Jaques (EV) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog

EV 1628 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1628 (Hints)

Could Be by Jaques

Hints and tips by Phibs

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I asked Bard, “If you COULD BE a crossword setter or a crossword solver, which would you prefer, and why?” His response made me think that as a setter he might struggle with the 400-ish word limit on an EV composition, since it could hardly be described as terse even after a few sentences have been edited out.

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EV 1603 Hints

Enigmatic Variations 1603 (Hints)

Pie Crust by Jaques

Hints and tips by Phibs

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I wonder if Jaques, a new setter for me, is as melancholy as his name suggests? Of course, his pseudonym may have nothing to do with the Bard – the OED tells me that ‘jaques’ is an old term for a privy, so that could perhaps work if his real initials are WC. But then there’s Jacques of London, the famous maker of games, in particular the Staunton chess set. Am I getting warm…?

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EV 1556 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1556 (Hints)

Limitations by Jaques

Hints and tips by The Numpties

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Jaques is familiar to EV solvers and to Magpie, Inquisitor and Listener solvers too. We know that his clues can be difficult and expect a challenge but we can also expect an amusing endgame.… Continue reading

EV 1515 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1515 (Hints)

Disguise by Jaques

Hints and tips by The Numpties

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Jaques is familiar to EV solvers and to Magpie solvers too (with a crossword rated D in the current Magpie). A debut Inquisitor crossword has recently appeared and he has two Listener crosswords to his name.… Continue reading

EV 1471 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1471

What’s Earned by Jaques

Hints and tips by The Numpties

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Jaques has been setting thematic cryptic crosswords for almost twenty years in the Listener, EV and Magpie series. He has one in the current edition of the Magpie crossword magazine. (It is still live, so no comment but there is still time for you to subscribe if you haven’t done so yet. Six crosswords each month with a range of difficulty – the easiest usually easier than an EV, and the most difficult D and E crosswords something like the one we are hinting on today.) https://www.piemag.com Continue reading “EV 1471 (Hints)”