THE TYPES OF SYMMETRY - puzzler.com

 Welcome to the first issue of a new development in crosswords. I hope you're excited as this sort of thing just doesn't happen every day. In years to come, people will no doubt be able to recall the when and where that they first discovered this revolutionary development. Full details of just why this is so groundbreaking can be found overleaf.

In all honesty, this was meant to be a standard crossword magazine. Being Beau Nidle, however (according to my father), I couldn't be bothered, so I turned it into a skeleton crosswords magazine instead. Well, Beau Nidle by name, bone idle by nature and there's so much less detail needed for skeleton crosswords. That's what it seems like, but we know better appearances can be deceptive after all. For instance, on page 50 you'll find a collection of extra starters for the puzzles, so that you decide how hard or easy to make the puzzles. We've included starter blanks and starter numbers, and listed them separately. That way, you discover just one extra starter at a time. There's a bit more to it than just standard skeleton crosswords as well: you'll find a couple of skeleton codecrackers on pages 11 and 43, a 3 to 1 puzzle with a twist on page 15 and a Dilemma crossword on page 19. There's a straightforward crossword on page 25, and other variants include a cryptic skeleton (page 23), a jigsnip puzzle (page 27), a general knowledge skeleton (page 31), an outfit kriss kross (page 35), an A to Z crossword (page 39), and, perhaps the cruellest of the lot, an asymmetrical skeleton on page 41.

Enjoy!

skeleton crossword puzzles 3

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2007. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

THE TYPES OF SYMMETRY

We know you have a passion for crosswords - skeleton crosswords are not for the faint-hearted, after all. So, we've decided to stretch you quite a bit more than you will have experienced before, and really make you think. Normally, there are two styles of crossword grids: those which are symmetrical across four axes, and those which necessitate turning the grid through 180 degrees. However, we've got six more symmetries for you. We knew you'd appreciate it. But be warned! You'll

have to keep on your toes, and you might become a tad obsessed. All eight symmetries are described below.

?.,, ,

-

-

'

'

,

' ,

Full Symmetry

This is one of the two standard grid styles: the top row matches the bottom row, the leftmost column matches the rightmost column, and given one black square, you can fill in either three more (if the given square is on one of the axes) or seven more, as shown in the example.

, '?'Central Symmetry

This is the other standard grid style: if you

? rotate the left half of the grid and superimpose

it over the right half of the grid, the same

It.

squares will be black. For instance, if the given square is the square at the third row

and second column from the top left, the

square at the third row and second column

from the bottom right is also a black square.

-II

Biaxial Symmetry

This is similar to full symmetry: the horizontal and vertical axes, though not the diagonal axes, are used to create the grid. Given one black square, you should be able to fill in three more squares (one in each quarter of the grid), or one more square if the given square is on either the central column or row.

Vertical Symmetry

The left half of a grid is the mirror image of the right half of the grid in this version. So, given one square, you should be able to fill in one other square, unless the square lies on the central column: if the fifth square from the left on the top row is a black square, so too is the fifth square from the right on the top row.

Horizontal Symmetry

This is the same as vertical symmetry, except the horizontal axis rather than the vertical axis is employed, so you need to work from the central row. The top half of the grid is therefore a mirror image of the bottom half of the grid. For instance, if the fifth square from the left on the top row is black, so is the fifth square from the left on the bottom row.

NE Diagonal Symmetry

This is a little more tricky. The axis along which the grid is mirrored runs from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. The top row of the grid is therefore a mirror image of the rightmost column, while the leftmost column is a mirror image of the bottom row. You should be able to fill in one more black square from any given black square, except if it lies on the diagonal line of symmetry.

NW Diagonal Symmetry

Similar to NE Diagonal, except that the line of symmetry runs from top left to bottom right. In this grid style, the top row of the grid is a mirror image of the leftmost column, while the rightmost column is a mirror image of the bottom row. Again, you should be able to fill in one more black square from any given black square, except if it lies on the diagonal line of symmetry.

Asymmetry

As implied by its name, this has no symmetry at all, and you won't be able to fill in any extra black squares from any given ones. Tough and taxing, you have to rely completely on your clue-solving abilities.

4 skeleton crossword puzzles

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2021. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

2

30

ACROSS 2 Amazing 9 _ Bra nning, EastEnders character

10 Trellis 11 Type, kind 12 Hard seaside sweet 13 Dwelling-place, residence 14 Boundary 18 Ghost

An extra black square and number square can be found on page 50.

DOWN

1 Blood colour

2 Newspaper piece

3 Slant

4 Worthy of comment

5 Small axle

6 Theory

7 Flat iron plate for baking cakes

23

8 Long-lived tree of the Beech family

C

12 Book a place 15 Oriental 16 Do penance

17 Ill-will, malice

21 Popular ice-cream flavour

22 Give the right

23 Supervise

24 Constrain

28 Cleanse with water

29 Village gala

30 Glue

33 Pedal digit

19 Direct train 20 Inland_, tax office 23 In the open air 25 Sea-eagle 26 Fish-eating weasel 27 Ignore, snub 30 Set 31 Performer 32 Nocturnal flying mammal 34 Accomplishment, success

skeleton crossword puzzles 5

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2021. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

-? ,,

,

-

-

' '

36 Hindu system of philosophy and

12

exercise

37 Wasp's poisonous weapon

38 Pop _, TV series that made

Will Young famous

16

24

ACROSS

1 Infant 3 Written composition 6 Land in water

11 Put in the shade

12 Use up a supply, reduce 13 Cloth 14 Subtle difference 16 Small temporary dwelling 18 Unsteady on your feet

DOWN

1 Meat from cattle

2 Concrete post at the end of a

road preventing access

4 Slight, inadequate

5 Musical item meaning 'at a

moderate speed'

7 Paint using a template

8 Always

9 Scanty

10 Film starring Daryl Hannah as a

mermaid

15 Cow's milk bag

17 Start

19 Oil platform

21 Peaked hat

23 Departing 24 Sport of kings

25 Important in an Oscar Wilde title

20 Level in a hierarchy

26 Railway terminus

22 Make bigger

27 Starter

26 Cover with spots

28 T ied

29 Right and fitting

32 Observe

30 Round, shallow dish that holds a 33 Lobby

cup

31 Film director's command

34 Field of knowledge

35 Tendency to stillness or uniform

motion

skeleton crossword puzzles 7

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2007. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

3

=-

32

38

ACROSS

1 _ Christian Soldiers, famous hymn

4 Person with dark brown hair 9 Likely to catch fire 10 Ride a bike 11 Person guilty of betrayal 14 Point of a pen 16 Remark 17 Tail movement 19 Discard

?

20 Affected dandy 21 Very cold 22 Take advantage of 23 Common conjunction 24 Upper atmosphere 26 Fish of snakelike

appearance 27 Recent modern 28 Coffer 29 Pinch 32 Umpire

?

An extra black square and number square can be found on page 50.

35 The _ Boleyn Girl Natalie Portman film

38 Very special 39 Walking in stages 40 _ Train to Georgia, Gladys

Knight and the Pips song

DOWN

1 African animal akin to the giraffe 2 Marriage ceremony 3 Track for wheels 5 Of a debt, not satisfied 6 Large brass instrument 7 In a uniform way 8 Distant 12 Pampe r, spoil 13 Assault 15 Building-block 16 Frog eggs 18 Request 19 Cereal crop 25 Muslim veil 30 Ball of shot 31 Uncooked pastry 33 Eat away 34 Assessed 36 Jockey's strap 37 Warm and comfortable

skeleton crossword puzzles 9

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2007. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

?

An extra black square and number square can be found on page 50.

ACROSS

1 Large gun dog 6 Ointment for wounds or sores 9 Depictor of narrative in picture

form 10 Time-travelling TV Doctor 11 Accuse falsely 13 Abnormal 15 Ghastly, horrifying 17 Meekly 18 Tedium 20 Distance from the centre of a

circle to its edge 21 Render unavoidable 23 Notice 25 Spooky 26 Anxious 27 Hearing distance 28 Period of house rental

DOWN

1 Liable to cause bankruptcy 2 Revealing 3 Charitable or cultural

organisation 4 Church caretaker 5 Ceremonial 6 Engraver's tool 7 Deep sound made by a cow 8 Bring to mind 12 Mechanism of breathing

9

22 23

14 Wide and handsome tree lined street

15 Rotating wheel once used as a toy

16 Beatles song about past happiness

18 Ugly, offensive building 19 Prod with the elbow 22 Front upper body 24 Information

10 skeleton crossword puzzles

This magazine may be printed or copied solely for the personal use of the giftee or purchaser. ? Puzzler Media, 2007. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any other form without the written consent of the publishers.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download