PRESTO - CHANGE-O XLIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

October, 2025

 

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Without re-arranging the letters, change one letter in each of the words in each group to form four related words.

 

Ex: Puffin     Break     Doll     Sun  

       Muffin    Bread     Roll     Bun

 

1. Massive, Better, Demo, None

2. Angle, Grist, Knew, Jab

3. Slurry, Spend, Curry, Rust  

4. Spring, Threat, Twice, Corn

5. Sable, Bunch, Choir, Dusk

6. Plunder, Jungle, Golf, Flux

7. Stoop, Badge, Canon, Sniff

 

Answers:  

 

1. Missive, Letter, Memo, Note

2. Ankle, Wrist, Knee, Jaw

3. Flurry, Speed, Hurry, Rush

4. String, Thread, Twine, Cord

5. Table, Bench, Chair, Desk

6. Blunder, Bungle, Goof, Flub

7. Sloop, Barge, Canoe, Skiff 

PAIRS XXXIII

Place the same pair of letters on both set of dashes. The letter pair will be different for each answer.

1. A _ _ DV _ _ K

2. _ _ R _ _ LADE

3. C _ _ CLUSI _ _

4. P _ _ SSU _ _

5. S _ _ TIM _ _ T

6. _ _ OD _ _ RK

7. _ _ AMMA _ _

8. C _ _ RTE _ _ S

Answers:

1. aARdvARk

2. MArMAlade

3. cONclusiON

4. pREssuRE

5. sENtimENt

6. WOodWOrk

7. TEammaTE

8. cOUrteOUs  

 

NY Times Crossword

April 28, 2026

Hal Moore 

The two phrases below have something in common that is hinted at by the third clue. Can you determine what it is?

1. CLOSE ENOUGH

2. TIES UP LOOSE ENDS

3. Like children, ideally, in an old adage 

 

Answer to Clue 3:

Seen but not heard

 

Answers to Clues 1 and 2:

 

1. cloSE ENough

2. tied up looSE ENds

The letters S, E, E, N are in both clues, but are not pronounced (heard) as the word SEEN:

What Did You Say?

Philippe Monfiston

1. What is a phrase meaning the mafia rule of never talking using a word from music?

2. What is an expression meaning "has a shot at" using a word from poetry?

3. What is a phrase meaning "You can't be serious" using a word from opera?

Answers:

1. CODA SILENCE

2. STANZA CHANCE

3. ARIA KIDDING? 

  

 

TAKE THIS LITERALLY IX

Answer the clues - literally:

1. First of its kind

2. End of discussion

3. Jump start

4. Young at heart

5. Middle of the road

6. Fourth of July

 

Answer: 

 

INJURY 

 

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

Volume 141(1-9)

 

1. Evaluation sent masses scrambling (synonym for evaluation / anagram)

 

2. Fond remembrance of analog: it's scrapped (anagram)

 

3. Polish the French money in Russia (Polish = rub)

 

4. Stuff thrown overboard from planes in the morning (planes = jets)

 

5. Bad Somalian artwork in the Louvre (anagram)

 

6. Neat rumor about part of a fraction (anagram)

 

7. Enter toniest of resorts (resorts = re-sorts)

 

8. Today, it's Iran (Straight-forward clue)

 

9. Guiding principle goes both ways (palindrome)

 

10. Man or woman from Mindanao (hidden word) 

 

Answers:

 

1. ASSESSMENT (sent masses)

2. NOSTALGIA (analog it's) 

3. RUBLE (rub le) [le = the in French)

4. JETSAM (jets am)

5. MONA LISA (somalian) 

6. NUMERATOR (neat rumor)

7. SET FOOT IN (enter) [toniest of]

8. PERSIA

9. TENET

10. DANA (minDANAo) 

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle 

April 26, 2026

Will Shortz

 

What do the following words have in common?

 

Month

Back 

Wall

Coast 

Heart

Door

Face 

Ashes

Mouth 

Bumper 

 

Answer:

 

Each word is commonly repeated in expressions of the form _____ to _____:

Month to month

Back to back

Wall to wall, etc.