The words below are the first half of words that are made up of two smaller words - but they are not compounds. For example, SLAT and HER could be joined to get SLATHER, but SLATHER is not a compound word (like BEDROOM), since its two parts are not related. Can you think of the other half of the words below to make longer - but not compound words. Some of the words may have more than one answer.

1. PIG

2. ASP

3. IMP

4. PAL

5. LEG 

6. END

7. WIN 

8. WAR 

9. DISC 

10. CASH

 

Answers:

 

1. PIGEON

2. ASPIRE / ASPIRATE

3. IMPROVE / IMPART / IMPACT

4. PALACE

5. LEGALLY / LEGEND

6. ENDEAR

7. WINTRY / WINSOME

8. WARDEN

9. DISCLOSE / DISCUS

10. CASHMERE  

ODD COUPLES

GAMES Magazine

March/April 1982

Bill Leonard 

 

[Note from JA: I usually avoid celebrity names, but I feel these (from 1982) have held up well enough to justify this clever puzzle.] 

 

The phrases and names below share a common-sounding second word or last name, although there is a difference in spelling (making them homophones).

 

Ex: Big Bad and Virginia

Ans. Woolf (wolf) 

 

1. Ballpoint and William

2. Short order and Alistaire

3. French and Lena 

4. Front and Satchel

5. Red River and Rudy

6. Bottle and Al

7. Spider and Jack

8. Volcanic and Arthur

9. Lovers' and Frankie

10. First-aid and Eartha

11. Below and Jack

12. Bat and Thomas

13. Chile Con and Art 

14. Anthracite and Nat "King"

15. Sea and Maximillian 

16. Barbecue and Mark 

 

Answers:

 

1. Penn (pen)

2. Cooke (cook)

3. Horne (horn)

4. Paige (page)

5. Vallee (valley)

6. Capp (cap)

7. Webb (web)

8. Ashe (ash)

9. Laine (lane)

10. Kitt (kit)

11. Paar (par)

12. Mann (man)

13. Carney (carne)

14. Cole (coal)

15. Schell (shell)

16. Spitz (spits)

TWO OUT OF THREE V

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

Ex: PEA, EEL, MUG

Ans: EEL + MUG = LEGUME (pea)

 

Ex: NODS, HARSH, SAINT

Ans: NODS + SAINT = DISSONANT (harsh)

 

1. ALL, RECENT, YET

2. STALK, SOW, HAD

3. CUB, JEST, TOPIC

4. RANT, TIE, BRAID

5. VAIN, CLEAR, CITED

6. SILLY, SOUR, LUCID 

7. CALL, ACUTE, FIGURE

 

HINTS:

One of the words to be anagammed:
1. YET

2. SOW

3. JEST

4. TIE

5. VAIN

6. LUCID

7. ACUTE 

 

Answers:

 

1. ALL + YET = LATELY (recent)

2. SOW + HAS = SHADOW (stalk)

3. CUB + JEST = SUBJECT (topic)

4. TIE + BRAID = DIATRIBE (rant)

5. VAIN + CITED = VINDICATE (clear) 

6. SOUR + LUCID = LUDICROUS (silly)

7. CALL + ACUTE = CALCULATE (figure) 

 

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXXI

GAMES Magazine

October, 1982

Mike Shenk (1-5)

GAMES/World of Puzzles 

May, 2026

Fred Piscop (6-8)

Nate Cardin (9-11)

 

1. Sourly snorted "Rats!"

 

2. Party demonstrator

 

3. Mysteries of mine gas explosion

 

4. Forest's edge divided city, in time

 

5. Mutant iguana swallows auto in Central American land

 

6. Astound with a labyrinth

 

7. Puts on a tape containing a recital piece

 

8. European capital where herds of cattle live, it's said

 

9. Enlarge unusual detail

 

10. Remodeled North Sea hotel

 

11. Kneeling dentist scrambled for pointy tools  

 

HINTS: 

1. Anagram

2. Heteronym

3. Anagram

4. Container

5. Container

6. Two words

7. Hidden word

8. Homophone

9. Anagram

10. Anagram

11. Anagram 

 

Answers:

 

1. RODENTS (snorted)

2. SHOWER (one who shows - [bridal] shower) 

3. ENIGMAS (mine gas)

4. TIMBERLINE (tim berlin e)

5. NICARAGUA (ni car agua)

6. AMAZE (a maze)

7. SONATA (putS ON A TApe)

8. STOCKHOLM (stock home)

9. DILATE (detail)

10. SHERATON (north sea)

11. KNITTING NEEDLES (kneeling dentist)  

TRIPLES II

In each compound word or two-word phrase below, the same word can follow the first word and precede the second word to make up two other compound words or two-word phrases. What are the connecting words?

Ex: FIREBALL

(Possible) Ans: FLY (firefly / fly ball

Ex: CAT FIGHT

(Possible) Ans: FOOD (cat food / food fight)

 

1. BULLFIGHT

2. BUCK TEETH

3. BANKBOOK

4. HONEY PIE

5. HOME PAGE

 

(Possible) Answers:

 

1. DOG (bulldog / dog fight)

2. EYE

3. NOTE

4. POT

5. FRONT  

 

HOMOGRAPHS CXIV 

What single word satisfies both or all of the meanings?

1. A thick, durable fabric

    Of pompous, affected language or writing lacking substance  

 

2. Tree covering 

    Sailing vessel 

    Characteristic cry of a dog 

    Sharp, harsh vocal reprimand

    Candy confection with chocolate

 

3. Praise, recognition, credit

    Items used on a stage or set to help tell a story 

 

4. Embryonic plant 

    Rank of a team or player in a tournament

 

Answers:

 

1. FUSTIAN

2. BARK*

3. PROPS **

4. SEED

 

*Also spelled BARQUE

** PROPS is traditionally a shortened version of "properties" - as furniture and various objects used to enhance acting. But in recent slang, in also refers to "proper respects".

 

APT AND SURPRISING ANAGRAMS XXI

1. LENDS TO A NUT:

    S _ _ _ _ _ _   L _ _ _

 

2. The outcome of when one well UPHOLSTERS something:

    P _ _ _   R_ _ _ _ _ 

 

3. SEPARATION

    O _ _   _ _   A _ _ _ _ 

 

4. An example of a FRINGE PERK:

    F _ _ _   P _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 

Answers:

 

1. STUDENT LOAN

2. POSH RESULT

3. ONE IS APART

4. FREE PARKING