1. What do the following words have in common?

ATE
OAK
EDIT
OWN
EASE

2. What do the following words and phrases have in common?

NO CUTS
PAIRS
GRAY
PLANES
POKE AT
HASTEN

HINTS:
1. Each word can be preceded by the same two letters to create new words.
2. Each clue is an anagram, and they all have something in common.

Answers:

1. Each word can be preceded by CR to make a new word:

CRATE  /CROAK / CREDIT / CROWN / CREASE

2. The words and phrases are anagrams for the names of cities:

NO CUTS - TUCSON
PAIRS - PARIS
GRAY - GARY
PLANES - NAPLES
HASTEN - ATHENS

Credit: LA Times Crossword
Sylvia Bursztyn and Barry Tunick
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