Hi everyone. Skylark invites us to play in a world of shadows …
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations No. 1623: Bus Stop by Chalicea
Chalicea has us waiting at a BUS STOP on New Year’s Eve…will three come along at once?…
Enigmatic Variations No.1622 – The Hater Who Had a Hater by proXimal
“In accordance with the state of the unclued HATER before and after a cryptic HATER, three down clues need a pair of consecutive letters omitted and 12 across clues need a letter to be added before solving; these letters give a source. Solvers must change the HATER to the source of scorn, making a word of a personal message to solvers. Finally, a cryptic HATER should be applied to four down entries to reveal the message (four across entries to be highlighted). All entries are real words or phrases at every stage.”
Enigmatic Variations 1621 Playing the Game by Kcit
The 10×10 grid is to be viewed as 25 2×2 blocks and numbers derived by adding the numerical value of the letter in each block. In each double set of clues there is … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1620: Land Race by Kruger
Hello everybody. As this is my last 225 blog before CHARTISMS, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all you lovely people peace and joy. Now, onto the joy of another entertaining EV …
Enigmatic Variations No. 1619: Polyfilla by Check
Check has got the POLYFILLA out this week – has some DIY gone wrong?…
Enigmatic Variations No.1618 – Different Relation by Hedge-Sparrow
“Three related unclued entries all suggest how ten answers must be modified before entry. In the completed grid, solvers must highlight five words (suitably disposed, 38 cells in total, all confirmed by Chambers) which have a DIFFERENT RELATION to one of the unclued entries. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; all entries are real words or names.”
Enigmatic Variations 1617 Mistaken Identity by Ifor
A mistaken identity to be written beneath the grid exemplifying modifications to 10 across answers. Another 3 in remaining rows must be changed as the remark says. Last bit is to remove a … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1615: First Born by Luxor
Luxor seems to be a new name on the EV roster – and with that name and a theme of FIRST BORN you could be forgiven for thinking this might be a biblical tale…
Enigmatic Variations No.1614 – Hide and Seek by Piccadilly
“In this puzzle, solvers play HIDE AND SEEK, whereby the answer to each clue is concealed within it, as is the definition for another answer. The pattern linking definitions and answers is to be discovered. Clues are listed in conventional order, and solvers must add bars so that the completed grid shows 180° rotational symmetry. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; one answer is a prefix and one proper noun has a two-word definition.”
Enigmatic Variations 1613 RESIDENCE by Vismut
Some clues with multiple letters and extra letters in the wordplay of other clues. An unclued entry and then shade three blocks of letters to illustrate the theme. Intriguing. The multiple letters in … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1612: Weapons of Mass Destruction by The Ace of Hearts
Hi all, and thanks to The Ace of Hearts for a satisfying solve.
Enigmatic Variations No. 1611: Footsteps by Skylark
Skylark has two relatives for us to find, with one following in the other’s FOOTSTEPS…and a thematic perimeter…intriguing…
Enigmatic Variations No.1610 – Adversaries by Shark
“The two unclued ADVERSARIES must be changed to the phrase uttered when one caught sight of the other (creating real-word crossing entries). Single-letter clashes occur in five cells; the letters to be kept spell out who actually spoke these words. Solvers must highlight six cells in a straight line offering (overlapping) four-word confirmation of the sighting. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”