1. What do the following phrases have in common?

Bread crust

Apple core

Mantle of authority

 

2. The following words share an unusual property. Can you determine what it is? 

 

CINCHES

DREAMS

MANGLES

LIABILITIES

 

3. What do the following words have in common?

 

AGENT

FABLE

SPAWN

 

HINTS:

2. Initial letter(s) of the words

3. Drop a letter

 

Answers:

 

1. The crust, mantle, and core are the layer of the earth.

 

2. Each word begins with one or two Roman numerals and could be parsed as:

100 inches

500 reams

1,000 angles

51 abilities  

 

3. If you drop one letter and anagram the remaining letters, you get the name of an insect:

GNAT

FLEA

WASP  

 

Credit:

2: Yitzi Snow

     NY Times Crossword

     February 26, 2026