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Shenanigans's avatarShenanigans

I have been doing The Listener crossword on and off (mainly off) since I was about 16. I am now slightly older, and finally have a lot of time on my hands to devote to this beauty and others like it. In its honour, I created the Crossword Database, which you can get to from the Fifteensquared Links page. I try and complete The Listener, Inquisitor and Enigmatic Variations every week, with about a 90% success rate (which translates into a 0.1% prize rate). I treat all these puzzles like treasure hunts where, well not to put too fine a point on it, anything goes in trying to get to the elusive pot of gold … except of course asking someone else. I have no qualms about using Bradford's or Chambers Crossword Dictionaries or about Googling whatever seems appropriate. On the non-crosswording front I play golf and tinker with computery stuff. I grew up with William Hartnell's Doctor Who and Monty Python, but feel at home in the 21st century with Matt Smith's Doctor, Little Britain and the League of Gentlemen.

Enigmatic Variations No. 1109: Seaside Capers by Piccadilly

Thu March 13, 2014 at 8:10 amSat March 1, 2014 at 1:00 am by Shenanigans

The construction of this crossword was reminiscent of a puzzle a few months ago. Across entries in the two top and bottom rows, and down entries in the four left and right columns … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations No. 1105: Loss of Life by Kcit

Tue January 9, 2018 at 5:58 pmFri January 31, 2014 at 4:00 pm by Shenanigans

[Apologies for the slightly early (and slightly bizarre) time of posting this blog. Fast forward to Spoiler Alert to find out why!] OK! So here we had a Kcit puzzle with a long … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 6 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1101: Prevention by Charybdis

Tue January 9, 2018 at 5:58 pmSat January 4, 2014 at 8:00 am by Shenanigans

Charybdis is one of my favourite setters (mind you I’ve got quite a few). His puzzles are always sound and often quirky… like his recent Listener, #4268 Check This Out last November. Here … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations No. 1097: Distortion by Stick Insect

Tue January 9, 2018 at 5:58 pmSat December 7, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

A smaller than normal 10×10 grid this week, so do I expect easier than normal clues or a toughie? I wasn’t really expecting the theme of this puzzle this week, but assumed that … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 4 Comments

Enigmatic Variations No. 1093: Phenytoins by Ifor

Tue January 9, 2018 at 5:57 pmSat November 9, 2013 at 9:00 am by Shenanigans

This week it’s another chance to blog one of my favourite setters. Here, we had to change the appearance of ten answers with nine clues containing a word or phrase which would help … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations 1089: Choreography by Kea

Sat October 12, 2013 at 9:00 am by Shenanigans

Kea’s puzzles are normally at the trickier end of the spectrum, certainly those in the Listener series. Time would tell whether I was in for a hard time this week or not. My … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations 1085: Unreliable by Kcit

Sat September 14, 2013 at 12:00 pm by Shenanigans

A seemingly straightforward puzzle from Kcit this week. There were only four misplaced clues to identify, each lacking a common definition. The absence of misprints and missing/extra letters in clues made it a … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations 1081: Welcome! by Samuel

Sat August 17, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

This week we had the first solo puzzle from Samuel since he took over the EV editorship. (In case you didn’t know, he made up one third of Samphiry, responsible for EV 1079 … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 2 Comments

Enigmatic Variations 1077: A Figure produced by Oxymoron

Sat July 20, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

It’s always a pleasure to blog an Oxymoron (or Schadenfreude!) puzzle, and this one was titled A Figure produced by Oxymoron—intriguing! Only eleven misprint clues this week, the balance being made up of … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 2 Comments

Enigmatic Variations 1073: Crowning Glories by Glow-worm

Sat June 22, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

“Four musical CROWNING GLORIES are clued without definition.” So we were celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. That would explain why she popped up in so many of the clues. Sixteen … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 7 Comments

Enigmatic Variations 1069: Greetings … and Farewell from Rustic

Sat May 25, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

Little did I realise when I wrote my last fifteensquared blog that I would be blogging another Rustic puzzle this month as well … for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, James Leonard, Rustic … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 3 Comments

Enigmatic Variations 1065: Hotiuhtw by Rustic

Sat April 27, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

Having escaped from the jaws of Playfair codes with yesterday’s Listener (Oh, No! Not Another Playfair), courtesy of Mordred, here I am well and truly in at the deep end! Time to see … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 1 Comment

Enigmatic Variations 1061: Not Quite All There by Warbler

Sat March 30, 2013 at 1:00 am by Shenanigans

For the second month running, I have a crossword that hasn’t got any extra/missing letters/words or misprints. Instead, just eleven words in the perimeter and central row to identify, and something to write … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations

Enigmatic Variations 1057: Market Loan by Moordon

Sat March 2, 2013 at 8:00 am by Shenanigans

A larger than normal grid this week, 14×14, and a lot of clues to go with it. What’s more, all the clues were normal, not a misprint or extra letter in sight. There … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 5 Comments

Enigmatic Variations 1053: Making a Point by Ifor (& Brat)

Fri February 8, 2013 at 8:18 amSat February 2, 2013 at 1:00 am by Shenanigans

No time this week for anything more than the bare bones as I’m in the process of moving house … for the second time in six months (and the last time in at … Read more >>

Categories Enigmatic Variations 4 Comments
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