CRYPTO CLUES CCLVIII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

September, 2026

Chris Crossman (1-3)

Bob Stigger (4-10)

 

1. Biblical brother sounds fit 

 

2. Tangram is new social media app

 

3. Peruvian culture noted in plain cabinetry

 

4. Key passage in speech

 

5. Fortune-teller withered at hearing

 

6. Peace Corps domestic cousins's outlook

 

7. Albert Einstein embraces Art Deco artist 

 

8. The peerless fencing event in the Olympics 

 

9. Mark called for a simplified form of language

 

10.  Some vacillate as evidently feeling uncomfortable     

 

HINTS:

1. Homophone

2. Anagram     

3. Hidden word

4. Homophone

5. Homophone

6. Homophone

7. Hidden word

8. Hidden word

9. Definition/homophone

10. Hidden words

 

Answers:

 

1. ABEL (able)

2. INSTAGRAM (tangram is)

3. INCA (plaIN CAbinetry)

4. ISLE (aisle)

5. SEER (sere)

6. VISTA (volunteers in service to America)

7. ERTE (albERT Einstein)

8. EPEE (thE PEErless)

9. PIDGIN (pigeon = mark)

10. ILL AT EASE (vacILL ATE AS Evidently)    

QUOTES CCLXXIV 

We don't get up for less than $10,000 a day.

Linda Evangelista, Canadian super-model

 

Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.

Sophocles 

 

If you can find something everyone agrees on, it's wrong.

Mo Udall 

 

Virtue would not go far if vanity did not keep it company.

Author Unknown 

 

Why argue with people whose opinions you don't respect?

Author Unknown

 

The bore has at least one virtue. He doesn't talk about other people.

Author Unknown

 

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.

Author Unknown 

1. What do the following words have in common?

RICH 

YULE

DUNE 

SMITE 

CROWN 

COWARD

 

2. What do the following phrases have in common?

 

Sad tricky long ruler

Traditional army scout 

Comprehended rodent duos

Stadium boxer deft with both hands 

 

Answers:

 

1. Change one letter in each word to get the names of major universities:

    RICE

    YALE

    DUKE

    SMITH

    BROWN

    HOWARD

 

2. Two words in each phrase can be anagrammed to get a word that is defined by the remaining word or words in the phrase:

 

Sad tricky = yardstick (long ruler)

army scout = customary (Traditional)

rodent duos = understood (Comprehended)

Stadium boxer = ambidextrous (deft with both hands)  

 

Credits:

1: Will Shortz

     NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

     October 11, 2026 

2: Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

    August, 2025  

 

 

 

 

COMPOUND LINKS XLI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

August, 2025 (1-4) 

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. HOUR ________ FAN

Ans. GLASS CEILING (hour glass / ceiling fan)

Ex. BLACK ________ TIGHT

Ans. SHEEPSKIN (black sheep / skin-tight)  

 

1. STATE ________ HOG

2. CORN ________ HOLE

3. DEEP ________ WORK 

4. CHURCH ________ MASON 

5. JET ________ GOWN

6. HOT ________ SPACE

7. CUT ________ SHAKE

8. BEACH ________ TIGER 

9. TRADE ________ DOWN

10. HOME ________ BREAK 

 

Answers:

 

1. FAIRGROUND

2. SILKWORM

3. FREEZE-FRAME

4. KEYSTONE

5. BLACKBALL

6. CORNER OFFICE

7. SHORTHAND

8. SANDPAPER

9. WINDPIPE

10. WORK STATION  

INGREDIENTS I

GAMES Magazine

February, 2008

Stephen Sniderman

 

Some words contain letters that can be used to spell a related word. For example, INGREDIENTS contains the letters INSIDE, although not in that order. In this puzzle, you are given the letters of each shorter word in the order in which they appear in the longer word. Your job is to find both words. 

 

One way to start is by arranging the "inside" letters to form a word. The first letter of each inside word is capitalized. Then you can try to find a longer word that fit the blanks and relates to the short word. Alternatively, you can try to fill in the blanks to form the longer word, then see if you can arrange the inside letters to form a related shorter word. 

 

Ex. _ o _ S _ n

Ans. SON - COUSIN or COUSIN - SON (family members)

 

1. r H _ n o

2. a C t _ _  s

3. _ e t o u R

4. _ _ n u e T

5. _ _ P p o r _

6. _ e a t H _ _

7. _ _ D r _ o m

8. P _ _ i _ z e r

9. a _ P i _ _ n

10. _ _ _ c I e _ 

 

Answers: (shorter word first)

 

1. HORN - RHINO

2. CAST - ACTORS

3. ROUTE - DETOUR

4. TUNE - MINUET  

5. PROP - SUPPORT

6. HEAT - WEATHER

7. DORM - BEDROOM

8. PRIZE - PULITZER

9. PAIN - ASPIRIN

10. ICE - GLACIER.                        

 

TRADE OFF XIV 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

 

The answers to the clues in each line are words that differ by a single letter - which is given.

 

Ex. Show mercy _ _ L _ _ _    _ _ G _ _ _  Acting ruler 

                           RELENT       REGENT

 

1. Secret meeting of lovers  _ _ Y _ _   _ _ U _ _ Confidence

 

2. Traditional Scottish wear  K _ _ _   T _ _ _ Lean

 

3. Cranium  _ K _ _ _    _ C _ _ _  Racing boat

 

4. Fortress  _ _ _ _ _ R _    _ _ _ _ _ N _  Spreading everywhere

 

5. Flexible  _ G _ _ _    _ N _ _ _ Of an old, feeble woman

 

6. Persuade C _ _ _   H _ _ _  Scam, deliberate deception

 

7. Witty exchange  _ _ N _ _ _    _ _ R _ _ _  Trade goods without money

 

8. Tutorial  _ _ _ _ O _    _ _ _ _ E _ Decrease 

 

Answers: 

 

1. TRYST - TRUST

2. KILT - TILT

3. SKULL - SCULL

4. RAMPART - RAMPANT

5. AGILE - ANILE

6. COAX - HOAX 

7. BANTER - BARTER

8. LESSON - LESSEN  

MISSING LINKS CCXXVI 

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. Island..........Circle..........Pattern

2. Child..........Water..........Traffic 

3. Skirt..........Strip..........Round 

4. Hem..........War..........Wed

5. Book..........Inch..........Ear 

6. Oak..........Wire..........Stock 

7. Draw..........Ham..........Shoe 

8. Letter..........Grant..........Head

9. Laughing.....Rocking.....Sitting

10. Life..........Dance..........Business 

 

Answers:

 

1. Traffic

2. Safety

3. Kind of steak

4. Lock

5. Worm

6. Live

7. String

8. Block

9. Hyena, Horse, Duck

10. Partner

 

Credit:

7: Mike Graczyk