From The Enigma

NPL Magazine

September, 2026

FEMUR

 

The keyword NERD in this flat can be answered by two rhyming words.

 

My job's such a load -

That's certainly true,

I write so much code - 

But when that is through,

 

I run home each night 

To watch on TV

Sci-fi at its height:

The one show for me.

 

The Captain' so strong

And Spock is so smart;

I've watched then so long,

They're dear to my heart.

 

My friends, they all say

(Unless I've misheard),

"Of course he's that way

Because he's a NERD."

 

Answers:

 

TREKKIE

TECHIE  

 

 

 

 

 

From The Enigma 

National Puzzlers' League Magazine

September, 2026

530nm330Hz 

 

The key word CROSS is answered by two words which differ by a single letter.

 

Mom, that car crash I had?

Well, there's good news and bad.

No one was hurt, but it will cost.

That's right: I wasn't CROSS(e)d.

 

Answers:

 

INJUREd

INSUREd 

GAMES/World of Puzzles

October, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

WORD SAFARI II  

 

Identify the animal in each word. The letters are in correct, but not consecutive order. 

 

1. QUESADILLA

2. OCTAHEDRON

3. POSTMASTER

4. TRANSPIRE

5. GODFORSAKEN

6. DISQUALIFIED

7. CORROBORATE

 

Answers:

 

1. QUAIL

2. HERON

3. OTTER

4. TAPIR

5. GOOSE or DRAKE

6. SQUID

7. COBRA  

CRYPTO CLUES CCLXXII

WORLD OF PUZZLES

November, 1997

Joan Young (1-2)

Todd McClary (3-10)

 

1. Dressing limb with tip cut off  

 

2. Stringy food tossed at the pigs

 

3. Ironed out cash  

 

4. Flavorful blend as dip 

 

5. Stirs up fountain drink 

 

6. Criminal is lifelong prisoner 

 

7. Put stress on fingerboard unit 

 

8. Speed excavation around resort

 

9. Smart questions from a reporter

 

10. Stand for an artist and slyly evade going topless

 

HINTS:

1. Definition + beheadment

2. Anagram

3. Anagram (Spanish)

4. Definition / anagram

5. Two definitions / anagram

6. Hidden word 

7. Homograph 

8. 2 definitions / container

9. Homophone

10. Definition / beheadment

 

Answers:

 

1. RANCH (branch - b)

2. SPAGHETTI (at the pigs)

3. DINERO (ironed)

4. SAPID (as dip)

5. ADOS (soda)

6. FELON (liFE LONg)

7. FRET

8. DISPATCH (di spa tch)  

9. WISE (whys)

10. EASEL (weasel - w)  

 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CLI 

GAMES/World of Puzzles 

October, 2026

FAMILY REUNIONS

Bob Stigger 

 

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get eight related words.

 

1. SKIPS

2. DAWN 

3. WRITE

4. FEUDS 

5. DENIM 

6. NEEDING 

7. BLUBBER

8. WHITTLES 

 

HINTS

First letters of the new words:

1. K

2. W

3. T

4. F

5. M

6. E

7. B

8. W

 

Answers:

 

1. KISS

2. WAD

3. TIRE

4. FUSE

5. MIND

6. ENGINE

7. BUBBLE

8. WHISTLE - - - Things you can blow  

QUOTES CCLXXVIII

To err is human, but it feels divine.

Mae West

 

Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.

John Donne 

 

Lose riches, lose much; lose friend, lose more; lose face, lose all.

Chinese proverb 

 

The lonely moments of lives may reveal more than those of great crises.

Author Unknown 

 

The more frightening the world becomes, the more art becomes abstract. 

Wassily Kandinsky

 

In Shakespearean plays, no actor gets a chance to sit unless he is the king.

Author Unknown 

 

If only we could have two lives: the first in which to make one's mistakes, and the second in which to profit by them.

D.H. Lawrence

 

The simple difference between reform and revolution is reform corrects abuses while revolution transfers power.

Author Unknown 

 

DOUBLE DUTY CCCIX

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

1. FIELD _ _ _ JOB  

2. VILLA _ _ VALID 

3. BED _ _ _ _ _ MUSIC

4. FULL _ _ _ _ _ RULES 

5. GOLD _ _ _ _ _ STORE 

6. COMIC _ _ _ _ _ MALL

7. MOUTH _ _ _ _ _ MEAL

8. POINT _ _ _ _ _ _ SHEET 

9. COUGH _ _ _ _ ANCHOR

10. SLUMBER _ _ _ _ _ DRESS

 

Answer:

 

1. field DAY job

2. villaINvalid

3. bedSHEET music  

4. full HOUSE rules

5. gold CHAIN store

6. comic STRIP mall

7. mouthPIECEmeal

8. point SPREAD sheet

9. coughDROP anchor

10. slumber PARTY dress