Enigmatic Variations

Enigmatic Variations No.1570 – Scratching the Surface by Cranberry

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“Clues are listed in conventional order. All bars touching the perimeter (SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, say) are provided. Locations of further bars, displaying 180° symmetry, are to be deduced (but need not be entered). Ten clues contain single extra words. For each of these, one or two letters (not aways consecutive), as indicated by the extra word, must be removed from the defined answer before jumbling the remainder to make the thematic grid entry. All other clues lead to the answer plus one extra letter. In order, these spell out the theme. Enumerations refer to unmodified answers.”

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Enigmatic Variations No.1566 – Head Back Home by Inkling

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“Eight clues comprise wordplay only. Solvers should identify a set of single-word synonyms of the answers to these clues. Leaving the body of the synonyms behind, solvers should take a poetic action and HEAD BACK HOME, arranging the heads into a suitable response. This response (which can be found in ODQ) will, in turn, provide a guide to the missing three-letter word in the centre of the grid. Finally, solvers must draw a continuous line through eleven cells to identify the source. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; 11 is in Collins.

(This is the first and final Enigmatic Variations puzzle by Chris Dunn (inkling), who, sadly, passed away in July.)”

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Enigmatic Variations No.1562 – Loss by KCIT

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Clues to the nine-letter entries — all real words — consist of three definitions to component parts in order. To form the entry, each part must suffer an identical LOSS affecting the same letter each time in a given clue. The six letters thus obtained can be arranged to give a relevant two-word phrase, which must be written below the grid. Nine other entries are deemed to have suffered the same LOSS leading to a different word being clued. However, the entries have their losses restored, always in checked cells. Numbers in brackets refer to the spaces available. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; 5 is in ODE.

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Enigmatic Variations No. 1560: It’s Not What You Say by Vagans

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Hello everyone, and the now-usual thanks to mc_rapper for ensuring that we bloggers have access to a usable version of the puzzle.  That I wasted a few moments wondering what relevance Daniel had in 24d is due only to my own imperfect proof-reading of the converted text!  As for the puzzle itself, another enjoyable EV from Vagans, to whom thanks.

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