What do the following countries have in common?

1. Ghana 

2. Zambia

3. Namibia

4. Thailand 

5. Sri Lanka 

6. Zimbabwe 

7. Democratic Republic of the Congo 

 

Answer:

 

They were known by other names for many years:

 

1. Ghana - Gold Coast

2. Zambia - (Northern) Rhodesia

3. Namibia - South West Africa

4. Thailand - Siam

5. Sri Lanka - Ceylon

6. Zimbabwe - (Southern) Rhodesia

7. Democratic Republic of the Congo - Zaire 

 

 

  

NY Times Crossword

June 24, 2026 

Kevin Curry and Zhou Zhang 

 

What do the following words have in common?

 

1. Jolly

2. Glazed

3. Carbon

4. Chicken

 

HINT:
Walkie-Talkies

 

Answer:

 

Each of the clue words can be followed by a standard word meaning "understood" when communicating by walkie-talkie (or other radio devices) to make a familiar phrase:

 

1.  Jolly Roger

2. Glazed over

3. Carbon copy

4. Chicken out 

LA Times Crossword

June 24, 2026

Sala Wanetick and Dena R. Verkuil 

 

The answers to the clues below will have something in common. Can you determine what it is?

 

1. Theory of the birth of the universe 

2. Time of financial growth and a kind of box 

3. 1929 event that triggered the Great Depression

 

Answers:

 

1. Big bang

2. Economic boom

3. Stock Market crash - - - Dramatic endings  

 

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCXXVIII

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

1. ROAN + SENT = R

2. TORN + VICE = C 

3. ICON + RAFT = F

4. LACE + TIDE = D

5. LONE + SNIT = I  

6. CAN + CHIME = M

7. TALON + INERT = I

8. TAPE + REPUTE = P 

9. PLAIT + ACUTE = C 

10. MOOCH + RIPEN = M  

 

Meanings of the anagrams: 

1. Reverberating

2. Devise or invent / Scheme or plot

3. Part of a whole

4. Fragile

5. Rude

6. Machine and engine person

7. Close-minded 

8. Cause to continue

9. Surrender

10. Voice enhancer 

 

Answers:

 

1. RESONANT

2. CONTRIVE

3. FRACTION

4. DELICATE

5. INSOLENT

6. MECHANIC

7. INTOLERANT

8. PERPETUATE

9. CAPITULATE

10. MICROPHONE  

MISSING TRIOS CXIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

November, 2025

 

For each group below, fill in the same three missing letters to complete 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3-letter words. The letters may be filled in in any order, and the missing trio will be different for each group.

 

1. D _ _ _ OMA

      S _ _ RA _

       TU _ _ _

         _ _ _ E

         _ _ _  

 

2. C _ I _ N _ Y 

      ANT _ _ _

       T _ Y _ _

         _ _ S _

          _ _ _

 

3. LE _ _ _ RE

     _ _ S _ OM

       _ _ NI _

        _ _ _ K

         _ _ _ 

 

4. E _ P _ _ IN

     C _ IM _ _

       _ _ TE _

        _ _ _ E

         _ _ _ 

 

5. PR _ _ UC _

     _ _ WAR _

      _ _ UB _

       _ _ A _

        _ _ _

 

6. _ LO _ _ RY

     _ _ LLO _

      _ A _ _ R

        _ I _ _

         _ _ _ 

 

Answers:

 

1. The letters are LIP:  

         DIPLOMA 

           SPIRAL

            TULIP

             PILE

              LIP 

 

2. The letters are HEM:

         CHIMNEY

          ANTHEM

           THYME

             MESH

              HEM 

 

3. The letters are CUT:

         LECTURE

          CUSTOM

            TUNIC

             TUCK 

               CUT 

 

4. The letters are LAX:
          EXPLAIN

           CLIMAX

            LATEX

             AXLE

               LAX

 

5. The letters are DOT:

         PRODUCT

          TOWARD

            DOUBT

             TOAD

              DOT 

 

6. The letters are FEW:

         FLOWERY

          FELLOW

           WAFER

             WIFE

              FEW 

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

June 21, 2026

Will Shortz (1-8)

 

DOUBLE DUTY CCCV 

 

Fill in the blanks with words that will complete a familiar two-word phrase or compound word beginning on the left and begin a familiar two-word phrase or compound word ending on the right.

 

Ex: BOOT _____ BOX

Ans: BOOT BLACK BOX

 

1. BLUE _____ BINDER

2. BEER _____ BUTTON 

3. BOUNCE _____ BURNER

4. BILLIARD _____ BEARING

5. BUSY _____ BUILDER

6. BAR _____ BOTTOMS

7. BIRD _____ BUSTER 

8. BRICK _____ BOY 

9. FIELD _____ POST

10. E _____ VE 

 

Answers:

 

1. blueBOOK binder

2. beer BELLY button

3. bounce BACK burner

4. billiard BALL bearing

5. busyBODY builder

6. barBELL bottoms

7. birdBRAIN buster

8. brickBAT boy

9. field GOALpost

10. ePEEve  

COMPOUND LINKS XXIX

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.

Ex: ABOUT ________ CLOTH

Ans: about FACE WASH cloth 

 

1. PEA ________GAME

2. SLY ________ CARD  

3. RIP _________  TIME

4. HOME ________ SIDE 

5. FARM ________ NAME 

6. EARLY ________ TRUST

7. BROWN ________ DREAM 

8. PRECIOUS ________ MASON 

9. DRIVER'S ________ TECTONICS 

 

Answers:

 

1. peaNUTSHELL GAME

2. sly FOXHOLE card

3. ripOFFSPRING time  

4. home FREEWAYside

5. farm HANDMAIDEN name

6. early BIRDBRAIN trust

7. brown BAGPIPE dream

8. precious GEMSTONE mason

9. driver's LICENSE PLATE tectonics