FIVE RHYMING RIDDLES

1. In life I'm clothed in yellow

       array.

    In death I turn white and fly

       away.

 

2. Zero to 150 in less than a second,

    An aspect of you I'm built to reckon.

 

3. My first is in OCEAN, but not in SEA,

    My second in WASP, but not in BEE.

    My third is in both GLIDER and FLIGHT,

    My whole a creature of the night.

 

4. He enters though he never knocks,

    We love him though he never talks. 

 

5. Wrote the pilot to his mom,

    "I am off to drop a bomb.

    This is what I have to do.

    Will it bring you fame or shame?

    Every one will know your name."

 

Answers:

 

1. Dandelion

2. A bathroom scale

3. An owl

4. A dog or cat

5. Enola Gay (Tibbets)

 

Credit:

5: The Enigma

    December, 2025

    WRYBOSH   

From The Enigma

NPL Magazine

December, 2025

WITZ

 

The ONE and TWO keywords that answer this flat are anagrams.

 

His business is pickles and capers and

   such,

And olives well-stuffed are his best-selling 

   wares.

The ONE in the green morsels gives them 

   pizzazz;

Demand is increasing for what he 

   prepares.

 

He favors his family when choosing

   new staff -

His practice of TWO is a matter of trust,

But hires like that in the corporate

   world

Are bad for morale and are met with

   disgust. 

 

Answers:

 

ONE = PIMENTOS

TWO = NEPOTISM  

 

FIRST-LETTER CHANGE

The Enigma

NPL Magazine

December, 2025

WITZ

 

As suggested by the keywords, the three answers to this flat differ only by their first letters. Hint: The answer words each have seven letters, beginning with T, V, G - in that order.

 

The bowl was a metal and maple affair,

With film on the silver and wood with no

   shine.

It needed attention to freshen it up.

Embellishment might just improve the

   design:

Removing the FOLD and then coating 

   with GOLD,

Plus new floral BOLD and the bowl will

   look fine.

 

Answers:

 

FOLD = TARNISH

GOLD - VARNISH

BOLD = GARNISH  

 

PALINDROME DELETION

The Enigma
NPL Magazine

December, 2025

SCARAB

 

The answer to the flat below is a famous nine-letter name, five letters in the first name and four in the last name - represented by ONE.  The middle letters form a palindrome which, when deleted, leave the answer to TWO.  

 

ONE slipped in the flue,

Spilling toys from his TWO.

 

Answer:

 

ONE = SA(INT NI)CK  

TWO = SACK 

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCXXIX

The two words in each line can be anagrammed into one - beginning with the given letter. The meanings of the anagrams are given below the clues.

1. LIFE + BASE = F 

2. BRED + FINE = B 

3. RISE + WAIT = W

4. CAVE + TOAD = A

5. IOTA + REIGN = O 

6. TIFF + NIECE = E

7. TINY + TIGER = I

8. COIL + FAINT = F 

9. HELP + RINSE = R 

10. BEAR + ACRID = B

11. CONE + ALTER = T

12. HOBO + LEARN = H 

13. TOAD + DRONE = D 

 

Meanings of the anagrams:

1. Possible 

2. Be kind to

3. Flowering plant

4. Supporter

5. Begin, start

6. Well organized, methodical

7. Honesty, uprightness

8. Make-believe 

9. Refill, restock 

10. Obstruction meant to block advance of enemy

11. Respect and acceptance of differences

12. Having integrity

13. Body odor product 

 

Answers:

 

1. FEASIBLE

2. BEFRIEND

3. WISTERIA

4. ADVOCATE

5. ORIGINATE

6. EFFICIENT

7. INTEGRITY

8. FICTIONAL

9. REPLENISH

10. BARRICADE

11. TOLERANCE

12. HONORABLE

13. DEODORANT  

 

QUOTES CCLXV

Only rogues feel the constraint of law. 

Author Unknown

 

He who awaits much can expect little.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

 

Don't say yes until I'm finished talking. 

Darryl F. Zanuck

 

The honey is sweet, but the bee has a sting.

Benjamin Franklin

 

A bad winner is even worse than a bad loser.

Author Unknown 

 

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

Beverly Sills 

 

When a mouse laughs at a cat, there is a hole nearby. 

Author Unknown

 

That person is happiest about whom other say the least - good or bad.

Author Unknown 

 

A mind once stretched by a new idea never again regains its original dimension.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

 

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on.

Bob Newhart 

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXVII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

September, 2023

Fred Piscop (1-7)

Bob Stigger (8- 12)

 

1. Art collection largely bogus

 

2. Bathroom fixtures contain a collection of big brass

 

3. Tale under revision - but not changed

 

4. Bury in hinterlands

 

5. Suspected - as Quasimodo did

 

6. Room covered with latticework

 

7. Rapid ships

 

8. Iceland has horrible Mexican food

 

9. He hates sledding, suffering dizziness

 

10. Elevate back

 

11. Stranger dupes my son with aliases

 

12. Approve some vendor selections

 

HINTS:

1. Anagram

2. Two words + anagram

3. Anagram

4. Hidden word

5. Three words - two meanings

6. Hidden word

7. Homograph (two meanings)

8. Anagram

9. Anagram

10. Homograph

11. Anagram

12. Hidden word  

 

Answers:

 

1. GALLERY (largely) 

2. TUBAS (tubs + a )

3. UNALTERED (tale under)

4. INTER (in hINTERlands)

5. HAD A HUNCH (suspected)

6. ATTIC (lATTICework)

7. FLEET

8. ENCHILADS (Iceland has) 

9. LIGHTHEADEDNESS (he hates sledding)

10. REAR

11. PSEUDONYMS (dupes my son) 

12. ENDORSE (vENDOR SElections)