COMMON STOCK III
Credit: GAMES Magazine
August, 1991
Mike Shenk

The four answers to each numbered set below have something in common. To discover what, fill in the blanks to complete the words reading across. The letters you put in the blanks, taken in order from left to right, must also spell shorter words. These shorter words will all be members of the same category. For example, the first word in Set #1 is QUADRILLION, with the shorter word being QUAIL. The remaining three shorter words in #1 will also be names of birds. Getting one answer in a set will help you get the others, but breaking into a set can be tricky. [The categories of the two other sets are given as a hint, but that significantly reduces the challenge of the puzzle.]

1)
_ _ _ DR _ L _ ION
P _ _ _ AT _ O _
B_ LLI _ E _ _ N _
G _ _ _ _ STO _ E

2)
_ _ _ _ NGRO _ _ R
_ _ AGR _ _ _ _
_ MMOR _ _ _ IT _
IN _ _ IR _ T _ O _

3)
EI _ HTF _ _ _
_ LODH _ _ _ _ _
_ MP _ _ VI _ G
_ _ MON _ _ E

HINTS:
The three categories are:
1. Birds
2. Countries
3. Metals

Answers:

1)
QUAdrIlLion
pROBatIoN
bElliGeREnT
gRAVEstoNe

2)
GREEngroCEr 
FRagrANCE
ImmorTALitY
inSPirAtIoN

3)
eiGhtfOLD
ClodhOPPER
ImpROviNg
LEmonADe 

COMMON STOCK II
Credit: GAMES Magazine
August, 1991
Mike Shenk

The four answers to each numbered set below have something in common. To discover what, fill in the blanks to complete the words reading across. The letters you put in the blanks, taken in order from left to right, must also spell shorter words. These shorter words will all be members of the same category. For example, the first word in set #1 is POTLUCK, with the shorter word being POLK. The remaining three shorter words in #1 will also be names of Presidents. Getting one answer in a set will help you get the others, but breaking into a set can be tricky. [The categories of the two other sets are given as a hint, but that significantly reduces the challenge of the puzzle.]

1)
P O T L U C K
_ E _ _ T R E N _ _ _ _
S _ E _ D _ A S _
_ _ _ E _ A K _ _

2)
E _ _ _ I N A T _
_ _ _ _ I A N C _
_ R  _ D _ T O _
_ E T R O _ E _ _

3)
C O _ P _ _ I _ O N
_ _ _ _ _ A T I O _
C A _ _ R _ O _ _
_ O L  _ _ _ I _ N

HINTS:
The three categories are
1. Presidents
2. Fruits
3. Planets

Answers:

1)
POtLucK
HeARtrenDING
sTeAdFasT
CAReTakER 

2)
eLIMinatE
APPLiancE
PrEdAtoR
PetreLeUM

3)
coMpARiSons
SATURatioN
caVErNoUS
PolLUTiOn

COMMON STOCK IV
Credit: GAMES Magazine
December, 2013
Amy Goldstein

The four answers to each numbered set below have something in common. To discover what, fill in the blanks to complete the words reading across. The letters you put in the blanks, taken in order from left to right, must also spell shorter words. These shorter words will all be members of the same category.

For example, the first word in set #1 is CALENDAR with the shorter word being CEDAR. The remaining three shorter words in the set will also be names of trees. Getting one answer in a set will help you get the others, but breaking into a set can be tricky. The categories for the shorter words in sets #2 - 6 are listed as a hint.

Set #1

_ AL _ N _ _ _
H_ TC _ _ E
A _ PO _ _ TM _ NT
W _ _ CO _ E

Set #2

_ _ ARTH _ NE _ _
_ A _ R _ CAD _
A _ T _ R _ _ STE
_ N _ G _ _ E

Set #3

S _ _ SITI _ IT _
_ _ OV _ _ ENC _
M _ _ A _ _ _ IAL
S _ _ GFE _ _

Set #4

DE _ _ _ QU _ _ T
_ _ N _  AMINA _ I _ _
_ _ DEWA _ _
_ C _ T _ ERBRA _ _

Set #5

_ UR _ _ _ I _ G
CAP _ _ I _
_ UTT _ R F _ N _ _ RS
_ R _ _ _ S  T _ A

Set #6

S _ _ WO _ _ _ Y
H _ _ LSTO _ M
A _ F _ _ M _ D
NE _ SC _ S _ _ _

HINTS for categories of shorter words:
Set #2:  Cheeses
Set #3: Deadly sins
Set #4: Fabrics
Set #5: Colors
Set #6: Classical elements

Answers:

Set #1:
CEDAR (calendar)
OAK (hotcake)
PINE (appointment)
ELM (welcome) 

 Set #2:
SWISS (swarthiness)
BRIE (barricade)
FETA (aftertaste)
EDAM (endgame) 

Set #3:
ENVY (sensitivity)
PRIDE (providence)
ANGER (managerial)
LUST (slugfest) 

Set #4:
LINEN (delinquent)
COTTON (contamination) 
SILK (sidewalk)
SATIN (scatterbrain) 

Set #5:
BROWN (burrowing)
TAN (captain)
BEIGE (butterfingers) 
OCHER (orchestra)

Set #6:
EARTH (seaworthy)
AIR (hailstorm)
FIRE (affirmed)
WATER (newscaster)

COMMON STOCK I
Credit: GAMES Magazine
Feb/Mar 1987

Mike Shenk

The four answers in each numbered set below have something in common. To discover what, fill in the blanks to complete the words reading across. The letters you put in the blanks, taken in order from left to right, must also spell shorter words. These shorter words will all be members of the same category. For example, the first word in set #1 is NUTHATCH, with the shorter word being UTAH. The remaining three shorter words in #1 will also be U.S. states. Getting one answer in a set will help you get the others, but breaking into a set can be tricky. The categories for the shorter words in sets #2, 3, 4, and 5 are listed as a hint.

Set #1

N U T H A T C H
D _ S A V _ _ _ L
_ _ R _ _ _ R
F _ _ _ _ _ _ E

Set #2

_ U P P _ _ M _ N _
_ _ T _ O _
_ _ N D B _ L _
_ U _ D _ _ N

Set #3

_ I S H W _ _ _ _ _
B I _ _ S _ _ _
_ _ _ P _ _ E
A _ V _ _ _ _ _

Set #4

M O N T I _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ A T _ O _
_ _ I _ _ I E C E
B _ _ S _ _ R Y

Set #5

_ _ _ K B _ _ E
F _ _ M _ A _ L E
_ A T C H W _ _ _
_ _ R _ _ T

HINTS for categories of shorter words:
Set #2: Forms of precipitation
Set#3: Santa's reindeer
Set #4: Stringed instruments
Set #5: Meats

Answers:

Set #1:
UTAH (nuthatch)
IOWA (disavowal)
MAINE (mariner)
OREGON (foregone)

Set#2:
SLEET (supplement)
RAIN (ration)
HAIL handbill)
SNOW (sundown)

Set #3:
DASHER (dishwasher)
CUPID (bicuspid)
COMET (compete)
DANCER (advancer)

Set #4:
CELLO (Monticello)
VIOLIN (violation)
HARP (hairpiece)
LUTE (blustery)

Set #5:
BACON (backbone)
LAMB (flammable)
PORK (patchwork)
BEEF (bereft)