We have the WRONG SORT of something from Wicksparrow this week…maybe it was the wrong sort of week for my blogging turn to fall?!
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations No.1714 – Shambles by Curmudgeon
“Solvers must highlight 29 cells showing (3,3,7) in the symmetrically shaped (3,6,2,5) as recounted by 11.
In 19 clues there is a misprint in the definition that must be corrected before solving. Correct letters spell a three-word phrase that will help lead solvers to the SHAMBLES. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations 1713 Translation by Nudd
29 clues with an extra letter will give us a piece of verse; The next line allows us to know what needs to be removed from 16 answers before entry. Relatively straight forward … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1712: Obstacle Courses by Luxor
Hello. Sorry this post is a little later than normal. I thought I’d managed to schedule it last night, but it disappeared without trace. Hopefully we are now through the particular obstacle course of the site maintenance, and can turn our attention to this one …
Enigmatic Variations No. 1711: Lullaby by Charybdis
Is Charybdis trying to LULL-ABY us into a false sense of security, by making us think this is a nice gentle puzzle to fall asleep with?…
Enigmatic Variations No.1710 – Immutable by Vismut
“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.”
Enigmatic Variations 1709 Roundabout by Chalicea
Eight clues with misprints give a clue to three inscriptions. Simple as that or is it?
Enigmatic Variations No. 1708: Two Domains by Kcit
Hello one, hello all. The preamble: From the answers in each column, two letters are removed, one to the top row, one to the bottom. Where there are two entries in a … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1707: Crassword by Stick Insect
A quick check – no, this isn’t the Grauniad, so that probably isn’t just a typo in CRASSWORD…
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 1705 Oath by Shark
Misprints in 19 clues lead to three parts of an oath – seven members of this organisation then fill the perimeter. Two members are missing and one is hiding in plain sight and … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1704: Alchemy by Miles
Hello all. I can accurately say this was the best puzzle I have done by Miles!
Enigmatic Variations No. 1703 – Opening by Gaston
The solver is always looking for an OPENING to find their way into a puzzle, but here the finding of an OPENING seems to be the endgame of the puzzle as well…
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 1701 Odd Couples by Luxor
Relatively simple instructions this week. Six definitions in across clues moved to down clues and vice versa. These make pairs of entries to be highlighted in different colours. About half a dozen clues … Read more >>