GAMES/World of Puzzles
Holiday, 2026 

Bob Morris

 

The words below share an unusual property. Can you determine what it is?

 

MINE

MOON

SAIL

SEND

SENT 

SIDE

 

HINTS:
1. I has to do with the alphabet.

2. It has to do with the first letters of each word.

 

Answer:

 

The first letter of each word can be replaced by the letter preceding it in the alphabet, and by the letter following it in the alphabet, to make two new words:

 

MINE - - - LINE - NINE

MOON - - - LOON - NOON

SAIL - - - RAIL - TAIL

SEND - - - REND - TEND

SENT - - - RENT - TENT

SIDE - - - RIDE - TIDE   

PUSH UPS II

Dell PennyPressVariety Puzzles

August, 2025

 

Starting at the bottom of the list, choose one letter from the group and push it up to the next group - leaving a word at the bottom of the list. Continue to push up a letter until you reach the top of the list, which will give you a list of ten related words. Do not re-arrange the letters in the groups.  

 

P A T S

J E N N S

A A R O N 

S  P O C K 

S M A W L 

D R E H S

P A R K S

T U N I A

S H I C T 

S H O R E S

 

Answers:

 

PANTS

JEANS

APRON

SMOCK

SHAWL

DRESS

PARKA

TUNIC

SHIRT

SHOES - - - Apparel items  

MISSING TRIOS CV

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 72

 

For each group below, fill in the same three missing letters to complete 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3-letter words.  The letters may be filled in any order, and the missing trio will be different for each group.

 

1. _ _ _ TION

   H _ _ _ EN

     _ QU _ _

      _ C _ _

        _ _ _ 

 

2. SCR _ _ N _

     S _ _ NK _

      T _ _ N _

        _ _ _ N

          _ _ _ 

 

3. N _ _ I _ ED

     L _ _ A _ E

       S _ _ I _

        _ _ S _

         _ _ _ 

 

4. _ RI _ _ TE

    I _ _ AL _

      _ _ _ LE

       _ _ L _

        _ _ _ 

 

5. TH _ C _ E _

     _ _ C _ EL

      S _ E _ _

        _ _ _ T

         _ _ _ 

 

6. RI _ _ IN _

    _ _ N _ UE

     _ H _ S _

      _ _ _ A

        _ _ _ 

 

Answers:

 

1. The letters are SAT:

           STATION

           HASTEN

            SQUAT

             SCAT

              SAT  

 

2. The letters are WAY:

         SCRAWNY

          SWANKY

           TAWNY

            YAWN

             WAY  

 

3. The letters are COT:

          NOTICED

           LOCATE

             STOIC

             COST

              COT  

 

4. The letters are MAP

          PRIMATE

            IMPALA

   AMPLE or MAPLE

             PALM 

              MAP 

 

5. The letters are KIN:

         THICKEN

           NICKEL

            SKEIN

             KNIT

              KIN 

 

6. The letters are  GOT:

          RIOTING

          TONGUE

           GHOST

            TOGA

             GOT 

  

TWO BY TWO II

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

August, 2025

 

Supply the two missing letters in each group to form two five-letter words, one which ends with the two missing letters, and one that begins with the two missing letters. 

 

1. PIL _ _ TER

2. COB _ _ VEN

3. DEL _ _ BLE

4. BAT _ _ AVY

5. PER _ _ ASE

6. ALI _ _ IDE

7. BUR _ _ UND

8. ALO _ _ TEN

9. STA _ _ AMA

10. CHA _ _ PUT

11. ARE _ _ VAL

12. CAN _ _ ARM 

 

Answers:

 

1. pilOTter

2. cobRAven

3. delTAble

4. batHEavy

5. perCHase

6. aliASide

7. burROund

8. aloOFten

9. staLLama

10. chaINput

11. areNAval

12. canALarm   

LOW SCORE WINS XV 

Add the fewest possible letters to each of the groups below - but at least one letter on each side - to complete common words.

1. _____ CCR _____

2. _____ IDN _____

3. _____ YPS _____

4. _____ MEO _____

5. _____ TME _____

6. _____ DWO _____

7. _____ K I I  _____  

8. _____ GBO _____

9. _____ HYT _____

10. _____ ADY _____

11. _____ ERA _____

12. _____ RKO _____

13. _____ ATY _____  

HINTS: 

Number of letters to be added for this solution:

1. 3

2. 3

3. 2

4. 4

5. 3

6. 4

7. 3

8. 4

9. 3

10. 4

11. 2

12. 4

13. 4

 

Answers:

 

1. ACCRUE

2. KIDNEY

3. GYPSY

4. SOMEONE

5. NUTMEG

6. WOODWORK

7. SKIING

8. TUGBOAT

9. RHYTHM

10. LADYBUG

11. FERAL

12. WORKOUT

13. KATYDID  

 PAIRS AND SNARES XXXIX

The words in each group below can be confused. Can you give a simple definition of each one that shows the difference between them?

1. PEON - PAEAN

2. CHAFE - CHAFF 

3. SACHET - SASHAY

4. HANSOM - HANDSOME

5. CORPORAL - CORPOREAL

6. BARBELL - DUMBBELL

7. FLUVIAL - ALLUVIAL 

8. PIASTER - PILASTER

Answers:

1. PEON - A low-ranking, unskilled worker

    PAEAN - A song or praise or triumph

 

2. CHAFE - Annoy, irritate

     CHAFF - Grain husks, trash

 

3. SACHET - A small perfumed bag used to scent clothes 

    SASHAY - Strut, An ostentatious, exaggerated walk

 

4. HANSOM - A lightweight, two-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage

    HANDSOME - (Of a man) Good-looking, Substantial/considerable

 

5. CORPORAL - A military rank, Relating to the physical body (corporal punishment)

    CORPOREAL - Relating to one's physical body as opposed to their spirit (corporeal appetites)

 

6. BARBELL -  A long straight bar with weights attached at both ends - raised and lowered using both hands

    DUMBBELL - A shorter bar with weights at both ends, raised and lowered with one hand

 

7. FLUVIAL - Of or found in a river / The flow, shape, and processes of a river

    ALLUVIAL - Describing sediment (alluvium) deposited by a river or stream outside its normal banks - as in fields 

 

8. PIASTER -  A monetary unit of several Middle Eastern countries

    PILASTER -  A rectangular column, especially one projecting from a wall

PRESTO - CHANGE-O XLII 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 72

 

Change one letter in each of the words in each group to form three related words. Do not change the order of the letters. 

 

Ex: FREE         DARK            WEAVES 

      TREE         BARK             LEAVES 

 

1. JUDGE        DAFFY            TWEET

2. TICKLE       DULL              SOAR

3. SIMPLE       COIN               SMITE

4. EGOS           ROAST           HEW

5. CROCK        DEAL             TIRE 

6. FLUSH         FADE              BED

7. SLOW          SHOVED        DRAFT

8. REIN            SLOWER        WIT

9. DETER         PACK              PICKET

10. DIRT           HEIGHT         SCARE 

 

Answers:

 

1. FUDGE        TAFFY          SWEET  

2. PICKLE       DILL             SOUR

3. DIMPLE      CHIN             SMILE

4. EGGS           ROOST         HEN  

5. CLOCK        DIAL             TIME  

6. BLUSH         FACE             RED

7. SNOW          SHOVEL       DRIFT

8. RAIN            SHOWER      WET

9. METER        PARK             TICKET

10. DIET           WEIGHT       SCALE