CRYPTO CLUES CCXXXIII

GAMES Magazine

June, 1999 

Rosemary Scala (1-5)

GAMES/World of Puzzles

March, 2015

Bob Stigger (6-10) 

 

1. Make holes in puzzle

 

2. Trade rabbit's feet back

 

3. Tough question for model

 

4. Period before certain removal

 

5. Trail menacingly, after first, conversation 

 

6. Flashy retro formal gown 

 

7. Blue under plumage

 

8. Seabird spotted in afternoon

 

9. Endless respect for Miss Lauder

 

10. Clue for oddly neglected zodiac sign  

 

HINTS:
1. Homograph

2. Reversal

3. Homograph

4. Two definitions

5. Beheadment

6. Reversal - hidden word

7. Three meanings

8. Hidden word

9. Curtailment

10. "oddly neglected"  refers to "Clue for"   

 

Answers:

 

1. RIDDLE

2. SWAP (paws)

3. POSER

4. ERASURE (era + sure)

5. TALK (stalk) 

6. GLAM (forMAL Gown)

7. DOWN

8. TERN (afTERNoon)

9. ESTEE (esteem) [Estee Lauder]

10. LEO (neglect the odd letters) [cLuE fOr]      

CLEVER ENDEAVOR VII

Find rhyming synonyms for the two words in each pair.

Ex. Get accustomed to something difficult - SAFE

Ans. INURE - SECURE  

 

1. PE class in school - Religious song

2. Very tired - Science-backed explanation

3. SPIRITUAL SAVIOR - OUTCAST 

4. Explosive device - Self-confidence, poise

5. Compliments - Vague discomfort, weakness 

6. Related to sound - HOMES is a famous one

7. FORCE - OPPOSITE

8. Exhibiting talent at an early age - Bad breath

9. MUSEUM SHOW - Hold back, prevent

10. Decorative light fixture - ROOSTER

 

Answers:

 

1. GYM - HYMN

2. WEARY - THEORY

3. MESSIAH -PARIAH

4. BOMB - APLOMB

5. PRAISE - MALAISE

6. SONIC - MNEMONIC

7. COERCE - REVERSE

8. PRECOCIOUS - HALITOSIS

9. EXHIBIT - INHIBIT

10. CHANDELIER - CHANTICLEER  

LOW SCORE WINS XVII 

Add the fewest possible letters to each group below - but at least one letter to each side - to form common words.

1. _____ ORB _____

2. _____ CIM _____

3. _____ IOL _____

4. _____ YON _____

5. _____ TCR _____

6. _____ ARL _____

7. _____ NGO _____

8. _____ USI _____

9. _____ JE _____ 

10. _____ GUA _____

HINT: 

It can be done by adding 26 letters. 

 

Answers:

 

1. FORBID

2. DECIMAL

3. VIOLA

4. BEYOND

5. OUTCRY

6. EARLY

7. INGOT

8. MUSIC 

9. EJECT

10. IGUANA  

FOODIE EXPRESSIONS V

Answer each clue with an expression containing a type of food or drink.

1. Simple

2. Impossible, unrealistic

3. From beginning to end

4. Keep your options open 

5. Deserving of respect or pay 

6. Metaphor for "the best thing"

7. Metaphor for a vast quantity

8. How the Great Plains appear to be 

9. More important things to attend to 

10. Have little information about a subject  

11. Purchase a car that has a lot of problems 

 

Answers: 

 

1. Easy a pie

2. Pie in the sky

3. From soup to nuts

4. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

5. Worth your salt

6. Sliced bread

7. All the tea in China 

8. Flat as a pancake

9. Have bigger fish to fry 

10. Know beans about

11. Buy a lemon 

COMPLETE-A-WORD XXXIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

December, 2025

 

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

 

1. Hosiery hue          D _ _ O _ _ M

 

2. Eat well                _ W _ _ DL _  

 

3. Helpful hint         IN _ _ _ D _

 

4. Nifty                    U _ _ _ R _ H

 

5. Very serious        A _ M _ _ _ D

 

6. Apiary                 S _ R _ _ _ L

 

7. Hideout               G _ _ Z _ E _

 

8. Wait                     A _ R _ _ G _ 

 

Answers: 

 

1. ECRU - DECORUM

2. DINE - DWINDLE

3. CLUE - INCLUDE

4. NEAT - UNEARTH

5. DIRE - ADMIRED

6. HIVE - SHRIVEL

7. LAIR - GLAZIER

8. BIDE - ABRIDGE 

TWO OUT OF THREE XII

Anagram two of the three words in each clue to get a synonym for the third word. 

Ex.   PARE, OMEN, BRING

Ans. PARE + BRING = HARBINGER (omen)

 

1. YEW, TAR, WET

2. GRAY, YEN, NINE 

3. WAVE, MAN, SUIT 

4. AREA, BOLD, CUTE

5. SNOOP, VAPOR, SEED 

6. RUSE, COSMOS, VINE

 

HINTS:
One of the words to be anagrammed:

1. TAR

2. NINE

3. MAN

4. AREA

5. SEED

6. RUSE

 

Answers:

 

1. YEW + TAR = WATERY (wet)

2. GRAY + NINE = LONGING (yen)

3. MAN + SUIT = TSUNAMI (wave)

4. AREA + BOLD = ADORABLE (cute)

5. VAPOR + SEED = EAVESDROP (snoop)

6. RUSE + VINE = UNIVERSE ( cosmos)  

 

 

  

PRESTO - CHANGE-O XLV

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

September, 2025

 

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

 

Ex.   Hive, Ploy, Stout, Rumble

Ans. Hike, Plod, Strut, Ramble 

 

1. Toffee, Eider, Wafer, Mink 

2. Scrub, Slant, Bash, Free

3. Haunter, Scroll, Gamble, Money

4. Chamber, Clime, Shale, Fount

5. Flitter, Spackle, Glean, Shire

6. Skilled, Plotter, Ditcher, Settle

7. Alder, Viler, Samba, Ask

8. Ginger, Wrest, Hank, Balm 

 

Answers:

 

1. Coffee, Cider, Water, Milk

2. Shrub, Plant, Bush, Tree

3. Saunter, Stroll, Ramble, Mosey

4. Clamber, Climb, Scale, Mount

5. Glitter, Sparkle, Gleam, Shine

6. Skillet, Platter, Pitcher, Kettle

7. Adder, Viper, Mamba, Asp

8. Finger, Wrist, Hand, Palm