The answers to the clues below will have something in common. Can you determine what it is?

1. Children's game featuring Queen Frostine

2. Archipelago north of Scotland

3. It's OK with me!

4. Popular lunch combo

5. Basic economic principle

6. In close collusion or association

7. Shows Off or (a place to) Sit Down 

Answers:

1. Candy Land

2. Shetland Islands

3. Fine and dandy!

4. Soup and sandwich

5. Supply and demand

6. Hand and glove

7. Grandstands

 

What the answers have in common:

 

Each answer contains the word "and" twice.

 

 

CUT AND PASTE

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2025

Stephen Sniderman 

 

Cut two consecutive letters from each word in the left-hand column and paste a word from the right-hand column in the space you just created so that a new word appears. For example, if CAVIAR were in the left-hand column and LEND in the the right-hand column, you coud drop the VI in CAVIAR and replace it with LEND to spell CALENDAR

 

You may cut any letters that are next to each other, including the first two or the last two. So you might drop the BR from BRIO and replace it with STUD to make STUDIO. You might cut the EO from ROMEO and paste ANTIC in its place to spell ROMANTIC. 

Some words in the right-hand column may fit in more than one word in the left-hand column, but the solution to the entire puzzle is unique. The first answer is filled in as an example - cutting the letters KA from SKATER and inserting the word PINS in their place to get SPINSTER.

 

[Note from JA: Kudos to all who can solve this puzzle without the hints. I spent several hours on it and solved half the clues before I gave in and consulted the Answers page to get the letters that were cut from the remaining words. I have provided all the cut letters as hints. 

 

This is a lengthy puzzle - typical of Sniderman's work - but I chose to include it all in one post to capture the scope of this constructor's astounding ability to take words apart and put them back together. Stephen Sniderman passed away in 2023 at the age of 80.]

 

1. SKATER   SPINSTER              A. HANDEL

2. METRIC   _________               B. HEARS

3. CONVINCE  _______               C. COVER     

4. GOBLET   __________             D. DUAL

5. REVUE.   ___________             E. THROB 

6. DISMAY ____________            F. SPEND

7. PUNIC _______________         G. CAVE

8. INVITE _______________        H. MITTEN

9. RIOTED _______________       I. EVENT

10. MAMBA _____________        J. LICIT 

11. DECLINE ____________        K. AUNT

12. SUFFERS ____________        L. BAND 

13. COPIER _____________         M. ARTY

14. INTERACT __________          N. PINS 

15. SWINGER ___________         O. NICK

16. SCREEN _____________        P. DOLE

17. SOAKED _____________       Q. CULP

18. TAWDRY _____________       R. VERB

19. GRAVELY ____________        S. HERE

20. MOOR _______________        T. CHAN 

21. VENOUS _____________        U. TERM

22. STATURE _____________       V. ROSA

23. PARTY _______________       W. PEST

24. BADGE ______________        X. MOTH

25. HUSKY ______________        Y. IGOR

26. INFANT ______________        Z. CUBA  

HINTS:

Letters to be cut:

1. KA

2. TR

3. VI

4. OB

5. VU

6. MA

7. UN

8. VI

9. OT

10. BA 

11. CL

12. FF

13. OP

14. AC

15. WI

16. CR

17. AK

18. WD 

19. VE

20. OO 

21. EN

22. TA

23. RT

24. DG

25. KY

26. FA 

Answers:

 

1. SPINSTER

2. MECHANIC

3. CONDOLENCE

4. GAUNTLET

5. REHEARSE

6. DISCOVERY

7. PROSAIC

8. INCUBATE

9. RIVERBED

10. MAMMOTH 

11. DETERMINE

12. SUSPENDERS 

13. CHANDELIER

14. INTERMITTENT 

15. SCAVENGER

16. SEVENTEEN 

17. SOLICITED

18. TAPESTRY 

19. GRADUALLY

20. MARTYR 

21. VIGOROUS

22. SCULPTURE 

23. PANICKY

24. BATHROBE 

25. HUSBAND

26. INHERENT

STUMPERS DLXII

What's in CELERY, but not CABBAGE,

In RICE, but not CORN, 

In A PIECE OF CAKE, but not the CAKE itself?

 

Answer:

 

The soft C sound  

RIDDLES

1. What language is like a bridge?

2. What do you call a dance for wildebeests?

3. What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday?

4. Why are more crows killed by cars than by trucks? 

5. Why is Hawaiian pizza different than other pizzas?

6. What did Reverend Spooner say when he was falsely accused?

7. What did the vegetarian say when he was asked if he knew the new girl?

8. What was the unfortunate area code for Over-eaters Anonymous' headquarters? 

9. You can't get in a fancy restaurant unless you're with a person of what nationality?

10. What is the next word or phrase in this sequence? Left ear, Right ear, Back ear, .........

11. After four years in the Spanish Navy, MARIE changed the spelling of her name to MAREI. Why?

 Answers:

1. SPAN ISH

2. A NEWSREEL (gnus' reel)

3. "AYE MATEY" (I'm eighty)

4. The guard-crow can say CAW but not TRUCK.

5. It has to be baked at ALOHA temperature.

6. "THAT'S A LACK OF PIES."

7. "I NEVER MET HERBIVORE."

8. (888) 

9. You can't get in a fancy restaurant without a THAI.

10. FRONTIER 

11. I before E, except after C  (MAR is Spanish for  SEA [C]) 

 

PARAPROSDOKIANS XXXVI

1. To be frank ......... I'd have to change my name.

2. To be perfectly honest ....... is almost impossible.

CONNECTIONS II

What do the three or four words in each group have in common?

1. We, Flush, Family

2. Broad, Fore, Pod, Type

3. Cat, Bull, Horse, Turtle

4. Dear, Hair, Wail, Hoarse

5. Do, Dope, Grump, Sleep

6. Pastel, Petals, Pleats, Staple

7. Tan, Third, Alloy, Sculpture

8. Halo, Butterfly, Placebo, Mandela

9. Cars, Trees, Elephants, Swimmers

10.  Lush, Jealous, Ecological, Nauseous

11. Popcorn, Rapture, Soulmate, Rocket science

 

Answers:

 

1. Words that can be preceded by "Royal"

2. Words that can be followed by "cast"

3. The first part of animal names that are made up of two animals:

    Catfish, Bulldog, Horsefly, Turtledove

4. Homophones for animals: Deer, Hare, Whale, Horse

5. Names of four Disney dwarfs minus the last letter:

    Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy

6. All the words are anagrams.

7. Words associated with "bronze"

8.  Names of "Effects"

9. Things, plants, animals, and people with trunks 

10. Words associated with "green"

11. Words and phrase beginning with a music genre:

      Pop, Rap, Soul, Rock 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

SPELLING TEST FROM HELL #85

(With some old demons)

 

1. Nickel 

2. Midriff 

3. Parallel

4. Isthmus

5. Vignette

6. Broccoli

7. Poignant

8. Porpoise 

9. Bailiwick

10. Oligarchy

11 Laryngitis

12. Silhouette

13. Crocheted 

14. Deodorant

15. Plagiarism

16 Vinaigrette

17. Committee 

18. Apocryphal

19. Synecdoche

20. Shenanigans