Enigmatic Variations 1674 (Hints)
Bang! by Chiffchaff
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Firstly, I would like to wish all EV solvers a very happy Christmas. ‘Tis the season when the sort of ‘jokes’ that I tell all year round are briefly back in fashion (of a sort). Oh yes, I know that Good King Wenceslas likes his pizzas deep pan, crisp and even; that snowmen go to the greengrocer’s to pick their noses; and that when Santa tried to sell Dancer and Prancer on eBay there were no takers because they were two deer…
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Enigmatic Variations 1673 (Hints)
No Prize by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Phibs
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A search on Dave Hennings’ database at xwdb.info reveals that Chalicea has had 161 puzzles published in the Listener/EV/IQ weekly series and the monthly Crossword/Magpie magazines. A further 18 by her alter ego Curmudgeon take the total up to 179, so I make this number 180, an achievement of truly Phil Taylor-esque proportions.
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Enigmatic Variations 1672 (Hints)
Loved Ones by Ranunculus
Hints and tips by Phibs
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Growing up as an only child, I often had to adapt pastimes to suit my situation, whether that meant throwing balls at the wall of our house so I could catch them when they bounced back, taking myself on at chess, captaining both the England and Rest of the World cricket teams (brilliantly) in a game of Owzthat, or writing pieces of prose containing deliberate errors so that I could correct them in red pen (I probably shouldn’t have admitted that…)
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Enigmatic Variations 1671 (Hints)
Good Health by Karla
Hints and tips by Phibs
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I asked ChatGPT, “In a themed crossword, what might a thematic word ‘being an example of good health’ be?”
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Enigmatic Variations 1670 (Hints)
Loop by Jaques
Hints and tips by Phibs
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This week I asked ChatGPT, “Why would a crossword setter choose to call themselves Jaques?”
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Enigmatic Variations 1669 (Hints)
Strip Tease by Kcit
Hints and tips by Phibs
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I asked ChatGPT, “Can you suggest some nine-letter words that might be linked to a theme of Strip Tease?”
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Enigmatic Variations 1668 (Hints)
The Answer by Ifor
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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Ifor needs no introduction for EV solvers. Dave Hennings’ crossword database tells us that he has been setting them since 2010 and this will be his 47th in the series.… Continue reading
Enigmatic Variations 1667 (Hints)
Negatives by Stick Insect
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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We know that we can rely on Stick Insect for a generous set of clues and a solve that we will enjoy, leading to a p.d.m.… Continue reading
Enigmatic Variations 1666
Drop by proXimal
Hints and tips by The Numpties
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With proXimal, we know that we have a familiar setter who also sets as eXternal in the IQ and Listener series (and combines with another setter as eXtent). You might know him as Artexlen in the FT and Boz in The Herald. Big Dave’s regulars will know him from Thursday/Friday Toughies and back-pagers, where he’s also normally put in on Fridays (used to be Thursdays). With such a range of setting experience, you can be sure you are in safe hands. We remember that as the EV editor, he set that challenging and celebratory EV no 1600. Continue reading “EV 1666 (Hints)”
Enigmatic Variations 1665 (Hints)
Untitled by Luxor
Hints and tips by Phibs
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The credit for inventing the Alphabetical Jigsaw belongs to Araucaria, although his AJs were blocked puzzles with 26 unnumbered lights.
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