Wednesday, March 11, 2026

TWO-WORD SYNONYM PHRASES

Use the hints to think of common 2-word phrases in which both words are synonyms or closely related. For example, Exhausted look - P & W, would be PALE & WAN

1. Invalid - N & V
2. Unique - O & O
3. Energy - V & V
4. Assist in a crime - A & A 
5. Have a tantrum - R & R
6. Healthy - H & H
7. Woe is me - A & A
8. In control - C C & C
9. In shreds  T & T
10. Total destruction W & R
11. Out of breath sounds - H & P
12. Reliable - T & T
13. Calmness - P & Q
14. Sounds of pain - M & G
15. All inclusive - E & E
16. Main, primary - F & F
17. Distances, progress L & B
18. Little bits - D & D
19. Just, even-handed - F & S
20. Aims, goals - I & P
 
Answers:
 
1. Null & void  
2. One & only
3. Vim & vigor
4. Aid & abet
5. Rant & rave
6. Hale & hearty
7. Alas & alack
8. Calm, cool, & collected
9. Tattered & torn
10. Wrack & ruin  
11. Huff & puff
12. Tried & true
13. Peace & quiet
14. Moan & groan
15. Each & every
16. First & foremost
17. Leaps & bounds
18. Dribs & drabs
19. Fair & square
20. Intents & purposes  
 
Credit: 
Idea and 1-4: John Dunn
                        Wall Street Journal Crossword
                         March 9, 2026  

 

SYNONYM/AN ANAGRAM CCXXV 

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. CANAL + EDICT = A
2. TUBE + MOURN = O 
3. ALERT + CHOIR = R
4. TOUR + FLAME = F
5. DENY + GLARE = L 
6. ALTAR + FERN = F 
7. RUDE + APES = P
8. MAY + DREAD = D
9. UPSET + HONEY = H
10. INEPT + ALARM = P
11. READY + THEIR = H
12. SURE + ALMOST = S 
 
Meanings of the anagrams:
1. Unintentional
2. Have more than 
3. Like some questions
4. Come up with, as a plan
5. Renowned
6. Like some twins
7. Coax
8. Fantasy
9. Geometry word
10. British legislative body
11. In the genes
12. Gymnastic move 
 
Answers:
 
1. ACCIDENTAL
2. OUTNUMBER
3. RHETORICAL
4. FORMULATE
5. LEGENDARY
6. FRATERNAL
7. PERSUADE
8. DAYDREAM
9. HYPOTENUSE
10. PARLIAMENT
11. HEREDITARY
12. SOMERSAULT  

RIDDLES

1. What month contains three Roman numerals?

2. What is the only month that is also an adjective?

3. One of the five vowels appears in only one of the months. Which vowel and which month?

4. What do you call Mr. Ed when he is speaking in his native tongue?

5. What word means both not many and too much? First letter: H

6. Two 4-letter animals are anagrams. One is a bird. What are they?

7. Why is Pierre, South Dakota unusual among U.S. states and their capital cities.

8. I am a common 5-letter word. Take away my first letter and I am above you. Take away my first two letters and I am around you. My whole is below you. Who am I?  

Answers: 

1. DECEMBER (D, C, M)
2. August
3. I in April
4. A naysayer (neigh sayer)
5. Handful
6. Rhea - hare
7. The state and capital have no common letters.
8. CHAIR (Hair is above you, AIR is around you, CHAIR is below you.)  
 
Credits: 
1-2: Joel Fagliano
5: Kameron Austin 

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

How many words can you think of that can follow WHITE to make up a common two-word phrase? The initial letters of 22 words are given below. The number of dashes indicates the number of letters in the words.

C _ _
H _ _
L _ _ 
O _ _
T _ _ 
C _ _ _
F _ _ _
W _ _ _
W _ _ _
S _ _ _
M _ _ _
P _ _ _ _
W _ _ _ _
B _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _
L _ _ _ _
N _ _ _ _
K _ _ _ _ _
C _ _ _ _ _ 
E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
 
(Possible) Answers:
 
WHITE ........ 
Cap
Hot
Lie
Out
Tie
Cell
Face
Wash
Wine
Sale
Meat
Paper
Water
Bread
Dwarf
Light
Noise 
Knight
Collar
Elephant 
Lightning
Chocolate 
  
 

ASSOCIATIONS

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
December, 2025 
 
Form a chain of associated words by filling in the blanks with the letters on the right. Each word will be associated in some way with the word above it and the word below it. The initial letters of the words are in place. Each letter on the right will be used only once.
 
HERMIT                   A  B 
C _ _ _                       E  E  E
A _ _ _ _                    I
T _ _ _                       L  N
T _ _                          O
S _ _ _                        P  P  P  P
D _ _                          R  R  R
WALL                        Y
 
Answers:
 
HERMIT
CRAB
APPLE
TREE
TOP
SPIN
DRY
WALL  
 
 

COMPLETE-A-WORD XXIX

Fill in the dashes with 4-letter answers to the clues to complete 7-letter words.

1. Conceited                  E _ _ S _ O _

2. Saga                           R _ _ L _ _ A

3. Evict                          T _ _ RI _ _

4. Ceremony                  P _ _ MA _ _

5. Ticket souvenir          DI _ _ _ R _ 

6. Peel                            _ _ _ SL _ Y

7. Adjoin                        H _ LI _ _ _

8. Preserve, as meat       _ _ _ R _ NT 

9. Spice or weapon        RO _ _ N _ _

10. Sun ________         A _ M _ R _ _

11. Raced                       _ TI _ _ N _

12. Wade across             _ _ RWA _ _ 

Answers:

1. VAIN - EVASION  
2. EPIC - REPLICA
3. OUST - TOURIST
4. RITE - PRIMATE
5. STUB - DISTURB
6. PARE - PARSLEY
7. ABUT - HALIBUT
8. CURE - CURRENT
9. MACE - ROMANCE
10. DIAL - ADMIRAL
11. SPED - STIPEND
12. FORD - FORWARD  

Sunday, March 8, 2026

DOUBLE DUTY CCXCVIII

Fill in the blanks with words that will complete the partial word or phrase beginning on the left and begin the partial word or phrase ending on the right. The number of blanks indicates the number of letters in the missing word. 

1. GNO _ _ AN
2. DE _ _ _ TON 
3. AREA _ _ _ BY
4. BARE _ _ _ _ FALL
5. SEA _ _ _ _ FLOWER
6. CANDLE _ _ _ PAPER
7. THEME _ _ _ _ BENCH 
8. GROUND _ _ _ _ JOINT
9. GRAND _ _ _ _ _ ECLIPSE 
10. HUMAN _ _ _ _ _ MESSAGE
 
HINTS:
First letters of the missing words:
1.**
2. B
3. R
4. F
5. W
6. W
7. P
8. B
9. T
10. E
 
Answers: 
 
1. gnoMEan
2. deBUTton
3. area RUGby
4. bareFOOTfall
5. sea WALL flower
6. candle WAX paper
7. theme PARK bench
8. ground BALL joint 
9. grand TOTAL eclipse
10. human ERROR message