NATIONAL TOY HALL OF FAME

The National Toy Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years. Criteria for induction include:

Icon status - the toy is widely recognized, respected, 
                      and remembered
Longevity - more than a passing fad
Discovery - fosters learning, creativity, or discovery
Innovation - profoundly changed play or toy design

Established in 1998 and originally housed in Salem, Oregon, The NTHOF is now located in the Strong National Museum of Play (The Strong) in Rochester, New York.

Fifty-seven toys have been enshrined in the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Original inductees (1998-1999):

1. Barbie
2. Crayola Crayon
3. Erector Set
4. Etch A Sketch
5. Frisbee
6. Hula hoop
7. Lego
8. Lincoln Logs
9. Marbles
10. Monopoly
11. Play-Doh
12. Radio Flyer wagon
13. Roller Skates
14. Teddy bear
15. Tinkertoy
16. View-Master
17. Duncan Yo-Yo

CLASS OF 2000
Bicycle
Jacks
Jump rope
Mr. Potato Head
Slinky

CLASS OF 2001
Silly Putty
Tonka Trunks

CLASS OF 2002
Jigsaw puzzle
Raggedy Ann

CLASS OF 2003
Alphabet Blocks
Checkers

CLASS OF 2004
G.I. Joe
Rocking horse
Scrabble

CLASS 0F 2005
Candy Land
Cardboard box
Jack-in-the-box

CLASS OF 2006
Easy-Bake Oven
Lionel Trains

CLASS OF 2007
Atari 2600
Kite
Raggedy Andy

CLASS OF 2008
Stick
Baby doll
Skateboard

CLASS OF 2009
Ball
Game Boy
Big Wheel

CLASS OF 2010
The Game of Life
Playing cards

CLASS OF 2011
Hot Wheels
Dollhouse
Blanket

CLASS OF 2012
Star Wars action figures
Dominoes

CLASS OF 2013
Chess
Rubber duck

CLASS OF 2014
Little green army men
Bubbles
Rubik's Cube

CLASS OF 2015
Puppet
Super Soaker
Twister

CLASS OF 2016
Dungeons and Dragons
Fisher-Price Little People
Swing

CLASS OF 2017
Clue
Paper airplane
Wiffle Ball 

CLASS OF 2018

UNO

Pinball

Magic 8 Ball

 

CLASS OF 2019

Coloring Book

Matchbox Cars

Magic: The Gathering

 

CLASS OF 2020

Jenga

Sidewalk Chalk

GONE WITH THE WIND
Credit: LA Times Crossword
May 5, 2011
Julian Lim

The clues below can be answered with expressions which have something in common:

1. "Don't tell a soul!"
2. Spout nonsense
3. Moonlight (?)
4. Instantly

HINT:
What they have in common is an article of clothing.

Answers:

1. KEEP IT UNDER YOUR HAT
2. TALK THROUGH YOUR HAT
3. WEAR MORE THAN ONE HAT
4. AT THE DROP OF A HAT

and/OR
Credit: LA Times Crossword
May 22, 2011
Verge

Each clue below can be answered with a common phrase, except that the word OR has been added to or inserted in it.

1. Important meeting for Pavarotti, Domingo, and others
2. Pulpit tirade
3. Sale of swampland
4. Disloyal union member
5. Tale of Porky or Wilbur
6. Maine capital city's tourist lure
7. Comment about a recently demolished vacation complex

Answers: 

1. BIG TENOR CONFERENCE
2. BLAST FROM THE PASTOR
3. MORASS MARKETING
4. LABOR RAT
5. PIG STORY
6. MORE BANGOR FOR YOUR BUCK
7. THE RESORT IS HISTORY

The beginning two or three words of each expression below have something in common.  Can you figure out what it is?

1. I mean no harm.
2. Radio Flyer wagons
3. Had I only known...........

HINT:
Anagrams

Answers:

The first two or three words of each phrase conceal the name of a state:

1. I mean no harm - Maine
2. Radio Flyer wagons - Florida
3. Had I only known......... Idaho

Credit: LA Times Crossword 
June 2, 2011
Ed Sessa
ALTERED STATES

REVERSE SPOONERISMS

Credit: LA Times Crossword
June 9, 2011
James Sajdak
END FOR END

Spoonerisms are expressions in which the initial letters or sound of two words are interchanged, such as light rain for right lane. In the two examples below, the ends of the words have been interchanged. Can you figure out the reverse Spoonerisms from the clues?

1. Choir members during the sermon
2. News hound's sign-off

Answers:

1. SINGERS WAITING  (singing waiters)
2. ROVER REPORTING  (roving reporter)

1. What do the following words have in common?

SHORT
FOOT
WIND
DOWN

2. What do the following words have in common?

BE
FUR
HEAD

Answers:

1. Each word can be followed by FALL to make a new word.
2. Each word can be followed by LONG to make a new word.

Each word below can be preceded by the same letter, have its spelling changed, and, with the exception of the sound of the added letter, retain its original sound. What is the added letter, and what are the new words?

PIE
KEY
FEAR
EARLY
TOUGH

HINT:
The added letter is S.

Answers:

PIE - SPY
KEY - SKI
FEAR - SPHERE
EARLY - SURLY
TOUGH - STUFF 

Credit: LA Times Crossword
August 7, 2011
Donna S. Levin
S-WORD PLAY

STUMPERS CX

What is unusual about the words CHECK, BLOCK, FOIL, and HAMPER?

Answer:

These words usually suggest some kind of impediment. But they can also be used in a completely different way:

DIVIDEND CHECK
BUTCHER'S BLOCK
ALUMINUM FOIL
CLOTHES HAMPER

The same two letters, in the same, consecutive order, will change each word below into a new one.

BE
DIG
GAS
FINE
POLE
BAND
STING

Answers:

The letters are IT:

BITE
DIGIT
GAITS
FINITE
POLITE
BANDIT
SITTING

Credit: LA Times Crossword
September 25, 2011
Jeffrey Lease
IT'S A SURPRISE 

Each expression below contains an obviously wrong word. These wrong words can be changed into the correct words according to a certain pattern. This pattern can in turn be expressed in a phrase which has to do with space flight. Can you determine the pattern, the correct words, and the pattern's name?

1. NUCLEAR ARMS RAG
2. QUEEN ANNE'S LAG
3. BRAG FOR IMPACT
4. THE PRIG IS RIGHT

Answers:

The correct words are:
1. RACE
2. LACE
3. BRACE
4. PRICE

The pattern is that in the clues G has been substituted for CE.

The name of the pattern is G-FORCE - as in G FOR CE.

Credit: LA Times Crossword
October 7, 2011
Pete Muller
G-FORCE

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. Attempt something
2. Buddy Holly classic
3. Take a short drive
4. "Midnight Sun"  delineator
5. Double helix or certain staircase
6. Where fruitless arguments go

Answers:

1. Give it a whirl
2. "Rock Around the Clock"
3. Go for a spin
4. Arctic (or Antarctic) Circle
5. Spiral
6. Round and round

Credit: LA Times Crossword
Oct. 26, 2011
James Sajdak
ROUND AND ROUND WE GO

 

TWO PAIR II
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
May, 2015
Erich Friedman

Add four letters to each word below to form a new word. The added letters must be two pairs of identical letters, in any order. For example, given the clue CO _ D _ _ S _ , the letter pairs NN and EE could be added to form CONDENSE.

1. M _ I _ L _ _ D
2. M _ _ _ I _ ST
3. NA _ _ V _ _ Y
4. OPT _ _ _ S _
5. _ PE _ AT _ _
6. PE _ _ _ _ ON
7. _ _ P _ _ ITY
8. S _ AG_ A _ _
9. S _ ASH _ _ _
10. _ _ SE _ _ LL

HINTS:
One of the missing letters:
1. N
2. E
3. I
4. M
5. R
6. I
7. A
8. N
9. O
10. A

Answers:

1. MAINLAND
2. MERRIEST
3. NATIVITY
4. OPTIMISM
5. OPERATOR
6. PETITION
7. CAPACITY
8. STAGNANT
9. SEASHELL
10. BASEBALL

ABBREVIATION MEETS DYSLEXIA
Credit : LA Times Crossword
October 21, 2011
Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

What do the following abbreviations stand for, and why are they unusual?

TP
BC
RH (Rh)

Answer:

Each abbreviation is unusual because it can be reversed to form another abbreviation:

TP - Toilet Paper
PT - Patrol Torpedo (PT BOAT)

BC - Before Christ
CB - Citizens' Band (radios)

RH - Rhesus Factor (blood immunity)
HR - Human Resources

Note: See also ABBREVIATIONS post for April 1, 2013

The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Illegal job site
2. Hit the roof
3. Illegal blow in boxing
4. Driving danger
5. Childbirth
6. Illegal trading site
7. Easy way to win a game
8. Checkup component

Answers:

1. BANK VAULT
2. BLOW A GASKET
3. BELOW THE BELT
4. BLIND SPOT
5. BLESSED EVENT
6. BLACK MARKET
7. BY DEFAULT
8. BLOOD COUNT 

HINT to what the answers have in common: 
It has to do with the beginning and ending letters. 

What the answers have in common:
Each phrase is a BLT sandwich. Each answer is surrounded by B - LT or BL -T.

Credit:  LA Times Crossword
 March 7, 2010
 Sabrina Walden
 DINER SANDWICHES

MISSING LINK LXXVI

Each pair or trio 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. Rapids..........Bull..........Works
2. Cake..........Party..........Card
3. Bicycles..........Pianos..........Sewing machines
4. Crowd..........Curtain..........Salary
5. Station..........Service..........Prison
6. Canyon..........Prix..........Dame
7. Self..........Insanity..........National
8. Moment..........Discount
9. Sailing..........Operator
10. Line..........Guard..........Blind

Answers:

1. Things you can shoot
2. Birthday
3. Things that have pedals
4. Things you can draw
5. Kinds of breaks
6. Things that are grand
7. Defense
8. Senior
9. Smooth
10. Color

STUMPERS CIX

The expression, "HE'S ONE OF US," is supportive and affirming. By inserting two letters somewhere in this phrase and joining two of the  words , you can change the phrase to a new one, which is an insult. What are the two letters, and what is the new phrase?

HINT:
The two letters are DO.

Answer:

"HE'S ONE DOOFUS."

Credit: LA Times Crossword
January 10, 2010
Nora Pearlstone
JUST DO IT

1. What do the following phrases have in common?

EXTRA MILE
HAVE WE MET?
SLAM BANG

2. The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

NOW AND THEN
QUICK LOOK
LIVED IN BY SELLER
POPEYE'S GIRLFRIEND
PRESIDENTIAL WORKPLACE

Answers:

1. Hidden in the three clues are the names of three related animals:

extRA Mile
havE WE met?
sLAM Bang

2. Each clue can be answered with a two-word phrase in which both words start with O:

On Occasion
Once Over
Owner Occupied
Olive Oyl
Oval Office

Credit #2: LA Times Crossword
December 31, 2012
Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke
OH OH

FOUR RIDDLES

1. How are tourists in the Sistine Chapel related to common household fixtures?
2. What do you call the guy who's getting married for the fifth time?
3. What were Noah Webster's favorite birthday and holiday gifts?
4. What do you call an Italian lovebug?

Answers:

1. They're ceiling fans. 
2. Groom for one more 
3. Alphabet ties (alphabetize)
4. Romantic (Roman tic) [Chuck Deodene]

How many common words can you think of that can follow HEAD, either as a compound word or a two-word phrase? There are at least 27.

(Possible) Answers:

ACHE
BAND
BOARD
CASE
COLD
COUNT
DRESS
FIRST
GEAR
HUNTER
LAMP
LOCK
LONG
LIGHT
LINE
MASTER
PHONE
QUARTERS
REST
ROOM
SET
STAND
START
STONE
WAITER
WAY
WIND




 

STUMPERS CVIII

Two words each have both the hard and soft C sounds. One word suggests fun and the other suggests dread. What are the two words?

HINT:
The "fun" word has the soft C first. The "dread" word has the hard C first.

Answers:

CIRCUS
CANCER 

ONE WORD LEADS TO ANOTHER V

Can you supply the missing links in the word chains below? Ignore word spacing and hyphens.

1. LOCAL..........BLIND..........CHECK..........OUT..........OFF
2. OFF..........CRAFT..........GAME..........LIGHT..........HITTER
3. CASH..........BELL..........SCOTCH..........MEASURE

Answers:

1. localCOLORblindSPOTcheckSTANDoutCASToff
2. offHANDcraftFAIRgameDAYlightSWITCHhitter
3. cashCOWbellHOPscotchTAPEmeasure 

The words and phrases below are the answers to a themed crossword. Can you determine the theme?

GAME TILES
MILESTONE
CANDLESTICK PARK
PESTILENCE

HINT:
game TILES
mILESTone
candLESTIck park
pESTILence

Answer - in two parts:

Part I
The clues are anagrams of the word STILE.

Part II
The theme of the puzzle is TURNSTILE.

Note: The letters are "turned" in rotational order.

Credit: LA Times Crossword
March 11, 2010
Scott Atkinson
TURNSTILE

THREE TAILOR RIDDLES

1. The tailor was so dumb, he thought NASA sewed astronauts' uniforms with...............
2. The tailor mixed up the orders from a policeman and a priest, and he...............
3. The tailor was a poor communicator because he kept...............

Answers:

1. a Space Needle
2. collared the wrong man
3. losing the thread of the conversation 

Credit: LA Times Crossword
March 21, 2010
John Lampkin
THE CLOTHIER'S APPRENTICE

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD VII

FAMILY REUNIONS
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
April, 2015
Stanley Newman

Drop one letter from each word below and re-arrange the remaining letters to form seven related words.

1. CHIMED
2. RERUNS
3. THINNER
4. DROLLERY
5. GENEROUS
6. STRIDENT

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. H

2. R

3. H

4. L

5. E

6. R

Answers:

1. MEDIC
2. NURSE
3. INTERN
4. ORDERLY
5. SURGEON
6. DENTIST
 

Many crossword constructors use repeated letters to represent words - such as TTTTT, to represent TEASE or TEAS (T's), CCCCC to represent SEES, SEAS, or SEIZE (C's), and so on. The clues below are similar, but with a twist. Can you determine their meanings?

1. AAAA
2. CCCC
3. TTTT
4. EEEEEEEE

HINT:
The number of letters is important.

Answers:

1. FORAYS (4 A's)
2. FORESEES
3. FORTIES
4. EIGHTIES (8 E's)

Credit: LA Times Crossword
March 25, 2010
Jeff Chen 
FOUR OF A KIND (#1-3)

LA Times Crossword
June 16. 2010
Pancho Harrison

The answers to the clues below each contain an allusion to music, within a familiar phrase. Wordplay is fair play:

1. German wolf songs
2. Monastery locker room sounds
3. Obvious melody

Answers:

1. Lieder of the pack  (Leader)
2. Chants of showers  (Chance)
3. Air apparent  (Heir)

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. Like the heebie-jeebies
2. Feverish
3. Prized game fish
4. Certain fruit pastry
5. Lunch counter request
6. Interim rulers
7. Iconic TV chef
8. Guffaw
9. Philodendron, for example
10. Mickey
11. One-named 60's singer
12. Window sticker

Answers:

1. Jangled nerves
2. Febrile
3. Marlin
4. Apricot tart
5. Hold the mayo
6. Junta
7. Julia Child
8. Horselaugh
9. House plant
10. Doctored drink
11. Donovan
12. Decal

What the answers have in common:

Each answer conceals the abbreviation of one of the months of the year, in order:

1. JANgled nerves
2. FEBrile
3. MARlin
4. APRicot tart
5. hold the MAYo
6. JUNta
7. JULia Child
8. horselAUGh
9. houSE Plant
10. dOCTored drink
11. doNOVan
12. DECal

Credit: NY Times Crossword
June Boggs
MONTHLY MEETINGS

 

STUMPERS CVII

Two words differ by a single letter. One has six letters, and the other seven. The six-letter word  means to cleanse, and the seven-letter word means to rot and decay. What are the two words?

Answers:

PURIFY
PUTRIFY

YAKETY-YAK
Credit: LA Times Crossword
June 3, 2010
Mark Bickham (#1-4)

If a musician's parlance is KEY WORDS, what is .................

1. A mechanic's parlance?
2. A chiropractor's parlance?
3. A billiards player's parlance?
4. A den remodeler's parlance?
5. First date's parlance?
6. Left or right winger's parlance?

Answers:

1. Idle chatter
2. Backtalk
3. English 
4. Panel discussion
5. Polite conversation
6. Political argument

1. What do the following words have in common?

ROB
TOO
ROUGH
DEAR
EFT
BREAD

2. What do the following words have in common?

BAT
CAT
SET
MET
STAR
SHUT

HINTS:
1. The same two letters, in the same order, will change each word into a new one.
2. The same three letters, in the same order, will change each word into a new one. 

Answers:

1. Each word can be either preceded or followed by TH:

THROB
TOOTH
THROUGH
DEARTH
THEFT
BREADTH

2. Each word can be followed by TLE:

BATTLE
CATTLE
SETTLE
METTLE
STARTLE
SHUTTLE

Credit:
#2: LA Times Crossword
       April 16, 2010
       Dan Naddor

The answer to each clue below will be a common phrase - almost - because something will be missing that it needs to become the phrase we are familiar with.  The same something will be missing from each clue answer.

1. Admiral's tryst
2. Water cooler gossip
3. Knockoff of an Intel product
4. Issue for the media
5. Voice teacher
6. First financial quarter shipments
7. Angry football lineman

HINT:
What's missing is ING.

Answers:

1. Fleet romance - Fleeting romance
2. Break news -  Breaking news
3. Bargain chip - Bargaining chip
4. Press matter - Pressing matter
5. Pitch coach - Pitching coach
6. March orders - Marching orders
7. Cross guard - Crossing guard

Credit: LA Times Crossword
April 25, 2010
Mark Bickham
MISS-ING

The clues below have something in common. Can you determine what it is?

1. DEGREE CELSIUS
2. COST PER UNIT
3. TAKES PAINS
4. FAIR AND SQUARE
5. BOSTON GARDEN
6. NO MAN IS AN ISLAND
7. I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT

HINT:
Each clue conceals the name of something.

Answers:

Hidden in each clue is the name of a country:

1. deGREE CElsius
2. cost PER Unit
3. takeS PAINs
4. faIR ANd square
5. bosTON GArden
6. nO MAN is an island
7. iM A LIttle teapot 

Credit: LA Times Crossword
May 30, 2010
Harvey Estes
DIVIDED COUNTRIES

TAKE IT ALL IN
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
May, 2015
David Baskind

Some words are so economical that you get two words in one. Well, more accurately, you get one word inside another. For example, look at the word SMASHING - it's the word MASH inside the word SING. Below you'll find clues to nine words like this. Each contains six, seven, or eight letters. The eighteen words they are made up of are listed under the clues. If you do everything right, the first letters of the nine words you inserted, read in order, will spell an appropriate word.

1. Shoving
2. More posh
3. Grand or Bryce
4. Claim
5. Adman's creations
6. Lightly toasted
7. Acknowledging applause, perhaps
8. Break from the 9-5 routine
9. Resident of 10 Downing Street

ALE     ANY     BOG      BRED       CON     DON
EKE     LEG     LOG       LONER    OWN    PUG
SANS   SHIN   SKIER    WAN        WEND  WIN

Answers:

1. PUSHING - PU(SHIN)G 
2. SWANKIER - S(WAN)KIER
3. CANYON - C(ANY)ON
4. ALLEGE - AL(LEG)E
5. SLOGANS - S(LOG)ANS
6. BROWNED - BR(OWN)ED
7. BOWING - BO(WIN)G
8. WEEKEND - WE(EKE)ND
9. LONDONER - LON(DON)ER

Appropriate word: SWALLOWED

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. Telephone annoyance
2. US Fifty
3. One way to sort things
4. Brief, intense training
5. Look of a Marine in uniform
6. Original reality TV show, briefly
7. Economize at the expense of quality
8. Itinerant judge's workplace
9. Formal precursor to a personal visit, once
10. Exact duplicate
11. Winter woe
12. Headed for an unavoidable confrontation
13. Big money maker for a business, as a product or service
14. Running description and information on a game
15. Distinctive feature of the French Open Tennis
      Tournament

Answers:

1. Crank call
2. Capital cities
3. Color-code
4. Crash course
5. Clean cut
6. Candid Camera
7. Cut corners
8. Circuit Court
9. Calling card 
10. Carbon copy
11. Common cold
12. (on a) Collision course
13. Cash cow
14. Color commentary
15. Clay court

STUMPERS CVI

The same word is concealed in each phrase below, with the letters in random, but consecutive,  order. Can you find it?

POLITICAL SPEECH
HOSPITAL CORNERS

Answer:

PLASTIC

poliTICAL SPeech
hoSPITAL Corners

Credit: LA Times Crossword
July 22, 2010
Pete Muller
RECYCLED PLASTIC

Note: A big one-word hint would be SLAPSTICK.

LA Times Crossword
July 23, 2010
Donna S. Levin

Each word below can be slightly changed, in various ways, to sound like another word. All of the changed word will have something in common.

CLOSE
TALK
DAM
POLAR
ANIMA
URBAN
PANDORA

Answers:

CLOSE - CLOCHE
TALK - TOQUE
DAM - TAM
POLAR - BOWLER
ANIMA - PANAMA
URBAN - TURBAN
PANDORA - FEDORA

They are all types of hats or caps.

FINAL ADVICE
LA Times Crossword
June 13, 2010
John Lampkin

Example: To ace Oceanography, don't let the prof know you've GONE FISHING.

1. To ace Music Theory, don't wander off into _____.
2. To ace Electrical Engineering, don't be _____.
3. To ace Math, don't be _____.
4. To ace Agricultural Science, don't be _____.
5. To ace Astronomy, don't be _____.
6. To ace Culinary Arts, don't be _____.
Answers:

1. LA-LA LAND
2. ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH
3. AT SIXES AND SEVENS
4. GRASPING AT STRAWS
5. LOST IN SPACE
6. OUT TO LUNCH

The clues below can be answered with two-word phrases which have  something in common.

1. Sore throat relievers
2. Chips go-withs
3. Everything but(s)
4. Honeymoon mecca
5. Bad financial news

Answers:

1. Cough drops
2. Party dips
3. Kitchen sinks
4. Niagra falls
5. Market plunges

Credit: LA Times Crossword
June 14, 2010
Bruce Venzke

TWO PAIR I
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
May, 2015
Erich Friedman

Add four letters to each word below to form a new word. The added letters must be two pairs of identical letters, in any order. For example, given the clue BA _ BE _ _ Y, the letters pairs RR and YY could be added to form BAYBERRY.

1.  BA _ _ R _ _ M
2.  B _ A _ N _ E _
3.  _ BE _ _ _ NT
4.  CHA _ _ I _ _
5.  CO_ D _ _ S _
6.  DU_ _ NE _ _
7.  _ _ _ _ GATE
8.  H _ _ _ _ RD
9.  _ LI _ N _ T _
10.  _ _ L _ _ UTE

HINTS:
One of the missing letters:
1. O
2. I
3. R
4. G
5. E
6. S
7. R
8. G
9. E
10. A

Answers:

1. BALLROOM
2. BRAINIER
3. ABERRANT
4. CHANGING
5. CONDENSE
6. DULLNESS
7. IRRIGATE
8. HAGGARD
9. ALIENATE
10. MALAMUTE

1. The clues below have something in common. Once you discover what it is, try to think of the clever name for this puzzle.

ELECTRIC EEL
GENETIC ENGINEERING
AEROBIC EXERCISE

2. The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

A. Cozy inn
B. Minor injuries
C. "Greatest Show on Earth" names
D. Before long
E. Product improvement slogan
F. The whole shebang
G. Intellectual elite
H. Table staple

Answers:

1. Hidden in each clue is the word ICE:

electrIC Eel
genetICE Engineering
aerobIC Exercise

Puzzle title: Breaking the Ice

2)
A. Bed and breakfast
B. Bumps and bruises
C. Barnum and Bailey
D. By and by
E. Bigger and better
F. Bag and baggage
G. Best and brightest
H. Bread and butter

Credits: LA Times Crossword
#1: Gareth Bain - Jan.  21, 2010
#2: Jeff Chen - Sept. 13, 2010 (A-E)

LETTER BANK VI

In a letter bank, the letters of one word or phrase are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.

When the FBI came to raid their office files, she was desperate to find a way to destroy the evidence.

Fill in the first set of blanks below with a two-word phrase which is a letter bank for the second set of blanks (also a two-word phrase) to restate the above sentence.

She was _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to find a _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

Answers:

HARD PRESSED
PAPER SHREDDER 

Credit: The Enigma 
NPL Magazine - Aug. 2014
WRYBOSH
 

MISSING LINK LXXV

Each trio 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. Bank..........Pay..........Drum
2. Center..........Main..........State
3. Dollar..........Tier..........Billing
4. Bulk..........Dead..........Mast
5. Cross..........Roll..........Singles
6. Table..........Robin..........Trip
7. Organ..........Singer..........Plumber
8. House..........Party..........Ball
9. Letter..........Center..........Duck
10. Black..........White..........Star

Answers:

1. Kinds of rolls
2. Common street names
3. Top
4. Head
5. Kinds of bars
6. Things that can be round
7. Pipes
8. Beach 
9. Things that can be dead 
10. Board

ACCIDENT..............ACCENT
PRESIDENT.............PRESENT
FLORIDA.................FLORA

What crime is being committed in the examples above?

Answer:

IDENTITY THEFT
(ID is stolen out of the first word to get the second.)

Credit: LA Times Crossword
Sept. 3, 2010
Anthony J. Salvia
ID THEFT

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Feb. 2015
LEXMAN

In the flat below, the cueword EAR stands for the base word, which has six letters. The first two words, represented by cuewords HEAR and DEAR are the base word each preceded by different letters.

You misunderstood me, so now I will
     HEAR:
When all's said and done, sir, if you
     are not DEAR,
The government says who'll be getting
     your EAR.

Answers:

RESTATE
TESTATE
  ESTATE

The answers to the following clues have something in common. Once you determine what it is, can you come up with a good title for this puzzle - as suggested by the constructor's hint given below?

1. Hurricane course, for example
2. Stability simile
3. Time out!
4. Surprise when you see the price
5. Where a sprint often starts

Constructor's hint to the title of the puzzle:
Sign of corporate success

Answers:

1. STORM TRACK
2. STEADY AS A ROCK
3. STOP THE CLOCK!
4. STICKER SHOCK
5. STARTING BLOCK

Puzzle title: STOCK SPLIT
(The word STOCK is wrapped around each of the clue answers.)

Credit: LA Times Crossword 
              Sept. 29, 2015
              Dan Naddor
              STOCK SPLIT
            

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Feb. 2015
LEXMAN

The two answer words to this flat are heteronyms - words which are spelled the same, but pronounced differently - without any change in stress or syllabication.

Your gift was in poor taste, so I
     returned it.
I _ _ _ _ _ _ that, in response, you
     simply _ _ _ _ _ _ it.

Answer:

RESENT (S has Z sound)
RESENT (S has S sound) 

LA Times Crossword
Sept. 30, 2010
David Poole

Each of the answers to the clues below will contain the name of a bird:

1. Bird with a head covering
2. Bird no -no
3. Bird hiker
4. Bird with an appendage
5. Bird pasta

Answers:

1. Robin Hood
2. Cardinal sin
3. Eagle Scout
4. Kite tail
5. Chicken noodle

The two answers to this flat differ by a single letter.

So what's inside my favorite candy bar?
The answer's simple, friend.
It's _ _ _ _ _ _  but  _ _ _ _ _ _ .

HINT:
Only one thing is inside the candy bar.

Answers:

It's NOUGHT but NOUGAT.

Credit: The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Jan. 2015
LEXMAN (adapted)

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Jan. 2015
HALF LEPER

This flat works on two levels. On the first level, the flat is correct as written and needs no changes. On the second level, the first answer word must replace the cueword SCHOOL. Like SCHOOL, it has six letters. The first two and last two letters of this word are the same, and in the same order.  If you drop the first and last two letters of this word, the two remaining letters will replace KENTUCKY and answer the flat on the second level.

In SCHOOL you learn, if you are
    lucky,
Abraham's birthplace was
    KENTUCKY.

Answers:

In CHURCH you learn, if you are 
     lucky,
Abraham's birthplace was
     UR.

Level one: Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky.
                  (A common error is that Lincoln was born in Illinois.)

Level two: Biblical Abraham was born in the land of UR (chURch). 

The answers to each clue below will have something in common - unrelated to the clue itself.

1. Slot machines, informally
2. Ecstatic, as in "Feel like .........
3. Some gold diggers
4. Condition specified in a Beatles song
5. Clio, Thalia, and their sisters
6. OTC drug taken by many for cardiac health
7. Common quantity for boxing small items
8. Two bits, formally

Answers:

1. One-armed bandits
2. Feel like a million bucks
3. Forty-niners
4. "When I'm sixty-four "
5. The Nine Muses
6. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg)
7. Gross (144)
8. Twenty-five cents

What they have in common:

Each answer contains a number that is a perfect square.

Credit:
NY Times Crossword
Harvey Estes
PERFECT SQUARES

The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Convenience for department store shoppers
2. Bargain centers featuring name brands
3. What's happening now
4. Itinerant jurist
5. Prison section
6. Half of a felony
7. Move to gain influence or control

Answers:

1. Charge account
2. Outlet stores 
3. Current events
4. Circuit judge
5. Cellblock
6. Battery
7. Power play

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Louis Sabin
PLUGGED IN

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD VI

FAMILY REUNIONS
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
April, 2015
Stanley Newman

Drop one letter from each word below and re-arrange the remaining letters to form eight related words.

1. ARMFUL
2. UPSTATE
3. EMBROIL
4. CHAMOIS
5. REFOCUS
6. ESCAPADES
7. GIANT PINE
8. FILLET LIST

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. F

2. P 

3. R

4. H

5. U

6. D

7. E

8. T

Answers:

1. MURAL
2. STATUE
3. MOBILE
4. MOSAIC
5. FRESCO
6. SEASCAPE
7. PAINTING
8. STILL LIFE

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Jan. 2015
SCARAB

The two answer words to this flat differ only by their initial letter. Notice that the second cueword is the same as the first, except for the addition of its initial letter.

In sheer and frills the lady dressed.
No REST array could she have chosen.
The garment fine her skin caressed.
Alas, her choice was not the best
To take a walk upon a CREST.
And in the end, she wound up frozen.

Answers:

LACIER
GLACIER

VANISHING ACTS
NY Times Crossword
Robert H. Wolfe

This is a difficult puzzle.  Each clue is part of a familiar phrase that is missing a key word. A "vanishing" word can precede or follow this key word. The key word will complete the phrase suggested by the clue, and the "vanishing" word and the key word will form a second familiar phrase. For example, given the clue AFORE-THOUGHT, the missing word is MALICE. The "vanishing" word is ABSENCE, as in MALICE AFORE-THOUGHT and ABSENCE OF MALICE.

1. OUT TIME
2. IT'S THAT COUNTS
3. BRAND
4. CUFF
5. AND A FOR A
6. AT A
7. FOUR OF THE EARTH

HINTS:
Key words:
1 CHECK
2.THOUGHT
3. NAME
4. LINKS
5. TOOTH
6. PREMIUM
7. CORNERS

 Answers - Key word phrase
1. CHECK OUT TIME
2. IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS 
3. BRAND NAME
4. CUFF LINKS
5. AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH
6. AT A PREMIUM
7. FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH

Answers - "Vanishing" word phrase:
1. BOUNCED CHECK
2. PERISH THE THOUGHT
3. NAME DROPPER
4. MISSING LINKS
5. TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
6. WAIVER OF PREMIUM
7. CUTTING CORNERS

The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Like nerves under stress
2. What happens when you turn 40
3. New Orleans attraction
4. Women's casual slacks
5. Word of indecision
6. Louisiana music and cooking
7. He came, saw, and conquered
8. Heiress, perhaps
9. Flower parts
10. Monitor, as an exam
11. Emergency at sea
12. Cottage industry product, often

HINTS:
#1: Each clue conceals something.
#2: The something is an abbreviation.
#3: Notice that there are twelve clues.

Answers:

Hidden in each clue are the abbreviations of the months of the year, in order:

1. JANgled
2. liFE Begins
3. MARdi gras
4. cAPRis
5. MAYbe
6. caJUN
7. JULius caesar
8. dAUGhter
9. SEPals
10. prOCTor
11. maN OVerboard
12. hand maDE Crafts 

Credit: NY Times Crossword
June Boggs
MONTHLY MEETINGS

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Jan. 2015
NEXT LINGO

The cue word BAT in this flat stands for two homophones. One is a four-letter word and the other is a two word phrase.

I look so old. I'm getting fat.
My hair is gray. I ought to BAT.

Answers:

DIET
DYE IT

The two missing words in this verse differ by a single letter. The first word has seven letters, and the second has six. SHOW and SOW are cuewords - meaning they stand for the answer words. Notice that the cuewords also differ by a single letter.

A brand new car, Dad? What a SHOW!
You even SOW the radio!

Answers:

PRESENT
PRESET

Credit:
The Enigma
NPL Magazine - February, 2015
LEXMAN

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - May, 2014
WITZ

The two two-word answers in this verse are anagrams:

Investments in high-tech things
     economic
All  _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ in the land that suvived
     things atomic.
One ancient practice has cultural merit;
It's the _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  - with a drink and the
     host with whom you share it.

Answers:

CREATE MONEY
TEA CEREMONY

THE STARS ARE OUT
NY Times Crossword
Charles M. Deber

The stars in each clue can be replaced by the same letters to form complete words.

R*ES
C*URE
CR*ON
DEV*
UNC*H

HINTS:
#1: Y*H
#2: Each * represents three letters

Answers:

The missing letters art OUT:

ROUTES
COUTURE
CROUTON
DEVOUT
UNCOUTH 
(YOUTH)

WHAT'S MY LINE? II
NY Times Crossword
Fran and Lou Sabin

If a FISHING LINE  is "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, " what is a ....................

1. PICKET LINE?
2. RECEPTION LINE?
3. TELEPHONE LINE?
4. CLOTHING LINE?

Answers:

1. MORE MONEY - SHORTER HOURS
2. THEY'RE A PERFECT COUPLE
3. I'LL HAVE TO PUT YOU ON HOLD
4. TRUST ME - THIS DRESS IS YOU

JOKES

A man sold a lawn mower to a minister. The minister brought it back - saying that it wouldn't start. "It'll start," said the man, "but you have to curse at it." "I haven't uttered a curse in 30 years," replied the minister. The man said, "Just keep pulling the starter cord. The words will come back to you."

Credit: Reader's Digest 
Laverne Lauterbach

What do the following male names have in common?

ALAN
OLAN
NEAL
MARIO
LAMAR

Answer:

They are all anagrams of female names:

ALAN - LANA
OLAN - NOLA
NEAL - LENA
MARIO - MOIRA
LAMAR - MARLA

Credit:

Michael G. Nelson

THREE RIDDLES

1. What do you call the guy who parks your car in San Jose?
2. What did she call her date on the stormy day?
3. What can be sharp, but never flat?

Answers:

1. A silicon valet
2. Her rain beau
3. Cheese

LETTER BANK V

REVERSE LETTER BANKS

In a letter bank, the letters of one word are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a word bank for MISSISSIPPI. In this puzzle, you are given the longer word or phrase and asked to find its letter bank - that is a shorter word in which every letter of the longer  word or phrase is used at least once.

1. DECADE
2. MEDDLESOME
3. SEAMSTRESS
4. VERTEBRATES
5. RECALCITRANT
6. SUPERHEROES (name from mythology)
7. THE METRIC SYSTEM

Answers:

1. ACED
2. SELDOM
3. MASTER
4. BRAVEST
5. CLARINET
6. ORPHEUS
7. CHEMISTRY

Credits: All - The Enigma
NPL Magazine

#2: LEXMAN - Feb. 2014
#3: NOTWEBSAFE - Nov. 2013
#4: WRYBOSH - Nov. 201113
#5: NEXT LINGO - Jan. 2014
#6: NEXT LINGO - Feb. 2014
#7: NEXT LINGO - Dec. 2013

 The sentence below can be completed using four words - two sets of homophones and one set of anagrams.

A business executive decided it was time to bring his son into the company and retire to the mountains. So he decided to ................

_ _ _ _  his _ _ _ _ and move to _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ .

Answer:

............. HIRE his HEIR and move to HIGHER AIR.

The words and phrases below have something in common. Can you determine what it is?

CONTRAVENE
ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
EITHER ONE
BOWLED OVER
INTERNALIZE

HINT:
Hidden in each word or phrase are five related words.

Answers:

Each word or phrase conceals the name of a bird:

contRAVENe
st. laWRENence seaway
eitHER ONe
bowleD OVEr
inTERNalize 

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Ted Fulton 

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Nov. 2014
LEXMAN

The two missing words in the question below are exactly the same, except that the first word has an additional letter at its start. What are the two words?

Did you say that I'm a twit,
Or did you _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ it?

Answers:

SIMPLY
IMPLY

Two five-letter words differ by a single letter - the third in both words, as indicated below. The first word usually refers to the beginning of something, while the second word is often used to signal the end of something. What are the two words?

_ _ P _ _
_ _ O _ _

Answers:

ALPHA
ALOHA

1. The answers to the following clues will have something in common.

Fanciful storytelling
Particle physics model
Connecting idea
Start acting independently

2. What do the words below have in common?

RED
THROW
SERGEANT
TICKET
CABINET

3. The abbreviations and words below have something in common that can be expressed by a common expression.

OK
RN
PE
ME
AX

HINTS:
1. The answers have to do with ROPE.
2. Each word can be preceded by five different, but related words.
3. The common expression means to throw out (sometimes by force).

Answers:

1)
Spin a YARN
STRING theory
Common THREAD
Cut the CORD

2) Each word can be preceded by a common tool:

SAW red
HAMMER throw
DRILL sergeant
PLANE ticket
FILE cabinet

3) Each abbreviation or word can be preceded by HO:

HOOK
HORN
HOPE
HOME
HOAX

Common expression and theme of this puzzle: HEAVE-HO

Credits: All - LA Times Crossword
#1: Kristian House - Oct. 11, 2010
#2: Dan Naddor - Oct. 17, 2010
#3: Scott Atkinson
      Oct. 1, 2010
      HEAVE-HO (adapted)

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD V

FAMILY REUNIONS
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
March, 2015
Regis Modesta

Drop one letter from each word below and re-arrange the remaining letters to form five related words:

1. CHROME
2. APPOSE
3. LAPTOP
4. INCLUDE
5. DRAPING

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. C

2. P

3. P

4. N

5. G

Answers:

HOMER
AESOP
PLATO
EUCLID
PINDAR

Spanning the two words in each phrase below is ........... well, something. Can you figure out what? Once you do, you will understand the puzzle's title - which is given as a hint below the clues.

FREEZE FRAME
POLE VAULT
SEVEN YEARS
INSANITY PLEA
TABLOID PRESS
THE LEGEND
MOBILE PHONE

HINT: Title of the puzzle: MIXED EMOTIONS

Answers:

In mixed up order, the name of an emotion spans the two words in each clue:

freezE FRAme - FEAR
pOLE Vault _ LOVE
seVEN Years - ENVY
insanITY Plea - PITY
tabloID PREss - PRIDE
thE LEGend - GLEE
mobilE PHOne - HOPE

Credit: LA Times Crossword
October 17, 2010
Julian Lim
MIXED EMOTIONS

1. The following words can be preceded by four different, but related words. Can you determine what they are?

PAIN
WRITER
DOCTOR
ADVOCATE

2. What do the following words and phrases have in common?

Battering ram
Scapegoat
Lion's den
Scale model

Maiden name

Answers:

1)
PHANTOM pain
GHOST writer
WITCH doctor
DEVIL's advocate

2)
Each word or phrase has a reference to one of the signs of the Zodiac:

Battering RAM - Aries
ScapeGOAT - CAPRICORN
LION's den - Leo
SCALE model - Libra
MAIDEN name - Virgo

Credit #2: NY Times Crossword
Bryant White
SIGN SUBSTITUTION

 

LA Times Crossword
November 10, 2010
Pamela Amick Klawitter

The five words below can each be preceded by five different, but related words. Can you determine what they are?

GAP
RATE
MEET
HITTER
TEACHER

Answers:

TRADE gap
EXCHANGE rate
SWAP meet
SWITCH hitter
SUBSTITUTE teacher

THREE RIDDLES

1. What do you call a pig that's lost its voice?

2. What can you say about the passenger who ignored the guy who walked into the bathroom door on  an all-night plane trip?

3. What did the warning sign say at the Peter Piper Public Speaking Palace?

Answers:

1. Disgruntled

2. He turned a blind eye to the guy who got a black eye on the red-eye.

3. EXPECT ORATIONS

Credit #3: The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Sept. 2013
HATH

STUMPERS CV

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Sept. 2013
NEXT LINGO

The second set of blanks in this puzzle can be filled in with the same letters as the first set, but with a twist.

The _______ in the shower elicited a _______ from my houseguest.

Answer:

MILDEW
MILD "EW"

1. The two missing words in this verse differ by a single letter.

I tried to kill a cockroach with _ _ _ _ _ ;
He was too _ _ _ _ and got away.

2. The answers to this verse differ by two letters:

To avoid _ _ _ _ _ _ from sugary treats,
Skip the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ found in sweets.

3. Can you supply the very clever six-letter missing word?

The IRS, I fear, is widely known
For making what is yours _ _ _ _ _ _ .

Answers:

1. SPRAY - SPRY
2. CARIES - CALORIES
3. THEIRS (theIRS)

Credits: All from The Enigma
NPL Magazine

1: LEXMAN - March, 2014
2. SANIT - April, 2014
3. NEXT LINGO - April, 2014

LETTER BANK IV

In a letter bank, the letters of one word are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase.  For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.

1. TOWELS -  Pot and pan scrubber _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _
2. TAILORS - Having to do with clothes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. SIMPLETON - Think it over _ _ _ _ _   _ _   _ _
4. PAINTERS - Maine _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _
5. SAND PILE - Nervous (with ON) _ _ _ _  _ _ _
                                                              _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6.  COMEDIANS - Vice President _ _ _ _ _ _
                                                          _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7. NOVELIST - It's replaced books for many
                            _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _

Answers:

1. STEEL WOOL
2. SARTORIAL
3. SLEEP ON IT
4. PINE TREE STATE
5. PINS AND NEEDLES
6. SECOND-IN-COMMAND
7. TELEVISION SET

Credits: All from The Enigma 
NPL Magazine

1. SCARAB - April, 2012
2. LOKI - May, 2012
3. HOLA - May, 2013
4. UCAOIMHU - August, 2013
5. UCAOIMHU - November, 2012
6. HOT - June, 2013
7. HOOP - May, 2013

"HAVE A NICE DAY" RESPONSE
Credit: LA Times Crossword
Nov. 12, 2010
Dan Naddor

What do the following words have in common and how does this relate to the title of this puzzle?

DEBT
GAZE
DRESS
FRY
CASE
SITE

HINT:
The same letter can be inserted into each word to change it into a new one.

Answers:

The letter U can be inserted into each word to make it a new one:

DEBT -DEBUT
GAZE - GAUZE
DRESS - DURESS
FRY - FURY
CASE - CAUSE
SITE -SUITE

The common response to "Have a nice day" is YOU TOO.

The same letters, in the same, consecutive order, can complete the partial words below:

DR
PL
EL
SP

HINT:
The new words require five extra letters.

Answer:

The letters are ASTIC:

DRASTIC
PLASTIC
ELASTIC
SPASTIC

Credit: LA Times Crossword
November 8, 2010
Neville L. Fogarty

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - May, 2014
NEXT LINGO

With Hansel and Gretel
Both snug in her IN,
She turned on the heat
And invited her KIN.

Answers:

IN - OVEN
KIN - COVEN 

ONLY THE LONELY

The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Asian currency unit
2. Arboreal symbol of solitude
3. Overeating result, perhaps
4. It's often shortened

Answers:

1. Japanese yen
2. Lonesome pine
3. Stomach ache
4. Long story

In common: Each answer contains a word of yearning.

Credit: LA Times Crossword
Nov. 22, 2010
Donna S. Levin

QUE WORDS

Each clue below can be answered with a word ending in QUE:

1. Old, as furniture
2. Type of music
3. Way to prepare food
4. People of the Pyrenees
5. Specialty shop
6. Blunt and unfriendly
7. Exclusive group
8. Assessment
9. Hideous
10. Place of worship
11. It's usually feminine
12. A little odd, or at an angle
13. Not allowing light to get through
14. Body shape
15. Quaint
16. Fit of anger
17. Dental concern 
18. Style or method
19. Tension - as in machinery
20. One-of-a kind

Answers:

1. Antique
2. Baroque
3. Barbeque
4. Basque
5. Boutique
6. Brusque
7. Clique
8. Critique
9. Grotesque
10. Mosque
11. Mystique
12. Oblique
13. Opaque
14. Physique
15. Picturesque
16. Pique
17. Plaque
18. Technique
19. Torque
20. Unique 

MUNICIPAL BONDS
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Richard Silvestri

Each answer below contains the name of a US city. Wordplay is fair play.

1. Fred and Wilma in Michigan
2. Ohio legumes
3. Colorado bylaw
4. Alabama residence
5. Pennsylvania expanse

Answers:

1. Flintstones
2. Lima beans
3. Golden Rule
4. Mobile home
5. Reading room

The expressions below are not related, but they do have something in common. Can you determine what it is?

A friend indeed
Net profit
Better late than never
Man in the moon
Tarzan the Ape Man
Eternal City

HINT:
The same change can be made to one word in each expression to create a new word.

Answer:

One word in each expression can be changed into a new one by adding or inserting an X:

A friend INDEXED
NEXT profit
Better LATEX than never
MANX in the moon
Tarzan the APEX man
EXTERNAL city 

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Wayne Robert Williams
SOMETHING XTRA

SAYING THE ALPHABET
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Charles M. Deber

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. Drones
2. Facilitate
3. Rib or torment
4. Prompts
5. Bluebirds
6. Manipulate
7. In debt to
8. Sagacious
9. Podded plants
10. Red and Dead

Answers:

1. BBBBB
2. EEEEE
3. TTTTT
4. QQQQQ
5. JJJJJ
6. UUUUU
7. OOOOO
8. YYYYY
9. PPPPP
10. CCCCC

(Bees, Ease, Tease, Cues, Jays, Use, Owes, Wise, Peas, Seas)

INITIAL OCCUPATIONS
Credit: NY Times Crosswowrd
Randolph Ross

1. Morgan's initial occupation
2. Escher's  initial occupation
3. cumming's initial occupation
4. Barnum's initial occupation
5. Lawrence's initial occupation
6. Salinger's initial occupation

HINTS:
J.P. Morgan
M.C. Escher
e.e. cummings
P.T. Barnum
D.H. Lawrence
J.D. Salinger

Answers:

1. Justice of the Peace
2. Master of Ceremonies
3. electrical engineer
4. Physical Therapist
5. Designated Hitter
6. Juris Doctor

AS ELMER FUDD WOULD SAY II
NY Times Crossword
February 11, 1996
Harvey Estes

If the IRS tax portion is ALL THE WAGE, what about .............

1. Marry a feisty lady
2. No matter how heavy
3. Where baby dragons come from
4. IRS' portion of your check, seemingly

Answers:

1. Wed hot mama
2. At any weight
3. Smoke-filled wombs
4. All the wage

MAYDAY!
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Peter Gordon

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. Military move intended to warn
2. Book before Isaiah
3. Escape alive
4. "Subway walls - tenement halls" song
5. Dog's gift
6. Daytime TV celebs
7. The Babe
8. Extreme conditions, as when under attack

Answers:

1. Show of strength
2. Song of Solomon
3. Save one' skin
4. Sound of Silence
5. Sense of smell
6. Soap opera stars
7. Sultan of Swat 
8. State of siege

SQUISHED CITIES
Credit: LA Times Crossword
Dec. 30, 2010
Kelsey Blakley

The three states listed in each clue below each contain three cities whose names can be "squished" together so that the middle city's name is made up of letters that end the name of the first city and begin the name of the third city. For example, if the states given were California, Alaska, and Tennessee, the squished cities would be FRESNO, NOME, MEMPHIS.

1. Iowa, Arizona, Maryland
2. Washington, Georgia, New Hampshire
3. South Dakota, Nevada, Virginia

HINTS:
The first city in the first state is:
1. AMES
2. TACOMA
3. PIERRE

Answers:

1. AMES, MESA, ANNAPOLIS
2. TACOMA, MACON, CONCORD
3. PIERRE, RENO, NORFOLK

The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Side door, perhaps
2. Flogging, for example
3. Band leader
4. State official
5. Marvel superhero
6. Yankee, for one
7. One of the usual suspects
8. United Nations body

Answers:

1. Private entrance
2. Corporal punishment
3. Sergeant Pepper
4. Lieutenant Governor
5. Captain America
6. Major Leaguer
7. Colonel Mustard
8. General Assembly

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Bryant White
PROMOTIONS (adapted) 

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - March, 2014
LEXMAN

The answer to the question below is a palindrome, beginning with the word CAIN. Can you complete it?

"So why did you kill him?" God inquired.
"Because I, CAIN,  _ _   _   _ _ _ _ _ _.

Answer:

"Because I, CAIN, AM A MANIAC.

LETTER BANK III

In a letter bank, the letters of one word are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.

1. In the verse below, the second set of blanks contains the word bank:

"I will _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ 
Mix  _ _ _ _ _ _ _  and baking
Soda," Bart must write
Fifty times upon the board and
Clean the room tonight.

2. In this advice from a cowboy, the letter bank is the second set of blanks

If you want a cushy ride,
Take the car;
There are no _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
On _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answers:

1. NEVER AGAIN - VINEGAR
2. SHOCK ABSORBERS - HORSEBACK

Credits:
The Enigma
NPL Magazine
#1: NEXT LINGO - Mar. 2014
#2: ANDREAS - Mar. 2013

GOOD RIDDANCE!
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Cathy Millhauser

At the office, Mr. Ridder BOOTED the computer.

1. At the bank, Mr. Ridder ....................................
2. In the gym, Mr. Ridder ......................................
3. Back in the Xerox room, Mr. Ridder ................
4. In the parking lot, Mr. Ridder ...........................
5. At the restaurant, Mr. Ridder ............................
6. In his bedroom, Mr. Ridder ...............................

Answers:

1. BOUNCED his checks
2. THREW OUT his back
3. RAN OFF some copies
4. DROVE AWAY in his car
5. ORDERED TO GO
6. TURNED OUT the light

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - April, 2014
NEXT LINGO

The SAT's used to rule the ONEs,
But that's no longer true.
In hiring and admissions,
The current buzzword's TWO.

Answers:

UNIVERSITY - DIVERSITY 

1. What do the following names and words have in common?

DOUG
MARC
BUS
LEA
FORT
PLUS
PERT

2. What do the following four-letter words have in common?

TRIP
SCAR
COUP
DROP

Answers:

1. Each name or word can be changed into another name or word by adding a final H:

DOUGH
MARCH
BUSH
LEAH
FORTH
PLUSH
PERTH

2. Each word can be changed into a new one by adding the letters LET:

TRIPLET
SCARLET
COUPLET
DROPLET

 DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD IV

FAMILY REUNIONS
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
March, 2015
Regis Modesta

Drop one letter from each word below and re-arrange the remaining letters to form five related words.

1. BASIL
2. GAMUT
3. UMAMI
4. REJECT 
5. NEUROTROPIC (two words)

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. S

2. T

3. M

4. J

5. N

Answers:

BALI
GUAM
MAUI
CRETE
PUERTO RICO

WOOD PLAY
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Diane C. Baldwin

Each clue answer will contain the name of a tree. "Wood" play is fair play.

1. Quickly, in a grove
2. Self-image in a forest
3. Listen to the trees
4. Logger's "yes"
5. No one else would do, as in song
6. Arboreal concensus
7. Hard-to-find shade giver

Answers:

1. OLIVE a sudden
2. ALDER ego
3. LINDEN ear
4. OAKey dokey
5. it had to be YEW
6. POPLAR opinion
7. WILLOW the wisp

PERUSE THE CLUES
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Frank A. Longo

The rebus puzzles below require an extra solving step.

For example, in a traditional rebus such as THEBLUEFACE, the answer would be BLUE IN THE FACE.

In this puzzle, the above rebus would appear as VISSADAGE, interpreted as SAD IN VISAGE - which is equivalent to BLUE IN THE FACE.

Try solving the following rebuses to get the simplest solution:

1. CHALTUPID
2. JASOWB
3. SNILTIR
4. SPORETAFF
5. GAINSCENTER
6. BE24HOURSING

HINTS:
1. Golden oldie
2. Sight unseen
3. Play 
4. Music
5. Horse race
6. Just another.........

Answers:

1. Stop in the Name of  Love - (Halt in Cupid)
2. Pig in a Poke - (Sow in jab)
3. Much Ado About Nothing  - (Stir about nil)
4. Read between the Lines
5. Win by a Nose
6. A Day in the Life

LETTER BANK II

In a letter bank, the letters of one word are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.

Use the letter banks below to answer the corresponding clues:

1. State:
    SENT

2. Cities:
    AIM
    SEAL
    TORN

3. The first answer word in this verse is a letter bank for the second:

My grandma's 93 and going strong;
She's _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that she will one day be
a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

Answers:

1. TENNESSEE

2. MIAMI
    SEATTLE
    TORONTO 

3. CERTAIN
    CENTENARIAN

Credits
1: The Enigma - June, 2013 - HEX 
2: The Enigma - Aug. 2012 -  WHEELS
3: The Enigma - Aug. 2012 -  TORTOISE

ISN'T IT ROMANTIC?
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Ernst Theimer

The clues below can be answered with a word that begins with one or more Roman numerals, if you separate the numeral from the rest of the word. . For example, given the clue 504 marbles, the answer would be DIVAGATES  as in DIV AGATES. DIV is 504 in Roman numerals and AGATES are certain marbles. (DIVAGATE means to wander about or digress.)

1) 1,000 boats
2) 1,000 poems
3) 1,001 log holders
4) 100 black cuckoos
5) 1,099 regal garments
6) 1,049 ships like the QE2
7) Boleyn and 99 others
8) Scheherazade's string of tales
9) Final, winning move in a 151-move chess game

Answers:

1. MARKS
2. MODES
3. MIGRATES
4. CANIS
5. MICROBES
6. MILLINERS
7. CANNES
8. MISERIES
9. CLIMATE 

CLEVER CROSSWORD CLUES XII

1. Famous last words (6)
2. Lacking heat (7)
3. Dancer's partner (6)
4. One who takes things the wrong way (5)
5. Genetic explanation for truancy (15)
6. Element 18 (4)
7. Loser in an upset (4)
8. Girl next door (8)
9. Short-lived agitation (9)
10. Contest for witches (11)
11. Carousel riders (9)
12. Corner-to-corner lines (9)
13. Subject with no depth (13)
14. Paris is in it (5) or (8)
15. First family (10)
16. Current event, perhaps ((12)
17. Inaugural address (11)
18. Their days are numbered (6)
19. Name dropper word (3)
20. Bottom line

Answers:

1. THE END
2. UNARMED
3. DASHER 
4. THIEF
5. HOOKY CHROMOSOME 
6. AGON (R GONE) [Henry Hook] 
7. HARE 
8. NEAR MISS 
9. BRIEF STEW
10. SPELLING BEE
11. SUITCASES 
12. CROSSWALK or DIAGONALS 
13. PLANE GEOMETRY 
14. ILIAD or THE ILIAD  
15. ADAM AND EVE
16. SHORT CIRCUIT 
17. STARTER HOME 
18. MONTHS 
19. NEE
20. X AXIS 

NY Times Crosword
Patrick Merrell

The answers to the clues below will have something in common:

1. "Wish you were here" may be written on it
2. Person of letters
3. Uppers - informally
4. Petty criminal
5. You may not be invited
6. Expensive - informally
7. Paper shuffler
8. Often maligned picture
9. Miser
10. The sound of little feet
11. New Dad
12. Potato, meat, and sauce dish
13. Mailing option
14. Like city parks
15. Rat whisperer

Answers:

1. Picture postcard
2. Pen pal
3. Pep pills
4. Pickpocket
5. Private party
6. Pretty penny
7. Pencil pusher
8. Passport photo
9. Penny pincher
10. Pitter-patter
11. Proud papa
12. Pot pie
13. Parcel post
14. Public places
15. Pied Piper

From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - Aug. 2013
WITZ

What do you notice about the cue (capitalized) words in this flat?

It's getting dark, so I'm
Moving fast;
I'm CLOSE TO home, since the
COOLEST won't last.

Answer:

They are anagrams.

Can you think of two other words which are also anagrams, but make sense in the verse?

Answers:

HUSTLING - SUNLIGHT

 

BIRD RIDDLES

1. What do you call a pigeon rebellion?
2. Why do crows co-operate with each other?
3. Why did the two tropical birds get married?

Answers:

1. A coo
2. They share a common caws. 
3. Toucan live as cheaply as one.

Can you match each of the clues below to one of the choices that follow, and explain the relationship?

1. Butterfly tractor
2. Deering over
3. Unspotted sheep
4. Lion reporter
5. Pal Kangaroo
6. Billy the Goat

CHOICES:
a. Newspaper rookie
b. Notorious frontier outlaw
c. Heavy-duty farm machine
d. Playing the toady
e. Biblical symbol of purity
f. 1957 Rodgers & Hart musical

Answers:

1 - c: Heavy-duty farm machine 
2 - d: Playing the toadie
3 - e: Biblical symbol of purity
4 - a: Newspaper rookie
5 - f: Rodgers &  Hart musical
6 - b: Notorious frontier outlaw

Explanation: Each clue contains the name of a "grown up" animal whose name when young is used to describe it - as suggested by the choices:

Newspaper rookie - Cub reporter
Notorious frontier outlaw - Billy the Kid
Heavy-duty farm machine - Caterpillar tractor
Playing the toadie - Fawning over
Biblical symbol of purity - Unspotted lamb
1957 Rodgers & Hart musical - Pal Joey

Credit: NY Times Crossword
January 9, 1994
Mel Rosen
ALL GROWN UP 

Note: See also I KNEW THEM WHEN.

 

 

NEWSPAPER CAPER
Credit: NY Times Crossword
December 12, 1993
Cathy Millhauser (Allis)

Each clue below can be answered with the name of a fictional newspaper. For example, a newspaper for golden-agers could be the SETTING SUN.

1. Arctic newspaper
2. Hoteliers' newspaper
3. Courthouse newspaper
4. Hades newspaper
5. Disk jockeys' newspaper
6. Astronomers' newspaper
7. Western cowboy newspaper
8. Photographers' newspaper
9. Bakers' newspaper
10. Boy Scouts' newspaper

Answers:

1. HUSKY VOICE
2. CHECK-OUT TIMES
3. BENCH PRESS
4. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
5. HIT RECORD
6. SHOOTING STAR
7. HITCHING POST
8. FLASH BULLETIN
9. DAILY BREAD
10. GOOD TURN DAILY

CLEVER CROSSWORD CLUES XI

LA Times Crossword
April 29, 2015
Robert E. Lee Morris

The answers to the clues below have something in common. Once you determine what it is, use the clue below the answers to reveal the theme of this puzzle.

1. Prison security indignity
2. Flour packaging
3. Social gathering at a home
4. Diva's big moment
5. The last frontier

Answers:

1. STRIP SEARCH
2. PAPER SACK
3. HOUSE PARTY
4. OPERA SOLO
5. OUTER SPACE

What the clues have in common:

1. striP SEARch
2. paPER SAck
3. houSE PARty
4. oPERA Solo
5. outER SPAce

In the puzzle, the capitalized letters were circled.

CLUE REVEALING PUZZLE THEME:

Pocketful of coins and what literally occurs in the circled letters in the five puzzle answers above.

Answer:

SPARE CHANGE

1. What do the following words have in common?

CUT
GOB
HAM
TAB

2. What do the following letter pairs have in common?

AY
EY
OT
OY

HINTS:
1. The same three-letter word will change each word into a new one.
2. The same three-letter word will change each letter pair into a word.

Answers:

1. Each word can be followed by LET to form a new word:

CUTLET
GOBLET
HAMLET
TABLET

2. Each letter pair can be preceded by ALL to form a word:

ALLAY
ALLEY
ALLOT
ALLOY 

Credit
#2: NY Times Crossword
Matt Gaffney
AFTER ALL

MISSING LINK LXXIV

Each trio 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. Third..........Fifth..........Squeaky
2. Bell..........Rock..........False
3. Hat..........Handed..........Holidays
4. Soil..........Spin..........Speed
5. Fisherman..........Skyscraper.....Library
6. Smile..........Code..........Joke
7. Grand..........Face..........Blanket
8. Party..........Engine..........Warrant
9. Bar..........Kiss..........Chip
10. Drops..........Sprinkles..........Sheets

Answers:

1. Kinds of wheels
2. Bottom
3. High
4. Top
5. They all have stories
6. Things you can crack
7. Baby
8. Search 
9. Things that can be chocolate
10. Kinds of rain

DROP A LETTER - GET A NE WORD III

FAMILY REUNIONS
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
March, 2015
Regis Modesta

Drop one letter from each word below and re-arrange the remaining letters to form five related words.

HAUNT
HAIRDO
ADVANCE
ENIGMA
EXACTS

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. N

2. R

3. C

4. G

5. C

Answers:

UTAH
IDAHO
NEVADA
MAINE
TEXAS

WHAT DID YOU SAY? VII

Credit: NY Times Crossword
December 28, 1995
Cathy Millhauser (Allis)

1. Sound financial dealings or how clerics look
2. Deliberate plan to harm or mosquitos at a campsite
3. Noticeable gains or like tie-died clothes
4. Shamefully ungrateful person or like Cinderella before the Prince

Answers:

1. GOOD INVESTMENTS or GOOD IN VESTMENTS
2. MALICIOUS INTENT or MALICIOUS IN TENT
3. MARKED INCREASES or MARKED IN CREASES
4. WRETCHED INGRATE or WRETCHED IN GRATE

The three letters below can be followed by the same four letters, in the same order, to form complete words. These same three letters can be followed by the same five letters, in the same order, to make three more words.

L _ _ _ _
P _ _ _ _
H _ _ _ _

L _ _ _ _ _
P _ _ _ _ _
H _ _ _ _ _

Answers:

LUNCH
PUNCH
HUNCH

LAUNCH
PAUNCH
HAUNCH

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Manny Nosowsky
A PLUS

What do the following words and phrases have in common?

BULLDOZER
WATER PITCHER
TWIN SISTER
FISH STORY
ARCHERY
CRAB SHACK

Answers:

Each word or phrase has a reference to one of the signs of the Zodiac:

BULLdozer - Taurus
WATER pitcher - Aquarius
TWIN sister - Gemini
FISH story - Pisces
ARCHERY - Saggitarius
CRAB shack - Cancer 

Credit: NY Times Crossword
Bryant White
SIGN SUBSTITUTION 

WHAT A CAPITAL IDEA
Credit: GAMES/World of Puzzles
March, 2015
Amy Rockwell

1. Can you think of five world capitals that only have the vowel O in their spelling? The first letter and the number of missing letters are is given:

M _ _ _ _ _
O _ _ _
L _ _ _ _ _
T _ _ _ _
S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Can you think of five world capitals that only have the vowel A in their spelling? The first letter and the number of missing letters are given:

B _ _ _ _ _ _
H _ _ _ _ _
W _ _ _ _ _
J _ _ _ _ _ _
C _ _ _ _ _ _

Answers:

1)
MOSCOW
OSLO
LONDON
TOKYO
STOCKHOLM

2)
BAGHDAD
HAVANA
WARSAW
JAKARTA
CARACAS

LETTER BANK I

In a letter bank, the letters of one word or phrase are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.

Use the letter banks below to answer the corresponding clues:

1. ANTIC - a city in the midwest
2. PURSE - problem faced by many teens (two words)

3. In the following verse, the letter bank is represented by the word SIX. The capitalized number words indicate the number of letters in each missing word and help with the rhyme.

He makes a strong case,
But I can't yet commit.
The venture seems risky.
I'll ponder a bit.
Is this guy  TEN?
The strategy SIX?
If so, then I'm NINE.
If not, then it's nix

Answers:

1. CINCINNATI
2. PEER PRESSURE 
3. BELIEVABLE, VIABLE, AVAILABLE

Credits: 1 and 2: 
NY Times Crossword
Greg Staples 

Credit 3:
The Enigma 
NPL Magazine - Aug. 2013
LEXMAN

NY Times Crossword
Robert H. Wolfe (adapted)

The clues below can be answered in two ways. The first is the standard way - with just letters. The second incorporates letters and numbers in an ingenious pattern. First, answer the clues in the standard way. Then try to see the pattern in the answers that leads to the second way - using letters and numbers. A hint is provided below the standard answers.

1. Explain the meaning of the word again
2. "You are too" response
3. Old dental anesthetic
4. Scientist's smock

Standard Answers:

1. REDEFINE
2. I AM NOT
3. LAUGHING GAS
4. LAB COAT

HINT to answers using letters and numbers: TELEPHONE

Answers:

1. RE3INE
2. IA6T
3. LAU4NG GAS 
4. L2OAT 

EXPLANATION: The numbers represent the letters found on a telephone dial (button) which correspond to that number:

1. reDEFine (3)
2. i aMN Ot  (6)
3. lauGHIng gas (4)
4. lAB Coat (2)

PERSONALS
Credit: NY Times Crossword
June 15, 2003
Cathy Millhauser (Allis)

Try to identify the "person" behind each of the following ads.

1. PLAYGIRL, soft-hearted, huggable. Red hair, brown eyes. Loves kids.....

2. TIRED OF BREAKING UP! Separated white male, looking for togetherness.....

3. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN! Warm, sweet, well-rounded guy. Into running.....

4. CUTE, NAUGHTY vegetarian seeks female for fuzzy times in underground digs. Large family not a problem.....

5. MATURE, FUN-LOVING man, smoker, music lover. Come share a palatial home.....

6. ENGLISH GIRL, cat lover, party goer, seeks fellow adventurer to share dreams.....

7. COUNTRY GAL, petite, hopes to recapture what's been lost.....

8. BABE MAGNET, Very tall, rugged outdoorsman. Enjoys cutting-edge technology.....

Answers:

1. RAGGEDY ANN
2. HUMPTY DUMPTY
3. THE GINGERBREAD MAN
4. PETER RABBIT
5. OLD KING COLE
6. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
7. LITTLE BO PEEP
8. PAUL BUNYAN             

1. What do the following words have in common?

WINE
RIND
PACT
COAL
MAIN
MEAL
MOOR
ARCADE

2. What do the following names and phrases have in common?

CLAUDE DEBUSSY
SINGIN'  IN THE RAIN
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
ROYAL ALBERT HALL
BEAR A RESEMBLANCE TO
AM I MISSING SOMETHING?


Answers:

1. Each word is composed entirely of two-letter US Postal abbreviations. 
2. Each name or phrase contains a US Postal abbreviation appearing twice and in consecutive order.

NOTHING COMPARES TO U
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Richard Silvestri (adapted)

1. Dorothy's guardian in Kansas
2. Sir Francis Drake's Indian ship
3. "Whaler" who sang "Ahab the Arab"
4.  Milkers' bill of fare

Answers:

1. AUNTIE EMU
2. GOLDEN HINDU
3. SAM THE SHAMU
4. DAIRY MENU

CLEVER CROSSWORD CLUES X

NY Times Crossword
David J. Kahn

The answers to the four clues below are very close to four other expressions which are much more familiar. Once you have correctly answered the clues, can you determine the six-letter word which gives the theme of the puzzle and explains how the answers differ from the more familiar expressions?

1. With "Hello," a pickup line
2. Dentists' convention
3. One who works for the Police Gazette
4. Trying cases, plea bargaining, etc.

Answers:

1. "HELLO, DOLL"
2. TOOTH FAIR
3. COP EDITOR
4. ALL IN A DA'S WORK  

The theme word which explains the puzzle: NOWISE (NO Y'S)

"HELLO DOLLY"
TOOTH FAIRY
COPY EDITOR
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

SHEEPISH CHARACTER
NY Times Crossword
Cathy Millhauser

How is the alphabet like a cloned sheep?

Answer:

It has a double ewe (W). 

LAST WORDS IV

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

1. Leave it to me.
2. You can't miss it.
3. I know a short cut.
4. I'll take care of everything.
5. I wonder where the mother bear is.
6. From Porky Pig: That's all folks!
7. From The Raven: Nevermore
8. From the Wicked Witch: I'm melting!

Credits
#5: NY Times Crossword
Dave and Diane Epperson
WATCHING THE CUBS PLAY

#6,7,8: Michael S. Maurer

How many meanings can you think of for the letter X? There are at least twelve.

(Possible) Answers:

Crossing (RRX)
Kiss (XOXO)
Movie rating
Signature indicator ("Sign here")
Tic-Tac-Toe mark
Multiplication sign (Times)
Strike in bowling
Ten in Roman numerals
Location indicator on a map ("You are here")
"The spot" - Buried treasure indicator
Symbolic unknown in algebra
Signature for one who can't write

WHAT DID YOU SAY? VI

DIVISION PROBLEM
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Manny Nosowsky

1. Photo session at a farm or target practice area
2. Remission of big toe inflammation or prison escape
3. Quantity for a European pastry chef or SWAT team gear

Answers:

1. SHOOT IN GRANGE or SHOOTING RANGE
2. BREAK IN GOUT or BREAKING OUT
3. BATTER IN GRAMS or BATTERING RAMS

PUNCTUATION COUNTS II

NEW POSSESSIONS
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Randolph Ross

The following pairs of definitions vary only by the proper placement of an apostrophe:

1. Pest control equipment
    Insect's bedtime ritual

2. Sass from Elsie
    Marsh marigold

3. Sound when a gobbler gets a joke
    Opportunity to take advantage of a situation

4. Mushroom
    Hammer for a hopper

5. Rams, lambs, and ewes
    Material used for slippers and seat covers

Answers:

1. Bug sprayers
    Bugs' prayers

2. Cow's lip
     Cowslip

3. Turkey's hoot
     Turkey shoot

4. Toadstool
    Toad's tool

5. Sheep's kin
    Sheepskin

PALINDROMES XI

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
Credit: NY Times Crossword
Randall J. Hartman

Each clue can be answered with a palindromic phrase or sentence:

1. Either way, the letter carrier's word is not appreciated.
2. Either way, Cupid recognized my pain.

Answers:

1. DELIVERY REVILED
2. EROS SAW I WAS SORE.

1. The same letters, in the same, consecutive order, will change each word into a new one:

LORE
ROVE
EACH

2. The same letters, in the same, consecutive order, will complete each partial word below:

OT
TH

3. The same letters, in the same, consecutive order, will change each word below into a new one:

ION
IMP
FOR
PRICING

Answers:

1. The letters are IMP:

IMPLORE
IMPROVE
IMPEACH

2. The letters are DEP:

DEPOT
DEPTH

3. The letters are ACT:

ACTION
IMPACT
FACTOR
PRACTICING

Credit #3:
NY Times Crossword
Joe DiPietro
DISAPPEARING ACT