Oh dear, a Playfair code-square. And the preamble says that there’s a four-word code phrase, which is going to greatly complicate things. An inauspicious start, so how are things going to work out?
Mister Sting
Enigmatic Variations No.1099 – School Team by Kruger
There’s only a short preamble this time. There are, we are told, ten answers which are to be modified. The remark about the lengths of grid entries implies that these may involve the addition or removal or letters. But the pressing question is, as always, which letters?
Enigmatic Variations No.1095 – And finally… by Artix
A monster preamble this week. Also, so far as I am aware, a new setter for the EVs. Having so recently dodged a rather tough Ivor puzzle, I’m a little nervous about this unknown quantity. Who will have the last laugh?
Enigmatic Variations No.1091 – Name Game by Jacques
Ah, a game from Jacques to pass the time on a Sunday. Well, I’m game. What its name? ‘Name Game’. A shame my fame came… ah, phooey. I’ve never been any good at writing these intros.
Enigmatic Variations No.1087 – Ambiguities by Piccadilly
I am reliably informed that the word ‘ambiguity’ comes from the Latin ambi-, eaning both ways, and agere, meaning to drive. Will this puzzle take the easy road or will it drive the solver crazy?
Enigmatic Variations No.1083 – Identification by Kruger
O me miserum! Mea culpa and de gustibus non est disputandum! Late again! My apologies to Kruger and to all 15^2 readers. I hereby pledge that if another blog is late then I will donate £20 to some good cause or other. But for now, on with the blog!
Enigmatic Variations No.1079 – Roles by Samphiry
A monster preamble this time – and all the excitement associated with a grid of many colours.
What we learn is that the puzzle’s subject plays 4 roles and is known by a particular pseudonym to Enigmatic Variations solvers. These roles and pseudonym are given respectively by corrections to lights and extra letters from subsidiary indications. Further background to the roles is given by 2 normal clues per role. Phew!
Enigmatic Variations No.1075 – Blame the Setter by Chalicea
I got through this one quite quickly, aided by a liberal use of solving aids once I’d worked out how the clue worked (always useful for anagrams of words that are new to … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1071 – The Empty House by Nutmeg
My house is, indeed, empty as I write these few lines, as is my stomach. My diary is empty, as exams very recents came to an end. Apparently, most empty of all is my head, since I can’t think of any more appropriate introduction to this enjoyable puzzle.
Enigmatic Variations No.1067 – Top and Tail by Wan
Firstly, my apologies for having this blog up so late. I have finals starting soon and I misjudged my workload. I’m sorry for making you all wait.
Enigmatic Variations No.1063 – Reform by MynoT
‘Reform’? Surely not a puzzle about everyone’s favourite right-wing purveyors of guff? (Actually, hold that thought…) In any case, I sometimes get rather stuck with trickier missing letter clues, so I wonder if this one is going to behave. (Actually, I don’t. Obviously, I’ve already solved the puzzle at this point. But let’s not damage the fourth wall any more.)
Enigmatic Variations No.1059 – Down Under by Chalicea
‘Down Under’? Is it – finally – a ‘Neighbours’ themed EV? Will the clues include phrases such as ‘a bit of a barbie’ and ‘Ramsay Street’?
Enigmatic Variations No.1055 – Hot Water by Jacques
When I was solving this puzzle, I wasn’t sure whether it was my turn to blog or not. I was happy to find out that it was, since I found it a lovely diversion: a pleasant decoration of time, as I think someone* said of music.
Enigmatic Variations No.1051 – Map by Raich
Sorry I’m a little late in publishing this.
I thought we’d had a Raich offering relatively recently, but a quick check tells me we haven’t had one for around 15 months. In any case, there’s been a common feature in the themes of the last few Raichs – what about this one?
Enigmatic Variations No.1047 – X Marks the ???? by Rustic
There are two errors in the first sentence of this EV’s preamble. There are dots rather than commas separating some of the numbers giving word lengths for the quotation, which is described as “running clockwise IN THE MOST of the perimeter”. I appreciate that these are small mistakes (and not the setter’s fault), but they irk me.