SLIPPERY LANGUAGE

Wall Street Journal Crossword

April 24, 2023

Kathy Lowden and  Tess Davison

 

Can you think of a "slippery" metaphor for each of the following?

 

1. Effort

2. Entire thing

3. Students burn it

4. Chief source of income 

Answers:

 

1. Elbow grease

2. Whole ball of wax

3. Midnight oil 

4. Bread and butter

 

 

 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD LXVII

FAMILY REUNIONS 

GAMES/World of Puzzles

December, 2014

Stanley Newman

 

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get ten related names.

 

1. RADIO

2. SILKEN

3. SPACED

4. ANORAK

5. UNRAVEL

6. BLANCHE

7. ROMANIA

8. CLEAVERS

9. FIRELIGHT

10. ALTERNATED

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. A

2. S

3. C

4. O

5. V

6. B

7. O

8. L

9. T

10. T

Answers:

 

1. DIOR

2. KLEIN

3. SPADE

4. KARAN

5. LAUREN

6. CHANEL

7. ARMANI

8. VERSACE

9. HILFIGER

10. DE LA RENTA - - - Famous clothes designers

HOMOGRAPHS XXX

MIXED DOUBLES

GAMES/World of Puzzles

December, 2014

Mike Nothnagel

 

What single word satisfies both clues?

 

1. Offspring

    Disputed matter

 

2. Imperfection

    Leave your home country and seek refuge in another

 

3. Heavenly being

    Financial backer to a play or opera

 

4. Shy

    Made arrangements by calling ahead

 

5. Shirt part

    Snag a criminal

 

6. Alcove

    School break

 

7. Declares

    Union members

 

8. Sub

    Rescuer

 

9. Sweater

    Police command, perhaps

 

10. Result of folding

      Area in front of an ice hockey goal  

Answers:

 

1. ISSUE

2. DEFECT

3. ANGEL

4. RESERVED

5. COLLAR

6. RECESS

7. STATES

8. HERO

9. PULLOVER (PULL OVER)

10. CREASE

STUMPERS CDLXVIII

What do the cities of PROVO and MONTEREY have in common?

Answer:

CHEESE:

PROVOLONE

MONTEREY JACK 

 

Credit:

Janet Bender 

 

FLEXERS CIV

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The choices are in random order. Wordplay is fair play. 

1. Successfully used a hair restorer 

2. Just the refreshments, not the viewing

3. Where stealth is found in the dictionary 

4. Anteroom

5. Early summer

6. Leaves for lunch

7. Blush

8. Inhabits

9. Curling iron

10. Gregarious type 

CHOICES:

a. Gored

b. A head of steam

c. Overtone

d. Salad

e. Half awake

f. Gambling  hall 

g. Bodybuilding

h. Abacus

i. Like nuns

j. Slowly grew apart

Answers:

 

1. j - Slowly grew apart (a part)

2. e -  Half awake (a wake)

3. b - A head of steam (ahead)

4. f - Gambling hall  (ante room)

5. h - Abacus

6. d - Salad

7. a - Gored ( go red)

8. i - Like nuns (in habits)

9. g - Bodybuilding

10. c - Overtone (overt one) 

 

Credits:

1-3: Mike Hobin

5: Harvey Estes

6: Lynn Lempel

 

ADD A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CCXV

Add the designated letter to each word and re-arrange the letters to get a new word.

 

1. TEAL + R

2. REBUS + I

3. CIDER + T

4. SLIDE + H

5. SIREN + G

6. SHAPE + R

7. STOCK + E

8. TREAT + O

9. ROUTE + P

10. FLARE + T

11. ANGLE + F 

HINTS:

1. Paying attention

2. Result of an injury, perhaps

3. Straightforward

4. Old defensive weapon

5. Step down

6. Word group

7. Kind of wrench

8. Spin

9. Performing group

10. Hesitate

11. Rim

Answers:

 

1. ALERT

2. BRUISE (BUSIER)

3. DIRECT (CREDIT)

4. SHIELD

5. RESIGN

6. PHRASE

7. SOCKET

8. ROTATE

9. TROUPE

10. FALTER

11. FLANGE

The following phrases and sentences have something in common that is hinted at by by the last clue. Can you determine what it is?

1. Rather easy

2. Solar heating

3. You are there.

4. Is that a threat?

5. Stouthearted men

6. Haters gonna hate.

7. Temblor

Answer  to clue 7:

EARTHQUAKE

 

Answers to clues 1-6:

 

Each phrase or sentence conceals the letters E-A-R-T-H in consecutive, but scrambled order:

 

1. rATHER easy

2. solaR HEATing 

3. you ARE THere

4. is that a tHREAT

5. stouTHEARted men

6. HATERs gonna hate.

 

Credit:

Joseph Appel

AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING XC

1. Less than 10% of the ocean floor has been mapped.

2. Mr. Boddy is the murder victim in the game of CLUE. He is the owner of the Boddy Mansion (Tudor Manor) and has invited all the guests there for the evening - each of whom (in their back-stories) has a motive to kill him. 

3. To bolster public morale during World War II, pianist Myra Hess organized and performed in hundreds of  of lunchtime concerts in London's National Gallery, for which she was made Dame of the British Empire in 1941.

4. Marni Nixon provided the singing voice for Deborah Kerr in The King and I, Natalie Wood, in West Side Story, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.

5. The area along the Mekong River where Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar meet is called The Golden Triangle.

6. Xanthippe was the (allegedly) scolding, nagging, ill-tempered wife of Socrates. Today, her name is a word that means a shrewish, quarrelsome woman.

7. "Wrong Way Corrigan" was not the football player who ran the wrong way in the 1929 Rose Bowl. That player was Ron Riegels, playing for the University of California, Berkeley. He was also called "Wrong Way Reigels" - adding to the confusion. The real "Wrong Way Corrigan" was Douglas Corrigan, an American aviator and the last of the early glory-seeking fliers. He meant to fly from Brooklyn, NY to Long Beach, CA, but "accidentally" flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Dublin, Ireland. He claimed he had read his compass backward. 

8. Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that was among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It was created around 1876 by Augustine Thompson as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food", and was produced in Lowell, Massachusetts. It's similar to root beer - with an aftertaste. It was America's most popular soft drink until the 1920's, when it was eclipsed by Coca-Cola. Today, Moxie is bottled and distributed primarily in the Northeast, with a core of dedicated fans in Maine.

UNUSUAL WORDS LIII

Source:

The Words You Should Know to Sound Smart

Robert W. Bly

The following words are not that rare or unusual, but they are not used frequently - especially in casual conversation. Do you know their meanings?

1. Aegis

2. Halcyon

3. Limpid

4. Scintilla

5. Taciturn

6. Zephyr

7. Redolent

8. Inveigle

9. Nostrum

10. Sycophant

11. Peripatetic

12. Meretricious 

Answers:

 

1. Aegis - Protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization

 

2. Halcyon - Denoting a period time in the past, usually youth, that was happy and peaceful

 

3. Limpid - Completely clear, as a liquid

 

4. Scintilla - A tiny trace of spark of a specified quality or feeling

 

5. Taciturn - Saying little, reserved or uncommunicative in speech

 

6. Zephyr - A soft, gentle breeze

 

7. Redolent - Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (as by smell)

 

8. Inveigle - Persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery

 

9. Nostrum - An ineffective solution or quick fix proposed to solve a problem, but that does not address the real issues - a quack medicine to cure everything

 

10. Sycophant - A person who acts obsequiously to someone important in order to gain favor/advantage.

11. Peripatetic - Traveling or moving from place to place

12. Meretricious - Showy and apparently attractive, but having in reality no real value or integrity

 

ANGUISHED ENGLISH I

An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language

Richard Lederer

 

1. In 1957, Eugene O'Neill won a  Pullet Surprise.

 

2. The inhabitants of Moscow are called Mosquitos.

 

3. Having one wife is called monotony.

 

4. Acrimony is what a man gives his divorced wife.

 

5. A virtuoso is a musician with real high morals.

 

6. The difference between a king and a president is that a king is the son of his father, but a president isn't.

 

7. Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies, and they all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sara Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere, so certain area of the dessert are cultivated by irritation.

8. Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. He died before he ever reached Canada. 

9. David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. 

10. A myth is a female moth.

11. One myth says that the mother of Achilles dipped him in the River Stynx until he became intollerable. 

12. Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock.

QUOTES CLXI

FAMOUS MIS-QUOTATIONS (III)

Source: The Play of Words

Richard Lederer

(Authors shown below the quotes)

1. Misquote: One good turn deserves another.

    Actual quote: One good turn asketh another.

 

2. Misquote: Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

    Quote: Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no fibs. 

3. Misquote: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

    Actual quote: Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.

4. Misquote: All that glitters is not gold.

    Actual quote: All that glisters is not gold.

5. Misquote: Straight is the gate and narrow is the way .....

    Actual quote : Strait is the gate and narrow is the way .....

6. Misquote: Beggars can't be choosers.

    Actual quote: Beggars must be no choosers.

7. Misquote: Half a loaf is better than none.

    Actual quote: For better is half than no bread.

8. Misquote: Went in one ear and out the other.

    Actual quote: Went in at the one ear and out at the other.

Authors:

1: John Heywood

2: Oliver Goldsmith

3: Walter Colton

4: William Shakespeare

5: Matthew (New Testament) 

6: Beaumont and Fletcher

7: John Heywood (?) William Camden 

8: John Heywood

 

THE CAT'S PAJAMAS XV

Tad Tuleja

 

A collection of the (mostly) true origins of familiar phrases

 

AT THE DROP OF A HAT

 

Today, At the drop of a hat means to do something instantly, suddenly, without delay. Its history goes back to the old European custom of throwing a glove to the ground as a challenge to a duel. In 17th century Mexico, where gloves were unknown to the native peoples, macho rivals modified this custom (brought to them by the Conquistadors) by throwing hats at each other's feet. In bare-knuckled brawls as well as knife fights, a dropped hat (sombrero decado) was the signal to begin. And to be constantly looking for a dropped hat (vigilante al sombrero) meant you were ready for trouble: hence the modern sense of vigilante [same spelling].

 

One curious twist made these duellos de sombrero a little safer than the "glove duels" of the Europeans. In addition to initiating the action, the dropped hats also served as protection. Each fighter's hat was considered his "home base." If he wished to catch his breath or retreat from a knife thrust, he could gain a temporary respite by stepping on it. Ethnochoreographers generally agree that the balletic leaps and bounds that this rule imparted to the fighting were the original steps of the Mexican Hat Dance.

What do the following words have in common?

 

1. GARDEN

2. BACK

3. TAKE

4. SANDWICH

 

Answer:

 

Each word can be either preceded or followed by name of one of the four suits in a deck of cards:

 

1. GARDEN SPADE

2. DIAMONDBACK

3. TAKE HEART

4. CLUB SANDWICH

 

Credit:

Janet Seroff 

LA Times Crossword

April 26, 2023

Susan Gelfand

 

The first four names below have something in common that is hinted at by the fifth clue. Can you determine what it is?

 

1. JANE GOODALL

2. PAUL CEZANNE

3. HOWARD STERN

4. CHARLES SCHULZ

5. Cause of a major paradigm shift

 

Answer to clue 5:

Game changer

 

Answers to clues 1-4:

 

Each clue has the consecutive, but scrambled letters of a well known game:

 

1. JANE GOODALL - JENGA 

2. PAUL CEZANNE - CLUE

3. HOWARD STERN - DARTS

4. CHARLES SCHULZ - CHESS

FOUR-LETTER WORDS

 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

July, 2021 (1-4)

 

1. Can you think of a ten-letter word with four N's - meaning making a proclamation?

 

2. Can you think of a ten-letter word with four I's - meaning membership ceremony?

 

3. Can you think of a ten-letter word with four U's - meaning chaotic?

4. Can you think of a nine-letter word with four L's - meaning cylindrical snack cake?

 

5. Can you think of a nine-letter word with four A's - meaning (ski) mask?                                                    

HINTS:

First letters:

1. A

2. I

3. T

4. J

5. B

Answers:

 

1. ANNOUNCING

2. INITIATION

3. TUMULTUOUS

4. JELLYROLL

5. BALACLAVA

 

 

 

 

INSERT-A-WORD XXII

 

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

July, 2021

 

Insert a word from Group B into a word from Group A to form a longer word. Each word from Group B is used only once. 

 

GROUP A           GROUP B

1. HUE                   COIL

2. REED                 ETCH

3. VAT                    RACE

4. TABLE               LET

5. MATE                 MAN

6. SKIER                GAME

7. ROUTE              EDIT

8. LINT                  CAN

Answers:

 

1. huMANe

2. reCOILed

3. vaCANt

4. tRACEable

5. mEDITate

6. skETCHier

7. rouLETte

8. liGAMEnt

 

 

LOGICAL THINKING XXVII

AUNT HILDEGARDE

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

David Diefendorf

 

Aunt Hildegarde's tastes vary with the name of the relative she is visiting. She has just returned from a visit with Uncle Pete. Can you explain the new principle behind her current tastes?

 

Aunt Hildegarde ...........

 

1. Likes to earn, but not to save

2. Likes pears, but not apples

3. Likes tea, but not coffee 

4. Likes planes, but not trains

5. Likes the tide, but not the ocean

6. Likes the morning, but not the evening 

Answer:

 

Aunt Hildegarde likes words that have homophones - like PETE and PEAT:

 

1. Earn - ern(e)

2. Pears - pairs, pares

3. Tea - tee

4. Planes - plains

5. Tide - tied

6. Morning - mourning

 

 

 

 

 

SYNONYM/ANGAGRAM CXCIX

The two words in each clue can be anagrammed into one - beginning with the given letter. The meanings of the anagrams are given below the clues.

1. LOST + SNIPE = P 

2. NEON + SLICE = I

3. TART + GUIDE = G 

4. CITE + CHART = A

5. REAL + SHARE = G 

6. POET + MARRY = T

7. POUR + STEAM = M 

8. BANE + GROOM = B

Meanings of the anagrams:

1. Inane

2. Rudeness

3. Thankfulness

4. Builder with a degree

5. Practice

6. For the time being

7. Build a better one - to be successful

8. "Return to me."

Answers:

 

1. POINTLESS

2. INSOLENCE

3. GRATITUDE

4. ARCHITECT

5. REHEARSAL

6. TEMPORARY

7. MOUSETRAP

8. BOOMERANG

 

 

CRYPTO CLUES XXXI

1. Land a fish (two meanings)

2. Affectionately hug chocolate maker (heteronym)

3. Cheap like a kind of police operation

4. Inside corridor man tries sleeping (hidden word)

5. Visitor speculated aloud (homophone)

6. Libyan city's big show size (homophone)

7. No approvals for recesses (hidden words) 

8. Beggar to sew a tear - I haven't the ability (hidden words)

9. In reverse, neat streetcars

10. Male sheep calling for rioting (two words)

Credits:

GAMES/World of Puzzles

February, 2018

1: Pam Wylder

2-3: Ed Coderre 

GAMES/World of Puzzles

December, 2014

4-10: Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

 

Answers:

1. Perch (two meanings)

2. NESTLE (heteronym)

3. STINGY (sting-y)

4. DORMANT (corriDOR MAN Tries

5. GUEST (guessed)

6. TRIPOLI (triple E)

7. NOOKS (no OK's)

8. MENDICANT (mend I can't)

9. TRAMS (smart) 

10. RAMPAGING (ram paging)

        

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOMOGRAPHS XXIX

MIXED TRIPLES

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Mike Nothnagel

 

What word or phrase satisfies all three clues?

 

1. Assortment

    Word in a proverb

    Specific type, as of fruit

2. Head area

    Synagogue

    Glasses part

 

3. Sequence

    Command

    Choose from a menu

 

4. Rose

    Failed to keep a date with

    Remained valid under scrutiny

 

5. "You can't be serious!"

    Pick-up line

    "Hurry up" 

6. Back of a coin

    Gear option

    Transpose

7. Poetic rhythm

    Linear measure

    Gas use calculator

 

8. Legal actions

    Types of cards

    Businessmen to elevator operators

Answers:

 

1. VARIETY

2. TEMPLE

3. ORDER 

4. STOOD UP

5. COME (-) ON

6. REVERSE

7. METER

8. SUITS

   

    

   

    

 

LA Times Crossword

April 24, 2023

Brian Callahan (1-3, 8)

The answers to the clues below have something in common that is hinted at by the last clue. Can you determine what it is?

1. Affectionate letter sign-off

2.Wash unit

3. Illinois nickname

4. Deaths - as in a natural disaster

5. Conditions of great comfort and wealth 

6. Entree prepared from a young sheep

7. A task done for pleasure, not reward

8. They only drive their cars once a week - to church on Sunday

9. Response to a funny text

Answer to clue 9:

 

LOL - Laugh Out Loud

 

Answers to clues 1-8:

 

Each clue can be answered with a three-word phrase with initial letters LOL:

 

1. Lots Of Love

2. Load Of Laundry

3. Land Of Lincoln

4. Loss Of Life

5. Lap Of Luxury

6. Leg Of Lamb

7. Labor Of Love

8. Little Old Ladies

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

April 23, 2023

Will Shortz

 

This puzzle is a variation on the meditation syllable OM. The answer to each clue is two-word phrase with the initial letters O and M - in that order. 

 

1. 60 seconds 

2. Again

3. Hand protector for a chef

4. They're gold, silver, and bronze

5. Rembrandt, da Vinci, and Botticelli

6. Breathing aid in an aircraft emergency

7. It's in the back of a speedboat

8. Group of stores selling brand name products

9. Session at a club when anyone can sing or do stand-up

10. Preserve made from juice and peel of a citrus fruit

11. Countries that are part of an oil cartel

12. Words following "Lions and Tigers and Bears" in The Wizard of Oz

 

Answers:

 

1. One Minute

2. Once More

3. Oven Mitt

4. Olympic Medals

5. Old Masters

6. Oxygen Mask

7. Outboard Motor

8. Outlet Mall

9. Open Mike

10. Orange Marmalade

11. Opec Members

12. Oh My! 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD LXXX

FAMILY REUNIONS

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Regis Modesta

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get seven related words.

1. ENVY

2. FRAIL

1. DRANK

4. ROGUE

5. BUTLER

6. PERUSE

 

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. **

2. F

3. K

4. G

5. T

6. S

Answers:

 

1. YEN

2. RIAL

3. RAND

4. EURO

5. RUBLE

6. RUPEE - - - Official monetary units of:

 

1. Japan

2. Iran

3. South Africa

4. Western Europe

5. Russia

6. India

 

COMMON COMBOS XXIV

Each group below contains four unrelated words. Find a word that can either precede or follow each of the words in each of the groups. 

1. OLIVE, PAINTING, LAMP, MOTOR

2. SALT, CARD, HEAD, CLOTH

3. STREET, BOX, POOL, SHOW

4. BUSINESS, TALK, SIDE, BOAT

5. COMMON, ANSWER, LIVE, OPTION

6. COUNTRY, PLAY, DARK, STICK

Answers:

 

1. OIL

2. TABLE

3. CAR

4. SHOW

5. STOCK

6. HORSE

STUMPERS CDLXVII

Can you think of two five-letter anagrams that, when you follow them with the word WATCHING, the two resulting phrases are near opposites?

Answer:

BEGIN WATCHING

BINGE WATCHING

Can you complete this verse with a single word?

When shopping at the health food

   store,

I spied a woman at the door - 

A vegan gal I just adore,

But I've never talked to ________.

 

Answer:

 

herbivore 

 

ADD A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CCXIV

Add the designated letter to each word and re-arrange the letters to get a new word.

1. URGE + O

2. IMAGE + N

3. REGAL + O

4. OLDEN + I

5. VALET + R

6. SCORE + W

7. HASTE + H

8. TRESS + A

9. PASTE + C

10. TRAIT + E 

HINTS:

1. Cad

2. Conundrum

3. "Tons of 'em"

4. Mass of cells

5. Going places

6. Third party in a house sale

7. Sword covering

8. Aver

9. One side or view of something

10. What you're wearing

Answers:

 

1. ROGUE

2. ENIGMA

3. GALORE

4. NODULE

5. TRAVEL

6. ESCROW

7. SHEATH

8. ASSERT

9. ASPECT

10. ATTIRE

WORD + WORD = NEW WORD XXXIII

Each clue below contains the definitions of two words which can be combined together to form a third, unrelated word - without any re-arrangement of letters.

1. Act + Penny

2. Exist + Pains

3. Finish + Precious

4. Golf term + spear

5. Rascal +Stories and legends

6. Very long story + Metropolis

7. Fighting between nations + Lair

8. Not looking good, as a situation + High or low card 

HINTS:

1. Guide

2. Normandy five

3. Ingratiate

4. Jargon

5. Beg

6. Wisdom

7. Prison VIP

8. Scowl

Answers:

 

1. DOCENT ( do + cent)

2. BEACHES (be + aches)

3. ENDEAR (end + dear)

4. PARLANCE (par + lance)

5. IMPLORE (imp + lore)

6. SAGACITY (saga + city)

7. WARDEN (war + den)

8. GRIMACE ( grim + ace)

STUMPERS CDLXVI

Can you think of three six-letter words that differ only by their first letter?

1. D _ _ _ _ _

    G _ _ _ _ _

    T _ _ _ _ _

 

HINT:

D _ _ D _ _

G _ _ D _ _

T _ _ D _ _

 

Answer:

 

DRUDGE

GRUDGE

TRUDGE

 

 

 

AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING LXXXIV

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the three pyramids of Giza and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu. Built in the early 26th century B.C. (4,500 yeas ago) over a period of 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. As perhaps the largest single building ever constructed, it is a wonder mainly because of its scale and the incredible precision with which the work was executed. Its 2,300,000 granite and limestone blocks each weighed approximately 2.5 tons - slotted together with unerring accuracy - reaching a height of 482 feet. This means that one block would have to be laid every five minutes of every hour - 24 hours a day - over the entire 27 years. The logistics of an ancient people building such a structure has been the subject of much academic inquiry. The task was so daunting that some authors have written that ancient aliens must have helped in the construction. 

2. Marie Curie was a pioneering giant in the fields of physics and chemistry. In 1903, she shared the the Nobel Prize in physics for her discovery of the new elements polonium and radium. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. In 1911, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for her isolation of pure radium. She is one of only two people to win the Nobel Prize in two different fields. (The other is Linus Pauling, who won the 1954 prize in chemistry, and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.) Marie Curie's pioneering work in radioactivity, which ultimately led to her own death, was the foundation for X-rays and radiation therapy to treat cancer and other diseases.

3. On May 7, 1824, Beethoven's ninth and final symphony premiered in Vienna. Innovative for its time, it included voices as well as instruments. Today it is considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. By this time, Beethoven had completely lost his hearing. Nevertheless he appeared on stage and appeared to conduct his masterpiece. Due to of his deafness, the members of the orchestra were told to ignore the composer and instead follow the actual conductor, Michael Umlauf. (Beethoven was only a few bars off when the symphony ended.) Because he could not hear the applause, Caroline Unger, the 20-year-old woman Beethoven had hand-picked to sing the alto part in the last movement, had to turn him to face the audience. Knowing that the great maestro could not hear them, the audience waved their hats and handkerchiefs in the air as they gave him five standing ovations.

QUOTES CLX

Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.

Honore de Balzac

 

In a world that is changing so quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.

Mark Zuckerberg

 

The problems of the world today are so complex that even teenagers don't know the answers.

Author Unknown

 

The less satisfaction we derive from being ourselves, the greater is our desire to be like others.

Author Unknown

Saying nothing.......sometimes says the most.

Emily Dickinson

When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.

Henry J. Kaiser

In case you're wondering what's going to become of the younger generation, it's going to grow up and start worrying about the younger generation.

Author Unknown

There is no good in arguing with the inevitable; the only argument against a cold wind is to put on your coat.

Author Unknown

The possession of a great many things, even the best of things, tends to blind one to the real value of anything.

Author Unknown

DOUBLE DUTY CCXXVI

Fill in each trio of blanks with a three-letter word that will complete the word beginning on the left and begin the word ending on the right.

1. INT _ _ _ EMIC

2. KIS _ _ _ HOD

3. BEH _ _ _ EST

4. COM _ _ _ CH

5. DES _ _ _ TERY

6. RAMP _ _ _ ICLE

7. THRES _ _ _ ALD

8. OTTO _ _ _ EUVER

9. CARA _ _ _ GUARD

 

HINTS:

First of the missing letters: 

1. E

2. M

3. O or E

4. B

5. P

6. A

7. H

8. M

9. V

Answers:

 

1. intENDemic

2. kisMEThod

3. behOLDest or behELDest

4. comBATch

5. desPOTtery

6. rampARTicle

7. thresHERald

8. ottoMANeuver

9. caraVANguard

 

 

Answer each clue with a phrase that contains the same letter three times in consecutive order. For example, A valuable sports collectible, would be TY COBB BASEBALL.

1. One who categorizes certain dairy products 

2. Total up the amount owed

3. Overly hopeful and positive

4. Washington, D.C. group who try to influence legislators 

5. Food and drink, beds, sheets and towels, etc. for a rural establishment that provides accommodations for travelers

Answers:

1. EGG GRADER

2. ADD DEBITS

3. TOO OPTIMISTIC

4. HILL LOBBYISTS

5. INN NECESSITIES

The answers to the clues below will have something in common that has nothing to do with their meanings. Can you determine what it is?

1. Elocution practice phrase

2. Not knowing what to say (with "At a ...)

3. LDS companion scripture to the Bible

4. What the Romans put on Jesus' head

5. Poetic book of the Old Testament

Answers:

 

1 "How now brown cow"

2. "loss for words"

3. Book of Mormon

4. Crown of thorns

5. Song of Solomon - - - All answers contain only the vowel O.

 

Credit:

Greg Staples

O ZONE

BAD PUNS XXXVII

Fred Piscop 

Answer each clue with a bad pun incorporating a U.S. state capital.

1. A sudden breeze

 

2. What the Visigoths did on August 27, 410

 

3. What the protestors were doing when the police came to disperse them

Answers:

 

1. A-gust-a wind

2. Concord Rome 

3. Lincoln arms

Wall Street Journal Crossword

March 28, 2023

Desiree Penner and Jeff Sinock

WRITTEN IN STONE 

The name and three phrases below each conceal a related word with the letters in correct, but not consecutive, order. Can you find the words? Can you think of another phrase that would make good title to this puzzle? Compare your answer to the phrase the constructors used in their "reveal" clue.

 

1. JAMES DEAN

2. CHORUS BOY 

3. TOLL PLAZA

4. ROSE PETAL

 

Answers:

 

1. JAmes DEan  (JADE)

2. choRUs BoY  (RUBY)

3. TOll PlAZ      (TOPAZ)

4. rOse PetAL    (OPAL)

 

Phrase used in "reveal" clue and a possible title for this puzzle:

HIDDEN GEM

 

 

 

MIND FLEXERS CIV

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The relationships are disguised by double meanings and/or altered spacing within words. The choices are in random order.

1. Due for a change

2. Source of bills

3. Top choice

4. Doctors for boxers

5. Drop down

6. Carried chairs

7. Lottery prize

8. Make a long story overly short

9. There are no words

10. Easiest gig ever in a Beckett production 

CHOICES:

a. Molt

b. ATM

c. Abridge too far

d. Blouse

e. Elevator music

f. Flat

g. Play Godot

h. Award of the state

i. Vets

j. Sedans

Answers:

 

1. f - Flat (tire)

2. b - ATM

3. d - Blouse

4. i - Vets

5. a - Molt

6. j - Sedans

7. h - Award of the state 

8. c - Abridge too far

9. e - Elevator music

10. g - Play Godot

 

Credits:

1-3: Mike Shenk 

4: Trip Payne

5: Michael Ashley

6. Lee Weaver 

7-8: Mike Hobin

9: Catherine Baicker and Scott Earl

10. Freddie Cheng 

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CXCVIII

The two words in each clue can be anagrammed into one - beginning with the given letter. The meanings of the anagrams are given below the clues.

1. ZEN + SEE = S

2. HAY + TAP = A

3. LAB + GEAR = A

4. EFT + FRIEND = D 

5. MEAT + PEER = M

6. CRAG + NAVY = V

7. HEWN + YEAR = A

8. WART + YARN = W 

9. LOST + AGAIN = N

10. MORE + BLAME = M

Meanings of the anagrams:

1. Bless you

2. Indifference

3. Math

4. Unlike

5. Suffuse

6. Transient's offense

7. You name the place

8. Product protection, perhaps

9. Longing for the past

10. Like a special or unusual event

Answers:

 

1. SNEEZE

2. APATHY

3. ALGEBRA

4. DIFFERENT

5. PERMEATE

6. VAGRANCY

7. ANYWHERE

8. WARRANTY

9. NOSTALGIA

10. MEMORABLE

FACTUAL RIDDLES XXXIII

1. Who was the only U.S. President never elected to the presidency and who never served as vice president?

2. What is "dark tourism"?

3. What architectural style are the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory?

4. How can one boy always surprise another boy?

5. What is the worst job in the world?

6. What is unusual about the phrase, "one mean anemone"?

7. What would be a bad palindromic name for a doctor, especially a surgeon? DR. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

8. Was Romeo a Capulet or a Montague?

9. What do they call tic-tac-toe in England

Answers:

1. Gerald Ford

2. Visiting sites that are associated with death and suffering, (hopefully) to pay respects, learn from history, and resolve that it won't happen again

3. Art Deco

4. Fall in love with his sister

5. Working at the "It's a Small World" ride in Disneyland

6. ONE MEAN is an anagram of ANEMONE. 

7. DR. AWKWARD 

8. Romeo is the only son of Lord and Lady Montague. He falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet. 

9. Noughts and crosses

 What do the following name and words have in common?

1. KID

2. FLAT

3. FORT

4. TESSA

5. QUICK 

Answer:

 

Each word is one letter off from the name of a car:

 

1. KID - KIA

2. FLAT - FIAT

3. FOOD - FORD

4. TESSA - TESLA

5. QUICK - BUICK 

 

Credit:

Mike Shenk

CRYPTO CLUES XXX

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Craig Hamilton (1-4)

Pam Wylder (5- 8)

 

The answers to cryptic clues are disguised in wordplay.

 

1. Not here, but all around the globe (container clue)

 

2. Heard cracks from anglers (homophone clue)

 

3. Gnarled toe bothered soccer player (anagram clue)

 

4. Early morning edition (abbrev.) held by shrimp (container clue)

 

5. Canyon running through Wyoming or Georgia (hidden word clue)

6. Get a mat adapted for a couple of wrestlers (anagram clue)

7. White, like chicken (charade clue - two words)

8. Beg for tales about rascals (charade clue)

Answers:

 

1. ABSORBENT (ABS ORB ENT) 

2. FISHERS (FISSURES)

3. GOALTENDER (anagram of gnarled toe)

4. PREDAWN (PR ED AWN)

5. GORGE (wyominG OR GEorgia)

6. TAG TEAM (anagram of get a mat)

7. ASHEN (AS HEN)

8. IMPLORE (IMP LORE)

 

HOMOGRAPHS XXVIII

MIXED DOUBLES

GAMES/ World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Mike Nothnagel

 

What single word or phrase satisfies both clues?

 

1. Tax deduction

    Dismiss as a lost cause

 

2. Donate

    Promise

 

3. Attempt, as a guess

    Dangerous obstacle on a road

 

4. Speed

    Apply for membership in a sorority

 

5. Blood vessel

   Major roadway

 

6. Excuse

    Forgiveness of a crime (or alleged crime) 

7. Money in the bank

    Evenly distribute weight

8. Card game

    Brooklyn, for one

9. Certain car

    African antelope

Answers:

 

1. WRITE OFF

2. PLEDGE

3. HAZARD

4. RUSH

5. ARTERY

6. PARDON

7. BALANCE

8. BRIDGE

9. IMPALA

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 What do the following words have in common?

1. Oil

2. Pear

3. Mail

4. Tears

5. Veins

6. Opera

7. Works

 

Answer:

 

Each word can be preceded by the name of an animal to make a familiar phrase:

 

1. Snake oil

2. Alligator pear (avocado)

3. Snail mail 

4. Crocodile tears

5. Spider veins

6. Horse opera 

7. Skunk Works 

The cuewords in the flat below represent the two five-letter answer words, which differ by only by their fourth letters.

1) 

It's said that Nero fiddled while Rome

   burned.

The SPACE left him quite SPARE and

   unconcerned.

 

HINT:

The two different fourth letters are Z and S.

 

2)

The cuewords in the flat below represent the two six-letter answer words, which differ only by their second letters.

 

Her kids returned to Hermosillo, FALL.

The FULL was overjoyed to see them all.

 

Answers:

 

1. BLAZE - BLASE

2. SONORA - SENORA

 

Credits:

The Enigma

February, 2023

1: WITZ

2: BROBBERTY 

The answers to this flat are a six-letter word (WHOLE) and two component three-letter words (TWO and ONE). 

He knew he had to WHOLE himself

To not be left upon the shelf,

So in her TWO he did aver

That till the ONE of time he would love her. 

 

Answer:

 

ENDEAR

EAR

END

 

Credit:

The Enigma

February, 2023

GREEN TEA 

 

 

 

DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD LXXIX

FAMILY REUNIONS

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Regis Modesta 

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get five related words.

 

1. MOTOR

2. GREETING

2. CARDINAL

4. ADVERBIAL

5. NON-EXEMPT 

HINTS:

Letters to be dropped:

1. M

2. G

3. N

4. D

5. M

Answers:

 

1. ROOT

2. INTEGER

3. RADICAL

4. VARIABLE

5. EXPONENT - - - math terms

 

LOGICAL THINKING XXVI

AUNT HILDEGARDE

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

David Diefendorf

Aunt Hildegarde's likes and dislikes change frequently - depending on the name of the person she is visiting. This month she is visiting her granddaughter.

Aunt Hildegarde likes:

 

1. Xylophones

2. Ghosts

3. Mnemonics

4. Stilts

5. Kleenex

6. Tutus

7. History

8. Deer

 

What might be Aunt Hildegarde's granddaughter's name?

 

Answer:

 

STELLA - or any other name in which the first two letters are alphabetically adjacent.`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        `    

TWO-FOR-ONE

GAMES/  World of Puzzles

April, 2016

From the GAMES library

 

Drop one letter from each of the words in each pair below, then combine the remaining letters to get a third word. Do not re-arrange the order of the letters. For example, given 

 

MOUSE - UMP, 

drop the O from MOUSE, to get MUSE, drop the P from UMP to get UM, combine the remaining letters to get MUSE + UM = MUSEUM.

1. COURT - RAIN

2. SERAPE - ANT

3. COMB- PUNTER

4. BEAVER - PAGE

5. DECK - ANTLER

6. RACKET - CRACK

7. HAMPER - STAND

8. PEAR - CLOCK

HINTS:

Letter to be dropped in the first word:

1. O

2. A

3. B

4. A

5. K

6. K

7. H

8. R

Answers:

 

1. CURTAIN

2. SERPENT

3. COMPUTER

4. BEVERAGE

5. DECANTER

6. RACETRACK

7. AMPERSAND

8. PEACOCK

 

ANAGRAMMATIC PAIRS

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Paddy Smith

 

The answers to the two clues in each pair below will be anagrams. For example, given the clue pair,

 

The Importance of Being _____

New Hampshire time zone,

 

the answer words would be EARNEST and EASTERN.

 

1. Aftermath of a close election. sometimes

    Defeat soundly

 

2. Make bigger

    Soap opera _____ Hospital 

 

3. High-end, as a neighborhood

    Word after space or time

 

4. Perceive

    Revoke, cancel

5. Regional form of language

    Fortress

Answers:

 

1. RECOUNT

    TROUNCE

 

2. ENLARGE

    GENERAL

 

3. UPSCALE

    CAPSULE

 

4. DISCERN

    RESCIND

 

5. DIALECT

    CITADEL

 

 

  

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

1. Grammar

2. Prefer

3. Revive

4. Motto

5. Voodoo

6. Igniting

 

Answer:

 

Moving the first letter of each word to the end of the word and reading backward, the word stays the same.

 

Credit:

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2016

Raymond Love 

LA Times Crossword

April 17, 2023

Catherine Cetta

The three phrases below have something in common that is hinted at by the fourth clue. Can you determine what it is?

1. Keep in touch

2. Mental image

3. That is so you

4. Completely wrong

Answer to clue 4:

FULL OF BEANS

 

Answers to clues 1-3:

 

Each phrase conceals the name of a type of bean:

 

1. keeP IN TOuch

2. mentaL IMAge

3. that is SO You

DOUBLE DUTY CCXXV

Fill in the blanks with three-letter words to complete the word beginning on the left and begin the word ending on the right.

 

1.WH _ _ _ CT

2. RE _ _ _ HEL

3. UR _ _ _ NER

4. TR _ _ _ URE

5. TA _ _ _ KLET

6. REG _ _ _ RT

7. MUF _ _ _ AL

8. CAR _ _ _ UND

9. SLIT _ _ _ ALD

10. GENE _ _ _ KLE

HINTS:

First of the missing letters:

1. E

2. B

3. B

4. E

5. B

6. A

7. F

8. R

9. H

10. T

Answers:

 

1. whEREct

2. reBUShel

3. urBANner

4. trENDure

5. taBOOklet

6. regALErt

7. mufFINal

8. carROTund

9. slitHERald 

10. geneTICkle

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

April 16. 2023

Will Shortz

 

Each word or phrase below is an anagram of a U.S. state capital city. Can you name them?

 

1. MEALS

2. ROVED

3. POKE AT

4. ANTI -US 

5. UP LAST

6. LEG HAIR

7. IN SLANG

8. I PHONE X 

9. MISSED ONE

10. TICKET ROLL

11. ACTORS NAME

Answers:

 

1. Salem

2. Dover

3. Topeka

4. Austin

5. St. Paul

6. Raleigh

7. Lansing

8. Phoenix

9. Des Moines

10. Little Rock

11. Sacramento