WORDS OF A FEATHER

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

Each clue answer consists of a type of fowl plus one extra letter - either at the front, middle, or back of the word. The number of blanks indicates the number of letters in the answer. The extra letter added to each fowl - in order - will spell out what you need to solve this puzzle.

 

 

1. AKC-recognized dog breed _ _ _ _ _ _

 

2. The world largest furniture retailer _ _ _ _

   

3. Took the car _ _ _ _ _

 

4. What three is, so they say _ _ _ _ _

 

5. Streamlet _ _ _ _ _

 

6. Be remorseful about _ _ _ _ _ 

 

7. Red Planet inhabitant _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 

8. Male suitor, in literature _ _ _ _ _ 

 

9. Like an apartment ready for immediate occupancy

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _   

 

10. Back of a boat _ _ _ _ _  

 

Answers:

 

1. BEAGLE (EAGLE + B)

2. IKEA (KEA + I)

3. DROVE (DOVE + R)

4. CROWD (CROW + D)

5. BROOK (ROOK + B)

6. REGRET (EGRET + R)

7. MARTIAN (MARTIN + A)

8. SWAIN (SWAN + I)

9. TURNKEY (TURKEY + N) 

10. STERN (TERN + S)  - - - - - - -  BIRDBRAINS

MIND FLEXERS CXLIV

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

1. Twin city

2. Microwave 

3. Visitor center 

4. Invasive plant 

5. Preacher's gift 

6. Go to the dogs 

7. Oak, Ruth, Pine

8. Place to be spotted 

9. He's met his match 

10. Take second or third

 

CHOICES:

a. Babe in the woods

b. Spy

c. Ripple

d. Bridegroom

e. Sit

f. Mush

g. Rome 

h. Past or present

i. Gym

j. Steal

 

Answers:

 

1. g - Rome (Romulus and Remus)

2. c - Ripple (micro wave)

3. e - Sit (viSITor)

4. b - Spy

5. h - Past or present (pastor present)

6. f - Mush

7. a - Babe in the woods (Babe Ruth)

8. i - Gym

9. d - Bridegroom

10. j - Steal (baseball) 

 

Credits:

1: Jack Hatchett

2: John Peterman

3: Scott Hogan

4: Brain Callahan

5: John Kugelman

6: Zhouqin Burnikel  

7: Rich Katz

8. Joe Marangell

9: Will Shortz

10. Craig Stowe  

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXXII

GAMES Magazine  

March, April 1982 

Games Editors (1-4) 

Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (5-8)

 

All of the clues are hidden words.

 

1. Fabric seen in gray only

 

2. Truck on the outskirts of Londonderry 

 

3. Cheer leaders in rugby against Harvard

 

4. Italian greeting odd characters in Chicago

 

5. Heads of state are spared some impudence.

 

6. Luxury car seen at the fringe of Liberty, Mo.

 

7. Truck turned around in dime store

 

8. Ariadne, oddly, is a helper 

 

Answers:

 

1. RAYON (gRAY ONly)

2. LORRY  (LOndondeRRY)

3. RAH (Rugby Against Harvard)

4. CIAO (ChIcAgO)

5. SASS (State Are Spared Some)

6. LIMO (LIberty, MO)

7. SEMI (dIME Store)

8. AIDE (ArIaDnE) 

 

 

 FOUR-WORD MATCH

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

In each grid, on each row, enter the same 3-letter word in the three blank squares to form 6-letter words reading across.

 

1. _ _ _ E R Y

    C _ _ _ ON

    HE _ _ _ H

    DEP _ _ _ 

 

2. _ _ _ DLE

    S _ _ _ TY

    VA _ _ _ T

    TOU _ _ _

 

3. _ _ _ ORE

    C _ _ _ EW

    FL _ _ _ Y

    THR _ _ _

 

4. _ _ _ GLE

   S _ _ _ CE

   BO _ _ _ Y

   TAR _ _ _

 

5. _ _ _ DOR

    S _ _ _ CE

    SE _ _ _ D

    FAL _ _ _

 

Answers:

 

1. ARTERY

    CARTON

    HEARTH

    DEPART

 

2. CANDLE

     SCANTY

     VACANT

     TOUCAN

 

3. ASHORE

    CASHEW

    FLASHY

    THRASH

 

4. TANGLE

    STANCE

    BOTANY

    TARTAN

 

5. CONDOR

    SCONCE

    SECOND

    FALCON  

 TWO OUT OF THREE VI

Anagram two of the three words in each clue to get a synonym for the third word. 

Ex. RANT, TIE, BRAID

Ans: TIE + BRAID = DIATRIBE (rant)

 

1. REEL, SPICY, EXACT

2. LEGAL, TITLE, IMAGE

3. SELL, INNOCENT, BEAMS

4. VIEWER, TRACE, SPOT

5. ROSE, SNOOP, PAVED 

6. ACORN, PLOT, SPICY

 

HINTS:

One of the words to be anagrammed:

1. REEL

2. TITLE

3. BEAMS

4. TRACE

5. ROSE

6. ACORN

 

Answers:

 

1. REEL + SPICY = PRECISELY (exact)

2. IMAGE + TITLE = LEGITIMATE (legal)

3. SELL + BEAMS = BLAMELESS (innocent)

4. TRACE + SPOT = SPECTATOR (viewer)

5. ROSE + PAVED = EAVESDROP (snoop)

6. ACORN + SPICY = CONSPIRACY (plot)  

TWO PAIR

GAMES/World of Puzzles 

June, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

The answer to each clue below joins two related words or category items to form a different word or phrase. 

 

Ex. Two brands of jeans that form a correct shot in the dark

Ans. Lucky Guess 

 

1. Two objects in a place setting that form a kind of window.

 

2. A common name for a newspaper and a brand of soap that form a timepiece

 

3. Two US universities that form a whole grain

 

4. Two baseball terms that combine to form a phrase meaning to relate to you on a personal level

 

5. Two rooms in the board game Clue that form a school period

 

6.  A world capital and a big name in hotels to form the name of a socialite

 

7. Two words that sound like things on a golf course that form a beverage

 

8. Two hairstyles that, with "and" in between them, form a boxer's tactic

 

9. Two words associated with Mars that form a children's game

 

10. Two things that a football player does, with "and" in between them, that form a simple machine

 

Answers:

 

1. Plate glass

2. Sundial

3. Brown Rice

4. Hit home

5. Study hall

6. Paris Hilton

7. Green tea

8. Bob and weave

9. Red Rover

10. Block and tackle  

NY Times Crossword

June 30, 2026

John Liber (1-4)

 

The answers to the first seven clues will have something in common that is hinted at by the last clue. 

 

1. What King Midas had

2. Opulent ones were once called picture palaces 

3. Sure source of income, often used derogatorily 

4. Reckless motorist in The Wind and The Willows

5. Home of 7 X 8 = 56 

6. Sign on a freeway on-ramp 

7 Idle period while waiting for something else to happen 

8. Remarks void of meaning and a phonetic hint to the clue answers

 

Answer to Clue 8:

EMPTY WORDS 

 

Answers to Clues 1-7:

 

1. Magic touch

2. Movie theaters

3. Meal ticket

4. Mr. Toad 

5. Multiplication table 

6. Merging traffic

7. Marking time  - - - MT words