Some nifty footwork from Samuel this week…
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations No.1338 – London Songbook by Marmaduke
“In a game of LONDON SONGBOOK, six clues consist of a partial song title that can be completed in a punning fashion by adding the name of a part of London. For instance, If I Were a ____ (from Fiddler on the Roof) might be completed with the word ‘Richmond’ to give a punning version of the song title If I Were a Rich Man. Answers to these clues must be entered where they will fit. In ten across clues, the wordplay leads to the answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid. In clue order, these letters give a musical group and a further partial song title; solvers must highlight the eight-letter part of London which might complete the title.”
Enigmatic Variations 1337 First Instalment by Ifor
A seriously long preamble – extra letters and missing letters in alternating down clues. Something weird to happen to two across clues and 16 letters to find in a closed loop, inside which … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1336: Sadly Lacking by Ranunculus
The preamble, followed by a confession: In nine clues the definition contains an extra letter which must be removed before solving. In clue order, these letters, together with the solutions to these clues, … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1335: Treasure Hunt by Kcit
My solving notes for TREASURE HUNT simply say ‘WOW!’ once I got to the end of this Herculean task… Yet another carte blanche – no bars, clue numbers or even enumerations! – but at … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1334 – Creativity by Tigga
‘The grid presents two works of CREATIVITY (unclued) which solvers must complete. The authors of both must be highlighted in the completed grid (a total of 22 letters). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
Enigmatic Variations 1333 I Had a Job by Samuel
A puzzle based on the “I had a job …” joke. “It was ….” being the punchline. Also extra letters in the down clues spell out a further job, with its punchline to … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1332: Making Ends Meet by Artix
In MAKING ENDS MEET, each clue is a pair, leading (in either order) to two six-letter answers which share a letter in the grey cell; this shared letter is not given by wordplay. … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1331: Alternative to a Beer by Charybdis
Is there such a thing as an ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER? Shurely just shomething to precede/follow/accompany/complement?… The preamble states that: “In ALTERNATIVE TO A BEER?, a theme word (4) must be written below … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1330 – Pioneer by Shark
‘The grid illustrates a pioneering feat. The unclued entry must be left blank initially, and the grid completed by filling it with the name of the PIONEER. Solvers must also enter the same single letter into the two barred-off cells, highlight two points of interest in the grid, and connect them with a curved line (running through the term he
coined). Having disliked a term already in use, solvers must remove four letters from the grid (cryptically signifying the term itself). The final grid contains only real words; Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended, but does not contain the plural form at 32.”
Enigmatic Variations 1329 Firsts by Gnomie
Straight clues, but two unclued entries and then a cryptic instruction that will become clearer as the grid fills – I hope: Two prize-winning FIRSTS must also be highlighted (32 cells in all). … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1328: A Major Deception by Ploy
This week, I had a preamble that told me that I probably didn’t have too much to worry about clue-wise: A single word must be removed from three answers on entry into the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1327: Titles by Oxymoron
A multi-layered puzzle from Oxymoron this week – my head was spinning just from reading the instructions! The preamble states that: “28 clues contain an additional word which must be removed before solving. … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1326 – Fashion by Chalicea
‘A speaker and his comment on poor FASHION circle the perimeter. Solvers must make good seven examples within the grid, thus resolving 24 clashes. Definitions and wordplay refer to the poor FASHION, each cell in the completed grid contains just one letter, and Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.’
Enigmatic Variations 1325 The Socratic Problem by Encota
Extra words in all clues – to be used to find two instructions. Then change a further character in the grid and then…..hopefully it will make more sense once the crossword element of … Read more >>