Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English
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This is Skylark’s eighth crossword in the EV series. We have seen her work during the IQ and EV ladies’ months and in the Magpie and Listener.… Continue reading
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Introducing Bus Stop by Chalicea: A Cryptic Cruise Through Commuter Chaos
Ah, the humble bus stop. A haven for weary travellers, a canvas for graffiti masterpieces (of dubious artistic merit), and, today, the unlikely setting for a cryptic conundrum courtesy of the redoubtable Chalicea. Buckle up, crossword comrades, because “Bus Stop” promises a journey like no other – a winding route through double deckers and daydreams, timetables and ticket stubs, all sprinkled with Chalicea’s signature brand of witty wordplay and devious cluing.
Forget your preconceptions of pastoral landscapes and leisurely strolls through the countryside. This is urban orienteering, where missed connections mingle with cryptic crosswords, and every discarded gum wrapper might harbour a hidden anagram. So, whether you’re a seasoned commuter with a well-thumbed bus pass or a wide-eyed newbie navigating the concrete jungle for the first time, prepare to have your preconceptions challenged and your vocabulary stretched to its limits.
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Solvers will undoubtedly remember proXimal’s EV 1600 when, as our editor, he celebrated the 1600th Enigmatic Variations puzzle with a stunning crossword.… Continue reading
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We have a novelty here – the first EV puzzle I have ever seen where the title doesn’t feature as a single phrase in the preamble. Anyway, I asked Bard “What might be the theme of a crossword called ‘Playing the Game’ which involves two-digit numbers?” His response was swift, extensive and…no help at all. I sensed that Bard’s sort of game was the electronic kind (tennis is probably a little beyond him at the moment), since he came up with stuff like:
♦ Power-ups: Temporary enhancements or advantages gained in a game, often represented by two-digit numbers indicating the duration or effectiveness of the power-up.
♦ Lifelines: Additional chances or opportunities provided to players to avoid losing or improve their chances of winning, often represented by two-digit numbers indicating the number of available lifelines.
I just hope this puzzle is more fun than Bard’s version.
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There is no need to introduce Kruger whose very first EV crossword appeared on this day (December 10th) 28 years ago – quite an achievement!… Continue reading
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I asked Bard what the subject of a themed puzzle entitled ‘Polyfilla’ might be. He came straight back with an answer.
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This will be Hedge-sparrow’s eighth EV crossword. He is a familiar setter to Listener solvers and his themes range through many fields of knowledge.… Continue reading
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I didn’t feel there was much to offer Bard in relation to this week’s theme, so I asked him why a setter would choose the pseudonym Ifor.
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Eclogue set crosswords for all the thematic crossword outlets. This is their seventeenth in the EV series.… Continue reading
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I gather that Luxor is a new addition to the ranks of EV setters, so on behalf of all setters and solvers I welcome her to the fold. I asked Bard about the mysterious creature which we have been asked to find, and after a brief pause for thought he came up with the following:
“The creature that could be described as both like and unlike any other that had previously existed is the Ediacara biota. These organisms lived between 635 and 541 million years ago, during the Ediacaran Period. They were the first complex life forms on Earth, and they had a wide range of bizarre and unique shapes. Some Ediacara biota were flat and disc-shaped, like Dickinsonia. Others were frond-like, like Fractofusus. And still others were tube-shaped, like Charnia. Many of them were also much larger than any other animals that had lived before, with some specimens growing to be several metres long.”