Enigmatic Variations

Enigmatic Variations No. 1750 – Protegees by Vismut

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“Eight across clues have an extra word to be removed before solving; its position in the clue indexes which of its letters to select. When read in clue order these letters might be a description of someone and when unjumbled what they were interested in. A nickname occupies the top row of the grid and the names of the PROTEGEES it refers to run around the rest of the perimeter. The unclued entries should be completed with their study groups, one of which is hanging upside down. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

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Enigmatic Variations 1746 – In Part by Miles

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“For 10 clues the entry is either the answer IN PART or vice versa (five cases of each), and in each of these clues an extra word, to be removed before solving, provides another version of one of these entries. In each of the remaining 24 clues an extra letter, which is not to be entered, is indicated by the wordplay; in clue order, these letters provide a message from which solvers can find a further trio to be written beneath the grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

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Enigmatic Variations No.1742 – Prime by Arcadia

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“In the 180° symmetrical grid, two unclued entries (each of 13 letters) give the names of an author and a sequel to their PRIME work. Cells illustrating a counterexample of a PRIME quotation from the work, involving a further unclued entry of four letters, must be highlighted (13 letters, three words). Clues are in normal order, the wordplay in PRIME examples leading to an extra letter, spelling out the name of a charitable trust. In the final grid solvers must change two letters and then highlight the trust’s initials, a novel and a publication (three, four and six letters respectively in straight lines), all of which were PRIME creations of the author. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

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Enigmatic Variations No.1738 – Cross Words by Robyn

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“In each of 12 clues an extra word must be removed; these words define the theme. A further 12 clues each have a letter missing; these letters suggest how to derive the exact wording of the theme – which must be written below the grid – from CROSS WORDS. Answers to the remaining 12 clues “clash” in 6 cells; entering the correct letter in each affected cell will display a symmetrical representation of the theme (24 cells in total), which must be highlighted. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

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Enigmatic Variations 1737 What he said by Vismut

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A complex preamble – the useful bits – remove a word from all bar 2 clues and use the first and last letters to produce 4 messages. One is a quotation – the second message is an instruction based on the previous 4 words of the quotation. The third is the unchecked letters for the perimeter and the last a second instruction to put the speaker’s name in the grid. Then highlight what he’ll do no matter what.

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