Ev 1074 Almost Without Poor Clues For Ifor

[dr b]

Well, I'll start the thread although I am still completely bamfoozled by the endgame. I have all the down clues solved but have yet to hit upon some consistent modifications which will fit in the grid and suggest some two-word phrase. Will probably put it down until tomorrow.

[devadolly]

Join the clan drb, have loads of the grid completed but seem to be swimming in mud for the endgame. How's the weather in the mid-west at the moment?

[dr b]

dd, A nice summer thunderstorm just rumbled through, which will give the garden a nice soak. Generally calm and nice over the past week, though.

[slaney]

Good morning all - a little more light this morning for me - managed to find the phrase and enter it "appropriately".
Haven't worked out the title fully yet, so some work left to do.

Certainly kept me out of mischief for some time, so thanks to Ifor...

[slaney]

..and here the summer seems to have vanished - again.

[Twit-Who]

Well, I love the word "bamfoozled" so much more descriptive than "bamboozled". Is that your own word? Whatever the word is I'm it too!

Had guests at the weekend so a late start for me and I have yet to get the answer to 16d. As to the two-word phrase I'm not even near. Tricky.

[Twit-Who]

Ah the light has dawned .... 16 down was made impossible for a time as I had inexplicably put a wrong letter in an across answer....senility must be setting in. Actually very enjoyable once the penny drops and as always frustrating when it hasn't.

Thanks Ifor.

PS 20 down should be 9 letters.

[devadolly]

Twit-Who, give a hint please! Have a no of the odd downs (how they get there is something of a mystery in certain cases, but obvious in others) but no idea about anything remotely connected to the title/preamble, this is so far away from my wave-length I need a telescope!

[Twit-Who]

Concentrate on the letters you have to move in 2d, 3d and 13d. I confess that like Slaney I haven't figured out the relevance of the title. Hope this helps.

[x_word_fan]

Well I for one am no nearer - the hint from Twit-Who gave ne hope and had me searching the R's in Chambers but to no good effect. Can I ask if the phrase has 17 letters as I suspect?

[devadolly]

Thank you TW. I'm afraid I am little nearer as I don't yet have either 2 or 3d. I am just getting no-where with the remaining empty clues. As to 13d - does it have anything to do with a printing term reversed? Best I can come up with am with drb and the wonderful bamfoozled state!

[x_word_fan]

13d anag of the first 2 words
2d neat can be scottish word for cattle (2 letters)
3d soak is steep up gives peets

[devadolly]

Thank you x-word fan, I had done 13a and was wondering if the letters referred to by Twit-Who were the reversed printing term. help with other two much appreciated.

[Shoni70]

I am pleased that I have managed to complete the grid After that I am flummoxed. I have no idea what the hyphenated phrase is , probable contains out, and the 11 jumbled down clues convey little. If Ifor is a fellow Welshman i think he is a sadist and if I remember correctly he has baffled me a few times in the past. I do enjoy a tough puzzle but this one I find has left me cold. If anyone please could give me guidance I would be overjoyed. I feel that many glasses of wine does not help and if nothing is forthcoming then stronger spirits will have to be the result to drown my enigmatic sorrows.

[slaney]

Shoni - I got it by making out a list of the 11 words, looking at them carefully, and then found something within each of them that could be said to belong to a group. The hyphenated word describes how they are shifted within the original 11 words.

[ringer]

gosh - that was a struggle. have got there now!

[dr b]

I'm officially abandoning ship. I can see a grid fill where you take a string from a lower part of the answer and shift it upwards, but: 1) The strings are of differing lengths and do not seem to have anything obvious in common, 2) they are not always moved from the same place in the answer; 3) they are not always moved to the same place in the grid entry; 4) none of the above suggests an obvious two word phrase. I am obviously still bamf..., er, bamb..., er, confused.

[Grimaldi]

What, pray, is Ev 1074, and can I see a copy somewhere?

[voulezvous]

Equally baffled dr b, but I thought the words were shifted downwards! Can't think of the term whichever way!

Grimaldi, this is the Enigmatic Variations puzzle from the Sunday Telegraph.

[ringer]

dr b - look at might previous comment and this one. there may be a clue if i'm not mistaken.

[Grimaldi]

Thanks, ringer. The subs seem a bit stiff if all you're really after is the puzzles, and I think I'll pass.