MISSING LINKS CCLXXII

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. Net..........Kiss..........Effect

2. Fire..........Soda..........Animal

3. Dutch..........Space..........Duty 

4. Pork..........Muscle..........Strings

5. Pride..........School..........Murder 

6. Park..........Piano..........Courtroom

7. English.........Eggs..........Promises

8. Bees.........Zoos..........Lighthouses  

9. Details..........Disguise..........Tasmania                                   

10. Race.....Menu.....Sourdough.....Baseball team  

 

Answers:

 

1. Butterfly

2. Kinds of crackers

3. Double

4. Things that can be pulled

5. Animal groups

6. Things that have benches

7. Things that can be broken

8. Things that have keepers

9. Things the devil is in

10. Things that have starters

 

Credit:
Ken Jennings

Kennections

BETWIXT AND BETWEEN XI

 

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 word in between is indicated by the number of dashes.   

 

For example: TAINT

                       _ _ _ _

                       TALC

 

The in-between word would be TAKE.

 

1. CRIBBAGR

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    CRIED

 

2. EXILE

    _ _ _ _ _

    EXIT

 

3. BRIDE

    _ _ _ _ _ _

    BRIDLE

 

4. DANCE

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

    DANDER

 

5. GLARE

    _ _ _ _ _

    GLAZE

 

6. LIVID

    _ _ _ _ _ _

    LIZARD

 

7. ATTEST

    _ _ _ _ _

    ATTIRE

 

Answers:

 

1. CRICKET

2. EXIST

3. BRIDGE

4. DANDELION

5. GLASS

6. LIVING

7. ATTIC   

FAMILY TIES XL

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2025

 

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

 

1. Mall.....Scamp.....Better.....Portage

2. Scrimp.....Ouster.....Snarl.....Drab 

3. Flat.....Hale.....Greet.....Coarse

4. Act.....Sort.....Stein.....Cow 

5. Sneak.....Voile.....Otter.....Shy

6. Union.....Best.....Leak.....Parrot 

7. Birth.....Glen.....Job.....Daughter

8. Creek.....Slather.....Brawl.....Itch

9. Depose.....Unkind.....Nest.....Relay  

 

Answers: 

 

1. Mail, Stamp, Letter, Postage

2. Shrimp, Oyster, Snail, Crab

3. Flag, Hole, Green, Course*

4. Aft, Port, Stern, Bow

5. Speak, Voice, Utter, Say

6. Onion, Beet, Leek, Carrot

7. Mirth, Glee, Joy, Laughter

8. Creep, Slither, Crawl, Inch

9. Repose, Unwind, Rest, Relax

 

*Golf terms 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2025 

 

Use eight of the nine letters on the right to spell a definition of the word on the left.

 

1. Uncomplicate           M Y S I L E I F P

2. Watchful                   I N G E L V T I A

3. Common                   N D I O R L R A Y

4. Boxing                      M L R I  S U P I G     

5. Exultant                    I B T J N L U A E

6. Reprove                    H M S P D O A I N

7. Sideboard                 E D N C A Z R E T

8. Raillery                    A D B I O N A E G

9. Place                        C R A N O I T L O

10. Increase                  T L L R I M P Y U

 

Answers:

 

1. SIMPLIFY

2. VIGILANT

3. ORDINARY

4. PUGILISM

5. JUBILANT

6. ADMONISH

7. CREDENZA

8. BADINAGE

9. LOCATION

10. MULTIPLY  

PLUG INS X

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2025

 

Form 7-letter words by re-arranging the letters of each 6-letter word and plugging in one of the underlined letters below. Each letter will be plugged into the same position of each 7-letter word, and each underlined letter will be used only once. 

 

J   O   U   R   N   A   L 

1. E N R A P T

2. A C T I O N

3. S T E A M Y

4. G EM I N I

5. S P E C I E

6. M I L T O N 

7. C E R I S E 

 

HINTS:

a. The underlined letters go in the third position.

b. First letters of the new words:

1. P

2. C

3. M

4. I

5. E

6. M

7. S 

 

Answers:

 

1. PARTNER

2. CAUTION

3. MAJESTY

4. IMAGINE

5. ECLIPSE

6. MOONLIT

7. SINCERE  

  

BRAIN BENDERS

NY Times Puzzle Mania

Heidi Erwin

 

What do the following 12 words have in common?

 

EAR 

PEN

RICE

ILL

TOW

RAIN

NIT

END 

HEN

RAY

ELL

ONE

 

Answer:

 

Each word becomes a new one when preceded by progressive letters of the alphabet, with the exception of Q:

 

NEAR

OPEN

PRICE

RILL

STOW

TRAIN

UNIT

VEND

WHEN

XRAY

YELL

ZONE   

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 70 

 

Insert one of the real words below into one of the numbered nonsense words to form two longer words, one ending with the real word and one beginning with the real word. For example, given the real word SON and the nonsense word BINET, you could get BISON and SONNET. 

 

AVER      HIP      LENT      POT      PROP 

 

1. DESATO

2. MALAHET

3. PALAGE

4. KINSPO

5. INDOIL

 

Answers:

 

1. DESPOT - POTATO

2. MALAPROP - PROPHET

3. PALAVER - AVERAGE

4. KINSHIP - HIPPO

5. INDOLENT - LENTIL