Enigmatic Variations – Page 24

Enigmatic Variations No. 1427: Omission by Chalicea

Sat April 4, 2020 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Will this be O-MISSION Impossible from Chalicea? I am on a mission to find out…

Enigmatic Variations No.1426 – 55 by Augeus

Sat March 28, 2020 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“The seven unclued entries are the names of an eponymous character whose nickname (55) should be written below the grid. With one exception, all clues contain a superfluous word which should be removed before solving; the initial letters of these words give the character’s location. The normal clue’s number gives the age of the character. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1425 Darkest Hour by Stick Insect

Sat March 21, 2020 at 10:56 am by twencelas

Darkest hour !!! How very prophetic. But in crossword terms some extra words to remove, to reveal 3 names, a perimeter quotation to insert and a single normal entry to be amended to … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1424: Lending a Hand by Kcit

Sat March 14, 2020 at 8:35 amSat March 14, 2020 at 12:10 am by Kitty

Hi everyone. I hope you are well. Thanks to Kcit for an enjoyable puzzle which certainly had someThing about it. The preamble reads: The five five-letter across entries in order are the … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1423: Dozen by Ifor

Sat March 7, 2020 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

My solving notes for DOZEN by Ifor just say ‘bl00dy hard’!… The preamble states that: “A DOZEN clues each contain two or three extra words (not always consecutive, or in thematic order); these … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1422 – 34 28 24 by Oxymoron

Sat February 29, 2020 at 1:34 pmSat February 29, 2020 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“In ‘34 28 24’, wordplay yielded by clues either includes an extra letter not entered in the grid (16) or ignores a letter in the entered answer (15). In clue order these letters spell out what must appear in the perimeter reading clockwise, starting at cell 31. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1421 Keep Trying by Kruger

Mon February 24, 2020 at 4:17 pmSat February 22, 2020 at 12:01 pm by twencelas

Keep Trying – interesting title. Several clues with misprints which will explain how to modify some of the answers. I’m sure it will all make sense in the end. And now to state … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1420: Trisector by Eclogue

Sun February 16, 2020 at 9:57 amSat February 15, 2020 at 12:07 am by Kitty

Hello all. Thanks to Eclogue, the STREET, or perhaps TESTER, of this puzzle. The preamble reads: In the completed grid for TRISECTOR, solvers must highlight a writer and the associated thematic pseudonym, … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1419: A Letter by Piccadilly

Sat February 8, 2020 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Pick A LETTER, any letter, says Piccadilly – there’s 26 of them to choose from! The (fairly complex) preamble states that: “For each clue, A LETTER must be omitted from the answer wherever … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1418 – Accident of Birth by Chalicea

Sat February 1, 2020 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“Extra letters produced by the wordplay of every clue, when read in clue order, give a version of a misattributed quotation about an ACCIDENT OF BIRTH and the person to whom it is frequently misattributed. Solvers must resolve ten clashes in the grid by selecting what he is. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1417 Time for Action by X-Type

Fri January 24, 2020 at 8:09 pm by twencelas

4 unclued entries to determine and a thematic alteration to be applied to a clue in each across row leaving a real word. The downs are all normal Quite a gentle workout, though … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1416: January Reductions by Vismut

Sat January 18, 2020 at 11:28 amSat January 18, 2020 at 12:49 am by Kitty

Hi everyone. Well, this was a very different experience to the last Vismut puzzle I solved. Based on that I had been expecting a bit of a struggle, but this one yielded readily … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1415: Peace at Cagey’s

Sat January 11, 2020 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

‘Twas the season of goodwill when this was published, between Christmas and New Year, when all Cagey craved was a little PEACE and quiet… The preamble states that: ‘A certain group has left … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1414 – Final Resting Place by Shark

Sat January 4, 2020 at 1:16 amSat January 4, 2020 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“Several answers are shorter than the available grid length and therefore must be entered with blank cells. In 16 clues, the wordplay leads to the answer with one (and in one case, two) letters short. These suggest what must fill the unclued down entries, forming new words and signifying the FINAL RESTING PLACE. A symmetrical thematic string must be discovered (see 37, unclued) and naturally must move within the completed grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1413 Not on the Level by Kcit

Sat December 28, 2019 at 8:42 pmFri December 27, 2019 at 9:28 pm by twencelas

Alphabetically ordered across clues, normal downs apart from one and then an unknown twist, which affects one of the downs and some of the acrosses. The down that needed amendment is 4dn – … Read more >>