Vismut (EV) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

EV 1677 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1677 (Hints)

No Fine Feathers by Vismut

Hints and tips by Gabriel

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In the olden days (15 years ago!) I was a blogger (on a couple of the other sites) but blog quality and sophistication has improved considerably since.  Me not so much.

My qualification then was that I self-described as a beginner and Peter Biddlecombe (Hi Peter!) wanted to demonstrate that mere mortals such as myself were cryptically capable.

Incidentally, my solving partner (to be introduced) pointed out it’s ironic for us to be writing this blog since this is where we come ourselves for help (thanks Phibs!). 

Enough about us…

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EV 1613 Hints

Enigmatic Variations 1613 (Hints)

Residence by Vismut

Hints and tips by Phibs

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This week I gave Bard a bit more to go on, asking “What might be the theme of a crossword entitled ‘Residence’ where shading three blocks of letters shows what a particular person was famous for and completes an approximate illustration of the theme?” The response was:

The theme of a crossword entitled “Residence” where shading three blocks of letters shows what a particular person was famous for and completes an approximate illustration of the theme could be:

Famous homes of artists: Shade three blocks to reveal the person’s name and complete an approximate illustration of their home. For example, shade the blocks “MO” in “MONET’S HOUSE” to reveal the name of the artist Claude Monet and complete an approximate illustration of his home in Giverny, France.

This was followed by similar suggestions for writers (the example being Hemingway), musicians (Beethoven), scientists (Einstein), and historical figures (Lincoln). Based on these examples, Bard doesn’t seem to know any famous Britons, but I wonder how well he (I asked, and Bard told me “I do not have a gender preference. You can refer to me as he, she, they, or any other pronoun that feels comfortable to you.“) has done this time around.

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EV 1601 Hints

Enigmatic Variations 1601 (Hints)

Lame by Vismut

Hints and tips by Phibs

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I’m afraid that I’m no nearer being able to explain this setter’s pseudonym than I was last time around, but I’ve entertained myself by trying to come up with a wordplay for it. Best so far: “I must start on various puzzles”. Yes, I know, ‘could do better’…

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