Here’s a word game worth your time!

Check it out, the answers rhyme. Ok, ok, we’ll leave the word play to Timothy Parker, who created the month’s challenge. Take a look at the sample below to get the hang of it.

               

Example:             Peter Pan novel

H

O

o

k

B

O

o

k

1.       Male Mensa members?

S

Y

2.       Code-creator’s equine

M

S

3.       Wealthy Winnie the Pooh?

M

R

N

A

4.       Unrefined guy?

C

U

E

5.       Symphony tryout?

M

S

D

6.       Annoying invitee?

S

P

7.       Seasonal percussionist?

S

M

R

E

8.       A master’s way to old furniture?

A

U

T

N

Answers:

1.       Wise guys

2.       Morse horse

3.       Millionaire honey bear

4.       Crude rude

5.       Musician audition

6.       Guest pest

7.       Summer drummer

8.       Antique technique

Wordsmiths this one’s for you.

Our head scratcher comes from the Guinness Book of Words by Martin Manser. In 1878, the writer Lewis Carroll invented the doublet, a puzzle in which a word is changed, letter by letter, into another word of the same length.

1.       HEAD  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - TALK

2.       APE  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ -  _____ -  MAN

3.       WORD  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ -  DEED

4.       PITCH  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ -  _____ -  TENTS

5.       SLEEP  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ -  _____ -  _____ -  DREAM

Answer:

1.       HEAD – heal – teal – tell – tall – TALK

2.       APE – apt – opt – oat – sat – mat – MAN

3.       WORD – woad – road – read – dead – DEED

4.       PITCH – pinch – winch – wench – tench – tenth – TENTS

5.       SLEEP – sheep – cheep – creep – creek – creak – cream - DREAM

Can you complete the following doublets in five or fewer steps?   

1.       PIG  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ -  STY

2.       FLOUR  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - BREAD

3.       FISH  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - MEAT

4.       HAND  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - FOOT

5.       RICH  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - POOR

6.       COAL  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - MINE

7.       TEARS  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - SMILE

8.       LIVE  - _____ - _____ - _____ - _____ - DEAD

Answers:

1.       PIG  - wig – wag – way – say – STY

2.       FLOUR  - floor – flood – blood – brood – broad – BREAD

3.       FISH – fist – list – lest – best – beat – MEAT

4.       HAND – hard – lard- lord – ford – fort – FOOT

5.       RICH – rick – rock – rook – book – boor – POOR

6.       COAL – coat – moat – most – mist – mint – MINE

7.       TEARS – sears – stars – stare – stale – stile – SMILE

8.       LIVE – line – lint – lent – lead – DEAD 

Three of a Kind

The word in each set below share a single feature. For example,  a compass, a phonograph, & a pine tree all have… needles. The triplets below are tougher, but here’s a clue:  each answer is a seven-letter plural ending in S.

1.       thermometer, university, graduate, location on a globe

2.       mattress, health resort, stapler

3.       television, cinema, basketball team on the offense

4.       Greek building, newspaper, marching army

5.       river, nose, denture

6.       ion, credit card bill, cavalry

7.       tennis player, noisy party, mafia ring

8.       weather, locker room, bride before her wedding

9.       magazine, bed, peanut butter

10.   crossword puzzle, post office, to the editor

Answers:

1.       Degrees

2.       Springs

3.       Screens

4.       Columns

5.       Bridges

6.       Charges

7.       Rackets

8.       Showers

9.       Spreads

10.   letters

If you’re ready, willing and able,

give this puzzle a go. Find a rhyme for each word below so you end up with a familiar three-word phrase in the form “_____,_____, and _____.” For example the clue: “Took, Sign, Blinker” would lead to the answer “Hook, Sign, Blinker.”

1.       Flop, Crook, Glisten

2.       Pin, Brace, Though

3.       Versed, Beckoned, Heard

4.       Leg, Sorrow, Wheel

5.       Bawl, Park, Ransom

6.       Sprawl, Tedium, Barge

7.       Thap, Shackle, Top

8.       Mud, Fret, Beers

9.       Break, Cattle, Foal

10.   Wise, Pork, Croon

11.   Sheer, Rose, Float

12.   Fine, Swimmin’, Wrong

13.   Lame, Debt, Scratch

14.   Head, Fright, Chew

Answers:

1.       Stop, Look, & Listen

2.       Win, Place, & Show

3.       First, Second, & Third

4.       Beg, Borrow, &Steal

5.       Tall, Dark, & Handsome

6.       Small, Medium, & Large

7.       Snap, Crackle, & Pop

8.       Blood, Sweat, & Tears

9.       Shake, Rattle, & Roll

10.   Knife, Fork, & Spoon

11.   Ear, Nose, & Throat

12.   Wine, Women, & Song

13.   Game, Set, & Match

14.   Red, White, Blue