NAME DROPPERS (Round 1)

How to Play:

Each entry lists a sentence or phrase to logically complete by dropping a person's name in the blank. The name may or may not be vernacular-speak, a homonym or pun, or even phonetically accurate, so long as it works.

Example:

➤ You must have been vacationing in Hawaii as that’s quite a ________ got there!

[The most appropriate answer, in the form of a person's name, is "TANYA".]

Round 1:

➤ This ________: the latest breaking news . . .

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➤ Put your ________ the table, not just your kings and queens.

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➤ Can you ________ easier than aluminum if you scrape it?

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➤ Did you ________ lottery ticket or a bingo game to get that prize?

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➤ Is that an ________ white dress with wings, or am I just dreaming of heaven?

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MYSTERY CELEBRITY SYNANTONYMS (Round 1)

How to Play:

Each entry contains either a synonym or antonym of a well-known person's surname. Figure out which it is (synonym or antonym), and then fill in the blank with the mystery person's real first name to help uncover his or her true identity. 

➤ Example (Synonym Clue):

_____­_____­ Pebble

[Answer: Emma, Oliver or Sharon, whose surname is Stone, because “stone” and “pebble” are synonyms.]

➤ Example (Antonym Clue):

_____­_____­ Plodding

[Answer: Taylor or Jonathan, whose surname is Swift, because “swift” and “plodding” are antonyms.]

Round 1:

➤ _____­_____­ Littlegoose

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➤ _____­_____­ East

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➤ _____­_____­ Shrub

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➤ _____­_____­ Summers

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➤ _____­_____­ Buyers

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ROMAN NUMERAL CRYPTOLOGY (Round 1)

How to Play:

To decode the solution to each entry, first convert the Arabic numeral to its Roman numeral counterpart. Then, inferring from puns and riddles within the cryptic clue, break down the logical structure of each entry to figure out the answer.

Example:

➤ "9 sits inside a pigpen at retirement age": SIXTY

[The answer is "sIXty" derived from the rules: 9 becomes IX, which is then inserted inside the word "sty" because the cryptic clue says "IX sits inside a pigpen." Another word for pigpen is "sty", so putting IX inside "sty" results in "sIXty". Part of the pun / solution is 60 is also a retirement age.]

➤ Roman Numeral Key:

[I = 1 / V=5 / X=10 / L=50 / C=100 / D=500 / M=1000]

Round 1:

➤ "11 aliens find ways out": ________

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➤ "At 56, he’s in the middle of becoming a rock n roll legend": ________

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➤ "Are you playing 2000 games of gin, why?": ________

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➤ "54, not nine ruminants, help Santa do this by air": ________

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➤ "9 sprites baked in tarts": ________

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➤ "1009 begin hospital ward’s socials": ________

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COMPOUNDING INTEREST (Round 1)

How to Play:

Using the given compound word as a starting point, add suitable words to each of its two component words to spin off two new compound words. The answers to the two suitable add-on words will then spin off to create the third compound word. Entry clues are listed as a solving aid.

Example:

➤ FIREBREAK

1) FIRE(TWIG) = FIRESTICK

2) BREAK(NOT DOWN) = BREAKUP

3) (BANK JOB) = STICKUP

[Answer: (TWIG) = "STICK" for FIRESTICK; (NOT DOWN) = "UP" for BREAKUP; and (BANK JOB) = STICKUP, resulting in 3 spin-off compound words.]

Round 1:

➤ BACKHAND

1) BACK(SOMERSAULT) = __________

2) HAND(MANUAL) = __________

3) (ANIMATED IMAGES VIEWED IN QUICK SUCCESSION) = __________

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➤ FOOTBALL

1) FOOT(OPUS) = __________

2) BALL(SALON) = __________

3) (PLACE TO GET STUFF DONE) = __________

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➤ NEWSDESK

1) NEWS(A OR X, E.G.) = __________

2) DESK(HOMO, E.G.) = __________

3) (DECORATED HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE) = __________

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➤ SIDEKICK

1) SIDE(ELASTIC RING) = __________

2) KICK(RISE) = __________

3) (ELEVATED PLATFORM TO PERFORM MUSIC) = __________

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➤ NEWSPAPER

1) NEWS(REPRODUCED ARTWORK) = __________

2) PAPER(CONSTRUCTING) = __________

3) (FORM OF ARTWORK TO MAKE MANY OTHER WORKS OF ART) = __________

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MISSING PERSONS CASES (Round 1)

How to play:

Using the clues and connector word as a solving aid, fill in the blanks in each entry to reveal the identity of a well-known "missing person". 

Example:

➤ Cool jazz cat on even KEEL:

 ___ ___ KEEL ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

[Answer: the missing person is “DuKEELlington".]

Round 1:

➤ Late author was PRO-Jewish:

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ PRO ___ ___

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➤ It takes a LOT to upset this old-time popular TV Actress:

___ ___ ___ LOT ___ ___ ___ ___ _­­­__

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➤ Recently deceased comedic actor not NEW to the silver screen:

___ ___ NEW ___ ___ ___ ___ _­­­__

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➤ Iconic activist no SAP when it came to standing up for civil rights:

___ ___ SAP ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Don’t cry for her, Argentina, nor APE her behavior:

___ ___ APE ___ ___ ___

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U.S. RD. MAP: ST. ABBR. (Round 1)

How to Play:

Solve each entry by filling in the blanks with combinations of official U.S. state abbreviations to come up with a common word related to the "road map" clue.

Example:

➤ Having a flushed complexion: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

[The answer is “FLORID” which is comprised of the combination of state abbreviations FL + OR + ID.]

Round 1:

➤ Littoral: ­ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Central CA city: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____

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➤ Jibe at: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Nut: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Attractively boyish: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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+/- FACTOR (Round 1)

How to Play:

Each entry comes with a +/- clue and a missing +/- letter in parentheses at the beginning or ending of the series of blank spaces. Using the +/- clue as a solving aid, fill in the blanks and the missing +/- letter will reveal either a longer / shorter common word, or a longer / shorter well-known person's last name.

Example: (common words)

➤ Legal +/- Terrible =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

[The missing +/- letter is "L"; the answer to the clue is “(L)AWFUL", with “LAWFUL” being the + answer to the clue “Legal”, and “AWFUL” being the - answer to the clue “Terrible”.]

Example: (well-known person's last name)

➤ New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor +/- "Small" comedian =

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ( ___ ) 

[The missing +/- letter is "Z"; the answer to the clue is “SHORT(Z)”, with “SHORTZ" being the + answer to the clue “New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor” (Will Shortz), and “SHORT” being the - answer to the clue "'Small' Comedian” (Martin Short).]

Round 1:

Common Words:

➤ Group thinking +/- Downpour =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Yell +/- Dairy product =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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➤ Hound dog +/- Regal bird =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

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Well-known Persons:

➤ Early 20th century “Monkey Trial” lawyer +/- 1960s TV show granny =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ 

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➤ Late raunchy TV actor & comedian +/- Parkinson’s Disease stricken actor =

___ ___ ___ ( ___ )

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➤ Notorious Chicago nurse murderer +/- “Atticus Finch” =

( ___ ) ___ ___ ___ ___ 

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"PHIL" IN THE BLANK (Round 1)

How to Play:

Each entry requires you to "PHIL" in the blank with a male or female first name. Clues are given as a solving aid to reveal a name subsumed into the word.

Example:

➤ This person has a macabre fascination with death:

NECRO __________ IA

[The person's name is “PHIL” and the word is “NECROPHILIA”.]

Round 1:

➤ This person speaks in the jargon of a true insider:

PAR __________

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➤ This person enjoys stargazing:

CON __________ TION

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➤ This person plays in a Cajun band:

CONCER __________

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➤ This person does backbreaking work at the dock:

__________ DORE

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➤ This person is an expert on marmots:

WOOD __________

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Hello Games & Puzzles Lovers!

Welcome to my new site dedicated to challenging your wits, stumping your brain, and testing your C.Q. - your Creative Quotient!

In the posts to come, you'll find a mind-boggling assortment of original word games, puzzles, brainteasers and mental mine fields I have deviously devised for your brainiac solving pleasure.

Hopefully, you will find my creative inventions, if not twisted, vexatious or a waste of time, to be clever, pun-worthy, stimulating, and above all - FUN!

Intent on challenging your C.Q. cred, the games involve themes around celebrities and famous persons, common words and abbreviations, while other head-scratching entries will test your wonky spoonerism acumen, and who knows what else. (Nothing with numbers, though, or spatial / logic stuff!)

HAPPY SOLVING, and NO CHEATING!

Oh, wait, cheating isn't possible, since I won't divulge any answers unless you beg me for them. And while you're busting your skull trying to solve one of these puzzles, drop me a line, why not. And make this thing go viral!