STUMPERS  LXXXV
Credit: GAMES Magazine - Oct. 1998
Raymond Hamel

1. What seven-letter word, referring to something directional, can drop its first letter to form a new six-letter word also referring to something directional?

2. Consider the word BLANDER. Can you think of four other words that, together with BLANDER, make up a five word set that has a very unusual property?

HINTS:
1. The six-letter word is related to ships.
2. The unusual property is based on the position of a particular letter.

Answers:

1. EASTERN - ASTERN

2. The third letter in BLANDER can be replaced by each of the other vowels to produce valid words:

BLANDER
BLENDER
BLINDER
BLONDER
BLUNDER