LA Times Crossword

April 26, 2024

Winston Emmons

 

Each word or phrase below can be anagrammed into a word or phrase that completes a familiar expression. What are the words and what are the expressions?

1. DOING LESS

2. BASHED TANK

3. SALT SWORD

4. FAST RELIEF

5. BAT WREATH

HINTS:

First letters of the anagrammed word or phrase:
1. G

2. H

3. L

4. F

5. B

Answers to the anagrams:

1. godliness

2. hand basket

3. last words

4. fear itself

5. bath water

 

Answers to the expressions:

 

1. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

2. Going to hell in a hand basket

3. Famous last words

4. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

5. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Universal Crossword

April 26, 2024

Hanh Huynh

DUMPSTER BANDIT

 

Can you think of a two-word phrase that, when parsed in a certain way, explains the changes of the words in the pairs below. The puzzle title is a hint.

 

1. ASIAN - SIN 

2. LOANERS - LONERS

3. DESPAIRED - DESIRED

4. PREPAYING - PREYING

5. PARENTING - RENTING

6. PATROLLED - TROLLED

HINT:

Raccoon

Answers:

 

Drop (trash) the letters P and A from the first word in each pair to get the second word.

P and A = PANDA.

A raccoon is also called a TRASH PANDA.

What do the following words have in common that has nothing to do with their meanings?

SOUR

GIVE

SIGHT

FINE

MEN 

Answer:

 

They are the numbers FOUR, FIVE, EIGHT, NINE, and TEN - with a changed initial letter.

ECCE HOMO III

Many Latin phrases have been incorporated into everyday English. More often used than understood, the following Latin expressions should sound familiar. But can you translate them?

1. Ad hominem

2. De facto

3. Et cetera

4. Alter ego

5. Veni, Vidi, Vici

6. Per se

7. In absentia

8. Vox populi 

9. Ipso facto

10. Prima facie

Answers:

 

1. Ad hominem - Attacking the person - Avoiding the issues of the argument and criticizing the person making the argument

 

2. De facto - In reality/As a matter of fact - Actual, what really happens - Being such in effect, though not expected or formally recognized - A de facto leader  

 

3. Et cetera - And others, and the rest, and so forth (etc.)

4. Alter ego - Alternate or other self - A different, secondary aspect of one's personality

 

5. Veni, Vidi, Vici - I came, I saw, I conquered - Caesar's boast about his conquest of Gaul - Bragging about an easy, complete victory

 

6. Per se - By, In, or Of itself - Taking something out of context to describe it in its own right 

 

7. In absentia - Not present at the event being referred to - A person may be convicted of a crime in absentia if he fails to appear in court.

 

8. Vox populi - Voice of the people - The opinions or beliefs of the majority 

 

9. Ipso facto - By the fact itself - An inevitable result as a consequence of an action - I drove the getaway car and ipso facto I'm an accessory 

 

10. Prima facie - At first sight - based on first impression - In law: Upon initial examination, a legal claim has sufficient evidence to proceed to trial or judgement.

RHYMING RIDDLE ANSWERS CXI

The answers for each of the items in the clues will rhyme:

1. Weeping tree, Steel-wool pad, Head support, House price info source

2. Speedier, Young Mr. - once, Rectangular column, Total failure - informally, Rectangular column

3. Extreme fright, Extremely agitated, Extremely evil, Food produced without pesticides

4. Cliched dismissal of Arizona summer climate, Harsh winter weather, Group of destroyers and carriers, Like a good talk

5. Monopoly Chance card command, Iconic U.S. westward migration route, Orca, Futile 

6. Bygone expression of surprise, Experiencing success after success, Breakfast dish, Chaotic

Answers:

1. Willow, Brillo, Pillow, Zillow

2. Faster, Master, Pilaster, Disaster

3. Panic, Manic, Satanic, Organic

4. Dry heat, Snow and sleet, Naval fleet, Short and sweet 

 

5. Go Directly to Jail, Oregon Trail, Killer whale, To no avail

 

6. Bless my soul!, On a roll, Cereal bowl, Out of control

 

LA Times Crossword

April 7, 2024

John Michael Currie (adapted)

Each phrase below can be matched with one of the listed choices according to a certain pattern. What is the pattern?

1. Say no to a date      

2. Run-ins with soft cheese     

3. Relief after buying a pig-in-a-poke 

4. Fortune-teller turns chimney sweep

 

CHOICES

SOOTHSAYER

SIGHT UNSEEN

PASSION FRUIT

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS

 

Answers: 

 

The pattern is to drop one letter from each of the choices to leave a phrase that answers the clue:

 

1. PASSION FRUIT 

    PASS ON FRUIT - Say no to a date

 

2. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS 

    BRIE ENCOUNTERS - Run-ins with soft cheese

3. SIGHT UNSEEN

   SIGH UNSEEN - Relief after buying a pig-in-a-poke

4. SOOTHSAYER

   SOOTSAYER - Fortune-teller turns chimney sweep

WORD + WORD = NEW WORD XL

GAMES Magazine

June/July, 1987

Robert Gray

Each clue contains the definitions of two words that can be combined to form a third word - without any re-arrangement of letters.

1. Compete + Marry

2. Relax + Precipitation

3. Non-poetic writing + Pretty

4. Warmth + Female chicken

5. Harvest + Kind of fruit

6. Prohibit + Floor support 

7. Part of a circle + Bees' homes

8. Tarzan transport + Long-jawed fish

9. Part of speech + Concrete ingredient

 

HINTS:

1. Watched

2. Control, hold back

3. Bring legal action against

4. Non-believer, to some

5. Show up again

6. String musician

7. Past files and records

8. Acetic acid solution

9. Authoritative declaration

Answers:

 

1. vie + wed = VIEWED

2. rest + rain = RESTRAIN

3. prose + cute = PROSECUTE

4. heat + hen = HEATHEN

5. reap + pear = REAPPEAR

6. ban + joist = BANJOIST

7. arc +  hives = ARCHIVES

8. vine + gar = VINEGAR

9. pronoun + cement = PRONOUNCEMENT