GAMES/World of Puzzles 

Holiday, 2026

Scott Erdman (modified)

(Puzzle title shown below) 

 

The two answers to each clue below follow a certain pattern and also share an unusual quality. What is the pattern and in what unusual way are the two words related?

 

1. A panel of _____ members precludes an _____ split in the voting. 

 

2. Only in a science-fiction story could an _____ get a _____ on a property. 

 

3. For some, the _____ is the personification of _____.

 

4. In the Greek myth, _____ received an _____ foreshadowing the coming battle. 

 

5. It's a _____ family tradition to wake up _____ on Christmas morning.

 

6. Snow _____ are useless as _____ for gardening

 

7. To _____ the burden of another, you also need a listening _____.

 

8. To _____ in self pity is something he would not _____ himself to do. 

 

9. He bought a _____ shirt and _____ it in his dresser drawer. 

 

10.  If you _____  _____ what you want, you might have a better chance of getting it if you're more specific. 

 

Answers:

 

The pattern is to drop the first letter of the first answer to get the second answer:

 

1. SEVEN - EVEN

2. ALIEN - LIEN

3. DEVIL - EVIL

4. WOMEN - OMEN

5. YEARLY - EARLY

6. SHOES - HOES

7. BEAR - EAR

8. WALLOW - ALLOW

9. PLAID - LAID

10. SIMPLY - IMPLY 

 

The unusual quality of these pairs of words is that they don't rhyme with each other. In most words that drop their first letter, the remaining word will rhyme with the original (Cold - old, Branch - ranch,  Flight - light, Lumber - umber, etc.)

 

Puzzle title:
NO RHYME, SOME REASON