There are 60 clues, but there are only 42 spaces in the grid. What is the resolution to this problem?
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations 1218 Cat by Stick Insect
A cat themed puzzle this week. One that brings mangled presents from eight answers these must be removed before entry. Sounds typical of a cat! These then need to be listed under the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1217: Quantitative Easing by Jaques
This week we had an alphabetical jigsaw from Jaques. I have to confess that they’re not my favourite, although I’ve had my fair share to blog at Listen With Others. They generally involve … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1216: Border by Chalicea
Borders are a bit of a hot topic at the moment – with the EU struggling with the refugee crisis, Donald Trump threatening to build a wall to ‘keep the Mexicans out’, and … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1215 – Slapdash by Ogit
I’ve never known an EV to be slapdash, and I doubt this one will be!
Enigmatic Variations 1214 Zoophily by Eclogue
A novel variation on the “hidden” message them this week. Words are to be anagrammed within the clues to make the clue solvable with their first letters leading to a “modified” quotation. Took … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1213: Pentomino Divisions by Elroy — Setters’ Blog
So who’s Elroy? Well it’s a character in The Jetsons cartoon series however it’s also an anagram of Leroy, Royle or Oyler. As this puzzle was a joint effort by the editor, Samuel, … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1213: Pentomino Divisions by Elroy — Solver’s Blog
It looked like it would be an easy week for me here. It was a small 10×6 grid, and there were only twenty clues, with no misprints or extra letters, and what seemed … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1212: Star Quality by Kcit
What kind of ‘qualities’ of which type of ‘stars’ is Kcit presenting for our enjoyment here? Celestial bodies, sporting stars, movie stars – or the kind of sub-lebrity flotsam that washes up on the … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1211 – Annual Leave by Oxymoron
This EV seems to have a lot going on. There’s a work of some kind spelled out by extra letters, which are indicated by extra words in eighteen clues. The work ‘suggests’ a number of grid entries that have two components – one of which is ‘derived’ from the answer, the other of which ‘is to be deduced’. There’s also an unclued entry.
Enigmatic Variations 1210 Whodunnit by Ranunculus
A whodunnit this week – based on Cluedo. Five innocent suspects to be eliminated and 5 weapons too – all hidden in the clues. The murder room is then the room defined by … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1209: Two Out of Place by Piccadilly
The old move letters into the perimeter trick this week. Letters latent with the latent letters moving. Definition and wordplay were to the full answer; we just had to work out which letter … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1208: Unknown Commitment by Kruger
I don’t know if I am speaking for the other EV bloggers, but to me every fourth EV puzzle is a bit of an UNKNOWN COMMITMENT… What have I let myself in for this … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1207 – Mix by Samuel
This EV uses alphabetically listed clued that have to be slotted in to the grid. That normally means quite a bit of cold solving. The danger is that one can feel one isn’t getting anywhere. That said, I do have a soft spot for Samuel’s EVs, so I have confidence that this will be enjoyable.
Enigmatic Variations 1206 A fantasy in Two Movements by Ploy
Well what a preamble. Nine words and a letter from the clues need returning to the preamble for it to make sense. Also letters need to be moved in an indeterminate number of … Read more >>