AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING CLXIII

1. In secular song, the lute was used to accompany the voice for centuries before keyboard instruments became common.

2. A right triangle with sides of 1 has a hypotenuse = the square root of two - which is an irrational number (1.41421356 ........). Its decimal places go on forever. This was extremely upsetting to the ancient Greeks who valued exactness and symmetry.

3. While traditional Western pizza toppings like pepperoni are also found in Russia, the most distinctively popular and iconic pizza style is the Mockba. The Mockba features a topping of cold-served fish, including sardines, mackerel, tuna, and salmon - along with onions. 

4. A shark is born with a full set of teeth. 

5. According to Google Data - Word Searches, the most commonly confused word pair is AFFECT and EFFECT.  

6. The word MANDARIN is made up four consecutive U.S. state postal abbreviations. 

7. English is the most widely spoken language in the world when considering both native and non-native speakers - with around 1.5 billion speakers in 2025. This is due to its global influence and use as the language of finance. Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers with over 918 million people speaking it as their first language.  

8. You are never farther than 30 steps from a trash can at Disney World.

9. Pilots and co-pilots are required to eat different meals before flights to prevent food poisoning.  

10. Tug-of-War was an official sport at the Summer Olympics from 1900-1920, appearing in five Olympic Games.  

Two changes to each of the ten words below will form ten new and related words. Can you determine the two changes?

1. AGENT

2. FABLE

3. PAWNS

4. TOUSLE

5. ANOTHER

6. CARDIAC

7. CONSULT

8. GAWKIER

9. GRUBBED

10. TEMERITY 

 

Answer:

 

Dropping one letter from each word and re-arranging the remaining letters will give you the names of insects:

 

1. AGENT - GNAT

2. FABLE - FLEA

3. PAWNS - WASP

4. TOUSLE - LOUSE

5. ANOTHER - HORNET

6. CARDIAC - CICADA

7. CONSULT - LOCUST

8. GAWKIER - EARWIG

9. GRUBBED - BEDBUG

10. TEMERITY - TERMITE  

LA Times Crossword

September 7, 2025

Chandi Deitmer 

 

The words below have something in common that is hinted at by the last clue. Can you determine what it is?

 

1. MAN

2. RUSH

3. WIRE

4. COPY

5. SIGN

6. SPOON

7. Unexpected twist 

 

Answer to Clue 7:

Element of surprise

 

Answers to Clues 1-6:

Each clue word can be preceded by an element to make a common phrase:

 

1. TIN MAN

2. GOLD RUSH

3. COPPER WIRE

4. CARBON COPY

5. NEON SIGN

6. SILVER SPOON 

MISSING TRIOS XCIX

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

June, 2025 (1-2)

May, 2025 (3-7)

 

For each group below, fill in the same three letters to complete 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3-letter words. The letters may be filled in any order, and the missing trio will be different for each group.

 

1. P _ _ _ AIT

     UN _ _ I _

      SC _ _ _

       F _ _ _

         _ _ _  

 

2. A _ _  AM _ D

      _ C _ EM _

       _ OU _ _ 

        M _ _ _

           _ _ _ 

 

3. SL _ _ PE _

     _ _ LFE _

     _ A _ _ D

      _ A _ _ 

        _ _ _  

 

4. _ _  RPE _ S

    _ H _ N _ Y

      S _ _ _ K

       _ _ R _

        _ _ _ 

 

5.  _ AS _ ER _

      _ AV _R_

      U _ I _ _ 

       _ _ R _

        _ _ _ 

 

6. _ UT _ A _ S

     _ _ BB _ E

      E _ B _ _

        F _ _ _

          _ _ _ 

 

7. CON _ _ N _

     _ EN _ _ R

      R _ _ _ L

       _ _ _ R

        _ _ _ 

 

Answers:

 

1. The missing letters are FAR:

              PARFAIT

               UNFAIR

                SCARF

                FARM

                 FAR

 

2. The missing letters are SHE:

             ASHAMED

              SCHEME

               HOUSE

               MESH

                SHE  

 

3. The missing letters are RIP:

             SLIPPER

              PILFER

               RAPID

                PAIR

                RIP  

 

4. The letters are CAT:

         CARPETS

         CHANTY

          STACK

           CART

            CAT 

 

5. The letters are NET:

          EASTERN

           TAVERN

            UNITE

             TERN

              NET 

 

6. The letters are LOW:

        OUTLAWS

         WOBBLE

          ELBOW

           FLOW

            LOW 

 

7. The letters are EVE:

         CONVENE

          VENEER

            REVEL

     EVER or VEER

              EVE 

    

TWO RIDDLES

1. This riddle originally appeared in a publication called "London Society" in 1867.

    A six-letter word,

    A noxious drink,

    Of whose effects

    You shudder to think.

    Change one letter - - -  and then

    You convert me into a horrible den. 

 

2. Think of a relative considered old.  

    Now give me hands that cannot hold.

    Then give me a face that cannot see,

    And a heart that ticks - - - what can I be?

 

Answers:

 

1. POISON - PRISON

2. GRANDFATHER CLOCK  

      

COMPOUND LINKS XVII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

May, 2025 (1-4) 

 

Fill in the blanks with a compound word or two-word phrase so that the first two words and the last two words make up other compound words or phrases. 

 

Ex: THIRD __________ WORK

                   RAILROAD 

            (third rail - roadwork) 

 

1. PETROLEUM ________ SPROUT 

2. SPARKLING _________ STREET

3. SNOW ______________ DRYER

4. EARLY _____________ TEASER

5. FACE _______________ WASHABLE

6. FLOWER ___________ CERTIFICATE

7. MILKY _____________ WAGON

8. HOG _______________ STOCK 

 

Answers:

 

1. JELLYBEAN

2. WATER MAIN

3. ANGEL HAIER

4. BIRDBRAIN

5. TIME MACHINE

6. CHILDBIRTH

7. WAY STATION

6. WILD CARD  

 

 

 

POINTS TO PONDER CXV

We all need the ballast of the past, a general past, the place from which we came. That is why history should be taught in school. If you have no sense of the past, you cannot see yourself as part of the narrative; you cannot place yourself within a context. 

 

Penelope Lively 

Dancing Fish (and Ammonites)

 

**************************

 

Every puzzle is a mystery. Completing a puzzle is a process that rewards time, effort, and ingenuity. It is an exercise in bringing order to chaos - or in seeing a pattern within apparent randomness. From uncertainty, you find closure.

 

Michael Dobie

Understanding Life (One Piece At a Time)