What Did You Say?

Philippe Monfiston

1. What is a phrase meaning the mafia rule of never talking using a word from music?

2. What is an expression meaning "has a shot at" using a word from poetry?

3. What is a phrase meaning "You can't be serious" using a word from opera?

Answers:

1. CODA SILENCE

2. STANZA CHANCE

3. ARIA KIDDING? 

  

 

TAKE THIS LITERALLY IX

Answer the clues - literally:

1. First of its kind

2. End of discussion

3. Jump start

4. Young at heart

5. Middle of the road

6. Fourth of July

 

Answer: 

 

INJURY 

 

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 141(1-9)

 

1. Evaluation sent masses scrambling (synonym for evaluation / anagram)

 

2. Fond remembrance of analog: it's scrapped (anagram)

 

3. Polish the French money in Russia (Polish = rub)

 

4. Stuff thrown overboard from planes in the morning (planes = jets)

 

5. Bad Somalian artwork in the Louvre (anagram)

 

6. Neat rumor about part of a fraction (anagram)

 

7. Enter toniest of resorts (resorts = re-sorts)

 

8. Today, it's Iran (Straight-forward clue)

 

9. Guiding principle goes both ways (palindrome)

 

10. Man or woman from Mindanao (hidden word) 

 

Answers:

 

1. ASSESSMENT (sent masses)

2. NOSTALGIA (analog it's) 

3. RUBLE (rub le) [le = the in French)

4. JETSAM (jets am)

5. MONA LISA (somalian) 

6. NUMERATOR (neat rumor)

7. SET FOOT IN (enter) [toniest of]

8. PERSIA

9. TENET

10. DANA (minDANAo) 

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle 

April 26, 2026

Will Shortz

 

What do the following words have in common?

 

Month

Back 

Wall

Coast 

Heart

Door

Face 

Ashes

Mouth 

Bumper 

 

Answer:

 

Each word is commonly repeated in expressions of the form _____ to _____:

Month to month

Back to back

Wall to wall, etc.  

 

What do the following words have in common? 

Covenant

Pleasure

Emulate

Literally

Thinking

Arctic

Impair 

Endear

Galleon

Alienate 

 

Answer:

 

Each word is composed of two smaller words, but they are not compound words. (That is, the two smaller words are unrelated - as they are in compound words [i.e. bedroom].  

 

POINTS TO PONDER CXXVIII

The most important thing about music is what happens when it stops - what remains with the listener, what they take away - a melody, some rhythm, some understanding of another person or another culture. The way those experiences add up, in the soul of a person over the years, is the biggest prize classical music possesses. 

Michael Tilson Thomas  

IN THE KITCHEN 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles (1-4) 

Each of the clues below can be expressed using a kitchen metaphor. For example, something easy would be Like a knife through butter.

1. VIP

2. Try to influence

3. Number cruncher 

4. Controversial issue

5. Pregnant

6. Very thin paper

7. Red-haired child 

8. Experiencing difficulty

9. Spoiled from childhood

10. A lot of responsibilities 

11. Place where a decision must be made 

 

Answers:

 

1. Big cheese

2. Curry favor

3. Bean counter

4. Hot potato

5. In the oven

6. Onion skin

7. Carrot-top

8. In a pickle

9. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth

10. Full plate

11. Fork in the road