CRYPTO CLUES CCVI

GAMES/World of Puzzles

December, 2025

Stella Zawistowski (1-3)

Bob Stigger (4-8) 

Patrick Berry (9-13) 

 

1. Banknote conceals problem

 

2. The sixth northeastern climber

 

3. Temporarily given annual observance

 

4. Rats bothered sailors

 

5. Cancel yearbook when second vowel is deleted

 

6. Play an instrument provided by Bess Truman

 

7. Dog food

 

8. Candy coin producer

 

9. Blue feathers

 

10. Scare off property

 

11. Where to catch a calf or doe, perhaps

 

12. Painting's strange forces 

 

13. Intimate (long a sound) part of a strange tattoo (two words)

 

HINTS:

1. Hidden word 

2. Roman numerals and an abbreviation

3. Capital letter changes meaning

4. Anagram

5. Letter deletion

6. Hidden word

7. Capital letter changes meaning

8. Homograph

9. Homograph

10 - 12: Anagram

13. Hidden word 

 

Answers:

 

1. Knot (banKNOTe)

2. VINE 

3. Lent

4. Tars

5. Annul (annual)  

6. Strum (besS TRUMan)

7. Chow 

8. Mint

9. Down

10. Acres (scare)

11. Rodeo (or doe)

12. Fresco (forces)

13. Get at (stranGE TATtoo) 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

January, 2025 (1-10) 

Find the names of sixteen birds by adding one of the given letters to each word and re-arranging the letters. Each letter will be used only once. 

A   B   C   F   K   N  P   P   R  Y  W  I  O  E  A  I 

1. IRON + ?

2. ARROWS + ?

3. CHIN + ?

4. SORT + ?

5. AVER + ?

6. HONE + ?

7. COUNT + ?

8. IMAGE + ?

9. DONOR + ?

10. SPORE + ?

11. GALE + ?

12. GOES + ?

13. OVER + ?

14. FIST + ? 

15. COVET + ?

16. BUDGE + ?  

 

Answers:

 

1. IRON + B = ROBIN

2. ARROWS + P = SPARROW

3. CHIN + F = FINCH

4. SORT + K - STORK

5. AVER + N = RAVEN

6. HONE + R = HERON

7. COUNT + A = TOUCAN

8. IMAGE + P = MAGPIE

9. DONOR + C = CONDOR

10. SPORE + Y = OSPREY

11. GALE + E = EAGLE

12. GOES + O = GOOSE  

13. OVER + I = VIREO

14. FIST + W = SWIFT

15. COVET + A = AVOCET

16. BUDGE + I = BUDGIE (parakeet)  

MISSING LINKS CCLXX

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. Ear..........Erie..........Root

2. Hay..........Spring..........Cabin 

3. False..........Mass..........House

4. Tattoo..........Pizza.........Funeral 

5. Yoga..........Bath..........Welcome

6. Olives..........Noses..........Pillows 

7. Rice..........Fingers..........Situation 

8. Green..........Glacier..........Jamaica 

9. Apple..........Earth..........Curriculum

10. America..........Manners..........Saigon

 

Answers:

 

1. Kinds of canals

2. Fever

3. Arrest

4. Kinds of parlors

5. Kinds of mats

6. Things that can be stuffed

7. Things that can be sticky

8. American bays

9. Things that have cores

10. Miss  

 

 

COMMON COMBOS LXII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

January, 2025 

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Find a word that can either precede or follow each of the words in each of the groups.

1. FUNNY, BACK, MEAL, WISH

2. HOME, TEAM, BOOK, CLOCK

3. TERM, CHASE, SAND, ROUTE

4. SWITCH, DART, WALK, BILL

5. PLACE, STOCK, VALUE, MONEY

6. BED, PRIME, TABLE, DAY

7. FREE, WEDDING, WRAP, SHOP

8. STAR, BOWL, STORY, JELLY

9. TOUCH, BLACK, SPELL, CARPET

10. LIP, GLUE, PIN, MATCH

Answers:

1. BONE

2. WORK

3. PAPER

4. BOARD

5. MARKET

6. TIME

7. GIFT

8. FISH

9. MAGIC

10. STICK  

INSERT A WORD LIX 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

January, 2025

 

Insert a word from Group B into a word from Group A to make a longer word. Each word is used only once. 

 

GROUP A                 GROUP B

 

1. CONE                      AND

2. REAL                       PONE

3. FIG                           RAY

4. MAY                        RIMS

5. SPED                       HAD 

6. DENT                      JEST

7. MATE                      NEW

8. CAT                         NOT 

9. CON                        BARE

10. SOW                      SHIN

 

Answers:

 

1. CON NOT E - CONNOTE

2. RE NEW AL - RENEWAL

3. FI SHIN G - FISHING

4. MA JEST Y - MAJESTY

5. SP RAY ED - SPRAYED

6. DE PONE NT - DEPONENT*

7. M AND ATE - MANDATE

8. CA BARE T - CABARET

9. C RIMS ON - CRIMSON

10. S HA OW - SHADOW

 

*A deponent is a law term for one who gives a deposition.

  

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

January, 2025 (1-6)

 

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

 

1. Couple               A W M O E S T O 

2. Abate                 B D S E U C I S

3. CA city              N L R A A K O D

4. Garland              O T N S O F A E

5. Bible story          L M E A P R B A

6. Sophisticated      D O L W E Y L R

7. Relieve               A U T S E G A S

8. Humility             D Y S T N O E M

9. Examine             Z E N B Y A A L

10. Pardon              S T Y R M N A E 

 

Answers:

 

1. TWOSOME

2. SUBSIDE

3. OAKLAND

4. FESTOON 

5. PARABLE

6. WORLDLY 

7. ASSUAGE

8. MODESTY

9. ANALYZE

10. AMNESTY  

 BETWIXT AND BETWEEN X

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 in-between word is indicated by the number of dashes. 

 

For example: PITY

                       _ _ _ _ _

                       PIXIE

 

The in-between word would be PIVOT. 

 

1. SECURE

    _ _ _ _ _

    SEDENTARY

 

2. TAINT

    _ _ _ _

    TALC

 

3. FORKED

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

    FORM

 

4. LEASE

    _ _ _ _ _

    LEAST

 

5. MINK

    _ _ _ _ _ _

    MINOR

 

6. CANDY

    _ _ _ _

   CANINE 

 

7. YEARLY

     _ _ _ _ _

    YEAST

 

Answers:

 

1. SEDAN

2. TAKE

3. FORLORN

4. LEASH

5. MINNOW

6. CANE

7. YEARN