SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCXXIX

The two words in each line can be anagrammed into one - beginning with the given letter. The meanings of the anagrams are given below the clues.

1. LIFE + BASE = F 

2. BRED + FINE = B 

3. RISE + WAIT = W

4. CAVE + TOAD = A

5. IOTA + REIGN = O 

6. TIFF + NIECE = E

7. TINY + TIGER = I

8. COIL + FAINT = F 

9. HELP + RINSE = R 

10. BEAR + ACRID = B

11. CONE + ALTER = T

12. HOBO + LEARN = H 

13. TOAD + DRONE = D 

 

Meanings of the anagrams:

1. Possible 

2. Be kind to

3. Flowering plant

4. Supporter

5. Begin, start

6. Well organized, methodical

7. Honesty, uprightness

8. Make-believe 

9. Refill, restock 

10. Obstruction meant to block advance of enemy

11. Respect and acceptance of differences

12. Having integrity

13. Body odor product 

 

Answers:

 

1. FEASIBLE

2. BEFRIEND

3. WISTERIA

4. ADVOCATE

5. ORIGINATE

6. EFFICIENT

7. INTEGRITY

8. FICTIONAL

9. REPLENISH

10. BARRICADE

11. TOLERANCE

12. HONORABLE

13. DEODORANT  

 

QUOTES CCLXV

Only rogues feel the constraint of law. 

Author Unknown

 

He who awaits much can expect little.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

 

Don't say yes until I'm finished talking. 

Darryl F. Zanuck

 

The honey is sweet, but the bee has a sting.

Benjamin Franklin

 

A bad winner is even worse than a bad loser.

Author Unknown 

 

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

Beverly Sills 

 

When a mouse laughs at a cat, there is a hole nearby. 

Author Unknown

 

That person is happiest about whom other say the least - good or bad.

Author Unknown 

 

A mind once stretched by a new idea never again regains its original dimension.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

 

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on.

Bob Newhart 

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXVII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

September, 2023

Fred Piscop (1-7)

Bob Stigger (8- 12)

 

1. Art collection largely bogus

 

2. Bathroom fixtures contain a collection of big brass

 

3. Tale under revision - but not changed

 

4. Bury in hinterlands

 

5. Suspected - as Quasimodo did

 

6. Room covered with latticework

 

7. Rapid ships

 

8. Iceland has horrible Mexican food

 

9. He hates sledding, suffering dizziness

 

10. Elevate back

 

11. Stranger dupes my son with aliases

 

12. Approve some vendor selections

 

HINTS:

1. Anagram

2. Two words + anagram

3. Anagram

4. Hidden word

5. Three words - two meanings

6. Hidden word

7. Homograph (two meanings)

8. Anagram

9. Anagram

10. Homograph

11. Anagram

12. Hidden word  

 

Answers:

 

1. GALLERY (largely) 

2. TUBAS (tubs + a )

3. UNALTERED (tale under)

4. INTER (in hINTERlands)

5. HAD A HUNCH (suspected)

6. ATTIC (lATTICework)

7. FLEET

8. ENCHILADS (Iceland has) 

9. LIGHTHEADEDNESS (he hates sledding)

10. REAR

11. PSEUDONYMS (dupes my son) 

12. ENDORSE (vENDOR SElections) 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CXXXV

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letter to get new words. #1-4 are related.

1. NAPLES 

2. CAMPUS

3. BEYOND 

4. TROPICAL

5. SHIELD

6. OYSTER

7. FORFEIT

8. SHUTTLE

9. REGIMENT 

10 RACCOON 

 

HINTS:

First letters of the new words:

1. A

2. S

3. E

4. A

5. S

6. S

7. E

8. S

9. M

10. C

 

Answers:

 

1. ASPEN

2. SUMAC

3. EBONY

4. APRICOT - - - Trees
5. SIDLE

6. STORY

7. EFFORT

8. SLEUTH

9. MEETING

10. CORONA  

 

Credit:

1-4: Bob Stigger

        GAMES/World of Puzzles

        December, 2025  

 

MISSING LINKS CCLXXVIII

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. Stock..........Place..........Sides

2. Army..........Advice..........Fifth

3. Sink..........Traffic..........Claim

4. White..........Night..........Fools 

5. Seat..........Letter..........Bird 

6. Back..........Key..........Heat

7. Flag..........Soap..........Sand

8. Land..........Water..........Hall

9. Water..........Space..........Air 

10.  Open..........White..........Break

 

Answers: 

1. Words that can be preceded by TAKE

2. Types of columns

3. Things that can be backed up

4. Words that can be followed by CAP

5. Love

6. Stroke

7. Stone

8. Mark

9. Craft

10. Water 

PAIRS AND SNARES XLI

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

1. STRAIT - STRAIGHT

2. WOW - WOE - WHOA

3. VALANCE - VALENCE

4. ECLIPSE - ELLIPSE - ELLIPSIS

5. BREATH - BREATHE - BREADTH 

6. MANDRAKE - MANDRILL - MANGROVE 

Answers:

1. STRAIT - A narrow waterway, narrow or tight

    STRAIGHT - A line without curves, direct or honest

   (In the Biblical quote,"Strait is the gate" "strait" is the correct spelling, but because "straight" is similar in meaning, it is also acceptable.)  

 

2. WOW - an expression of surprise or wonder

    WOE - Sorrow, distress, misery

    WHOA - Slow down or stop - as a command given to a horse

 

3. VALANCE - Decorative drapery over a window

    VALENCE - In chemistry - the combining power of an element

 

4. ECLIPSE - A celestial event that occurs when a planet or moon blocks the sun's light. Solar eclipse - moon blocks sun / Lunar eclipse - the earth shadows the moon

    ELLIPSE - A geometric figure in the shape of an oval or stretched circle

    ELLIPSIS - The omission from speech or writing of words that can be obviously understood from the context, also to indicate a trailing thought, hesitation, or a pause for dramatic effect - indicated by three dots (. . .)

 

5. BREATH - Air inhaled into and exhaled from the lungs

    BREATHE - Inhale and exhale

    BREADTH - Width - how wide something is - its extent, scope, range

 

6. MANDRAKE - A Mediterranean plant used in medicine and magic

    MANDRILL - A large West African baboon 

    MANGROVE - A tropical tree or shrub of coastal swamps with tangled roots above ground that form dense thickets 

 

      

DOUBLE DUTY CCXCIX

Fill in the blanks with words that will complete the word, partial word, or phrase beginning on the left and begin the word, partial word, or phrase ending on the right. The number of blanks indicates the number of letters in the missing word. 

1. AD _ _ _ IC 

2. FIR _ _ EEL

3. DE _ _ _ TE

4. AM _ _ _ BE

5. CAD _ _ LAX

6. OFF _ _ _ LESS 

7. TOUR _ _ _ _ _ DOG 

8. THREAD _ _ _ _ FOOT

9. WORK _ _ _ _ _ VALUE 

10. HUMAN _ _ _ _ _ SCREEN

11. GROUND _ _ _ _ _ WALKER

 

HINTS:
First letters of the missing words:

1. O

2. S

3. B

4. B

5. R

6. E

7. G

8. B

9. P

10. T

11. F

 

Answers:

 

1. adOPTic

2. firSTeel

3. deBUTte

4. amPLEbe

5. cadRElax

6. offENDless

7. tour GUIDE dog

8. threadBAREfoot

9. workPLACE value

10. human TOUCH screen

11. ground FLOOR walker