Enigmatic Variations No. 1132: Another Game by Artix
A blank grid with no bars or numbers – and one of the longest preambles for a while…is Artix going to be playing games with our heads? That preamble in full: The two … Read more >>
mc_rapper67
Enigmatic Variations No. 1128: Unknown Destination by MynoT
Hmmm…if you have an UNKNOWN DESTINATION, it might take a long time to get ‘there’ – and so this proved for your correspondent. Every answer must be entered without one letter – wherever it … Read more >>
Independent 8644 by Nestor (Saturday Prize Puzzle 28 Jun 2014)
A bit of a last minute rush with this, and apologies for maybe not doing it justice. I did the parsing below earlier in the week, but am now in the depths of Swaledale in … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1124: Hard Graft by Chalicea
The preamble to ‘HARD GRAFT’ tells us that a ‘6A by 11D’ (both unclued) will appear in the grid (five words) and explain said ‘graft’. In addition, each clue’s wordplay will lead to … Read more >>
Independent 8614 by Tyrus (Saturday Prize Puzzle 24 May 2014)
A good, honest cryptic work-out from Tyrus this week – no fancy themes or Ninas (that I could see, anyway), just a ‘Ronseal’ puzzle – does what it says on the tin… Things proceeded fairly … Read more >>
Everyman 3528 – 18 May 2014
‘Good morning one and all’ is the usual opening from Lorraine, when it is the Trafites’ turn to blog – but this week they are on a well-earned break, and I have the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1120: Curious Cocktail by Rustic
Another poignant moment, as the preamble informs us that this is the very last EV from Rustic (James Leonard) – instigator of the EV series and its editor for 20-odd years – who died … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 130 by Qaos
The preamble to Genius 130 states: “Before being entered in the grid, six solutions must undergo 24 down 9, while another six must undergo 26 15. In the process only valid words may … Read more >>
Independent 8584 by Klingsor (Saturday Prize Puzzle 19 April 2014)
A neat puzzle from Klingsor, with lots of lovely surface readings, and no twists in the tail in terms of Nina or themes, at least as far as I can see…readers may think otherwise?… … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1116: Morphed by Shark
The preamble says ‘In the definition of every clue a letter has been MORPHED and must be changed back before solving. In clue order, alternating between correct and morphed letters in each set of … Read more >>
Independent 8554 by Tees (Saturday Prize Puzzle 15 March 2014)
Several linked/cross-referenced clues here, which often suggests a theme may be present; and also several references to ‘cardinals’ in the clues – is there going to be some sort of Monty Python/Spanish Inquisition theme? … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1112: Title, Please by Syd Lexis
A sad moment – this is (presumably) the last EV from Syd Lexis (Alan Donovan), whose recent passing was announced the week before in Nimrod’s Inquisitor 1322 editorial, and to whom tributes have been … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1108: Dreams by Rasputin
In ‘DREAMS’ solvers need to turn one man’s dreams ‘into reality’ by single word removals from various clues, and by erasing 51 cells from the completed grid – so pencils and/or correcting fluid at the … Read more >>
Independent 8524 by Jambazi (Saturday Prize Puzzle 8 February 2014)
‘Jambazi’ is ‘Tramp’s Indy pseudonym, but on closer inspection of this puzzle, could he also be ‘Cyclops’ in disguise?… On my initial solve, this seemed a fairly straightforward puzzle – suitably difficult for a Saturday … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1104: Nice by Ferret
The preamble tells us that twelve answers need to be substituted with a ‘thematically associated’ word before entry. And the one unclued entry can be ‘similarly’ associated with a word which must be … Read more >>