COMPOUND LINKS XXVIII

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. 

1. BETTER ________ LASH

2. GLAD ________ SMART 

3. TURN ________ PICK

4. PARK ________ TIME 

5. FOREST ________ PAPER

6. LIBRARY ________HOLE 

7. ORIGINAL ________ GAME  

8. FEATHER ________ CELLAR 

 

Answers: 

 

1. better HALFBACKlash

2. glad HANDBOOK smart

3. turn OVERDRAFT pick

4. park BENCHMARK time

5. forest FIRE WALL paper

6. library BOOKWORMhole

7. original CASTAWAY game

8. feather BRAINSTORM cellar  

TWO OUT OF THREE III

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

Ex: RUG, NOBLE, PITH  

Ans: RUG + PITH = UPRIGHT - which is a synonym of NOBLE

 

1. COD, WIMP, WAR

2. DINER, EYE, ART

3. TAPE, VISE, HEAD 

4. BUD, KIDNAP, CAT

5. RELY, POEM, BOSS

6. JOKER, ACID, OMEN 

7. GATE, HIRE, LEGACY 

8. IRIS, TARMAC, TRAP 

 

HINTS:

One of the words to be anagrammed:

1. WAR

2. EYE

3. VISE

4. CAT

5. RELY

6. ACID

7. GATE

8. TRAP

 

Answers:

 

1. COD + WAR = COWARD (WIMP)

2. EYE + ART = EATERY (DINER)  

3. VISE + HEAD = ADHESIVE (TAPE)

4. BUD + CAT = ABDUCT (KIDNAP)

5. RELY + POEM = EMPLOYER (BOSS)

6. ACID + OMEN = COMEDIAN (JOKER)

7. GATE + HIRE = HERITAGE (LEGACY)

8. IRIS + TRAP = AIRSTRIP (TARMAC)  

FROM A to Z 

How many familiar expressions can you think of in the form FROM _____ TO _____ ? Fifteen are listed below. (Exclude repetitive "time" phrases like "From day to day.") [One answer is a proper name.]

(Possible) Answers:

From A to Z  

           Top to bottom

            End to end

            Start to finish

            Head to toe

            Soup to nuts

            Farm to table

            Here to Eternity

            Cradle to grave 

            Hand to mouth 

            Ear to ear

            Ship to shore 

            Coast to coast 

            Place to place 

            Dawn to dusk 

            

             

             

PAIRS AND SNARES XLIV

The words in each group can be confused. Can you give a simple definition of each one that shows the difference between them?

1. ANNUALS - PERENNIALS

2. GOURMAND - GOURMET

3. INCREDIBLE - INCREDULOUS

4. COLLABORATE - CORROBORATE

5. DISINTERESTED - UNINTERESTED  

Answers: 

1. ANNUALS - Flowering plants that complete their entire life cycle in one growing season and die

    PERENNIALS - Flowering plants that bloom season after season

 

2. GOURMAND - A lover of food and drink who focuses more on large portions than on the finer points of eating / glutton

    GOURMET - A connoisseur of food and drink who values quality, taste, and the refined elements of food, wine,  and dining

 

3. INCREDIBLE - Describing things or events that are hard to believe

    INCREDULOUS - Describing people who are experiencing disbelief 

 

4. COLLABORATE - To work together with others on a project or goal 

    CORROBORATE - To confirm or back up a statement, theory, or claim with supporting evidence

 

5. DISINTERESTED - Objective and impartial, having no personal stake or bias in an outcome - as a third party in a dispute

   UNINTERESTED - Bored, indifferent, not paying attention 

FAMILY TIES XLII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

November, 2025

 

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Without changing the order of the letters, change one letter in each of the words in each of the groups to get four related words. 

 

1. Spender.....Slip.....Shinny.....This

2. Spill.....Balm.....Quilt.....Peach

3. Pact.....Loaf.....Staff.....Dram

4. Ace.....Risen.....Nature.....Glow 

5. Plum.....Rung.....Shopper.....Fork  

6. Path.....Cow.....Sledge.....Premise

 

Answers:

 

1. Slender, Slim, Skinny, Thin

2. Still, Calm, Quiet, Peace

3. Pack, Load, Stuff, Cram

4. Age, Ripen, Mature, Grow

5. Plug, Bung, Stopper, Cork

6. Oath, Vow, Pledge, Promise  

 

COMPLETE-A-WORD XXX

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

1. Dwindle                      _ R _ _ GL _

2. Litter's smallest          P _ _ DE _ _  

3. Goatee site                 _ US _ _ O N

4. Feeling, sense            _ IS_ _ L _

    (informally)

 

5. Unaccompanied         CO _ _ G _ _

 

6. Lenient                      _ MB _ _ S _ 

 

7. Not that                     _ _ _ R _ TY

 

8. Depose                      T _ _ RI _ _

 

9. Predominant             I _ _ G _ _ E

 

10. Melee                     _ AI _ W _ _ 

 

Answers:

 

1. WANE - WRANGLE

2. RUNT - PRUDENT

3. CHIN - CUSHION

4. VIBE - VISIBLE

5. LONE - COLOGNE

6. EASY - EMBASSY

7. THIS - THIRSTY

8. OUST - TOURIST

9. MAIN - IMAGINE

10. FRAY - FAIRWAY  

MISSING LINKS CCXXXI

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

1. Sea..........Car..........Air

2. Nap..........Trip..........Play 

3. Saw..........Land..........Talk 

4. Ice..........Rule..........Circuit 

5. Tight..........Front..........Taxi

6. Chain..........Block..........Call

7. Sound..........Fast..........Inside

8. Stitch..........Store..........Letter 

9. Rock..........Music..........Medicine 

10. Entrance..........Legal..........Transfer 

 

Answers:

 

1. Port

2. Power

3. Table

4. Breaker

5. Water

6. Kinds of letters

7. Track

8. Chain

9. Folk

10. Kinds of fees  

 

Credit:

9: Gene Louise De Vera