Enigmatic Variations – Page 46

Enigmatic Variations No.1083 – Identification by Kruger

Wed September 4, 2013 at 7:55 pm by Mister Sting

O me miserum! Mea culpa and de gustibus non est disputandum! Late again! My apologies to Kruger and to all 15^2 readers. I hereby pledge that if another blog is late then I will donate £20 to some good cause or other. But for now, on with the blog!

Enigmatic Variations 1082 Twosome by Moordon

Fri August 23, 2013 at 7:24 amFri August 23, 2013 at 12:05 am by twencelas

So this week’s fare comprises 12 unclued symmetrical placed entries around the perimeter and 6 clues without definitions (with the word play missing the letter that intersects the perimeter) – otherwise a straight crossword – so … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1081: Welcome! by Samuel

Sat August 17, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

This week we had the first solo puzzle from Samuel since he took over the EV editorship. (In case you didn’t know, he made up one third of Samphiry, responsible for EV 1079 … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1080: ATOL by Owzat

Sat August 10, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

In ‘ATOL’, the preamble tells us that a ‘specific’ 10D of nine letters is formed by the addition of seven letters to answers to seven clues which are not ‘fully clued’. Each addition … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1079 – Roles by Samphiry

Sat August 3, 2013 at 2:25 pmSat August 3, 2013 at 1:15 pm by Mister Sting

A monster preamble this time – and all the excitement associated with a grid of many colours.

What we learn is that the puzzle’s subject plays 4 roles and is known by a particular pseudonym to Enigmatic Variations solvers. These roles and pseudonym are given respectively by corrections to lights and extra letters from subsidiary indications. Further background to the roles is given by 2 normal clues per role. Phew!

Enigmatic Variations 1078 Before and After by Kcit

Fri July 26, 2013 at 9:03 amFri July 26, 2013 at 12:05 am by twencelas

Quite a complex preamble – 9 unclued entries, 11 with redundant words and 5 with redundant phrases and if that isn’t enough a central square to complete at the end. This was certainly … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1077: A Figure produced by Oxymoron

Sat July 20, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

It’s always a pleasure to blog an Oxymoron (or Schadenfreude!) puzzle, and this one was titled A Figure produced by Oxymoron—intriguing! Only eleven misprint clues this week, the balance being made up of … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1076: Equivalence by Samuel

Sat July 13, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

All the hallmarks of a classic EV in the preamble: misprints in the definitions of fourteen clues leading to a ‘suggestion’ as to how to enter eight answers ‘thematically’ – with three other … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1075 – Blame the Setter by Chalicea

Sat July 6, 2013 at 12:00 am by Mister Sting

I got through this one quite quickly, aided by a liberal use of solving aids once I’d worked out how the clue worked (always useful for anagrams of words that are new to … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1074 Almost Without Poor Clues by Ifor

Fri June 28, 2013 at 12:05 am by twencelas

Straight clues, but an unconventional entry for one down clue in each column. A phrase to be deduced and advice against using a pen to fill the grid! Once I got over my … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1073: Crowning Glories by Glow-worm

Sat June 22, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

“Four musical CROWNING GLORIES are clued without definition.” So we were celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. That would explain why she popped up in so many of the clues. Sixteen … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 1072: Companions by Wiglaf

Sat December 7, 2013 at 11:15 pmSat June 15, 2013 at 12:01 am by mc_rapper67

I found this puzzle quite challenging, partly due to a gap in my cultural references, which will be revealed – although I suspect many people who don’t have this gap may have got … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1071 – The Empty House by Nutmeg

Sat June 8, 2013 at 12:00 am by Mister Sting

My house is, indeed, empty as I write these few lines, as is my stomach. My diary is empty, as exams very recents came to an end. Apparently, most empty of all is my head, since I can’t think of any more appropriate introduction to this enjoyable puzzle.

Enigmatic Variations 1070 Perimeter by Kruger

Fri May 31, 2013 at 9:48 pmFri May 31, 2013 at 12:05 am by twencelas

Relatively straight forward in the preamble department – extra letters from the wordplay spell out a quotation and this will enable the solver to complete the un-clued perimeter cells. Sounds straight forward enough. … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations 1069: Greetings … and Farewell from Rustic

Sat May 25, 2013 at 12:01 am by Shenanigans

Little did I realise when I wrote my last fifteensquared blog that I would be blogging another Rustic puzzle this month as well … for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, James Leonard, Rustic … Read more >>