WORD PLAY SOLUTIONS

Theparadox—

Two words in our region of puzzledom pose,And claim, through the passage of years,That neither the pages of Johnson disclose,While either in Murray appears.

is solved by thelines—

This key unlocks our puzzle-box,Johnson and Murray both give “neither,”While, to complete the paradox,Murray and Johnson both give “either!”

Return todescription

The verse is completedthus—

Rude Eurus murmurs, trustful buds uncurl,Bulbs push, due culture nurtures fruitful flush;Thrush builds, full sunhued plumes furze tufts unfurl,Up bursts, pure flute-fugue, Bulbul’s tuneful gush.

Return todescription

Theenigma—

I see my first, I see my next,And both I sigh and seeJoined to my third, which much perplexedAnd sorely puzzled me.’Twas fifty, and ’twas something more,Reversed ’twas scarce an ell,With first and next it forms a wholeClear as a crystal bell.What is my whole? A splendid tearUpheld in cruel thrall;Blow soft, ye gales, bright sun, appear!And bid it gently fall.

is solved by ICICLE.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

Take for my first a quadruped,Transpose one for my second;My whole, a biped, quick or deadIs dainty reckoned.

is solved byPigeon(onebecomeseon).

Return todescription

Byron’senigma—

I am not in youth, nor in manhood, nor age,But in infancy ever am known;I’m a stranger alike to the fool and the sage,And though I’m distinguish’d in history’s pageI always am greatest alone.I am not in earth, nor the sun, nor the moon;You may search all the sky—I’m not there;In the morning and evening—though not in the noon—You may plainly perceive me—for, like a balloon,I am midway suspended in air.Though disease may possess me, and sickness and pain,I am never in sorrow nor gloom;Though in wit and in wisdom I equally reign,I’m the heart of all sin, and have long lived in vain,Yet I ne’er shall be found in the tomb!

I am not in youth, nor in manhood, nor age,But in infancy ever am known;I’m a stranger alike to the fool and the sage,And though I’m distinguish’d in history’s pageI always am greatest alone.

I am not in earth, nor the sun, nor the moon;You may search all the sky—I’m not there;In the morning and evening—though not in the noon—You may plainly perceive me—for, like a balloon,I am midway suspended in air.

Though disease may possess me, and sickness and pain,I am never in sorrow nor gloom;Though in wit and in wisdom I equally reign,I’m the heart of all sin, and have long lived in vain,Yet I ne’er shall be found in the tomb!

is solved by the letter I.

Return todescription

I am bright as a wholeTill you cut off my head;Then as black as a coal,Or a mortal instead.Shaken up and recastWe with science are found,Read us back from the lastAnd we live underground.

is solved byStar,tar,arts,rats.

Return todescription

Horace Smith’scharade—

In arts and sciences behold my first the watchword still,All prejudice must bend the knee before its iron will;Yet “Onward!” is the Briton’s cry—a cry that doth expressA holy work but half begun, and speaks of hopefulness.In palace or in lonely cot its name alike is heard,And in the Senate’s lordly halls sit my second and my third.Strange paradox, though for my first my total is designed,Sad marks of vice and ignorance we in that whole may find.

is solved byReformatory.

Return todescription

Untouched I tell of budding growth and life;Beheaded I lead upward more or less;Again—with varied fragrance I am rife;Again—but little value I express.

is solved byNascent,ascent,scent,cent.

Return todescription

Theenigma—

Search Holy Writ and you will seeA victory was won by me.Behead me, and I may be foundIn water or on hilly ground.Behead again, and then transpose,A snare my letters now disclose.If yet again my head you sever,No matter how sharp-set or clever,’Tis all in vain you look about,For no one yet has found me out.

is solved bySling,ling,gin,in.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

Said a lawyer aside to his friend in the court,“Now I’d bet, were we not in this place,That my first is my second a bottle of port,”Then bright with my whole shone his face.

is solved byPleasure.

Return todescription

The answer to theproblem—

Six horse ’buses and four motor ’buses travel each hour from Temple Bar to the Bank. The horses take 15 minutes, and the motors 10 minutes on the journey.

If I come to Temple Bar, and wish to reach the Bank as soon as possible, shall I take the first horse ’bus that turns up, or wait for a motor? It must be assumed that I can only see a ’bus as it actually passesme—

is (1) Take a motor if it comes first.

is(2) Take a horse ’bus if it comes first, and comes within 21⁄2minutes of waiting.

is(3) Wait for a motor if a horse ’bus comes first, but does not come till after 21⁄2minutes.

As I may have to wait 0 minutes or 15 minutes, the average time of waiting will be 71⁄2minutes.

If I waitxmin., and a horse ’bus arrives, I should reach the Bank in 15 mins, if I took it.

If I waited longer for a motor, which, on the average, will now turn up in 71⁄2-xmins., I should reach the Bank in 171⁄2-xmins.

If, therefore,xis greater than 21⁄2, the motor is the quicker.

Return todescription

The historicalcharade—

My first, if foolishly or rashly taken,May mar the future prospects of your life.My second, by her fickle lord forsaken(Sad type of many a gentle, patient wife).May toil and moil to feed his many babies,While he goes flirting off with other ladies.The thrifty monarch of a former ageMy whole a place in Britain’s history fills.Immortalised in Shakespeare’s magic pagesAs one who’d fain reform his tailor’s bills!

is solved byStephen(Step-hen).

Return todescription

Mysecond, worn with pompous pride,Myfirsthad dangling at his side,On chain securely hooked.Myfirsthe came from o’er the sea,A bundle of conceit looked he,And he was all he looked.She led him to the village green,Where in desponding mood was seenMywhole, with drooping head.“Behold,” she said, “a perfect, trueAnd striking likeness, sir, of you!”And, laughing, gaily fled.

Mysecond, worn with pompous pride,Myfirsthad dangling at his side,On chain securely hooked.Myfirsthe came from o’er the sea,A bundle of conceit looked he,And he was all he looked.

She led him to the village green,Where in desponding mood was seenMywhole, with drooping head.“Behold,” she said, “a perfect, trueAnd striking likeness, sir, of you!”And, laughing, gaily fled.

is solved byDonkey.

Return todescription

Lewis Carroll turns WHEAT into BREAD, changing one letter each time, and preserving their general order throughout,thus—

WHEAT; cheat; cheap; cheep; creep; creed; breed; BREAD.

Return todescription

Unityis a probable solution of the old enigma, part of which evidently refers to “a house divided againstitself”—

I’m one among a numerous host,And very useful in my post;There’s not a house in all the landWithout me properly can stand.Though men disputed long agoWhether I did exist or no,Once more some thousands have been slainBecause they could not me attain.

Return todescription

The anagram proverbs, “These grave lips chatter no ill,” and “Elephants, all to richest giver,” are both founded onLittle pitchers have long ears, and spelt with exactly the same letters.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

My first of rudeness has a sound;The rest is in a city found;My whole to win its way is bound.

is solved byPertinacity.

Return todescription

The buried potentate in thelines—

My first is in cake, but not in bun;My second in light, but not in sun;My third is in night, but not in day;My fourth is in game, but not in play;My fifth is in head, but not in tail;My sixth is in wind, but not in sail;My seventh in wrong, but not in right;My eighth is in battle, but not in fight;My ninth is in sword, but not in knife,My tenth is in lady, but not in wife;My whole is a monarch at war with strife.

isKing Edward.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

My first except when it is oldIs never seen or heard;When it is heard the sound is tolledOut of a Jewish beard.My next was in imperial Rome,It was her power and might;Then you had but to writeyou wish,And straightway ’twas in sight.My whole was FrankOf royal rank.

My whole was FrankOf royal rank.

is solved byClovis(visin Latin is bothpowerandyou wish).

Return todescription

How great in olden days my power,Oft have I saved a castle towerFrom war’s invading tide.Transpose me, and how great my fall!I am then the smallest of the small,That nothing can divide.

is solved byMoat—atom.

Return todescription

Thepuzzle—

This compact Enigma take,All apart its letters shake.Let your 6, 3, 5 be high,Like 5, 1, 2 do or die.Who 4, 6, 5, 1 enjoysMore than 5, 6, 2 by boys?While 5, 3, 2, 1 are mine,May 4, 6, 3, 2 be thine.4, 1, 5 is rich and rare,6, 5, 1, 2 ends my prayer.

is solved by the word Enigma, from which are formed, as is indicated, the wordsaim,men,game,man,mine,gain,gem, andamen.

Return todescription

Theenigma—

“Charles the First walked and talked,Half an hour after his head was cut off.”Old Couplet.Cut off my head, I’m every inch a King,A warrior formed to deal a heavy blow.Halve what remains, my second is a thingWhich nothing but my third can e’er make go,My third will vary as you take your line,This less than human, that way all divine!

“Charles the First walked and talked,Half an hour after his head was cut off.”

Old Couplet.

Cut off my head, I’m every inch a King,A warrior formed to deal a heavy blow.Halve what remains, my second is a thingWhich nothing but my third can e’er make go,My third will vary as you take your line,This less than human, that way all divine!

is solved byDog(Og, go, dog, God).

Return todescription

Thelogograph—

Touch me not, I’m firm and sure;Behead, I’m used by rich and poor;In house and cottage, hut and hall,I stand of service to them all.Behead again, in time of needI tell that strength and skill succeed.

is solved byStable,table,able.

Return todescription

The names that satisfy the conditions of this SingleAcrostic—

What river is that, where it is found,Which Pope says does with eels abound?What Scottish lake, by high hills bounded,Is with bright birch and oak surrounded?What stream is said in Devon to runInto the sea near Otterton?What bay on Cuba’s distant coastIs justly deemed its pride and boast?The initials of these names will showA Scotch reformer, who, we know,Flourished three hundred years ago.

areKennet,Ness,Otter,Xagua, which giveKnox.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

My whole may be a mother, not a dad,So former may, or latter;But twist my tail, and I become as madAs any hatter!Behead me, and behold I am a man,Who never was called mister;Cut off my tail, and instantly I canBecome a sister!

My whole may be a mother, not a dad,So former may, or latter;But twist my tail, and I become as madAs any hatter!

Behead me, and behold I am a man,Who never was called mister;Cut off my tail, and instantly I canBecome a sister!

is solved byMadam(ma,dam,mad,Adam,Ada).

Return todescription

In addition to the singularly appropriate anagram that has been so happily attached to the name of Florence Nightingale,Flit on, cheering angel, the same group of letters can be recast as an aspiration for her continuance in our loving memory, so that they form the sentence,Cling on, feeling heart.

Return todescription

Therebus—

I ama manI rate youa beastYou know me

reads thus:—I rate you lower than a man, above a beast. Know between you and me I am above the rest.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

My first, thou knowest, was in ancient Rome,Rome’s fate my next, and one that all may dread.Long may it be before that fate shall comeAnd sever with my whole thy life’s last thread!

is solved byScissors(Lat.scis, thou knowest;sors, a lot).

Return todescription

The poets’ names buried in thelines—

The sun is darting rays of goldUpon the moor, enchanting spot;Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,Up open to his shepherd cot.And sundry denizens of airAre flying—aye, each to his nest;And eager make at such an hourAll haste to reach the mansions blest.

The sun is darting rays of goldUpon the moor, enchanting spot;Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,Up open to his shepherd cot.

And sundry denizens of airAre flying—aye, each to his nest;And eager make at such an hourAll haste to reach the mansions blest.

are Gray, Moore, Byron, Pope, Dryden, Gay, Keats and Hemans.

Return todescription

Theenigma—

This multiplies me, I declare,Though it reduces one;A sty is foul if it is there,By it a deed is done.

is solved by the lettern(mebecomesmen;one,none;a sty,nasty.)

Return todescription

Lennieparsedthe words he read,StudyingPraed’sfable;Lennie’s motherraspedthe bread,Sophydrapesthe table.“Work while you arespared,” they said,“Spreadwhile you are able!”

The words in italics have the same letters.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

When I write with my first, in my second,My whole is quite sure to be in.Divided afresh, there is reckonedA wit, or a something that’s thin.Prefix a letter, and, as clear as paint,You see the name of an old English Saint,

is solved byWithin(Swithin).

Return todescription

The puzzlelines—

My first, though half a noisy bird,To a slight noise may turn;My second-twist, a stately word,And it will bend we learn.

are solved byPardon(rap-nod).

Return todescription

Theenigma—

To half of ten add oneThen half a score.When this is duly doneAlmost ten more.This can be good for none,But trial sore.

is solved byVixen.

Return todescription

The buriedproverb—

I fancy this Tory outcry, this weary outrageous attempt to show illegality, is as a cat chasing snow-flakes. I must be forgiven if I shun hisexample—is—

If you swear you will catch no fish.

Return todescription

Quickveerersin action, now timid, now bold,Likereeversof ropes far too rotten to hold,Reserveaseverer reverseand disastersFor a State thatreveresnot incapable masters.

The six words in italics are spelt with the same letters.

Return todescription

My first is an heir,My second a snare,My whole is the offspring of fancy,Which I sent on its wayLast Valentine’s Day,As a token of love to my Nancy.

is solved bySonnet.

Return todescription

The lover’svow—

My love shall never know my first,Shall never be my second;It shall my all, come best, come worst,Be surely reckoned.

is solved byEndless.

Return todescription

Theenigma—

I am a letter, and a word,I am a tree, I am a name,Cut me in pieces with a sword,You and your act would be the same.Thrice you must leave the aspirate in doubt,And use it twice if you would find me out.

is solved by U, You, Hugh, Yew, How.

Return todescription

If you “resist disasters,” this may, by anagram,distress a sister.

Return todescription

Thecharade—

My first the rainbow showsWhen in rich hues it glows.My next has vowels three;My third was once a tree.My fourth begins the year,My whole the past makes clear.

is solved byArchæology.

Return todescription

If you ask a schoolboy to estimate the value of the grass in a triangular field, of which the longest side measures 100 rods, and each of the other sides 50 rods, at £1 per acre, it may take him some little time to see that he is being sold, since the condition is not fulfilled that any two sides of a trianglemust be greater than the third side.

Return todescription

Less than my last, my whole has placeBetween my first and second:Second has body, arms and face;First is by inches reckoned.

is solved bywaistcoat.

Return todescription

The historicalcharade—

My first at early morn the camp alarms,And at its sound the soldier springs to arms;My second nowadays fair ladies scorn,Though in less dainty days it oft was worn.My whole, a battle fought on Scottish ground,With victory the rebel forces crowned.

is solved by the battle ofDrumclog.

Return todescription

I love strollingtroupesthat go wandering round,EachspouteraProteusin versatile skill;Eachpostureso quaint, each idea so profound,My barn’s at their service, whenever they will.A company played there last night, but to-dayDucks,pouters, and poultry have vanished away!

The five words in italics are spelt with the same seven letters.

Return todescription

The Arithmorem “150 hat robe or tent” forms the name Charlotte Bronte.

Return todescription

The Shedding Lettersenigma—

I’m a worker most active, most useful, most known,Of all that are busy in country and town.Take from me one letter, and yet my good nameIn spite of this loss will continue the same.Take from me two letters, and still you will seeThat precisely the same in effect I shall be.Take from me three letters, or even take more,Yet still I continue as sound as before.

is solved byThe Postman!

Return todescription

When Tom Larkins challenged his sisters to prove on a blackboard that if 50 is subtracted from the sum of the nine digits the result equals the number obtained by dividing their sum by 3, he showed them that the sum of the digits may be written thus: XLV, and that if the L, which represents 50, is removed, XV, or 15, the third of 45, remains.

Return todescription

In the “Geese to Market”problem—

Back to Index Next