MIND FLEXERS CXLV

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

1. AC  DC  WC

2. Eagle, Robin, Quartz

3. ATSON, EKYL, POC 

4. Children's quarters' site  

5. Russian, French, and Itlaian

6. First two syllables of, "I am what I am." 

7. Stargazing setting

8. Met expectations 

9. Crib sheet user

10. Sticking point

 

CHOICES:

a. Dressings

b. Red carpet

c. Power behind the throne

d. Baby

e. Operas

f. Doctor without borders

g. Arcade

h. Two birds with one stone

i. Tine

j. Iamb 

 

Answers:

 

1. c - Power behind the throne (WC = washcloset)

2. h - Two birds with one stone

3. f - Doctors without borders (WatsonN, JekylL, SpocK) 

4. g - Arcade (quarters = coins)

5. a - Dressings

6. j - Iamb (unstressed/stressed)  

7. b - Red carpet

8. e - Operas (Metropolitan Opera)

9. d - Baby

10. i - Tine (as on a fork)  

 

Credits: 

1-2: Rich Katz

3: Sam Brody

4: Adrian Johnson and Alexandra Doumani

6: Willa Angel Chen Miller 

7: Rafael Musa and Amie Walker

9: Terry Sun and Carina da Rosa

10: Jack Hatchett 

 

MIND FLEXERS CXLIV

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

1. Twin city

2. Microwave 

3. Visitor center 

4. Invasive plant 

5. Preacher's gift 

6. Go to the dogs 

7. Oak, Ruth, Pine

8. Place to be spotted 

9. He's met his match 

10. Take second or third

 

CHOICES:

a. Babe in the woods

b. Spy

c. Ripple

d. Bridegroom

e. Sit

f. Mush

g. Rome 

h. Past or present

i. Gym

j. Steal

 

Answers:

 

1. g - Rome (Romulus and Remus)

2. c - Ripple (micro wave)

3. e - Sit (viSITor)

4. b - Spy

5. h - Past or present (pastor present)

6. f - Mush

7. a - Babe in the woods (Babe Ruth)

8. i - Gym

9. d - Bridegroom

10. j - Steal (baseball) 

 

Credits:

1: Jack Hatchett

2: John Peterman

3: Scott Hogan

4: Brain Callahan

5: John Kugelman

6: Zhouqin Burnikel  

7: Rich Katz

8. Joe Marangell

9: Will Shortz

10. Craig Stowe  

  

MIND FLEXERS CXLIII

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

1. Rite aid  

2. A minor

3. An older you

4. Bridle suite 

5. Curling iron 

6. Oil container 

7. Boring outcome 

8. Record producer 

9. Names, when doubled

10. Heart of a hero, perhaps 

 

CHOICES:

a. Bodybuilding

b. Stable

c. Salami

d. Acolyte

e. Thee

f. Arrest

g. Hole

h. Sings

i. Key

j. Frame

 

Answers:

 

1. d - Acolyte (rite aid)

2. i - key (music)

3. e - Thee

4. b - Stable (not bridal)

5. a - Bodybuilding

6. j - Frame (oil painting)

7. g - Hole

8. f - Arrest (police record)

9. h - Sings (confesses, rats out)

10. c - Salami (hero sandwich) 

 

Credits:

1: August Miller

2-3: Matthew Luter

4: David P. Williams

5: John Peterman

6: Mike Shenk

7: Jeffrey Wechsler

8: Aiden Glenn

9: Mike Shenk 

10: Wendy Brandes and  Barbara Lin 

  

 

MIND FLEXERS CXLII

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

1. Star fish

2. Things are drawn to it

3. Environs for Marco Polo

4. Do stuff 

5. Low volume 

6. Surge protector 

7. Polish language

8. Remote locations 

9. T's in WATTAGE

10. Tool with retractable feet

11. One with a bride or bridle 

 

CHOICES:

a. Dime novel

b. Power couple

c. Scale

d. Sofas

e. Tape measure

f. Pisces

g. Edit

h. Swimming pool

i. Groom

j. Levee

k. Gel 

 

Answers:

 

1. f - Pisces (sign of the Zodiac)

2. c - Scale

3. h - Swimming pool (game)

4. k - Gel (hairdo)

5. a - Dime novel

6. j - Levee (flood surge)

7. g - Edit

8. d - Sofas (TV remote)

9. b - Power couple

10. e - Tape measure

11. i - Groom 

 

Credits:

1-3: Tom Kain

4: Kyle Nolan

5: Trip Payne

6: Alex Eaton-Salners

8: Kareem Ayas

9: Jeffrey Martinovic

10: Wyna Liu

11: Boaz Moser 

MIND FLEXERS CXLI

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

1. Starter home

2. She's out there

3. The F's in HUFFS

4. Hit close to home

5. Picture taken overseas

6. They wear very little clothing

7. Dirty job coverup

8. Part of a moving experience

9. Ones no longer in office

10. Creators and tricksters

 

CHOICES:

a. Apron

b. Pair of pants

c. Gods

d. Womb

e. Remote workers

f. Lesbian bar

g. Barbie and Ken

h. Bunt

i. Passport photo

j. Truck

 

Answers:

 

1. d - Womb

2. f - Lesbian bar

3. b - Pair of pants (HUFFS = pants)

4. h - Bunt (baseball)

5. i - Passport photo (You take it with you.)  

6. g - Barbie and Ken (little = small)

7. a - Apron

8. j - Truck

9. e - Remote workers

10. c - Gods

 

Credits:

2: Joyce Keller 

3: Jeffrey Martinovic

4: Sam Koperwas and Jeff Chen

5: Robyn Weintraub

6: Sam Cordes

7-8: Rich Proulx and Simeon Seigel

9: David Karp

10: Leonard Williams 

 

  

 

MIND FLEXERS CXL

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

1. Cheese 

2. Caught up 

3. Foil vs. Saber  

4. Worcestershire

5. Box in a theater 

6. What's going on

7. The eyes have it

8. Run out of clothes

9. Heartless character

10. Thing that's handled badly

11. Frequent question about the spelling of Caribbean 

 

CHOICES;

a. The Tin Man

b. Mascara

c. Points of contention

d. Treed

e. Misnomer

f. It's hard to say

g. Two b's or not two b's

h. Raisinets

i. Streak

j. Attire

k. Milk's leap toward immortality

 

Answers:

 

1. k - Milk's leap toward immortality

2. d - Treed

3. c - Points of contention

4. f - It's hard to say

5. h - Raisinets

6. j - Attire

7. b - Mascara

8. i - Streak

9. a - The Tin Man

10. e - Misnomer (handled = named)

11. g - Two b's or not two b's  

 

Credits:

 

1: Clifton Fadiman

2: Matthew Sewell

3: Zachary David Levy

4: Christina Iverson and Scott Hogan

5: Jason Reich

6: Ana Stiga

7-8: Dan Kammann and Zhouqin Burnikel

9: Karen Steinberg 

10: Rafael Musa  

11: Randolph Ross 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXIX

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the answers below. The relationships are disguised by double meanings, altered spacing within words, and/or other wordplay. 

1. Lab order

2. Stingy sort 

3. Rocks in a bar

4. Alphabetical order

5. Who really knows?

6. Octopus vs. Starfish 

7. They divide to multiply 

8. The thought that counts

9.  Take the window instead of the aisle

10. Embarrassment, Cold, Fear, Nausea 

 

CHOICES:

a. Armed conflict 

b. Ice

c. Heel 

d. Elope

e. BLT

f. Wasp

g. Cells

h. It's hard to say

i. Mental math

j. Reasons to turn color 

 

Answers:

 

1. c - Heel (Labrador retriever)

2. f - Wasp (hard g)

3. b - Ice (cubes)

4. e - BLT (food order)

5. h - It's hard to say

6. a - Armed conflict

7. g - Cells

8. i - Mental math

9. d - Elope 

10. j - Reasons to turn color (Red with embarrassment, Blue with cold, White with fear, Green with nausea)

 

Credits:

2: Christina Iverson and Scott Hogan

4: Mike Shenk

5: Christina Iverson and Scott Hogan

6: Zachary David Levy

8: Kelly Morenus and Erik Agard 

  

 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXVIII 

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

1 Safe job

2. trajectorY

3 Pin numbers

4. Ice vs. Stone

5. All for nothing 

6. Mules and crocs

7. Remains to be seen 

8. Name in whole milk 

9. Farm job and animal

10. What comes before we go

 

CHOICES:

a. Ruins

b. Sow

c. 7-10

d. Heist

e. Away

f. Why of course

g. Age disparity

h. Shoes

i. Antonym

j. Emil

 

Answers:

 

1. d - Heist

2. f - Why of course (letter Y) [trajectory = course]

3. c - 7-10 (bowling pins)

4. g - Age disparity

5. i - Antonym

6. h - Shoes

7. a - Ruins

8. j - Emil (wholE MILk)

9. b - Sow (heteronym)[sow seeds/sow(rhymes with how) - female pig)  

10. e - Away ("Away we go")

 

Credits:

1: Ryan McCarty

2: Rebecca Goldstein 

4: Zachary David Levy

5: Katherine Xiong

6: Kareem Ayas and Will Eisenberg

7: Ryan McCarty

8: Michael Sclossberg

10: Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa  

MIND FLEXERS CXXXVII

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

1. Place of berth

2. Way out in space

3. Cry of shear terror

4. Fly-by-night operation

5. One drawn to a fault 

6. Old Spice, for one 

7. Brownie batch

8. Match point

9. Swing states

10. Pair of pants

 

CHOICES:

a. Troop

b. Escape pod

c. Huff and puff

d. Seismologist  

e. Moods

f. Marina

g. BAA

h. Dating site

i. Ascent of man

j. Red eye

 

Answers:

 

1. f - Marina

2. b - Escape pod

3. g - BAA (sheep)

4. j - Red eye (midnight flights)

5. d - Seismologist   

6. i - Ascent of man (a scent)

7. a - Troop (Girl Scouts)

8. h - Dating site

9. e - Moods

10. c - Huff and puff 

 

Credits:

2: Erica Hsiung Wojcik

3: Howard Neuthaler

4: Zhouqin Burnikel

5: Jonathan Raskin and Jeff Chen

6: Gary Larson and Amy Ensz

7: Patrick Berry

8: Michael Schlossbeg

10: Adam Wagner 

  

MIND FLEXERS CXXXVI

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

1. S

2. Joey

3. Unlocked 

4. Made waves 

5. Staff members

6. Mating game

7. Bank deposit 

8. Star cluster

9. Generous entertainer

10. Money for a London landlord 

11. Organization that protects boxers

 

CHOICES:

a. Baby boomer

b. A-list

c. Permed

d. Flatbread

e. Notes

f. Safety first

g. SPCA

h. Bald

i. Cher

j. Sediment

k. Chess

 

Answers:

 

1. f - Safety first

2. a - Baby boomer (baby kangaroo)

3. h - Bald

4. c - Permed

5. e - Notes (musical staff)

6. k - Chess

7. j - Sediment

8. b - A-list

9. i - Cher (share)

10. d - Flatbread

11. g - SPCA (dogs) 

 

Credits:

1: Gary Larson

2: Brenda Cox

3: Mike Hobin 

4: John M. Samson

6-7: Gary Larson

9: Mike Hobin

10: Gary Larson

11. Adam Simpson 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXV

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

1. B 

2. LGBT  

3. Hedge fund 

4. Bash and bop

5. Cold comfort 

6. Winds up or down 

7. Go out in the winter

8. Request before a snap

9. Ali's defeat of Liston in 1964

10. Rosh Hashanah to a bread maker

 

CHOICES:

a. Lozenge

b. Big smile

c. Bandleader

d. Pair of socks

e. Feat of Clay

f. Landscaping budget

g. Queue before Q

h. Challahday

i. Hibernate

j. Ends

 

Answers:

 

1.  c - Bandleader (leading letter)

2. g - Queue before Q (LGBTQ)

3. f - Landscaping budget (hedge as bush)

4. d - Pair of socks

5. a - Lozenge (cold as an illness)

6. j - Ends

7. i - Hibernate (go out as sleep)

8. b - Big smile (snap a picture)

9. e - Feat of Clay (Cassius Clay the boxer)

10. h - Challahday (Challah is Jewish Sabbath bread) 

 

Credits:

1: Gary Larson

2: Ruth Bloomfield Margolin and Hannah Margolin

3: Billy Bratton

4: Lynn Lempel

5: Will Nediger

6: Mark McClain

7: Barbara Lin 

8: Victor Fleming

9. Gary Larson

10: Richard Silvestri 

 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXIV

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

1. Plant eater 

2. Wave home 

3. Negative post 

4. Pacific counterpart

5. Order in the court 

6. Infamous denier

7. Shelters from heat

8. Yield, Stop, Merge

9. Poplar hangout spots 

10. Sundial and hourglass 

 

CHOICES:

a. Safe houses

b. Quarrelsome

c. Ocean

d. Sign language 

e. Innkeeper

f. Venus Flytrap

g. Rise

h. Two-timers

i. Pre

j. Tree houses

 

Answers:

 

1. f - Venus Flytrap  

2. c - Ocean

3. i - Pre

4. b - Quarrelsome

5. g - Rise

6. e - Innkeeper

7. a - Safe houses

8. d - Sign language

9. j - Tree houses (Poplar-not Popular)

10. h - Two-timers

 

Credits:

1: Wyna Liu 

2-4: Erik Agard  

6-7: Gene Louise De Vera

8: Rena Cohen

9. David Rockow

10. Lynn Lempel  

MIND FLEXERS CXXXIII

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

1. Like tying your shoes

2. Like a bit of wordplay

3. Dishonestly, honestly

4. Controversial  topic

5. Turn down

6. Like a C in physics

7. Change of heart

8. Alley oops

9. Bottom line

10. Par for the coarse 

CHOICES:

a. Dog-ear

b. Guttter ball

c. Profanity

d. Earth

e. nature, NATURE

f. X-axis

g. On the sly

h. Third rail

i. Hard

j. Punish

 

Answers:

 

1. e- Second nature

2. j - Punish (pun-ish)

3. g - On the sly (anagram of honestly)

4. h - Third rail (the electric rail in a subway) 

5. a - Dog-ear (as a page corner)

6. i - Hard (k sound)

7. d - Earth

8. b - Gutter ball (bowling alley) 

9. f - X-axis (graph)

10. c - Profanity (coarse) 

 

Credits:

1: Kiran Pandey

2: Gary Larson and Amy Ensz

7: PEN GWYN (The Enigma, 6/25) 

8. Janice Luttrell 

 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXII 

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

1. Hog

2. Power point

3. Make two dos

4. Crude nickname

5. Renewed beliefs

6. Hard-to-find guy

7. Standing order

8. Name in Parliament 

9. Noted U.S. rock group

10. It can be knitted or mopped 

11. Common component of ranch dressing 

 

CHOICES:

a. Liam

b. Bogart

c. Brow

d. All rise

e. Socket

f. Stetson hat

g. Translate

h. Mt. Rushmore

i. Waldo

j. Born born

k. Texas tea 

 

Answers:

 

1. b - Bogart (60s slang [not share])

2. e - Socket

3. g - Translate (dos = two in Spanish)

4. k - Texas tea (oil)

5. j - Born born (born again)

6. i - Waldo

7. d - All rise (court)

8. a - Liam )parLIAMent)

9. h - Mt. Rushmore

10. c- Brow

11. f - Stetson hat 

 

Credits:

2 and 10: Will Nediger

3: Hanh Huynh

4. Adam Simpson

5. Kiran Pandey

7-8: Drew Schmenner

11. Joe Deeney

 

 

MIND FLEXERS CXXXI

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

1. It's tricky

2. Wild thing

3. Harlem shuffle

4. Cabinet appointments

5. Majority of chopsticks and corkscrews

6. Perform behind a curtain 

7. Supporter of the arts

8. Looked over a bird

9. Some CIA grads 

10. Links halves

 

CHOICES:

a. Pastry chefs

b. Mahler

c. Nines

d. Doors

e. Night

f. Easel

g. Consonants

h. Sing in the shower

i. Sit 

j. Scandinavian

 

Answers:

 

1. i - Sit

2. e - Night

3. b - Mahler (1-3 are anagrams)

4. d - Doors

5. g - Consonants

6. h - Sing in the shower

7. f - Easel

8. j - Scandinavian (scanned an avian)

9. a - Pastry chefs (CIA - Culinary Institute of America

10. c - Nines (golf)

 

Credits:

1-3: Brendan Emmett Quigley

4-5: Kate Chin Park

6: Erik Agard

8: Merl Reagle 

MIND FLEXERS CXXX

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

1. Edit

2. Gained a lap 

3. Join the team

4. Like Mary's pet

5. Dopey, for one

6. Abstemious group 

7. A little bit of everything

8. Famous British rock group

9. Punctuation mark for all time

10. Used in breaking and entering

 

CHOICES:

a. Colon

b. Miner

c. Polish

d. Cue

e. Yoke

f. Sat down

g. Stonehenge

h. Ovine

i. A, e, i, o, u

j. Sesame

Answers:

1. c - Polish (verb polish - small p)

2. f - Sat down

3. e - Yoke

4. h - Ovine

5. b - Miner (dwarf)

6. i - A, e, i, o, u (five vowels in order)

7. j - Sesame (bagel)

8. g - Stonehenge

9. a - Colon (12:00)

10. d - Cue (pool/stage)

Credits:

1: Joe Gangi

2: Roland Huget

3: Sam Ezersky

4-5: Cindy Wheeler

6: Evan Birhnolz

7: Own Bergstein

8: Jem Burch

9. Kelly Ball

10. Mike Shenk

MIND FLEXERS CXXIX

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

1. Office seeker's comment

2. Place for a donut

3. Throws on the floor

4. Rule broken by foreigners

5. Sowing machine

6. Party animal 

7. Gifted travelers

8. Choose not to retire

9. Person needing a hand

10. Alley cat, Gumshoe, Annoy

CHOICES:

a. The Maji

b. Palm reader

c. Area rugs

d. Elephant

e. Average guy

f. Iran

g. Stay up late

h. Trunk

i. Seeder

j. I before E except after C 

Answers:

1. f - Iran 

2. h - Trunk (donut = small wheel used as a spare tire)

3. c - Area rugs

4. j - I before E except after C

5. i - Seeder (not sewing)

6. d - Elephant (GOP symbol)

7. a - The Magi (3 Wise Men)

8. g - Stay up late

9. b - Palm reader

10. e - Average guy (alley cat = Tom

                                  gumshoe = Dick

                                  annoy = Harry)

Credits:

1: Michael J. Doran

3-4: Doug Peterson

5: Jim Holland

6: Brian E. Paquin

7: Trip Payne

8: Patrick Berry

9: Lynn Lempel

 

MIND FLEXERS CXXVIII

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

1. Cabinet member 

2. Make arrangements to see Falling Water

3. Tax advice to a baseball memorabilia collector

4. Mongol Empire

5. Icon

6. Do the dishes

7. Guarantee same-day delivery

8. Landlord who keeps mum

9. Abacus form New Delhi

10. Least talented sketch artist in class 

CHOICES:

a. Cater

b. Fit right in

c. Indian summer

d. Scammer

e. Induce labor

f. Contract

g. Bottom drawer 

h. Spice 

i. Silent letter

j. Right off the bat 

 

Answers:

 

1. h - Spice

2. b - Fit right in (Wright)

3. j - Right off the bat (write)

4. f - Contract (Khan tract)

5. d - Scammer (I con)

6. a - Cater

7. e - Induce labor

8. i - Silent letter (let = rent)

9. c - Indian summer

10. g - Bottom drawer 

 

Credits:

1: Patrick Berry

2-3: Geoff Brown

4: Sara Sinclair and Paolo Pasco

5: Michael J. Doran

6: Mike Graczyk

7: Frank Longo

8-10: Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon 

MIND FLEXERS CXXVII

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

1. Boxer's enemy

2. Eager to agree

3. Stocking-up period

4. Writing with a point

5. Hero worshipper

6. Perfect pitch

7. It requires a show of hands

8. Medium rare nowadays

9. Washington post, for one

10. Performance enhancing supplement 

CHOICES:

a. Poker

b. Etching

c. Anagram

d. Senate seat

e. Encore

f. Christmas

g. Flea

h. VHS tape

i. Strike

j. Leander

Answers:

1. g - Flea (dog)

2. c - Anagram

3. f - Christmas

4. b - Etching

5. j - Leander (Greek myth)

6. i - Strike

7. a - Poker

8. h - VHS tape (rare = uncommon)

9. d - Senate seat (small "p")

10. e - Encore

Credits:

1: Max Schlenker

2: Evan Birnholz 

3: Lisa Senzel and Jeff Chen

4: Ella Dershowitz

5-6: Mike Shenk

7: Kevin Christian and Julian Lim

8-10: Brad Wiegmann

MIND FLEXERS CXXVI

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The relationships are disguised by puns, altered spacing within words, and/or other wordplay.

1. Belong

2. Porkpie

3. Low land

4. Double duty

5. Speed reading

6. Key to success 

7. Four-legged race

8. Long time follower

9. They're held by banks

10. White, Green, and Scarlet

CHOICES:

a. So what?

b. Rivers

c. MPH

d. Stunts

e. Usual suspects

f. Dairy

g. No see

h. Dragon

i. Centaurs

j. Secret sauce

Answers:

 

1. h - Dragon (drag on)

2. a - So what? (sow hat)

3. f - Dairy (low = cow sound)

4. d - Stunts

5. c - MPH

6. j - Secret sauce (unique quality)

7. i - Centaurs (Half man/half horse)

8. g - No see

9. b - Rivers

10. e - Usual suspects (CLUE board game) 

 

Credits:

1-2: Bill Graham (GAMES 2/1999)

3: Evan Birnholz

4: Natan Last

5: Zhouqin Burnikel

6: Rebecca Goldstein

7: Gary Larson

8:Tony Orbach

9: Matthew Sewell