POINTS TO PONDER CXXIII

I love power. But it is as an artist that I love it. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies.

Napoleon Bonaparte  

 

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To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.

Pope John Paul II 

  

  

 

 

QUOTES CCLIX

The best sauce in the world is hunger. 

Miguel de Cervantes

 

A false friend is more dangerous than the worst enemy. 

German proverb 

 

Bad weather always looks much worse through a window.

John Kieran 

 

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.  

Author Unknown

 

If our air forces are never used they have achieved their finest goal.

Gen. Nathan F. Twinning

 

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.

Ingrid Bergman

 

I don't know who my grandfather was. I'm much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.

Abraham Lincoln 

 

Most people can remember compliments given to them long after the names of the givers are forgotten.

Author Unknown 

 

A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did it ourselves."

Lao-tzu

 

No matter how old she is, every mother watches her middle-aged children for improvement. 

Author Unknown 

 

Don't tug on Superman's cape.

Jim Croce 

 

 

UNUSUAL WORDS CXXV

Can you give a simple definition of these less-frequently-used words?

1. SATRAP

2. FECUND

3. GAINSAY

4. PARLANCE

5. EFFLUVIAL 

6. DRAVIDIAN 

7. ECHYMOSIS 

8. CHANGELING

9. AILUROPHIOLE

10. CIRCADIAN DYSRHYTHMIA 

 

Answers:

 

1. SATRAP - A subordinate or local ruler

 

2. FECUND - Fertile, productive

 

3. GAINSAY - Deny, contradict

 

4. PARLANCE - Jargon, language specific to a certain group

 

5. EFFLUVIAL - Foul-smelling, noxious - as a vapor rising from decaying matter

 

6. DRAVIDIAN - Of a family of languages spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka

 

7. ECHYMOSIS - Discoloration caused by blood, a black and blue mark

 

8. CHANGELING - A child secretly exchanged for another in infancy

 

9. AILUROPHILE -  A cat lover

 

10. CIRCADIAN DYSRHYTHMIA -  Jet lag  

BE A BETTER ANAGRAMMER CXLV

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. PRISM - S

2. BRAIN - R 

3. DEATH - H 

4. HOVEL - H

5. BISHOP - P 

6. GRATIS - G

7. BROOM - R 

8. STUDIO - O 

9. ANCHOR - R 

10. CARBON - B

11. ENERGY - G 

12. MIGHTY - M  

 

HINTS:

1. Kind of whale

2. Kind of weather

3. Body part

4. Divide evenly

5. Fear

6. Music

7. Metaphor for a male lover

8. Auction word

9. Bitterness, spite

10. Animal

11. Medical apparatus

12. Legendary 

 

Answers:

 

1. SPERM

2. RAINY

3. HEART

4. HALVE

5. PHOBIA

6. GUITAR

7. ROMEO

8. OUTBID

9. RANCOR

10. BRONCO

11. GURNEY

12. MYTHIC  

 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CXXIX

GAMES/World of Puzzles

December, 2025

FAMILY REUNIONS

Bob Stigger

 

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

 

1. JUTE

2. TUBA

3. DRIBS

4. TRIKE

5. PARTS 

6. GRIDDLE

7. RESTOCK

8. THEOREM

9. PENUMBRAS  

 

HINTS: 

First letters of the new words:

1. J

2. B

3. B

4. K

5. S

6. G

7. R

8. M

9. S

 

Answers:

 

1. JET

2. BAT

3. BIRD

4. KITE 

5. STAR

6. GLIDER

7. ROCKET

8. METEOR

9. SUPERMAN - - - Things in the sky  

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)