’11dn, when MOONLIGHTING, is appropriately positioned in relation to the 15ac between 44 and 10, and carried the other unclued entries. Solvers must highlight its creator (seven cells); Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.’
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations 1313 Uncommon Happiness by Kcit
A double carte blanche with 2 missing clues and merged clues. At least the clues in are normal order, albeit without the word lengths. If that was not enough, a four word phrase … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1312: Ranting by Shark
A fairly simple preamble greeted us this week: In RANTING, eight answers must be altered thematically on entry; clues to these answers consist of a definition for the answer, and wordplay leading to … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1311: Given Up by Samuel
Ah…the Christmas period – turkey, presents, carols, family, arguments, board games, arguments…and, of course, jigsaws! Followed, or accompanied, by more arguments… OK, this jigsaw came out on 31 December, so slightly post-Christmas, but what is … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1310 – More Crackers by Charismatix
“Nine clues consist of jokes that might be found in CRACKERS; the grid entry in each case is the punchline. In 40 clues, the wordplay leads to the answer plus an additional letter not to be entered in the grid; in clue order these give another joke, the punchline to which (13 letters) must be highlighted. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations 1309 Most Suitable by Kruger
Sixteen additional words in clues to be removed and 10 answers requiring treatment before grid entry. But no clue as to that treatment until the 16 are found and their first or last … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1308: Fitting by MynoT
I had the dubious honour of blogging MynoT’s last EV, No 1280 Occasional Item of Furniture which required all answers to be encoded using the element numbers from the periodic table. I hoped … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1307: Classic by Hedge-Sparrow
Chambers defines CLASSIC as, among other things, a great writer or work; a particular horse race; (in plural) Greek or Latin studies; a stylish clothing look. But which of these does Hedge-Sparrow, or Prunella … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1306 – A Drop in the Ocean by Chalicea
“In A DROP IN THE OCEAN, six solutions, when entered correctly, have spaces into which solvers must appropriately move a thematic item which, carrying 19 and 22, ran into trouble at 25 and broke 36, finally settling on the 47. The wordplay in each across clue leads to the answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid; these letters give a further instruction. Initial and final grids, ignoring empty cells, contain only real words.”
Enigmatic Variations 1305 Association by Clarence
8 unclued answers – * clues with additional words which are anagrams (plus a letter) of associations to the unclued answers. Quite quirky and a new setter for me Clarence. A good mix … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1304: Eye & Nose by Artix
This weekend, I have two Artix puzzles to blog. The first is over at Listen With Others, Follow the Directions and has Charles Kingsley’s Westward Ho as its theme. Unusually for Artix, the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1303: Who’s Who by Gaston
I think this is my first blog of a Gaston EV, although I have solved a few over the years. (S)he made it into the WHO’S WHO of setters celebrated in the recent … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1302 – Chops and Changes by Ifor
“A set of three small numbers is integral to the theme. These numbers taken in order identify letter-positions in successive groups of three clues, with the title regarded as the 36th and last clue for this purpose. In clue order the letters spell out an instruction to be applied to those cells which would need to contain a pair of letters if clue answers are to fit the cells available, whose number is given in brackets. These letter-pairs must not be entered. When read in conventional grid order, one letter from each spells out the originator of the theme, to be written under the grid; the others describe where it may be seen. CHOPS AND CHANGES to the completed grid are not required. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations 1301 Disappeared by Oxymoron
No clue numbers this week but an alphabetical across and down ordering with 10 misprints in definitions giving a clue to the puzzle’s theme. Also 6 unclued entries which are wholly blank in … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1300: Those Responsible by Samuel
A puzzle by our Editor this week, starting with the preamble: Answers to 17 clues are too short for the allowed space, and must be entered leaving one or more cells empty; solvers … Read more >>