Enigmatic Variations 1458 (Hints)
Cover Story by Gaston
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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If you are a relative newcomer to the Enigmatic Variations Series, Gaston will probably be a new setter name for you as he doesn’t set for any of the other thematic cryptic outlets but this is his eighteenth crossword for the EV. In view of the devices he uses, Gaston’s crosswords are among the more difficult EV ones but well worth the effort because of the fine p.d.m. moments. Continue reading “EV 1458 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1457 (Hints)
A Clear Law by Vismut
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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Like Skylark, Vismut joined the relatively small band of lady setters just a couple of years ago and has challenged solvers of the Listener, Magpie, Inquisitor and Enigmatic Variations series with crosswords that nearly always oblige us to extend our knowledge of a fascinating range of subjects. This one is no exception. Continue reading “EV 1457 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1456 (Hints)
Villains by Stick Insect
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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Stick insect will be a familiar setter for Toughie solvers. He has been setting EV crosswords for some years and also appears annually in the Listener series and has recently set for the Magpie too. With such an experienced setter you can be confident that his clues will be well set and fair. We found this crossword to be of about the same difficulty as the ‘average’ Listener (a Magpie C rating, say) and it will challenge newer EV solvers but it will be well worth sticking with it as you will probably love the endgame (one Numpty did – the other ‘hadn’t a clue’). Continue reading “EV 1456 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1455 (Hints)
The Golden Oldies by Skylark
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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Skylark joined the relatively small band of lady setters just a couple of years ago and has delighted solvers of the Listener, Magpie, Inquisitor and Enigmatic Variations series with crosswords on literary and musical themes (Jazz, the Beatles, Endeavour Morse, Jeeves, Hercule Poirot, Frank Muir – his ‘Aisle Altar Hymn’, Oscar Hammerstein and Robert Graves). Continue reading “EV 1455 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1454 (Hints)
Ramjets by Eclogue
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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We have been finding crosswords by the Eclogue team in a range of publications of thematic cryptics over the last ten years, the EV, Crossword, the Inquisitor series and the Magpie, and we know that the clues will challenge us but be fair and that there will be a smile when we spot the theme. Continue reading “EV 1454 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1453 (Hints)
Four-letter Words by Piccadilly
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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Piccadilly has been setting crosswords mostly in the Enigmatic Variations series and for the Listener for over thirty years so you can be confident that his clues will be fair and balanced. When we see his name as the setter of a Listener numerical crossword, we tend to shiver (though his recent numerical one had a memorable finish – the numbers had to be converted to words and they gave I HATE NUMERICAL CROSSWORDS BECAUSE MAKING A MISTAKE MEANS STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN) but fortunately we are dealing with words here. Continue reading “EV 1453 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1452 (Hints)
Bridges by X-Type
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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This is the second of the series of gentle puzzles with hints and tips to help newer solvers.
Previous crosswords in the series by X-Type have been noted for his classic style of cluing. With a different pseudonym, he is a Listener and EV setter of long standing (over thirty years!) who can be relied on to produce relatively gentle puzzles. Continue reading “EV 1452 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1451 (Hints)
The Beagle Has Landed by Chalicea
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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This is the first of a series of gentle puzzles with hints and tips to help newer solvers.
Preamble: To show that THE BEAGLE HAS LANDED, solvers must 11, 20, 16 No. 1451 at 1 & 34 (seven words);
Chalicea’s puzzles are usually at the more generous end of the difficulty scale and this proves to be no exception. As there are unclued words in the grid, the clued ones will have to be relatively easy. We are told that there are seven words at 1a and 34a. Chalicea has been rather sneaky as the fifth of these words has been split between those two lines. Continue reading “EV 1451 (Hints)”
EV Hints
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An announcement from the editor of the EV Puzzles, Steve Bartlett follows: Continue reading “EV Hints”