POINTS TO PONDER  CXXXVII

Thomas Jefferson, penner of the immortal words, "all men are created equal" had over 600 slaves in his lifetime, and did not free them in his will - as many other slaveholders did. This inescapable irony can be understood, like so many other injustices, in the context of its time. But it is also also interesting to consider that in justifying breaking away from British rule, Jefferson's concept of the equality of men was not about slaves - but the rejection of the idea of hereditary royalty. 

 

RIDDLES

1. What might a spa retire? 

2. What is not alive, but can die? 

3. What facial hair hurts the most? 

4. Why did I name my pet newt "Tiny"? 

5. Why is a ranch hand like an apothecary?

6. What has a tail but can't wave it? (two answers)

7. Why are puns a waste of time for kleptomaniacs?

8. What can you commonly find in an airport and at a carnival? 

9. Can you think of two 9-letter mathematical terms that are anagrams?  

10. Can you think of two mythological figures who are mother and daughter and whose names are anagrams?

11. NOTE from JA: This might be offensive.

     What do church mice believe in?

 

HINTS:

9. One from geometry and one from calculus

10. Mother is a Titan and daughter is an Olympian goddess. 

 

Answer:

 

1. A spare tire

2. A battery

3. Mustache (must ache)

4. He's minute.

5. He's a farm assist

6. A comet and a coin

7. They take things - literally

8. A carousel

9. TRIANGLES - INTEGRALS

10. RHEA - HERA

11. Cheeses

 

Credits :

3 and 5: Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXL

GAMES Magazine

December, 2000

Michael Sontchi (1-6)

Richard Lee Clark (7) 

November, 2001  

Todd Rew (8-10)

 

1. Say "N.-O. Period." 

 

2. Apprehend spies, so to say

 

3. English school bred magic cuckoo 

 

4. Potomac resort covers great expanse

 

5. Don Quixote author never acts troubled  

 

6. Mighty Iraqi people fall and finally surrender

 

7. Reaches over counter for cookies

 

8. Airmen get adjusted and start to develop

 

9. Look through basic ingredients for topping

 

10. Boxed selection of older rap songs brought back 

 

HINTS:

1. Homograph

2. Homophone

3. Anagram

4. Hidden word

5. Anagram

6. Final letters

7. Reversal

8. Anagram

9. Hidden word

10. Reversal

 

Answers:

 

1. SPELL

2. SEIZE (sees)  

3. CAMBRIDGE (bred magic) 

4. ACRES (potomAC RESort)

5. CERVANTES (never acts) 

6. YIELD (mightY iraqI peoplE falL anD)

7. SNAPS (spans = reaches over)

8. GERMINATE (airmen get) 

9. ICING (basIC INGredients)

10.  SPARRED (boxed) [olDER RAP Songs]

 

 

PAIR-ODIES

GAMES Magazine

December, 2000

Stephen Sniderman (adapted)  

 

Can you name the famous pair suggested by the initials in each clue?

 

Ex. Lyricist and composer of musicals - L&L  

Ans. Lerner & Lowe

 

1. Composer and lyricist of musicals - R&H

2. Lyricist and composer of comic operas - G&S 

3. She cut his hair and he lost his power - S&D

4. Trust in God defeats a stronger enemy - D&G 

5. Explorers of the Pacific Northwest - L&C 

6. Tide and Crest brand name - P&G

7. Book seller - B&N

8. Comedy team - L&H

9. Comedy team - A&C

10. Comedy team - A&A 

11. First parents - A&E

12. First brothers - C&A

13. Jungle couple - T&J 

14. Circus pioneers - B&B

15. Pioneer retailers - S&R 

16. Star-crossed lovers - R&J

17. Roman leader and Egyptian Queen - A&C 

18. "Sound of Silence" duo - S&G

19. Notorious fugitives - B&C

20. George Gershwin opera - P&B

21. Superhero duo - B&R

22. Cartoon cat and mouse - T&J 

23. Abandoned children of a fairy tale - H&G

 

Answers:

 

1. Rodgers and Hammerstein

2. Gilbert and Sullivan

3. Samson and Delilah

4. David and Goliath

5. Lewis and Clark

6. Procter and Gamble

7. Barnes and Noble

8. Laurel and Hardy

9. Abbot and Costello

10. Amos and Andy

11. Adam and Eve

12. Cain and Abel

13. Tarzan and Jane

14. Barnum and Bailey

15. Sears and Roebuck

16. Romeo and Juliet

17. Anthony and Cleopatra

18. Simon and Garfunkel

19. Bonnie and Clyde

20. Porgy and Bess 

21. Batman and Robin  

22. Tom and Jerry 

23. Hansel and Gretel 

 

TWO OUT OF THREE XIII

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

Ex. WAVE, MAN, SUIT

Ans. MAN + SUIT = TSUNAMI (wave)

 

1. ERE, VITAL, KIN 

2. RIME, FAKE, STOP

3. FIRST, ROIL, GAIN

4. PLAN, COIN, SEAR 

5. HEAT, RENT, SCARE

6. CAD, CLEAR, INVITE 

 

HINTS:

One of the words to be anagrammed:

1. ERE

2. RIME

3. ROIL

4. COIN

5. HEAT

6. CAD 

 

Answers:

 

1. ERE + VITAL = RELATIVE (kin)

2. RIME + STOP = IMPOSTER (fake)

3. ROIL + GAIN = ORIGINAL (first)

4. COIN + SEAR = SCENARIO (plan)

5. HEAT + RENT = THREATEN (scare)

6. CAD + INVITE = VINDICATE (clear)  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXXIX

GAMES Magazine

October, 1999

Bob Stigger (1-4)

Todd Rew (5- 10)

 

1. Say outright

 

2. Relative in Riviera resort we hear 

 

3. Ten dimes lost in lake-bottom muck

 

4. Almost finished bringing up dried fruit

 

5. Feeling bent over

 

6. Audibly quote spy

 

7. Ogle if a suspect leaves 

 

8. Implied roughly ten a.m.  

 

9. Not a man's altered state 

 

10. Ask if flotilla contains rowboat 

 

HINTS:

1. Homograph

2. Homophone

3. Anagram

4. Curtailment (drop final letter)

5. Homograph

6. Homophone

7. Anagram

8. Anagram

9. Anagram

10. Hidden word

 

Answers:

 

1. UTTER

2. NIECE (Nice)

3. SEDIMENT (ten dimes)

4. RAISIN (raising)

5. HUNCH

6. SIGHT (cite)

7. FOLIAGE (ogle if a) [foliage = leaves] 

8. MEANT (ten a.m.) [implied = meant]

9. MONTANA (not a man)

10. SKIFF (aSK IF Flotilla) [rowboat = skiff] 

 

 

The words below are made up of two smaller words - but they are not compound words. For example, SHE and RIFF could be combined to form SHERIFF, but SHERIFF if not a compound word (like BEDROOM) because its two parts are not related. Can you think of the other half of the words below to make them longer - but not compound words? Some of the words may have more than one answer.

1. FUR

2. DELI 

3. FEAT

4. GENE 

5. RAGA 

6. BRAN

7. MARS

8. STALL 

9. SERGE

10. MISER 

 

(Possible) Answers:

 

1. FURLONG

2. DELIBERATE

3. FEATHER

4. GENETIC / GENERATE

5. RAGAMUFFIN

6. BRANDISH

7. MARSHALL

8. STALLION

9. SERGEANT

10. MISERABLE  

 

[false compounds]