THE LETTERS ARE THE LAW IV

GAMES Magazine

December, 1998

Francis Heaney

 

[Note from JA: The four groups of puzzles posted under THE LETTERS OF THE LAW by Francis Heaney are among my very favorite.]

The misspelled words in each group are misspelled according to a certain pattern. First, see if you can recognize the category to which the words in the group belong. Then scan the group to see if you can discern any kind of pattern to the misspellings. Finally, think of another word that would fit the category (but is spelled correctly) AND would provide the law governing the misspellings.

Example (and my favorite of the puzzles), given the group

ARCTIC OCBEAEN

CHESAPBEAEKE BAY

GRBEAET SALT LAKE

PBEAERAL HARBOR,

the category would be "Bodies of water." The members are Arctic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Great Salt Lake, and Pearl Harbor. The pattern of misspellings is that in all the entries the letters B and E are incorrectly on either side of the letters EA (ocB EA En). Another way of putting this is to say BE rings EA. This gives the phrase BERING SEA - another body of water - and gives the law of the misspellings - BE rings EA. 

 

(#3 uses a dated word and #5 uses a poetic word.)

1)

ANTPIASTO

BEAN DPI

LOLLPIOP

PARSNPI

2)

BRONOWNING

CHAUCEONR

COLERONIDGE

WOONRDSWORONTH

3)

PANTTS

SKIRTT

STTOCKINGS 

TT-SHIRTT

4)

BAINOINOARAT

INOANASTA

INORIBBAGE

5)

EEMACKL

HAMACKLIBUT

MARMACKLIN

SMEMACKLT 

Answers:

 

1)

Category: Food

Antipasto, Bean dip, 

Lollipop, Parsnip

Pattern of misspellings: P and I are reversed.

Missing entry in same category: TURNIP

Law: Turn IP 

 

2)

Category: English poets

Browning, Chaucer,

Coleridge, Wordsworth

Pattern of misspellings: by R, ON

Missing entry: BYRON

Law: By R, ON 

 

3)

Category: Clothing

Pants, Skirt, Stockings, T-Shirt

Pattern of misspellings: double T

Missing entry: DOUBLET 

Law: Double T 

 

4)

Category: Card games

Baccarat, Canasta, Cribbage

Pattern of misspellings: C as INO 

Missing entry: CASINO (a card game)

Law: C as INO 

 

5)

Category: Fish

Eel, Halibut, Marlin, Smelt

Pattern of misspellings: MACK ere L

Missing entry: MACKEREL

Law: MACK ere L