Gems from old GAMES Magazines IX

 

FORE AND AFT

GAMES Magazine

September, October, 1980

Will Shortz

 

The ten words below share a very unusual quality. Can you determine what it is?

 

1. SHOVEL

2. BOUGHT

3. HEARTH

4. GRAVEL

5. PLEASE

6. ASTERN

7. BUTTER 

8. SPARSE

9. AVERSE

10. STRIPE

HINT:

It has to do with the first and last letters of the clue words.

 

Answers:

 

If you drop the first letter of the word, you get a valid word remaining. If you drop the last letter of the word, you also get a valid word remaining:

 

1. SHOVEL - HOVEL, SHOVE

2. BOUGHT - BOUGH, OUGHT

3. HEARTH - HEART, EARTH

4. GRAVEL - GRAVE,  RAVEL

5. PLEASE - PLEAS, LEASE

6. ASTERN - ASTER, STERN

7. BUTTER - BUTTE, UTTER

8. SPARSE - SPARS, PARSE

9. AVERSE - AVERS, VERSE

10. STRIPE - STRIP, TRIPE