‘Reform’? Surely not a puzzle about everyone’s favourite right-wing purveyors of guff? (Actually, hold that thought…) In any case, I sometimes get rather stuck with trickier missing letter clues, so I wonder if this one is going to behave. (Actually, I don’t. Obviously, I’ve already solved the puzzle at this point. But let’s not damage the fourth wall any more.)
Enigmatic Variations
Enigmatic Variations 1062 Two Groups by Samuel
So two groups to identify – Four unclued and 6 clued without definition and a link between teh two groups to be highlighted. Sounds musical to me. The corrected misprints to 23 clues … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1061: Not Quite All There by Warbler
For the second month running, I have a crossword that hasn’t got any extra/missing letters/words or misprints. Instead, just eleven words in the perimeter and central row to identify, and something to write … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1060: Change of Title by Oxymoron
An intriguing preamble: As ‘instructed’ by the grid, solvers must make a choice in the case of eleven clashes; and a further ten clues omit a letter in the subsidiary indications – these … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1059 – Down Under by Chalicea
‘Down Under’? Is it – finally – a ‘Neighbours’ themed EV? Will the clues include phrases such as ‘a bit of a barbie’ and ‘Ramsay Street’?
Enigmatic Variations 1058 Principle by Jaguar
A new setter, I believe, certainly not one I have come across before – Should be interesting then. Twencelas’ third principle “Variety is the spice of the solver”. Do I, perhaps, detect a … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1057: Market Loan by Moordon
A larger than normal grid this week, 14×14, and a lot of clues to go with it. What’s more, all the clues were normal, not a misprint or extra letter in sight. There … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1056: Winter Festival by Kcit
My first thoughts on seeing this puzzle were a) not another ‘split clue and decide where to put the answers’, like my last blog, EV1052, and b) that the split grid device was … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1055 – Hot Water by Jacques
When I was solving this puzzle, I wasn’t sure whether it was my turn to blog or not. I was happy to find out that it was, since I found it a lovely diversion: a pleasant decoration of time, as I think someone* said of music.
Enigmatic Variations 1054 Connections by Salamanca
A simple preamble – some theme words and connections and a little bit of highlighting to finish. Sounds like a very accessible EV, one for the first timer, even. For those, just dipping … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1053: Making a Point by Ifor (& Brat)
No time this week for anything more than the bare bones as I’m in the process of moving house … for the second time in six months (and the last time in at … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1052: Mixed Doubles II by Kruger
Did anybody get a really tough jigsaw for Xmas – the kind that you start and then realise you’ve bitten off a bit more than you can chew, with everything else that’s going … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No.1051 – Map by Raich
Sorry I’m a little late in publishing this.
I thought we’d had a Raich offering relatively recently, but a quick check tells me we haven’t had one for around 15 months. In any case, there’s been a common feature in the themes of the last few Raichs – what about this one?
Enigmatic Variations 1050 Double Entry by Nudd
It’s the Sunday before Christmas, so does Double entry refer to something festive? Simple answer is No. Ten clues are actually double clues, with the solver having to work out what is entered … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1049: Iris by MynoT
A fairly straightforward puzzle this week by the looks of it. Six extra words to be found in the clues which would give an instruction. I’ve struggled with some of MynoT’s puzzles before, … Read more >>