Diastichal enigma
The diastichal enigma is a variant of the acrostical enigma. Each part-word is clued by a couplet, and the answer word overlaps the break between the couplet’s two lines, using at least one letter from one line and two from the other. As in an AE, the pieces from the part-words not taken from the verse are strung together to form the answer:
DIASTICHAL ENIGMA (6)
A. My love life’s in pieces! I just can’t decide:
Stay with my boyfriend or let it all slide?
B. He acts like a sleazy and cheap gigolo.
Right now, he can stay, but soon he may go!
He thinks our relationship’s only a game.
I feel our connection’s still there all the same.
=Dart
The solution: bridge (“game”, “connection”); de|bri|s (“pieces”), lo|dge|r (“he can stay”).
The diastichal enigma was invented by Beo and first appeared in December 2001.