MIND FLEXERS CXLVI

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The relationships are disguised by double meanings, altered spacing withing words, and/or other wordplay.

1. Something to draw

2. Be a good scout

3. Jailhouse Rock

4. Hole in one

5. Not completely honest

6. One's last words

7. Walk in place

8. They're ahead of the game

9. Be there or be square

10. Landfill, Goose feathers, Junkyard  

 

CHOICES:

a. Clinic

b. In debt

c. Belly button

d. Fran

e. Lots

f. Down in the dumps

g. Prepare

h. Anthems

i. Alcatraz

j. I do

 

Answers:

 

1. e - Lots

2. g - Prepare (Scout motto: Be Prepared)

3. i - Alcatraz

4. c - Belly button

5. d - Fran (frank) 

6. j - I do (one = unmarried person)

7. a - Clinic

8. h - Anthems

9. b - In debt (square = not owing)

10. f - Down in the dumps  

 

Credits: 

 

1-2: Harvey Estes

3-4: Shawn Kennedy

5: Sam Brody

6: Eva McCarthy

7-9: Shawn Kennedy

10: Rich Katz  

CLEVER ENDEAVOR XI

Find rhyming synonyms for the two words or phrases in each pair.

Ex. Analysis - Slanting/indirect

Ans. CRITIQUE - OBLIQUE

 

1. Very bold - Dried grape

2. Tile art form - Commonplace 

3. One and only - Specialty shop 

4. Somber - Disoriented, confused 

5. Expression of sympathy - Extreme sleepiness

6. Crudely disrespectful - Restrict, limit, or force 

7. Deeply regretful - Officially charge with a crime

8. Become accustomed to something difficult - Tainted

 

Answers:

 

1. BRAZEN - RAISIN

2. MOSAIC - PROSAIC

3. UNIQUE - BOUTIQUE

4. SERIOUS - DELIRIOUS

5. CONDOLENCE - SOMNOLENCE

6. PROFANE - CONSTRAIN

7. CONTRITE - INDICT

8. INURE - IMPURE  

     

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCLVI

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2015

Ron Sweet

 

1. Reportedly husky animal

 

2. Writer is never upset

 

3. Confederate leader following me in fight

 

4. Back in Syracuse, I'd observed people

 

5. Entrances with exotic odors

 

6. Ranked entrants gave up, we heard  

 

7. Deer's rear

 

8. Demure trousseau veils fashionable again 

 

9. Uninteresting poet makes a comeback

 

10. Private tuition includes ornamental case

 

11. Heard outstanding poem 

 

HINTS:

1. Homophone

2. Anagram

3. Two words 

4. Reversal / hidden word

5. Anagram

6. Homophone

7. Homograph

8. Hidden word

9. Definition / reversal 

10. Hidden word

11. Homophone 

 

Answers:

 

1. HORSE (hoarse)

2. VERNE (never)

3. MELEE (me + Lee)  

4. BODIES (syracuSE I'D OBserved) 

5. DOORS (odors)

6. CEDED (seeded)

7. HIND

8. RETRO (demuRE TROusseau)

9. DRAB (bard)

10. ETUI (privatE TUItion)

11. ODE (owed) [outstanding]  

CAPITONYMS

A capitonym is a word that changes its meaning, and sometimes its pronunciation, when it is spelled with a capital letter - usually because the capital-letter form is a proper name.

The most famous capitonyms are job/Job and polish/Polish - which both change their pronunciation as well as their meaning when capitalized. 

Many names are capitonyms, having a distinct meaning when not capitalized - with no relation to the capitalized name. Some examples:

Rob       August*

Rod       Lent

Chad     Hamlet

Frank     Mark

Wade     Bill

Will       Carol

Jimmy   Nice*

May       Rich

June       Sue

March    Mandarin

China     Turkey

Rose      Harry

Bob 

 

*Pronunciation changes    

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

September 20, 2026

Will Shortz 

Each word or phrase below and its designated letter can be anagrammed into a one, two, or three-word street or traffic sign. (#9 and 10 are tricky.)

1. TIE + X

2. OPT + S 

3. OWL + S

4. LIED + Y

5. GERM + E

6. COOLS + H 

7. ROUTE + D

8. TOSS UP + B

9. OUTRUN + N

10. INDEXER + G

11. DELI ITEMS + P 

 

Answers:

 

1. EXIT

2. STOP

3. SLOW

4. YIELD

5. MERGE

6. SCHOOL

7. DETOUR

8. BUS STOP

9. NO U TURN

10. DEER XING

11. SPEED LIMIT 

ODDS AND ENDS 

1. What do the following words have in common?

AGE

DAM

BEACH

LEGEND

 

2. What do the following name and phrases have in common? 

 

RARE STAMPS

OMAR SHARIF

SHADE SCREEN

 

3. Think of a 6-letter word that has to do with arrogance. Add one letter and re-arrange the letters to get a word that has to do with simplicity.

 

Hint: The two words begin with V and N respectively.  

 

4. Anagram YOU FEEL HORRIBLE? into a reasonable response.

 

Hint 1:

_ _ _   _ _   _ _ _ _   _ _ _   _ _ _ 

 

Hint 2:

I _ _  _ _  H _ _ _   _ _ _   _ _ _

 

 

 

Answers:

 

1. All four words can be preceded by related words:

    STONE AGE

    BOULDER DAM

    PEBBLE BEACH

    ROCK LEGEND

 

2. Each phrase conceals a figure from mythology:

    rARE Stamps - ARES

    oMAR Sharif - MARS

    sHADE Screen - HADES

 

3. VANITY

    NAIVETY 

 

4. YOU FEEL HORRIBLE?

    I'LL BE HERE FOR YOU.    

 

 

 

Credits:

1: Jim Holland

2: Kathleen Diamantakis and Jeff Chen

4: Bob Stigger  

BE A BETTER ANAGRAMMER - CXLIX

Each word on the left is one letter off from another word - whose initial letter is given at the right. Can you determine the other word?

1. SINUS - S 

2. RATIO - A 

3. STING - N

4. GUITAR - T

5. SOCCER - C

6. TONGUE - E 

7. CALMLY - C 

8. EMBRACE - M 

9. Can you think of five words that differ by a single letter from ATRIUM?       

 

HINTS:

1. Food

2. Body part

3. P.M. hours

4. Very sad

5. Force

6. Sufficient

7. Music

8. Grim, dreadful

 

Answers:

 

1. SUSHI

2. AORTA

3. NIGHT

4. TRAGIC

5. COERCE

6. ENOUGH

7. CYMBAL

8. MACABRE

9. Trauma, mature, radium, autism, ritual