NY Times Crossword

October 27, 2026 

Jeff Chen and Bharati Hemmady (adapted)

 

The revealer clue for this puzzle is: Like an untrustworthy business

 

The four theme answers are:

 

COMBAT

PROBOWL

MAMMOTH

BAIT AND SWITCH 

 

What is the answer to the revealer, and how do the theme answers make sense in relation to the revealer?

 

Answers:

Answer to the revealer : FLY BY NIGHT

 

Relationship of the theme answers to the revealer:

The ends of the theme answers are things that fly by night:

comBAT

probOWL

mamMOTH

bait and sWITCH
  

 

 

COMING UP SHORT

Answer each clue with an expression containing the word SHORT.

1. Brief and to the point

2. Tell or explain something quickly

3. With little warning or time to prepare

4. Operating under strict rules and controls

5. Foolish, dim-witted, or mentally off 

6. Finish quickly and easily

7. Pay little attention to

8. Easily angered 

 

Answers:

 

1. Short and sweet

2. Make a long story short

3. On short notice

4. On a short leash

5. One brick short of a load

6. Make short work of

7. Give short shrift

8. Have a short fuse  

 

FAMILY TIES XLVI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

November, 2025

 

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Without re-arranging the letters, change one letter in each word in each of the groups to form four related words.

 

Ex. Lock.....State.....Vied.....Game

Ans. Look.....Stare.....View.....Gaze

 

1. Speaker.....Pulp.....Loader.....Blot

2. Pact.....Tempt.....Rite.....Steed

3. Fiesta.....Nag.....Sleek.....Dote

4. Paw.....Stood.....Chain.....Cough

5. Beaker.....While.....Sell....Utter

6. Ranee.....Kilt.....Shove.....Over

7. Bank.....Daubed.....Queer.....Thin

8. Fight.....Sour.....Sever.....Too  

 

Answers:  

 

1. Sneaker, Pump, Loafer, Boot

2. Pace, Tempo, Rate, Speed

3. Siesta, Nap, Sleep, Doze

4. Pew, Stool, Chair, Couch

5. Beaver, Whale, Seal, Otter

6. Range, Kiln, Stove, Oven

7. Bunk, Daybed, Queen, Twin

8. Eight, Four, Seven, Two  

CRYPTO CLUES CCLXIII

GAMES Magazine

August, 1985

Mike Shenk (1-7)

Henry Hook ( 8-12)

 

1. Doctor dictates crucial examination

 

2. Off-key ode lover has to sing in the mountains

 

3. An involuntary spasm is oddly amusing

 

4. Interior design for section of worldwide  corporation

 

5. Brazenly ruthless swindlers

 

6. Prohibit shelving in army dwellings

 

7. Cast finished in speech

 

8. Seat in overturned sacks

 

9. A slicer chopped up bakery items

 

10. Mideast region suffering penalties

 

11. "The monster is back!" "So?"

 

12. List the exotic plant 

 

HINTS: 

1. Anagram

2. Hidden word

3. Two words / definition

4. Hidden word

5.  Anagram

6. Two definitions

7. Homophone / two definitions

8. Definition of "sacks"/reversal

9. Anagram

10. Anagram

11. Definitions / reversal 

12. Anagram 

 

Answers:

 

1. ACID TEST (dictates)

2. YODEL (off-keY ODE Lover)

3. ANTIC (an + tic)

4. DECOR (worldwiDE CORporation)

5. HUSTLERS (ruthless)

6. BARRACKS (bar + racks)

7. THREW (through)

8. STOOL (loots)

9. ECLAIRS (a slicer)

10. PALESTINE (penalties)

11. ERGO (ogre)

12. THISTLE (list the)  

COMPLETE-A-WORD XXXIV 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

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

1. Canter, e.g.           A _ _ _ NS _

2. Hideaway             G _ _ C _ E _

3. Lackluster             _ U _ _ _ LE

4. Escalate                T _ A _ P _ _

5. Terra firma           _ _ U _ _ RY

6. Reverberate          _ _ _ EL _ N 

7. Champion            C _ _ V _ _ N

8. Diplomacy           EX _ R  _ _ _

9. Origin, cause       _ _ WB _ A _

10. Fling                 _ _ NA _ _ A 

Answers:

1. GAIT - AGAINST

2. LAIR - GLACIER

3. DRAB - DURABLE

4. RISE - TRAIPSE 

5. LAND - LAUNDRY

6. ECHO - ECHELON

7. HERO - CHEVRON

8. TACT - EXTRACT 

9. ROOT - ROWBOAT

10. CAST - CANASTA  

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCCLI 

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. LIE + SAY = E 

2. SOB + VALE = A

3. NICE + SEAR = I 

4. EPIC + SOUR = P

5. CART + STUB = S 

6. BALE + PATH = A

7. RANG + RUDE = G 

8. SURE + MOON = E

9. AUNT + SHOD = T

10. TIE + ACORN = C 

 

Meaning of the anagrams:

1. Simply

2. Clear from guilt

3. Enlarge

4. Very dear

5. Math operation

6. Kind of soup

7. Magnificence in style or appearance

8. Huge

9. 10 cubed

10. Invention

 

Answers:

 

1. EASILY

2. ABSOLVE

3. INCREASE

4. PRECIOUS

5. SUBTRACT

6. ALPHABET

7. GRANDEUR

8. ENORMOUS

9. THOUSAND

10. CREATION  

QUOTES CCLXXV

Never try to out-stubborn a cat.

Robert A. Heinlein

 

Art is the signature of civilization.

Beverly Sills

 

The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.

Anne Lamott 

 

The year is always portrayed as an old man or a baby.

Bill Vaughan

 

A new broom may sweep clean, but an old one knows where all the dirt is. 

Author Unknown 

 

One doesn't discover new land without consenting to lose sight of the shore.

Andre Gide 

 

What will become of the younger generation? It will grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.

Author Unknown 

 

You can pay back a loan and never think of it again, but you are always in debt to the person who offers you great kindness.

Author Unknown 

 

What's the difference between  statesmen and politicians? If you agree with them, they're statesmen. If you don't, they're politicians.

Author Unknown 

 

Inviting people to laugh with you while you're laughing at yourself is a good thing to do. You're still the fool, but you're the fool in charge.

Carl Reiner