The Australasian One (Fall Out)

Origially entitiled 'FALL OUT' this was renamed The Australasian One to conform to a theme in the Enigmatic Variations series relating to the continents.

Steve Bartlett writes:-

As you may be aware, John Henderson (editor of the Inquisitor series) is intending to run an all-female-setting July and I've been persuaded to do the same at the EV. However, I've asked the intended setters to follow an international theme, as a nod to the 'proposed' Tokyo Olympics (23 July - 8 August). There are ony four slots in July and only four female setters, but my idea requires six puzzles (based on continents), so I am two short. Your puzzle Fall-Out would be an ideal fit for one of these slots, which are as follows: 

July 4 — The Asian One by Chalicea

July 11 — The European One by Vismut

July 18 — The African One by Skylark

July 25 — The South/North American One by Sae-kale

Aug 1 — The Australasian one by Eclogue

Aug 8 — The South/North American One by proXimal (me)

 

The Preamble

A letter must FALL OUT wherever it occurs from a thematic solution in each column, dropping into the bottom row to provide a setting.  Chambers is recommended, but does not contain two thematic answers, two proper nouns or the bottom row.  Enumerations refer to grid entries.

Fall Out

This puzzle commemorates the ‘FALL-OUT’ of the British nuclear tests conducted at MARALINGA, Australia, a lesser known chapter in the war with GERMANY.  Operation BUFFALO in 1956 comprised four tests: ONE TREE, MARCOO, KITE and BREAKAWAY, while Operation ANTLER ran a year later.  VIXEN was an associated minor safety test programme.

Excusez-Moi

Published in the Sunday Telegraph as Enigmatic Variations no 1478, Excusez-moi.

 In EXCUSEZ-MOI the correct letters of misprints in definitions, in clue order, provide a French version (ignoring one accent) of a common English idiom and some additional assistance, which together will explain how some undefined, but otherwise plain clue solutions should be entered.  Enumerations refer to grid entries.  Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.

The corrections to misprints spell “à chacun vient sa chance” which (per COLLINS ROBERT) is one possible French equivalent of the English idiom, “every dog has its day”, along with “days in French”.  The undefined entries provided seven dogs, which surround the seven different days in French. 

One solver's comment:

A mid-range puzzle rendering a nice pdm when the thematic entry requirements emerged about mid solve later confirmed by all the corrected misprints. This gimmick can lend itself to assisting finding "missing" corrections when enough to realise what's required have been uncovered but with the equivalent idiom being in French; only to those much more fluent than myself - a nice change, enhanced with the weekdays also being in French. My thanks to Eclogue.

Neil  

Ramjets

Appearing in the Sunday Telegraph's Enigmatic Variations series as EV 1454.

Read in the normal order, extra letters generated by the wordplay from each clue provide three names which will lead solvers to the definition of the “RAMJETS”, the eight unclued entries. 

Ramjets

WENDY CRAIG, GEOFFREY PALMER and NICHOLAS LYNDHURST starred in the Carla Lane sitcom “BUTTERFLIES” (RAM+JETS) defining the unclued entries of PURPLE EMPEROR, CARDINAL, COMMA, TORTOISESHELL, PAINTED LADY, SWALLOWTAIL, ADMIRAL and ARGUS.

Ciao

Published in the Sunday Telegraph of 24th March 2019 as Enigmatic Variations puzzle no. 1375, Ciao by Eclogue

Preamble

In CIAO, solvers must highlight an author who appears in the grid following a treatment
suggested by the title of one of his works, which must be written in full beneath the grid.
All clue answers are to be similarly treated prior to entry. Numbers in brackets refer to
grid entries and Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.

Solution

A FAREWELL TO ARMS

Dénouement

All entries must have any A, R, M or S removed in accordance with the cryptic indication “A FAREWELL TO ARMS” by ERNEST HEMINGWAY, whose name includes each such letter once only.  The work in question is set in Italy, hence the puzzle's title.

 

Corruption

In response to plaintive wish for more populist subjects, CORRUPTION has been devised especially for the Enigmatic Variations series, running....

Solvers are faced with a grid which has a line below it, always a sure-fire indication that proof of understanding the theme will be required, as the preamble goes on to confirm:

"Nine clues lack a definition, seven of which appear in the grid reformed after a thematic adjustment. The remaining two are untouched by such corruption.  All clues have been corrupted by an additional letter in wordplay, which in clue order provide most of a thematic quotation, the completion of which should be written below the grid.   One grid entry is in Collins as is one plural."

Corruption Solution Grid

 The dénouement can eventually be worked out:

Frank SERPICO was an NYPD police officer who battled against a pandemic of corruption within the force, as portrayed by AL PACINO  in the film SERPICO.  In the grid, seven felons “MOBSTER, MOLESTER, TRIGGERMAN, CRIMINAL, SMUGGLER, MISCREANT and MISDOER”, each hand out (M)oney in order to avoid records.  The corrupted versions give no hint of their true activities.  The additional letters from wordplay provide the quotation from the film “(THE) REALITY IS THAT WE DO NOT WASH OUR OWN LAUNDRY, IT JUST GETS…” completed by DIRTIER