Wednesday, February 11, 2026

CRYPTO CLUES CCVI

GAMES/World of Puzzles
December, 2025
Stella Zawistowski (1-3)
Bob Stigger (4-8) 
Patrick Berry (9-13) 
 
1. Banknote conceals problem
 
2. The sixth northeastern climber
 
3. Temporarily given annual observance
 
4. Rats bothered sailors
 
5. Cancel yearbook when second vowel is deleted
 
6. Play an instrument provided by Bess Truman
 
7. Dog food
 
8. Candy coin producer
 
9. Blue feathers
 
10. Scare off property
 
11. Where to catch a calf or doe, perhaps
 
12. Painting's strange forces 
 
13. Intimate (long a sound) part of a strange tattoo (two words)
 
HINTS:
1. Hidden word 
2. Roman numerals and an abbreviation
3. Capital letter changes meaning
4. Anagram
5. Letter deletion
6. Hidden word
7. Capital letter changes meaning
8. Homograph
9. Homograph
10 - 12: Anagram
13. Hidden word 
 
Answers:
 
1. Knot (banKNOTe)
2. VINE 
3. Lent
4. Tars
5. Annul (annual)  
6. Strum (besS TRUMan)
7. Chow 
8. Mint
9. Down
10. Acres (scare)
11. Rodeo (or doe)
12. Fresco (forces)
13. Get at (stranGE TATtoo) 

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
January, 2025 (1-10) 

Find the names of sixteen birds by adding one of the given letters to each word and re-arranging the letters. Each letter will be used only once. 

A   B   C   F   K   N  P   P   R  Y  W  I  O  E  A  I 

1. IRON + ?
2. ARROWS + ?
3. CHIN + ?
4. SORT + ?
5. AVER + ?
6. HONE + ?
7. COUNT + ?
8. IMAGE + ?
9. DONOR + ?
10. SPORE + ?
11. GALE + ?
12. GOES + ?
13. OVER + ?
14. FIST + ? 
15. COVET + ?
16. BUDGE + ?  
 
Answers:
 
1. IRON + B = ROBIN
2. ARROWS + P = SPARROW
3. CHIN + F = FINCH
4. SORT + K - STORK
5. AVER + N = RAVEN
6. HONE + R = HERON
7. COUNT + A = TOUCAN
8. IMAGE + P = MAGPIE
9. DONOR + C = CONDOR
10. SPORE + Y = OSPREY
11. GALE + E = EAGLE
12. GOES + O = GOOSE  
13. OVER + I = VIREO
14. FIST + W = SWIFT
15. COVET + A = AVOCET
16. BUDGE + I = BUDGIE (parakeet)  

MISSING LINKS CCLXX

Each group below contains a Missing Link - that is, its members have something in common, obvious or not. For example, RIVERS, NOSES, & VIOLINS can all have BRIDGES

1. Ear..........Erie..........Root
2. Hay..........Spring..........Cabin 
3. False..........Mass..........House
4. Tattoo..........Pizza.........Funeral 
5. Yoga..........Bath..........Welcome
6. Olives..........Noses..........Pillows 
7. Rice..........Fingers..........Situation 
8. Green..........Glacier..........Jamaica 
9. Apple..........Earth..........Curriculum
10. America..........Manners..........Saigon
 
Answers:
 
1. Kinds of canals
2. Fever
3. Arrest
4. Kinds of parlors
5. Kinds of mats
6. Things that can be stuffed
7. Things that can be sticky
8. American bays
9. Things that have cores
10. Miss  

 

 

COMMON COMBOS LXII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
January, 2025 

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Find a word that can either precede or follow each of the words in each of the groups.

1. FUNNY, BACK, MEAL, WISH

2. HOME, TEAM, BOOK, CLOCK

3. TERM, CHASE, SAND, ROUTE

4. SWITCH, DART, WALK, BILL

5. PLACE, STOCK, VALUE, MONEY

6. BED, PRIME, TABLE, DAY

7. FREE, WEDDING, WRAP, SHOP

8. STAR, BOWL, STORY, JELLY

9. TOUCH, BLACK, SPELL, CARPET

10. LIP, GLUE, PIN, MATCH

Answers:

1. BONE
2. WORK
3. PAPER
4. BOARD
5. MARKET
6. TIME
7. GIFT
8. FISH
9. MAGIC
10. STICK  

INSERT A WORD LIX 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
January, 2025
 
Insert a word from Group B into a word from Group A to make a longer word. Each word is used only once. 
 
GROUP A                 GROUP B
 
1. CONE                      AND
2. REAL                       PONE
3. FIG                           RAY
4. MAY                        RIMS
5. SPED                       HAD 
6. DENT                      JEST
7. MATE                      NEW
8. CAT                         NOT 
9. CON                        BARE
10. SOW                      SHIN
 
Answers:
 
1. CON NOT E - CONNOTE
2. RE NEW AL - RENEWAL
3. FI SHIN G - FISHING
4. MA JEST Y - MAJESTY
5. SP RAY ED - SPRAYED
6. DE PONE NT - DEPONENT*
7. M AND ATE - MANDATE
8. CA BARE T - CABARET
9. C RIMS ON - CRIMSON
10. S HA OW - SHADOW
 
*A deponent is a law term for one who gives a deposition.
  
Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
January, 2025 (1-6)
 
Use seven of the eight letters on the right to spell a definition of the word on the left.
 
1. Couple               A W M O E S T O 
2. Abate                 B D S E U C I S
3. CA city              N L R A A K O D
4. Garland              O T N S O F A E
5. Bible story          L M E A P R B A
6. Sophisticated      D O L W E Y L R
7. Relieve               A U T S E G A S
8. Humility             D Y S T N O E M
9. Examine             Z E N B Y A A L
10. Pardon              S T Y R M N A E 
 
Answers:
 
1. TWOSOME
2. SUBSIDE
3. OAKLAND
4. FESTOON 
5. PARABLE
6. WORLDLY 
7. ASSUAGE
8. MODESTY
9. ANALYZE
10. AMNESTY  

Sunday, February 8, 2026

 BETWIXT AND BETWEEN X

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
Volume 70
 
For each pair of words below, find a common word that falls between them alphabetically in the dictionary. No word is merely a different form of one of the given words. The length of the in-between word is indicated by the number of dashes. 
 
For example: PITY
                       _ _ _ _ _
                       PIXIE
 
The in-between word would be PIVOT. 
 
1. SECURE
    _ _ _ _ _
    SEDENTARY
 
2. TAINT
    _ _ _ _
    TALC
 
3. FORKED
    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
    FORM
 
4. LEASE
    _ _ _ _ _
    LEAST
 
5. MINK
    _ _ _ _ _ _
    MINOR
 
6. CANDY
    _ _ _ _
   CANINE 
 
7. YEARLY
     _ _ _ _ _
    YEAST
 
Answers:
 
1. SEDAN
2. TAKE
3. FORLORN
4. LEASH
5. MINNOW
6. CANE
7. YEARN