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  

DOUBLE DUTY CCCII

Fill in the blanks with a word that completes the partial word or two-word phrase beginning on the left and begins the partial word or two-word phrase ending on the right. The number of blanks indicates the number of letters in the missing word.

1. DUST _ _ _ CAKE

2. SPY _ _ _ _ WORM 

3. HAIR _ _ _ _ _ FIRE 

4. WITCH _ _ _ _ _ NUT 

5. GOLD _ _ _ _ _ WALL 

6. GAG _ _ _ _ _ BLANK 

7. SCREEN _ _ _ _ TUBE 

8. REAL _ _ _ _ _ _ SALE

9. CENTER _ _ _ _ _ MEAL 

10. HUMAN _ _ _ _ _ STONE

11. SOLID _ _ _ _ _ TROOPER

 

HINTS:
First of the missing letters:

1. P

2. R

3. B

4. H

5. B

6. O

7. T

8. E

9. P

10. T

11. S 

 

Answers:

 

1. dustPANcake  

2. spy RINGworm

3. hairBRUSHfire

4. witch HAZEL nut

5. goldBRICK wall

6. gag ORDER blank

7. screen TESTtube

8. real ESTATE sale

9. centerPIECEmeal

10. human TOUCHstone

11. solid STATE trooper 

 

 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 141 

 

Each of the four clues below shares an unusual property. Can you determine what it is?

 

1. Posy harm

    orchestral work

 

2. Mercy, men cycle

 

3. Bolted sodden cab

 

4. Made country

    non-fiction film

 

HINT:

Anagrams

 

Answers:

 

The first two words or the last two words of each clue can be anagrammed into a word that is defined by the rest of the clue:

 

1. Posy harm = symphony (orchestral work)

2. men cycle - clemency (mercy)

3. sodden cab = absconded (bolted)

4. Made country = documentary (non-fiction film)

COMPOUND LINKS XXIV

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 141 (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 two-word phrases. HINT: the first four links are the names of movies.

 

1. SNOW ________ CAROL

2. PUPPY ________ BOOK 

3. BRICK ________ SWEEPER 

4. BOILING ________ DANCING

5. WILD ________ DAY

6. AIR _________ PAPER 

7. MOVE ________ BOOK

8. ELECTRIC ________ TABLE

 

Answers:

 

1. snow WHITE CHRISTMAS carol

2. puppy LOVE STORY book

3. brick WALL STREET sweeper

4. boiling POINT BREAK dancing

5. wild CHILD BIRTHday

6. air DRY WALL paper

7. move OVERRULE book

8. electric CARPOOL table  

  

MISSING TRIOS CXI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

February, 2025 (1-3)

Volume 141 (4-6) 

 

For each group below, fill in the missing letters to make 6, 5, 4, and 3-letter words. The letters may be filled in in any order, and the missing trio will be different for each group. As a solving hint, a 7-letter word with the same missing letters is given below the clues. 

 

1. _ _ N _ MO

     C _ N _ _

       _ _ R _

        _ _ _

 

2. P _ C _ E _

     S _ _ R _

      _ N _ _

       _ _ _

 

3.  A _ _ H _ R

       _ _ T _ H

         _ _ I _

          _ _ _ 

 

4. C _ _ _ RG

      E _ _ N _

        _ U _ _

          _ _ _  

 

5. EM _ _ R _ 

     _ R _ M _

       _ _ _ C

        _ _ _

 

6. _ FF _ R _

     CL _ _ _

       _ _ _ L

        _ _ _  

 

HINTS: 

1. _ CA _ EM _ 

2. _ W _ N _ LE

3. I _ V _ I _ E

4. AN _ _ _ DY

5. COM _ _ L _

6. S _ W _ _ LL 

 

Answers (with HINTS listed first):

 

1. The letters are DAY:

         ACADEMY

          DYNAMO

           CANDY  

            YARD

              DAY  

 

2. The letters are KIT: 

         TWINKLE

           PICKET

            SKIRT

             KNIT

              KIT 

 

3. The letters are CON:

           INVOICE

           ANCHOR

             NOTCH

              COIN

               CON  

 

4. The letters are BOY:

         ANYBODY

          CYBORG

           EBONY

            BUOY

             BOY

 

5. The letters are PIE:

         COMPILE

          EMPIRE

           PRIME

            EPIC

             PIE 

 

6. The letters are AIM:

         SAWMILL

          AFFIRM

           CLAIM

            MAIL

             AIM  

 

 

HOMOGRAPHS CXI - (CONTRONYMS)

Fill in the blanks with a word that satisfies both definitions.

1. Equal ________ Nobleman

2. Young child ________ Young goat

3. Attach ________ Cut off

4. Leap ________ Restrained

5. Joke ________ Choke

6. Advantage ________ Disability

7. Curse ________ Solemn vow

8. Conquer ________ Collapse (with be)

9. Departed ________ Remained

10. Read carefully ________ Skim over quickly  

Answers: 

1. PEER

2. KID

3. CLIP

4. BOUND

5. GAG

6. HANDICAP

7. OATH

8. OVERCOME

9. LEFT

10. PERUSE