WORDS IN COMMON
Credit: GAMES Magazine
April, 2005

[I have divided this puzzle into two parts. The "harder" version is the original puzzle as it appeared in GAMES. The "easier" version is the solution to the puzzle. If you have trouble with the original, as I did, the words in common in each set of the solution will answer the question of the original puzzle.]


HARDER VERSION
The words in each set below are incomplete. Can you figure out what shorter word is missing - intact - from the words in each set?

1)
UNCH
SHERN
CURIER
BIQUE

2)
TAN
CON
CHER
STLE

3)
ATD
INSE
USIL
LAT

4)
COLL
MY
HST
CORT

EASIER VERSION

1)
UNCOUTH
SOUTHERN
COUTURIER
BOUTIQUE

2)
TARTAN
CARTON
CHARTER
STARTLE

3)
ATTEND
INTENSE
UTENSILE
LATENT

4)
COLONEL
MONEY
HONEST
CORONET

Answers:

The missing words from each set are:

1. OUT
2. ART
3. TEN
4. ONE