LETTER BANK LI 

The Enigma

NPL Magazine

February, 2026

Nemo DeSluymp 

 

[In a letter bank, the letters of one word or phrase are used - and repeated as necessary - to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. That is, the only letters in MISSISSIPPI are I, M, P, and S - repeated as necessary.]

 

In the flat below, PETITE is (appropriately) a letter bank for GRAND.

 

Riding hard on PETITE makes me

   grumpy:

With no damper or GRAND, it gets 

   bumpy.  

 

HINTS:

PETITE is a compound word with an animal.

GRAND is two words. 

 

Answer:

 

Riding on HORSEBACK makes me

   grumpy:

With no damper or SHOCK ABSORBER, it gets

   bumpy.  

 

 

 

 

LETTER BANK L

LA Times Crossword

November 30, 2025

Rafael Musa and Rebecca Goldstein

 

The phrases below are letter banks for eight related things. That is, each of the things can be spelled with the letters found in its letter bank word - and only those letters - but which may be repeated as necessary. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. 

 

 

1. APPLE PEELER

2. ANNO DOMINI

3. DRAMA RULE 

4. GET NEAR

5. LAP POOL

6. CENTER ICE

7. OP-ED EDITOR

8. ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT

 

(BIG) HINT:

All the clue phrases are letter banks for precious gems.

 

Answers:

 

1. APPLE PEELER - PEARL

2. ANNO DOMINI - DIAMOND

3. DRAMA RULE - EMERALD

4. GET NEAR - GARNET

5. LAP POOL - OPAL

6. CENTER ICE - CITRINE

7. OP-ED EDITOR - PERIDOT

8. ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT - TOURMALINE  

 

 

 

LETTER BANK XLIX

APT WORD BANK

Using only the letters in SO NIMBLE - repeated as necessary - find an appropriate longer word, name, or phase.

Answer:

SIMONE BILES

Credit:

The Enigma

September, 2024

ALF

LETTER BANK XLVIII

The keyword ONE is the seven-letter, single-word letter bank for the 14-letter, four-word phrase TWO.

This map ONE for you

The states that are TWO:

Not yet red, not yet blue.

 

Answer:

 

LOCATES

TOO CLOSE TO CALL 

 

Credit:

The Enigma

September, 2024

NEWROW 

 

LETTER BANK XLVII

The letter bank in this flat is the keyword LESS. The keyword MORE has two words - made up of only the letters in LESS, repeated as necessary.

Just why on this earth would I dress

My salad with MORE? I confess,

On burgers it's grand - 

I don't understand -

On anything else it's just LESS!

Answers:

THOUSAND ISLAND

OUTLANDISH

Credit:

The Enigma

September, 2024

BARTOK

LETTER BANK XLVI

From The Enigma

NPL Magazine

April, 2024

ENDGAME

 

The cueword FIRST is the letter bank for SECOND in the flat below. That is, only the letters in the word represented by FIRST, repeated as necessary, are used to make up the word represented by SECOND.

 

Young Johnny was a SECOND guy;

He hated all not cut and dry.

He planted flowers far and nigh,

Delighting both the FIRST and eye.

 

Answer:

 

Young Johnny was a NO-NONSENSE guy;

He hated all not cut and dry.

He planted flowers far and nigh,

Delighting both the NOSE and eye. 

LETTER BANK XLV

In a letter bank, the letters of a shorter word or phrase, repeated as necessary, are used to make a longer word or phrase. No other letters are allowed.

I can imagine a perfect world, a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ society - but only _ _   _ _   _    _ _ _ _ _.

Answers:

UTOPIAN - UP TO A POINT

Credit:

Based on: 

The Enigma

April, 2024

MANYPINKREGARDS 

LETTER BANK XLIV

The Enigma

NPL Magazine

March, 2024

COUSIN JOE 

The huge wave engulfed him

As he collected his coins ......

Answers:

 

TSUNAMI

NUMISMATIST

LETTER BANK XLIII

 

Universal Crossword

February 14, 2023

Alex Eaton-Salners

 

Think of a three-word phrase that can mean "cold-hearted." That phrase should prompt a letter bank that can answer the three clues below:

 

1. In the nick of time

2. In direct confrontation

3. Alert

 

HINTS:

a. The puzzle title is LIKE A ROCK.

b. The three-word phrase meaning "cold-hearted"  

     is: _____ of   _____ 

c. M______ of S_____

Answer to the three-word phrase:

MADE OF STONE

 

Answers to Clues - using only the letters of STONE, repeated as necessary:

 

1. NONE TOO SOON

2. NOSE TO NOSE

3. ON ONE'S TOES

REVERSE LETTER BANKS XLII

GAMES Magazine

Novermber, 1984

Mary McCool

 

In a regular letter bank, the letters of a shorter word are used to make a longer word. The letters may be repeated as necessary, but no new letters are allowed. For example, BLUE is a letter bank for BUBBLE. In this version, you are given the longer word and have to determine the letter bank (shorter) word from which the longer word was made. In the example above, you would be given BUBBLE and the answer would be BLUE. As a solving hint, the first letter and the number of letters in the letter bank word is given in ( ). In the example, the clue would read BUBBLE (B-4).

1. NITWIT         (T-4)

2. LASAGNA    (S-5)

3. DISMISS       (D-4)

4. SENTINEL    (L-6)

5. REVEILLE    (L-5)

6. REVOLVER   (L-5)

7. ANTENNAE             (N-4)

8. STALEMATE            (M- 6)

9. FOREFINGER           (F-7)

10. RESTAURANT        (S-7)

11. INCONVENIENCE  (N-6)

Answers:

 

1. TWIN

2. SLANG

3. DIMS

4. LISTEN

5. LIVER

6. LOVER

7. NEAT

8. METALS

9. FOREIGN

10. SAUNTER

11. NOVICE

LETTER BANK XLI

1. Using only the letters in PALE, repeated as necessary, can you make a word that names a well-known food dish?

2. Using only the letters in BRONTE, repeated as necessary, can you make a familiar 13-letter phrase?

(BIG) HINT:

2. The phrase contains six words.

Answers:

1. PAELLA

2. TO BE OR NOT TO BE

LETTER BANK XL

 

NY Times Crossword 

October 29, 2023

Alina Abidi

 

FABRIC - ATIONS

The two clues in each pair below can be answered by words made up of the same letters, although all the letters may not be used, and those used may be repeated as necessary. Additionally, the letters can be anagrammed into the name of a kind of fabric. The last clue hints at the clever theme of this puzzle. 

 

For example, given the clues

Precursor to the main act

Tending to make mistakes,

 

the answers would be OPENER and ERROR PRONE - from which you can extract NEOPRENE.

 

1. Christmas building material

    Stay up all night finishing a book, perhaps

 

2. Congressional post

    Thumbs-up meaning

 

3. Grabbing distance

    Philadelphia specialty

 

4. Having similar qualities - or what the three answer pairs in this puzzle are?

 

Answers:

 

1. GINGERBREAD

    BINGE READ - - - GABARDINE

 

2. SENATE SEAT

    ASSENT - - - SATEEN

 

3. ARMS' REACH 

    CREAM CHEESE - - - CASHMERE 

 

4. Cut from the same cloth 

LETTER BANK XXXIX

NY Times Crossword

July, 2023

John Ewbank

 

In a letter bank, the letters of a shorter word (the bank) are used to make a longer word or phrase. All the letters of the shorter word must be used at least once, and may be repeated as necessary. No other letters are allowed. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI, because only the letters I,M,P,S are used to spell MISSISSIPPI. In this puzzle, the longer phrases are given. Can you determine the shorter word whose letters are used to make up each of the phrases? HINT: The letter bank is a word of seven letters.

1. CATTLE CARS

2. SALT CELLAR

3. STEER CLEAR

4. ART CLASSES

HINT:

A

Answer:

 

SCARLET 

 

Explanation of hint:

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet letter A around her neck as a punishment for adultery.

LETTER BANK XXXVIII

 

In this flat, the keyword SHORT is the letter bank for SCOTUS. That is, only the letters in SHORT  can be used, repeated as necessary, to spell SCOTUS.

 

AI is nifty, it's true.

It writes stuff that we thought just

   humans knew,

And covers topics of most every sort.

Will SCOTUS opinions soon be

Written by SHORT?

 

Answers:

 

COMPUTERS is the letter bank for SUPREME COURT  

LETTER BANK XXXVII

Fill in the first set of blanks with a four-letter word that is a letter bank for what follows. 

"Fair or stormy weather,

We're in this garden together,"

He said to the _ _ _ _.

"So allow me to introduce myself,

_ _ _ _ _   _ _   _ _ _ _."

Answers:

 

MAID

MADAM, I'M ADAM

 

Credit:

The Enigma

March, 2023

NEWROW

 

LETTER BANK XXXVI

Fill in the first set blanks with a word that is a letter bank for the second set. In a letter bank, only the letters in the shorter word can be used, repeated as necessary, to spell the longer word.

The _ _ _ _ _ _ won't stay out of our house. 

Our _ _   _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ means aught to a mouse.

Answers:

RODENT

DO NOT ENTER

 

Credit:

The Enigma

March, 2023

BROBBERTY  

LETTER BANK XXXV

The word in the second blank is a letter bank for the word in the first blank - that is, only the letters used in the second answer word, repeated as necessary, are needed to make up the first answer word.

The ________'s idea of ________: to raise a

   zombie wife.

A shame that he forgot that marriage is 

   for life.

 

Answer:

 

NECROMANCER

ROMANCE 

Credit:

The Enigma

February, 2023

GREEN TEA

     

 

 

LETTER BANK XXXIV

GAMES Magazine

February/March, 1989

Fraser Simpson

 

A letter bank is a shorter word whose letters, repeated as necessary, make up a longer word. IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI.

 

Find a letter bank for the first word in each pair below. The second word is its definition. To continue the example above, given MISSISSIPPI, RASCALS, the letter bank would be IMPS (RASCALS)

1. GODLESS, CABINS

2. BASEBALL, PACKAGES

3. GUNRUNNING, REGRETTING

4. HIGHLIGHTS, INSIGNIFICANT

5. BEANBAG, STARTED

6. DECIDED, CHOP UP

7. SUCCESSES, SIGNALS

8. LONESOMENESS,VERY FORMAL AND DIGNIFIED

 

Answers:

 

1. LODGES

2. BALES

3. RUING

4. SLIGHT

5. BEGAN

6. DICE

7. CUES

8. SOLEMN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

See also MINIGRAMS, posted 5/20/14

LETTER BANK XXXIII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

February, 2016

Mary McCool

 

Using only the letters in the capitalized word of each pair below, repeated as necessary, find a word that is defined by the lower case word in each pair. For example, given the clue REAP/get ready, the answer would be PREPARE. 

1. BLUE/effervesce

2. TWIN/idiot

3. DIMS/adjourn

4. SLANG/ pasta dish

5. LISTEN/guard

6. LIVER/bugle call

7. LOVER/gun

8. NEAT/feelers

9. METALS/impasse

10. NOVICE/nuisance

Answers:

 

1. BUBBLE

2. NITWIT

3. DISMISS

4. LASAGNA

5. SENTINEL

6. REVEILLE

7. REVOLVER

8. ANTENNAE

9. STALEMATE

10. INCONVENIENCE

LETTER BANK

A letter bank is a word or phrase whose letters, repeated as necessary, make up a longer word or phrase. No other letters are allowed. SHOT PAR is a letter bank for a kind of identification. What is it?

Answer:

PASSPORT PHOTO