Monday, March 18, 2024

MISSING LINKS CCCXXV

Each trio or quartet of words below shares a Missing Link - that is, its members have something in common - obvious or not. For example, RIVERS, NOSES, & VIOLINS can all have BRIDGES.

1. Keys
    Glasses
    Cell phone
 
2. Chain
    Website
    Golf course
 
3. Mew
    Row
    New
    Pie
 
3. Mix
    Mild
    Dill
    Livid
 
4. Anvil
    Stirrup
    Hammer
 
5. Fish
    Goat
    Crab
 
6. Stake
    Garlic
    Mirror
 
7. Up
    Down
    Hole
    Nose
 
8. Bar
    Cadet
    Heater
    Station
 
9. Note
    Tape
    Fingers
    Situation
 
10. Concorde, for one
      Electrical wiring
      Spoiled brat
 
 
Credits: 
1: Josh Cockroft
2. NY Times Games - Connections
9: Noelle Griskey
10: Freddie Cheng


Sunday, March 17, 2024

RHYMING RIDDLE ANSWERS CX

The answers for each item in the clues will rhyme.

1. Toy Story dog, Hostess treat, Little finger, Tiny

2. Boxing match, Lop-sided victory, Hype, Sulk

3. Arboreal primate native to Madagascar, Thigh bone, Kind of ship or trunk, Visionary - perhaps

4. Emitting an odor, Conspicuously and offensively loud, Trees bearing cones and evergreen leaves, Bringing light or insight - illumination

5. Petty lie - pretentious nonsense, Drum roll, Show some concern, Show some courage

Answers:

1. Slinky, Twinkie, Pinkie, Dinky
 
2. Bout, Rout, Tout, Pout
 
3. Lemur, Femur, Steamer, Dreamer
 
4. Odiferous, Vociferous, Coniferous, Luciferous
 
5. Taradiddle, Paradiddle, Care a little, Dare a little


CRYPTO CLUES CIII

GAMES magazine
August, 2014
Merl Reagle
 
1. Genius: Britain lacks it
 
2. Grab a customer concealing a calculator (hidden word)
 
3. Snakes cried - that's bleak (snakes as a verb)

4. Grain sale upset certain Africans (anagram)

5. Polluted mess by a diplomat's home (anagram)

6. Sheep exercise, we hear (homophone)

7. Shock back lunatics

8. Fixed tacos and roll

Answers:
 
1. BRAIN (BRITAIN) 
2. ABACUS (grAB A CUStomer)
3. WINDSWEPT (snakes = winds) 
4. ALGERIANS (grain sale)
5. EMBASSY (mess by a)
6. EWES (use)
7. COAST
TRADING PLACES II
GAMES Magazine
July, 2014
Stephen Sniderman

In each sentence below, the second omitted word is identical to the first, except that the positions of two non-adjacent letters have been switched.
 
For example: A typical Pueblo _____ was made of _____.
                      A typical Pueblo ABODE was made of ADOBE.
 
1.  During the storm, the  _____ made quite a racket on the _____ roof of the shed.

2. The huge _____on the back of her vintage Victorian gown was neither _____ or demure.

3. Ever since your decision to _____ the lighting in here, this room has seemed much _____ and more depressing.

4. To _____ your self-esteem, treat yourself to a good _____ dinner at your favorite seafood restaurant.

5. If you call and _____ a product as being defective, the manufacturer might send you a _____.

6. Last night at the improv, one comedian _____ while the other was _____ by fans.

7. The duck walks with a _____, making it appear to _____.

8. The pool _____ gets it in the end when his car _____ off a cliff.

9. Bryce liked his coffee black; he considered himself too _____ to drink that sissy _____.

10. After the Wisconsin quarterback noisily _____ in on the private meeting, everyone asked, "What team's he from? Is he a _____.

Answers:
 
1. SLEET - STEEL
2. BUSTLE - SUBTLE
3. DARKEN - DANKER
4. BOLSTER - LOBSTER
5. BERATE - REBATE
6. BOMBED - MOBBED
7. WADDLE - DAWDLE
8. HUSTLER - HURTLES
9. MACHO - MOCHA
10. BARGED - BADGER

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle
March 17, 2024
Presented by Greg Pliska for Will Shortz 
 
The IDEs of March
 
Add the letters IDE somewhere inside each of the names or words below to make a new word or phrase. For example, BRAD - BRAIDED.
 
1. GUS
2. BESS 
3. SCAR
4. PRESS
5. STABLE 
6. WANGLE

Answers:
 
1. GUS - GUIDES
2. BESS - BESIDES
3. SCAR - SIDECAR
4. PRESS - PRESIDES
5. STABLE - SIDE TABLE
6. WANGLE - WIDE ANGLE


QUIET!
GAMES Magazine
July, 2014
Peter Gordon (1-6)
 
The answers to the clues below will have something in common.
 
1. Knot used to shorten a rope
2. Annie Oakley, for one
3. Suffering from the strain of battle
4. Dorm bed prank
5. Rarely seen stand
6. In good order 
7. Dither, be indecisive
8. Little or no attention or consideration
 
Answers:
 
1. Sheepshank
2. Sharpshooter
3. Shell-shocked
4. Short-sheet
5. Shoeshine
6. Shipshape
7. Shilly-shally
8. Short shrift 

 

THREE-FOR-ALL II

GAMES Magazine
July, 2014
Theresa Sweeney (1-5)
 
The three words, Alert, lightning, jeans, don't stand out ... unless you notice that they can follow, red, white, and blue - respectively. Can you determine the original triplet from which each of the following sets was derived?

1. Worm, chimes, and crackers
2. Magnetism, soup, and water
3. Jaw, exchange, and cactus
4. Warden, designer, and box
5. Fisher, bee, and hammer 
6. Tape, noise, and sky
7. Scotch, loader, and ball
8. Thumb, Tracy, and Truman
9. Hop, cover, and stick
10. Sign, dead, and over

Answers:
 
1. Earth, wind, and fire
2. Animal, vegetable, and mineral
3. Lock, stock, and barrel
4. Game, set, and match
5. King, queen, and jack
6. Red, white, and blue
7. Hop, skip, and jump
8. Tom, Dick, and Harry
9. Bell, book, and candle
10. Stop, drop, and roll