Enigmatic Variations

‘Only’ thirty clues (with a quotation round the perimeter), so surely VICIOUS CIRCLE is an EV blogger’s delight? But I found it hard to get going at first, although I squared the circle in … Read more >>

Autumn is here. A tussle with Ranunculus – of the buttercup genus. And the preamble…. The definition parts of nine clues have had two consecutive letters removed which must be reinstated prior to … Read more >>

This week, there were no misprints or extra/missing wordplay letters, just clashes to identify. The preamble read: Ten thematic types linked to 5 down are formed in cells where entries clash; in all … Read more >>

It must be 30-plus years since I last drew a CIRCUIT DIAGRAM, in ‘O’ and ‘A’ level physics, so this offering from Granville (a new setter on the scene?) had me thinking OMG … Read more >>

A cryptic preamble this week and no word lengths shown. Though the letters in the ringed cells of the final grid will help to fill in the grid. A real chicken and egg … Read more >>

It didn’t seem that there would be anything too taxing this week: In YACKETY-YACK, from the answer to each clue a letter must be deleted wherever it appears before entry into the grid; … Read more >>

FULL DISCLOSURE is not something we get too much these days, in the age of ‘fake news’ and spin doctors…what is Piccadilly going to disclose to us?… The preamble states that: “The wordplay … Read more >>

As July comes to a close – 5 down clues to lose letters and 5 across clues to receive the letters. All real words in the final grid and thematic items – with … Read more >>

I’d been asked a couple of times during July “Are you blogging the EV the day after the Inquisitor No. 1500 celebrations?” “Yes,” said I. “Oh dear!” said they, “It’s a tough one.” … Read more >>

Well, on the scale of ‘Fifty Shades of EV’, this was a masochistic 40-plus for your correspondent…Kruger exhorted us to ‘GO FOR IT!’, but I staggered across the line like a marathon runner … Read more >>

A wonderfully complex preamble this week. Read once, twice maybe three times? And then start on the clues and hope it all falls into place.   The preamble in summary: There are 9 … Read more >>