Phi Crosswords

phionline.net.nz

  • About me
  • Types of cryptic crossword
    • Solving crosswords
    • Outlets
  • APEX Crosswords
  • My other puzzles
    • BBC Music Magazine crosswords
    • Beelzebub Crosswords
    • Church Times puzzles
    • Enigmatic Variations
    • The European crossword
    • Independent Inquisitor
    • Independent: newspaper
    • Jumbos
    • Magpie
    • Other puzzles
  • Setter’s blogs
  • Book Reviews
  • Cats

Enigmatic Variations 1387: Wonderful Ghoul

“Variable star” is obviously an anagram clue, isn’t it?  While Chambers has a fair number of stars among its entries, not many of them are notable as variables.  So Mira and Algol it was.  Fortunately it was possible to include them in such a way that solvers would have to identify the theme because there were alternatives for unchecked letters.

Now, A, R, S, T.  Obviously there’s going to be words containing the four in that order, while ATRS isn’t very promising.  So let’s jot down all the permutations and see which offer potential words.  Nine, though STAR won’t quite do, leaving us with eight, and hence four crossing places, using them one each.

That’s probably not enough to ensure solvers get the theme.  What can we add?  Well, the variable star to out-vary all other variables is the Cepheid.  That’s governed by Leavitt’s Law, which gives me a chance to honour a largely unsung female pioneer.  So into the length calculation: CEPHEID VARIABLE is a bit long, but DELTA CEPHEI is the same length as LEAVITT’S LAW.  I can track the necessary letters for the former through the grid entries (just a little tweaking of alternative entries needed…) so we could have wordplay with one letter replaced by the one in its equivalent spot in the other. 

Which means the E of DELTA has to be replaced by the E of LEAVITT.  Humph!

So let’s reverse.  Now the second E of CEPHEI has to be replaced by the E of TTIVAEL.  Humph!

So let’s stagger them…and it did prove possible to find an arrangement where L, E, A and I avoided each other.

And finally the title.  This was one where it proved hard to think up something that didn’t give too much away too soon and I retreated (it felt like retreating) to simply the definitions of the two names – Mira the miraculous star (with a huge and unpredictable way of varying) and Algol (the demon, but etymologically ‘ghoul’ – Batman fans might like to recall Ra’s al Ghul).

Share
Tweet
Pin

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Phi RSS feed

  • RSS - Posts

About me

This is the website of Paul Henderson, who sets crosswords for The Independent (London) under the pseudonyms Phi, for the Daily Telegraph (London) under the pseudonym Kcit, and anonymously for The Times (London) amongst many other outlets. For a more detailed biography see the About Me page.

Blogroll

  • Alberich Crosswords
  • Alchemi's puzzles
  • Anax Crosswords
  • Azed slip
  • Big Dave's Crossword Blog
  • Boatman Cryptics
  • Crossword centenary
  • Crossword Centre
  • Crossword Club
  • Crossword Unclued
  • CrosswordMan: Crossword construction software
  • Crosswords by Hasslethymi
  • Fifteensquared
  • George vs The Listener crossword
  • Guardian Crosswords
  • Hoskins Crossword
  • idothei
  • Independent Crosswords
  • Listen with Others
  • Listener Crossword
  • Magpie Crossword Magazine
  • One Across
  • Peter's Cryptic Crossword Corner
  • Telegraph Crosswords
  • The Stickler Weekly
  • Times Crossword Club
  • Times for the Times

Comments

  • Erin on And Happy New Year
  • Brock on Enigmatic Variations – the next stage
  • Erin on 10/10/2020
  • Erin on Rebranding
  • Erin on Enigmatic Variations – the next stage

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in