Enigmatic Variations 1593 (Hints)
Apparently by Skylark
Hints and tips by Phibs
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When I provided hints for her last EV, Skylark was kind enough to explain the origin of her pseudonym, chosen because as a youngster she was entranced by Errol Garner’s rendition of the Johnny Mercer / Hoagy Carmichael song of that name. Since we will be searching for names in the completed grid, Mercer’s closing couplet may well be relevant: “So if you see them anywhere / Won’t you lead me there?”
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Enigmatic Variations 1591 (Hints)
Split Personality by Check
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Should we presume that our setter is a keen chess player? A poker aficionado? Or perhaps a fan of Neighbours and Home and Away star Craig McLachlan’s band Check 1-2? That’s perhaps the most likely explanation, but frankly it’s anybody’s guess.
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Enigmatic Variations 1589 (Hints)
RQAKHNNE WZFADE by Piccadilly
Hints and tips by Phibs
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The Playfair cipher was devised in 1854 by Charles Wheatstone (he of the electrical bridge), but is named for Lord Playfair, who promoted its use in military communications. Playfair puzzles are the Marmite of the barred puzzle world, and I think it’s fair to say that neither the Numpties nor I could be numbered among their fans – however, there are others who reckon they are the best thing for sliced bread, and who are we to question their taste?
Although Ximenes once playfully chose CAB as the key phrase in a Playfair puzzle, it is usual for words or phrases of ten or more letters to be chosen. No letter can appear more than once in this phrase, and it cannot contain both of the letters (here I and J) which do duty for each other.
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Enigmatic Variations 1587 (Hints)
Cross Debate by Kcit
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Kcit needs no introduction.
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Enigmatic Variations 1585 (Hints)
Proclamation by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Phibs
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My fellow blogger needs no introduction, but suffice to say that we can expect fair clues, plenty of thematic material, and a challenge likely to be more entertaining than arduous.
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Enigmatic Variations 1583 (Hints)
Remedies by The Ace of Hearts
Hints and tips by Phibs
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What an intriguing pseudonym. Apart from being a playing card, The Ace of Hearts is the title of a 1921 film in which the member of a vigilante group who is to carry out an assassination is selected by a card being dealt to each person in turn until one receives the ace of hearts. Is this relevant? I’m hoping that our setter might be able to tell us.
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Enigmatic Variations 1581 (Hints)
Aircon by Ifor
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Ifor is a name of Welsh origin, meaning ‘archer’, and also the label given to the Implementation Force, a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement unit deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during 1995 and 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. However, I suspect that the alias assumed by today’s setter owes more to the Deefor Dog, Ellfor Leather and Peefor Pleasure school of nomenclature. Let’s hope we’re not dealing with Ifor Impenetrable…
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Enigmatic Variations 1579 (Hints)
Line of Duty by Eclogue
Hints and tips by Phibs
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I wonder if when two setters are contemplating a collaboration their decision is influenced by the name of the hybrid which will result. eXternal and Serpent combine very neatly to produce eXtent, and the marriage of Hellebore and Phi to produce Hellphire was surely irresistible. Eclipse plus Logogriph is less obvious, Ecriph or Loglipse having understandably been ignored in favour of Eclogue. But what about Ifor and Wickball getting together as Iball, or Harribobs and Piccadilly forming Harpic? Jacques and Sea-kale as Jacqusea, perhaps? Curmudgeon and Wan might need to think carefully about names before entering into an alliance, though…
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Enigmatic Variations 1577 (Hints)
Reality Check by Opsimath
Hints and tips by Phibs
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In the setter’s blog for Listener puzzle 4600, Opsimath wrote “This was one of the very first puzzles I attempted to set. I know, because I only stumbled on my pseudonym while looking for suitable words to use for the grid. Putting *psi* into TEA produces loads of words like campsite and lop-sided, but oΨmath caught my eye and seemed appropriate, since I was already well into my 60’s when I even started to think about setting. Plus, I was always a Math teacher. To save you rushing to Chambers, an opsimath is someone who learns late in life. I’ll admit to having been offered the very best schooling from an early age, but I only started to learn quite recently.”
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Enigmatic Variations 1575 (Hints)
Follow the Instructions by Kcit
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Georges Remi, the creator of Tintin, came up with his pseudonym by taking his first and last initials, reversing them, and turning the French pronunciation of the individual letters into the name Hergé. Today’s setter did something along the same lines – his first and last initials are PH, a reversal of which gives HP, an abbreviation for ‘hire-purchase’. This loosely equates to ‘credit’ or ‘tick’, and a complementary reversal of the latter gives ‘kcit’. Simples!
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