Enigmatic Variations – Page 31

Enigmatic Variations No. 1312: Ranting by Shark

Sat January 20, 2018 at 5:39 amSat January 20, 2018 at 12:00 am by Shenanigans

A fairly simple preamble greeted us this week: In RANTING, eight answers must be altered thematically on entry; clues to these answers consist of a definition for the answer, and wordplay leading to … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1311: Given Up by Samuel

Sat January 13, 2018 at 12:25 pmSat January 13, 2018 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Ah…the Christmas period – turkey, presents, carols, family, arguments, board games, arguments…and, of course, jigsaws! Followed, or accompanied, by more arguments… OK, this jigsaw came out on 31 December, so slightly post-Christmas, but what is … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1310 – More Crackers by Charismatix

Sun January 7, 2018 at 2:17 pmSat January 6, 2018 at 2:19 pm by Mister Sting

“Nine clues consist of jokes that might be found in CRACKERS; the grid entry in each case is the punchline. In 40 clues, the wordplay leads to the answer plus an additional letter not to be entered in the grid; in clue order these give another joke, the punchline to which (13 letters) must be highlighted. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1309 Most Suitable by Kruger

Sat December 30, 2017 at 12:28 pmSat December 30, 2017 at 12:05 am by twencelas

Sixteen additional words in clues to be removed and 10 answers requiring treatment before grid entry. But no clue as to that treatment until the 16 are found and their first or last … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1308: Fitting by MynoT

Sat December 23, 2017 at 10:21 amSat December 23, 2017 at 12:00 am by Shenanigans

I had the dubious honour of blogging MynoT’s last EV, No 1280 Occasional Item of Furniture which required all answers to be encoded using the element numbers from the periodic table. I hoped … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1307: Classic by Hedge-Sparrow

Sat December 16, 2017 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

Chambers defines CLASSIC as, among other things, a great writer or work; a particular horse race; (in plural) Greek or Latin studies; a stylish clothing look. But which of these does Hedge-Sparrow, or Prunella … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1306 – A Drop in the Ocean by Chalicea

Sat December 9, 2017 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“In A DROP IN THE OCEAN, six solutions, when entered correctly, have spaces into which solvers must appropriately move a thematic item which, carrying 19 and 22, ran into trouble at 25 and broke 36, finally settling on the 47. The wordplay in each across clue leads to the answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid; these letters give a further instruction. Initial and final grids, ignoring empty cells, contain only real words.”

Enigmatic Variations 1305 Association by Clarence

Sat December 2, 2017 at 12:15 am by twencelas

8 unclued answers – * clues with additional words which are anagrams (plus a letter) of associations to the unclued answers. Quite quirky and a new setter for me Clarence. A good mix … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1304: Eye & Nose by Artix

Sat November 25, 2017 at 9:00 am by Shenanigans

This weekend, I have two Artix puzzles to blog. The first is over at Listen With Others, Follow the Directions and has Charles Kingsley’s Westward Ho as its theme. Unusually for Artix, the … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1303: Who’s Who by Gaston

Sat November 18, 2017 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

I think this is my first blog of a Gaston EV, although I have solved a few over the years. (S)he made it into the WHO’S WHO of setters celebrated in the recent … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1302 – Chops and Changes by Ifor

Sat November 11, 2017 at 8:15 pmSat November 11, 2017 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“A set of three small numbers is integral to the theme. These numbers taken in order identify letter-positions in successive groups of three clues, with the title regarded as the 36th and last clue for this purpose. In clue order the letters spell out an instruction to be applied to those cells which would need to contain a pair of letters if clue answers are to fit the cells available, whose number is given in brackets. These letter-pairs must not be entered. When read in conventional grid order, one letter from each spells out the originator of the theme, to be written under the grid; the others describe where it may be seen. CHOPS AND CHANGES to the completed grid are not required. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

Enigmatic Variations 1301 Disappeared by Oxymoron

Sat November 4, 2017 at 4:36 amSat November 4, 2017 at 12:05 am by twencelas

No clue numbers this week but an alphabetical across and down ordering with 10 misprints in definitions giving a clue to the puzzle’s theme. Also 6 unclued entries which are wholly blank in … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1300: Those Responsible by Samuel

Sat October 28, 2017 at 12:00 am by Shenanigans

A puzzle by our Editor this week, starting with the preamble: Answers to 17 clues are too short for the allowed space, and must be entered leaving one or more cells empty; solvers … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1299: Vicious Circle by Raffles

Fri October 27, 2017 at 4:48 pmSat October 21, 2017 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

‘Only’ thirty clues (with a quotation round the perimeter), so surely VICIOUS CIRCLE is an EV blogger’s delight? But I found it hard to get going at first, although I squared the circle in … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1298 – Rings in the Changes? by Encota

Sat October 14, 2017 at 12:01 am by Mister Sting

“The definition in all but two thematic clues contains a single misprint that must be corrected before solving, occasionally requiring changes in spacing and punctuation. In clue order, the correct letters give two instructions. For the first, solvers must RING THE CHANGES (23 letters in total: 5,9;5;4). The second relates to letters within the six pre-marked rings, real words being formed; the resultant organisation’s director appears in the unclued entry. In the incorrect letters from misprints, perhaps WE FIND TOP TWENTY, DANCING AND CLASSICAL MUSIC; or CANDID NEWS, FACTS, ACTING, COMEDY – WIT/PUNS IN ALL. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”