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2008 Edition of the
Online Guide to the Engima


Preface to the Guide
History of the NPL
Membership Information
Sharing the Puzzles
      Sharing the fun
      Combining Talents
Composing
Editorial Verses
Flats
      Acrostical Enigma
      Alternade
      Ambigram
      Anagram
      Antigram
      Apt. . .
      Backswitch
      Baltimore Deletion
      Baltimore Transdeletion
      Beheadment
      Bigram. . .
      Brookline Letter-Change
      Change of Heart
      Changeover
      Charade
      Combination Padlock
      Consonantcy
      Curtailment
      Deletion
      Diastichal Enigma
      Double-Cross
      Dropout
      Enigma
      Enigmatic Rebus
      False derivative
      FWNFR
      Group flat
      Head-to-Tail Shift
      Heart Transplant
      Heteronym
      Homoantonym
      Homoconcominym
      Homonym
      Homosynonym
      Interlock
      Letter Bank
      Letter Change
      Letter Shift
      Linkade
      Literatim
      Metathesis
      Mutation
      Mynoreteh
      Order Takeout
      Overloaded. . .
      Padlock
      Palindrome
      Phonetic. . .
      Phrase Shift
      Picture. . .
      Progressive. . .
      Rebade
      Rebus
      Redro takeout
      Repeated-Letter Change
      Repeated-Letter Deletion
      Reversal
      Reversed. . .
      Riddle
      Sound Change
      Sound Shift
      Spoonergram
      Subade
      Suber
      Switchback
      Telestichal Enigma
      Terminal Deletion
      Transaddition
      Transade
      Trans-Cross
      Transdeletion
      Transpogram
      Transposal
      Trigram. . .
      Welded. . .
      Word Deletion
      Word Substitution
      Solving the Rebus
      Browse the Flat Pages
Introduction to Forms
      From A to O
      From P to Z
      Form Modifiers
Cryptograms
      Constructing Medium Crypts
      Solving Cryptograms
      Other Solving Approaches
Extras
      Solving Cryptics
      Composing Cryptics
      Observations
Reference Books
Constitution
      Bylaws
Glossary
Supplements
      Non-Guide Flats
      Non-Guide Forms
      Non-Guide Extras
      Where to Find It
      Form Notation
      Italian Picture Puzzles
      Abbreviated Guide to Flats
      Mobile Guide to Flats
      Submissions
Errata


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Contents

 DECAGON

A variation on an enneagon.

DECAGON
J A I L             Decagon illustration
A M B E R          
I B E X E S        
L E X I P H A N I C
  R E P R O B A T E
    S H O U L D E R
      A B L E I S T
      N A D I      
      I T E S      
      C E R T      

The decagon was invented by Quiz.

 DIAMOND VARIANT

A variation on a diamond where the words are read across and diagonally, down from upper left to lower right. The shape is as follows:

DIAMOND VARIANT
    A      
  B C  
  D E F
G H I J
  K L M
N O  
  P

If you write the across clues as down, and the diagonal clues as across, however, it becomes a rhomboid:

RIGHT RHOMBOID
      G K N P Right Rhomboid illustration
    D H L O  
  B E I M    
A C F J      

As an example:

DIAMOND VARIANT
    I      
  P C  
  J O B  
D O O M
  R A H  
  A N  
  W  

The diamond variant was invented by Rain Man.

 EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE

Penetralia note in Aug 2004: In an equilateral triangle (invented by Gabby), the words proceed across, down from upper right to lower left, and up from lower right to upper left. Three examples are in this issue, as well.

This description is from an email by 530nm330hz: An Equilateral Traingle has got 120-degree dotational symmetry, which results in some unusual repeated-letter requirements.

       A
      B E
     C F D
    D G G C
   E F G F B
  A B C D E A
  1. A
  2. BE
  3. CFD
  4. DGGC
  5. EFGFB
  6. ABCDEA
 FLAT FORM

A form in which the various entries are clued in the style of the flat. The usual clues are replaced by the cuewords that replace each entry. Words may be tagged if the composer or forms editor feels it is necessary.

SQUARE
  1. MENU (obs., NI3)
  2. CABBAGE
  3. BIVALVE
  4. WALRUS
  5. CARPENTER
  6. OYSTER BEDS
  7. TABASCO SAUCE
  8. SEALING WAX (NI2)
The WALRUS and the CARPENTER
Were in the Middle East.
(That means they both were SEALING WAXed
Regarding East, at least.)
They cursed the finance minister:
"The deficit's increased!"
"Our country needs TABASCO SAUCE
From us!" the WALRUS said.
"That passive, BIVALVE minister
Is willing to be led.
Instead of overspending
We need CABBAGEs instead."
"But don't tax me!" the CARPENTER
Responded, turning blue:
"With the budget in your MENU
That's a dismal thing to do!"
"Votes can't be kept," the WALRUS cried,
"And budgets balanced too--
"I'll join his staff--become his friend--
Turn WALRUS in a week!
With hidden guns--the havoc
That my OYSTER BEDS will wreak!"
"You'll need me," said the CARPENTER,
"For Farsi's what he'll speak."
= Xemu and Lucifer

The solution:

G U A R D A G E
U N D E R R U N
A D Y N A M I C
R E N E G A D E
D R A G O M A N
A R M A M E N T
G U I D A N C E
E N C E N T E R
 GREEK CROSS

A form shaped like a cross formed by five adjacent, non-overlapping squares.

GREEK CROSS
P A D Greek Cross illustration
E L O
R E M
P E R O X I D E S
A L E X A N D R A
D O M I N A T E D
D D T
E R E
S A D

The Greek cross was invented by Dart.

 INVERSION SQUARE

In the only inversion square published, a ten square by Cubist, the second five words were the first five, written again but backwards. Although the type seems unlikely to repeat, in general any form in which some words are reversed would be a variation on this theme.

INVERSION SQUARE
D E T A S S E L E D
E X E R C I T A T E
T E C T O N I C A L
A R T H R O L I T E
S C O R P I O N I S
S I N O I P R O C S
E T I L O R H T R A
L A C I N O T C E T
E T A T I C R E X E
D E L E S S A T E D

The inversion square was invented by Cubist.

 PAMBRUN PENTAGON

A form shaped like a square topped by a pyramid. One can also have a truncated Pambrun Pentagon; it has an even number of clues in each direction, instead of odd.

PAMBRUN PENTAGON
P Pambrum Pentagon illustrated
B E D
N O T E D
P E D I C A B
A G I T A T E
R E C E D E S
E V E R E S T

The Pambrun pentagon was invented by Gabby.

 PENTAGONAL HOURGLASS

A Pambrun pentagon and an upside down Pambrun pentagon joined at the tip.

PENTAGONAL HOURGLASS
M A S S A G E Pentagonal hourglass illustrated
A L T E R E D
R O A M I N G
S E R I A T E
S C A N S
H U S
T
M O M
M E M O S
T I R A D E S
E M E T I N E
M E L A S S A
P S Y T H E S

The pentagonal hourglass was invented by Gabby.

 PORTLAND PENTAGON

A form shaped like a square with one corner truncated. There are four versions, depending on which corner has been truncated, referred to as northwest, southwest, northeast or southeast.

NORTHWEST PORTLAND PENTAGON
B E A M Northwest Portland Pentagram Illustrated
D A N N Y
D O I N G S
B A I L O U T
E N N O B L E
A N G U L A R
M Y S T E R Y

The Portland Pentagon was invented by Gabby.

 TRISQUARE

A form shaped like a square with one quadrant removed. This form is left if the long words go on the left, and right if on the right. It's inverted also if the long words go along the bottom.

LEFT TRISQUARE
C O N T R A C T northwest trisquare illustrated
O P E R A T O R
N E M A T O D E
T R A P E Z E S
R A T E
A T O Z
C O D E
T R E S

The Trisquare was invented by Gabby.

 VERSIFIED FLAT BASE SQUARE

Each answer word is clued twice: by context in the verse, and by the type of flat given in the list above the verse. Non-11C answers are also tagged. The other (non-answer) words required to make up a base of the given type all appear somewhere within the verse. E.g. if schooled were an answer word, it might be clued as "Alternade" and the words shoe and cold would both appear in the verse.

VERSIFIED FLAT BASE SQUARE
Note: the first answer word is clued differently from the remaining words. One element of one of the bases (not one of the eight form words) is an 11C phrase.
  1. ???
  2. Alterposal (NI2+)
  3. Reversed consonantcy (NI2+)
  4. Charade
  5. Phonetic linkade (NI3)
  6. Consonantcy (NI3)
  7. Partly reversed word-deletion (NI2+)
  8. Charade (NI2)
Here's a sad New England story of an Irish priest from Maine.
It's the annal of his daughters: Josephine and Jane
Back in 1650. They were talented and smart.
But Papa favored Jane, which nearly broke poor Josie's heart.
Jane was an enameler; she liked to paint and draw.
She sketched her fill of heather, ling, and furze, and many more.
She gave her Dad a FIVE rock that she'd found, picked up, and carved.
But Jo knew that if Jane had been the cook, they'd all have starved.
Jo watched her father drill a hole right through that leaflike stone
And hang it on the wall for show, and then, in scornful tone,
Remark to her, "I wish your stew could meet Jane's standards, Jo."
(Jo knew her stew was sabotaged, but how? She didn't know.)
Jo had a yen to TWO her sister in her father's heart.
She loathed to hear his "Ah!"s of pleasure at her sister's art.
She longed to hear him rave about her chicken a la mode.
The things she did with geese and pork made taste buds just explode.
One day their father came and said, "My darlin' SEVEN, draw near;
The Indians who own this land now want it back, I fear.
They have a lien upon our land, and want EIGHT out of here.
They say we're killing off the SIX (some beetles they revere).
"So though I hate to THREE myself and leave the church's work,
I must support my family--a task I will not shirk."
So said he in his slow, FOUR voice, but Jane cried, for she knew:
The SIX were gone, for that was how she'd sabotaged the stew.
= Xemu and Lucifer

The solution:

W O R D P L A Y
O V E R H A L E
R E L A Y M A N
D R A W L I N G
P H Y L L I N E
L A M I I D A E
A L A N N A H S
Y E N G E E S E

The bases are:
alterposal--oVeRhAlE, hole, rave;
reversed consonantcy--relayman, enameler;
charade--drawling, draw, ling;
phonetic linkade--phylline, fill, lien;
consonantcy--Lamiidae, a la mode;
partly reversed word deletion--alannahs, annal, "Ah!"s;
charade--yengeese, yen, geese.

This puzzle type was invented by Xemu and Lucifer.

 WINDMILL CROSS

A form shaped like multiple overlapping windmills, to form the overall shape of an X.

DOUBLE WINDMILL CROSS
U D I S H C O A R B Double Windmill Cross illustrated
P I N K Y O S T A R
B O O E D N I M B I
I N F E R I D A I C
D E F L O R E S C E N C E
G H A N A
R O S A L
A D E P S
S L I P P E R S H A P E D
T O R A H A N O L E
A W A R E P I L O T
M E T E R E T A P E
P R E S S D A R E R

The windmill cross was invented by Lucifer.


 WORD ASSOCIATION FORM

A form in which the clues are not definitions, but words which can be placed before or after the word to be entered to make a phrase or compound word. For example, a clue for book might be open (open book) or shelf (bookshelf).

WORD ASSOCIATION
DOUBLE SQUARE
Across
  1. Sweat
  2. Review
  3. Corner
  4. Pup
Down
  1. Party
  2. Gold
  3. Dutch
  4. Up
= Lunch Boy

The solution:

F L O P
R A V E
A M E N
T E N T

The word association form was invented by Bluff.