CRYPTO CLUES CCLVII 

GAMES Magazine

February, 2008

Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (1-2)

Rosemary Scala (3-5)

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2015

Patrick Berry (6-10)

 

1. Gazelles and impalas run, hemmed in by stakes

 

2. Dullish monarch dipping donuts

 

3. Made ferocious ones submit

 

4. Remodeled my amusing exercise room

 

5. Musical selection not so sensitive 

 

6. Put an edge on some of your sweetness

 

7. Division of agency nicknamed "Faultfinder"

 

8. Runs away from sound of sheep

 

9. Gathers for church services

 

10. Go a little crazy, organizing closeout 

 

HINTS:

1. Container / definition (stakes, as in poker) 

2. Two words / definitions

3. Hidden word

4. Anagram

5. Heteronym

6. Definition + letter

7. Hidden word

8. Homophone

9. Homograph

10. Anagram 

 

Answers:

 

1. ANTELOPES (ante lope s)  

2. DUNKING (dun king)

3. DEFER (maDE FERocious)

4. GYMNASIUM (my amusing)

5. NUMBER (with silent B = less sensitive)

6. HONEY (hone + y)

7. CYNIC (agenCY NICknamed)

8. LAMS (lambs)

9. MASSES

10. CUT LOOSE (closeout) 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CXLVII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2015

FAMILY REUNIONS 

Regis Modesta

 

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

 

1. BLOND

2. BRIOCHE 

3. BRIGAND

4. INFLATED

5. PERDITION

6. SALTWATER

7. DECHLORINATE 

 

HINTS:

First letters of the new words:

1. B

2. H

3. D

4. D

5. I

6. S

7. L

 

Answers:

 

1. BOLD

2. HEROIC

3. DARING

4. DEFIANT

5. INTREPID

6. STALWART

7. LIONHEARTED - - - Synonyms for "BRAVE"  

  

GAMES Magazine

February, 2008 

Raymond D. Love

 

IN THE BEGINNING

 

What unusual characteristic do the following words have in common?

 

CANS              PENCIL

COLLAR        TENNIS

FLOOR           VERGE

HEIRESS        WHISK

KINETIC         WHY 

MRS.                YOU

 

HINTS:

1. It's phonetic. 

2. It's about beginning sounds.

 

Answer:

 

Each word is phonetically (if somewhat imperfectly) the beginning syllable or syllables of one of the United States:

 

CANS - KANSAS

COLLAR - COLORADO

FLOOR - FLORIDA

HEIRESS - ARIZONA

KINETIC - CONNECTICUT

MRS. - MISSISSIPPI 

PENCIL - PENNSYLVANIA

TENNIS - TENNESSEE

VERGE - VIRGINIA

WHISK - WISCONSIN

WHY - WYOMIING

YOU - UTAH  

MIND FLEXERS CXLVI

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

1. Something to draw

2. Be a good scout

3. Jailhouse Rock

4. Hole in one

5. Not completely honest

6. One's last words

7. Walk in place

8. They're ahead of the game

9. Be there or be square

10. Landfill, Goose feathers, Junkyard  

 

CHOICES:

a. Clinic

b. In debt

c. Belly button

d. Fran

e. Lots

f. Down in the dumps

g. Prepare

h. Anthems

i. Alcatraz

j. I do

 

Answers:

 

1. e - Lots

2. g - Prepare (Scout motto: Be Prepared)

3. i - Alcatraz

4. c - Belly button

5. d - Fran (frank) 

6. j - I do (one = unmarried person)

7. a - Clinic

8. h - Anthems

9. b - In debt (square = not owing)

10. f - Down in the dumps  

 

Credits: 

 

1-2: Harvey Estes

3-4: Shawn Kennedy

5: Sam Brody

6: Eva McCarthy

7-9: Shawn Kennedy

10: Rich Katz  

CLEVER ENDEAVOR XI

Find rhyming synonyms for the two words or phrases in each pair.

Ex. Analysis - Slanting/indirect

Ans. CRITIQUE - OBLIQUE

 

1. Very bold - Dried grape

2. Tile art form - Commonplace 

3. One and only - Specialty shop 

4. Somber - Disoriented, confused 

5. Expression of sympathy - Extreme sleepiness

6. Crudely disrespectful - Restrict, limit, or force 

7. Deeply regretful - Officially charge with a crime

8. Become accustomed to something difficult - Tainted

 

Answers:

 

1. BRAZEN - RAISIN

2. MOSAIC - PROSAIC

3. UNIQUE - BOUTIQUE

4. SERIOUS - DELIRIOUS

5. CONDOLENCE - SOMNOLENCE

6. PROFANE - CONSTRAIN

7. CONTRITE - INDICT

8. INURE - IMPURE  

     

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCLVI

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2015

Ron Sweet

 

1. Reportedly husky animal

 

2. Writer is never upset

 

3. Confederate leader following me in fight

 

4. Back in Syracuse, I'd observed people

 

5. Entrances with exotic odors

 

6. Ranked entrants gave up, we heard  

 

7. Deer's rear

 

8. Demure trousseau veils fashionable again 

 

9. Uninteresting poet makes a comeback

 

10. Private tuition includes ornamental case

 

11. Heard outstanding poem 

 

HINTS:

1. Homophone

2. Anagram

3. Two words 

4. Reversal / hidden word

5. Anagram

6. Homophone

7. Homograph

8. Hidden word

9. Definition / reversal 

10. Hidden word

11. Homophone 

 

Answers:

 

1. HORSE (hoarse)

2. VERNE (never)

3. MELEE (me + Lee)  

4. BODIES (syracuSE I'D OBserved) 

5. DOORS (odors)

6. CEDED (seeded)

7. HIND

8. RETRO (demuRE TROusseau)

9. DRAB (bard)

10. ETUI (privatE TUItion)

11. ODE (owed) [outstanding]  

CAPITONYMS

A capitonym is a word that changes its meaning, and sometimes its pronunciation, when it is spelled with a capital letter - usually because the capital-letter form is a proper name.

The most famous capitonyms are job/Job and polish/Polish - which both change their pronunciation as well as their meaning when capitalized. 

Many names are capitonyms, having a distinct meaning when not capitalized - with no relation to the capitalized name. Some examples:

Rob       August*

Rod       Lent

Chad     Hamlet

Frank     Mark

Wade     Bill

Will       Carol

Jimmy   Nice*

May       Rich

June       Sue

March    Mandarin

China     Turkey

Rose      Harry

Bob       Don     

 

 

*Pronunciation changes