In each puzzle below, the same two letters have been removed from the middle of each word. Can you figure out which pair of letters can complete each set of words?

1.
EN _ _ NE
RE _ _ ON
DI _ _ TS

2.
CE _ _ NT
RE _ _ DY
LA _ _ ST

3.
WE _ _ ON
TE _ _ OT
EL _ _ SE

Answer

Can you put the letters representing the four main compass points — N, S, E, and W — exactly once into each set of blanks below to make a common word?

1. I _ K _ _ LL _
2. DO _ _ _ ID _
3. _ I _ HBO _ _
4. U _ _ I _ _
5. _ _ I _ DL _
6. _ A _ D _ R _
7. _ _ O _ _ D
8. A _ _ _ _ R
9. _ I _ _ _

Answer

Each of the words and phrases below contains the letters BRAIN, although not consecutively. Can you fill in the blanks and get each answer?

1. Great ___ (England)
BR _ _ AIN

2. Good value
B _ R _ AIN

3. Overseer of a great many books
_ _ BRA _ I _ N

4. Shortening of a longer word
_ B _ R _ _ _ A _ I _ N

5. What new army recruits have to go through
B _ _ _ _   _ RAIN _ _ _

6. Removing
_ _ B _ RA _ _ IN _

7. Area in the Atlantic Ocean where ships supposedly disappear
B _ R _ _ _ A   _ _ I _ N _ _ _

Answer

The answer to each of the clues is a phrase consisting of two five-letter words. Each answer can be written lowercase into a set of blanks so that the vowels always appear in a yellow square, and consonants always appear in a blue box of the appropriate shape. (A key to which letters can appear in which boxes is shown.) Can you answer all the clues and place them in the correct blanks? Here’s a hint: Answers can be placed in the blanks, from top to bottom, in alphabetical order.

(Click to enlarge the image.)

Answer

Below are seven poems from Ogden Nash, each about a different animal. Can you put the right animal names back into each poem?

ANT CENTIPEDE COBRA COW OCTOPUS OSTRICH TERMITE

1.
Tell me, O _____, I begs
Is those things arms, or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, _____;
If I were thou, I’d call me Us.

2.
I objurgate the _____,
A bug we do not really need.
At sleepy-time he beats a path
Straight to the bedroom or the bath.
You always wallop where he’s not,
Or, if he is, he makes a spot.

3.
The _____ is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk.

4.
Some primal ____ knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

5.
This creature fills its mouth with venom
And walks upon its duodenum.
He who attempts to tease the _____
Is soon a sadder he, and sobra.

6.
The _____ roams the great Sahara.
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs,
I’m glad it sits to lay its eggs.

7.
The ____ has made himself illustrious
Through constant industry industrious.
So what?
Would you be calm and placid
If you were full of formic acid?

Answer

The answer to each of the clues is a phrase consisting of two five-letter words. Each answer can be written lowercase into a set of blanks so that the vowels always appear in a yellow square, and consonants always appear a blue box of the appropriate shape. (A key to which letters can appear in which boxes is shown.) Can you answer all the clues and place them in the correct blanks? Here’s a hint: Answers can be placed in the blanks, from top to bottom, in alphabetical order.

(Click to enlarge the image.)

Answer

Can you place each of the five-lettered trees shown below into one set of blanks to complete a common word?

1. _ _ NI _ U _ AT _

2. _ _ _ DWAT _ _ ER

3. _ AL _ N _ _ _

4. _ _ PRE _ _ _ Y

5. _ _ _ _ AUS _

6. LE _ R _ _ H _ U _

7. _ L _ UST _ _ PHO _ IA

APPLE
BIRCH
CAROB
CEDAR
MAPLE
PECAN
SUMAC

Answer

Fill in a letter in each circle below to complete a six-letter word. The word can read either clockwise or counterclockwise, and you’ll have to figure out where each word starts. (Click to enlarge.)

Answer

Fill the blank in each word with three consecutive letters of the alphabet to make a common word.

1. THI___

2. CA___Y

3. ___EAT

4. SI___NG

5. PA___RE

Answer