Enigmatic Variations – Page 25

Enigmatic Variations 1401 Unconventional by Stick Insect

Sat October 5, 2019 at 11:45 am by twencelas

Something unconventional this week which must be deduced – I do like a simple preamble. And whilst not overly difficult, what a marvellous construction. The novelty being that spaces and punctuation filled spaces … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1400: Title by Oxymoron

Sat September 28, 2019 at 2:02 amSat September 28, 2019 at 1:30 am by Kitty

Hello everyone. I had never solved an Oxymoron puzzle before, and it was only when writing up the blog that I realised that thanks for this crossword are due to the late, great … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1399: They Are What They Are by Artix

Sun September 22, 2019 at 8:02 amSat September 21, 2019 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

A classic – and classical – EV from Artix… …with a lot of preamble, and a lot of white space between the clues. The preamble states that: “In THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE, … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1398 – Five of a Kind by Maranga

Sat September 14, 2019 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“The perimeter comprises FIVE OF A KIND, and the answer to one clue might be found in any of them. Solvers must highlight this entry in an appropriate colour. Unchecked letters in the perimeter could spell MAN GUZZLES BAR CLEAN FOR MONTH. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1397 TT Chapter by Vismut

Sat September 7, 2019 at 8:44 amSat September 7, 2019 at 12:05 am by twencelas

A misprint in the definitions of each clue. An unclued entry and 23 cells to highlight. Should be fun. My first thought was that this was at the easier end of the difficulty … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1396: Up and Down and Round and Round by Ifor

Sat August 31, 2019 at 12:17 am by Kitty

Hi everyone. This week we have a puzzle from Ifor which I much enjoyed, finding it nicely chewy in the clueing and with an endgame that didn’t give up its secrets too easily. … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1395: Differences by Dysart

Sat August 24, 2019 at 8:22 amSat August 24, 2019 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

This was nearly a DNF (did not finish) for me – in fact it still may be – and it was certainly an MSD (missed submission deadline), as I didn’t crack the final … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1394 – Coup de Grace by Gaston

Thu September 12, 2019 at 9:56 pmSat August 17, 2019 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“The unclued entries have been practising for the COUP DE GRACE by removing a thematic group of consecutive letters from eight normally clued entries, always leaving shorter, real words to be entered in the grid. In all other clues, wordplay indicates the answer with an extra letter; in clue order these letters reveal the theme. Solvers should administer the COUP DE GRACE themselves by blacking out two symmetrical groups of six.”

Enigmatic Variations 1393 Missing Person by Chalicea

Sat August 10, 2019 at 5:34 pmSat August 10, 2019 at 12:01 am by twencelas

A single letter missing from downs spelling out an instruction to fill in the unclued entries – a person to be removed and then another one to be highlighted. Quite a few unusual … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1392: Name That Tune by X-Type

Sat August 3, 2019 at 1:13 amSat August 3, 2019 at 12:17 am by Kitty

Hello everyone. I was happy to see a puzzle from a Jaguar (even if this one isn’t one of my cousins!). For me it was very much at the easier end of the … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1391: Cary by The Ace of Hearts

Sat July 27, 2019 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

I am familiar with ‘The Ace of Hearts’ from his(?) devious circular Listener puzzles, but a search of this site shows a few recent EVs and IQs, several of which I think I … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1390 – Bolder by Jaques

Sat July 20, 2019 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“In clue order, the first letters of the answers give part of a quotation (in ODQ). Solvers must fit the answers jigsaw-style into the grid, although some are too short for the available space and must be entered with initial blank cells. Where answers begin with the same letter, their clues are presented in conventional order. Having entered the answers, solvers must take the BOLDER choice from the quotation, adapting one entry and completing the
remainder. Finally, solvers must show suitable confidence with their choice by altering three other letters in the grid. Apart from one, which is thematic, all entries in the final grid are real words. Numbers in brackets refer to answer lengths.”