UNUSUAL WORDS CXXVI

Can you give a simple definition of these less-frequently-used words?

1. IKEBANA

2. CANAPE 

3. ANELID 

4. LIVERY 

5. SALIENT 

6. COTERIE

7. BENTHOS 

8. APOTHEGM 

9. SHAMBLING

10. MERGANSER 

 

Answers:

 

1. IKEBANA - Traditional Japanese flower arrangement 

2. CANAPE - Bite-sized appetizer 

3. ANELLID - An earthworm

4. LIVERY - Design, colors, logo, uniform, etc. specific 

                       to an owner or company

5. SALIENT - Most important, noticeable

6. COTERIE - Exclusive group, clique

7. BENTHOS - Plants and animals that live on or near 

                          the bottom of a river, lake, or the ocean 

8. APOTHEGM - A short, clever saying - epigram

9. SHAMBLING - Walking with slow, shuffling steps

10. MERGANSER - Fish-eating, diving duck

 

SYNONYM/ANAGRAM CCCXLVIII

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

1. PROUD + EVICT = P 

2. RISE + BLAME = M

3. NIP + ORACLE = P

4. CITE + GREEN = E

5. FISH + CRANE = F 

6. PET + LUCID = D 

7. TILE + BEACON = N 

8. LOSER + FEMUR = R 

9. ROUSE + TOUCH = C 

10. GNU + DECORUM = C  

 

Meanings of the anagrams: 

1. Fruitful

2. Very unhappy

3. Ceramic material

4. Active

5. Business venture

6. Copy

7. Obvious

8. Sorry

9. Judicial building

10. Grumpy/lovable type

 

Answers:

 

1. PRODUCTIVE

2. MISERABLE

3. PORCELAIN

4. ENERGETIC

5. FRANCHISE

6. DUPLICATE

7. NOTICEABLE

8. REMORSEFUL

9. COURTHOUSE

10. CURMUDGEON  

CRYPTO CLUES CCLI

GAMES Magazine

October, 1983

Editors (1-2)

Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (3-10)

 

1. Hornet flying around king's chair

 

2. Witty holding a butcher's knife

 

3. In swimming area, circle back

 

4. Gulp down a bird

 

5. Route going around in a rut

 

6. Losing head, reels in fish

 

7. Dads sample desserts  

 

8. Pop a question partly vague

 

9. Plane I crashed in mountains

 

10. Listen to musical compositions  

 

HINTS:

1. Anagram

2. Container (holding "a")

3. Reversal

4. Homograph

5. Container

6. Beheadment

7. Definitions - two words

8. Hidden word

9. Anagram

10. Homophone

 

Answers:

 

1. THRONE (hornet)

2. CLEAVER (CLE A VER)

3. POOL (loop)

4. SWALLOW

5. ROUTINE (ROUT IN E)

6. EELS (REELS)  

7. PASTRY (PAS + TRY)

8. OPAQUE (pOP A QUEstion)

9. ALPINE (plane i)

10. SWEETS (suites)  

CHARADES III

Ex. Long story + Metropolitan area = Wisdom

Ans. SAGA + CITY = SAGACITY

 

1. Informal job + Trick = Huge

 

2. Thoughtful + Scarlet = Relatives 

 

3. Sitar piece + Bakery treat = Waif

 

4. Fake + Flashy jewelry = Shuffling 

 

5. Golf standard + Qualified = Bible story 

 

6. The Odysssey, for one + Come in = Ground zero

 

Answers:

 

1. GIG + ANTIC = GIGANTIC

2. KIND + RED = KINDRED

3. RAGA + MUFFIN = RAGAMUFFIN

4. SHAM + BLING = SHAMBLING

5. PAR + ABLE = PARABLE

6. EPIC + ENTER = EPICENTER  

 

TWO OUT OF THREE XV

Anagram two of the three words in each clue to get a synonym of the third word.

Ex. NAIL, SAME, EDICT

Ans. NAIL + EDICT = IDENTICAL (same)

 

1. SLY, YEN, ASK

2. LID, SEE, FUEL

3. SHINE, LEG, SNIT 

4. RIFT, PLEASE, GAY 

5. HINT, ACUTE, REAL

6. CHARM, SCAM, HAIR

 

HINTS:

One of the words to be anagrammed:

1. YEN

2. LID

3. LEG

4. RIFT

5. HINT

6. SCAM

 

Answers:

 

1. YEN + ASK = SNEAKY (sly)

2. LID + SEE = DIESEL (fuel)

3. LEG + SNIT = GLISTEN (shine)

4. RIFT = GAY = GRATIFY (please) 

5. HINT + ACUTE = AUTHENTIC (real)

6. SCAM + HAIR = CHARISMA (charm)  

  

TRADE OFF XIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

August 15, 2025 

 

The answers to the clues in each line below are two 6-letter words that differ by only one letter - which is given. 

 

Ex. Blundered _ _ O _ _     _ _ L _ _ _ Played 18 holes 

                        GOOFED     GOLFED 

 

1. Cauldron     _ _ _ _ _ _        _ _ _ _ _ _   Irk

2. Tile choice  M _ _ _ _ _      W _ _ _ _ _ Trill

3. Show mercy  _ _ L _ _ _     _ _ G _ _ _ Acting ruler

4. Dilate            _ _ _ A _ _     _ _ _ E _ _  Pay out

5. Vivacious     _ _ _ _ L _      _ _ _ _ R _  Uniform 

6. Honesty        _ A _ _ _ _     _ O _ _ _ _  Vulture

7. Performed    _ _ _ G _ _     _ _ _ Y _ _  Waited

8. Land             A _ _ _ _ _     P _ _ _ _ _   Predicament

9. Enumerates   _ _ _ _ _ S     _ _ _ _ _ Y  State division 

 

Answers:

 

1. KETTLE - NETTLE

2. MARBLE - WARBLE'

3. RELENT - REGENT

4. EXPAND - EXPEND

5. LIVELY - LIVERY

6. CANDOR - CONDOR

7. STAGED - STAYED

8. ALIGHT - PLIGHT 

9. COUNTS - COUNTY 

  

 

COMPOUND LINKS XL

Fill in the blanks with a compound word or two-word phrase so that the first two words and the last two words make up other compound words or two-word phrases.  

Ex. SCREEN ________ SIDE

Ans. DOORWAY (screen door / wayside)

Ex.  OLD ________ KNEE

Ans. HAT TRICK (old hat / trick knee) 

 

1. FAST ________ LINK

2. HOUR ________ FAN

3. FREE ________ HOLE 

4. EASY ________ WORK 

5. BLACK ________ TIGHT

6. OCEAN ________ FREAK 

7. SENIOR ________ GOWN

8. HOG ________ SENTENCE

9. MORNING ________ GUARD 

10. ROLLING ________ COMFORT

 

Answers:

 

1. FOOD CHAIN

2. GLASS CEILING

3. PASSPORT

4. GOING STEADY

5. SHEEPSKIN

6. CRUISE CONTROL

7. PROM NIGHT

8. WILDLIFE

9. DEW POINT

10. STONE COLD