out the theme’s central character, thought to be a PSEUDONYM for the eleven-letter second name (all from down clues). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations No.1654 – Verse’s Opening Line by Ifor
“Clues are in normal order, giving every normal entry successively, in sequence. Answers must be entered routinely, in their entirety. Not all clues have orthodox solutions; seven are missing and require identifying, then answering, never straightforwardly. Highlight a phrase that identifies clues; four lines of six, symmetrically.”