MENTAL BLOCKS VIII
Credit: GAMES Magazine - Sept. 2004
Shawn Kennedy

In each stack of blocks below, use the three-letter word in the top row to complete the rows beneath it. Each letter in the top row must be used at least once in each of the other rows of the stack, and no additional letters may be used. All answers are common words.

1)
               OLD
           F _ _ _ _
            _ _ I _ Y
            _ _ _ _ Y
           _ _ _ _ _ P
           _ _ _ _ _ E
         _ E _ T _ I _
      C _ _ U _ _ ESS

2)
                               AWE
                           _ _ _ V _
                           _ _ _ R _
                          _ _ _ S _ L
                          S _ _ S _ _
                        S _ _ _ _ _ D
                       R _ _ _ _ K _ N
                       _ _ T _ R  _ _ Y

Answers:

1)
                                     OLD
                                  FLOOD
                                  DOILY
                                 ODDLY
                               DOLLOP
                               DOODLE
                               DELTOID
                            CLOUDLESS

2)
                                     AWE
                                  WEAVE
                                  AWARE
                                 WEASEL
                                 SEESAW
                                SEAWEED
                               REAWAKEN
                               WATERWAY