WORD PLAY SOLUTIONS
1
The paradox—
And claim, through the passage of years,
That neither the pages of Johnson disclose,
While either in Murray appears.
is solved by the lines—
Johnson and Murray both give “neither,”
While, to complete the paradox,
Murray and Johnson both give “either!”
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2
The verse is completed thus—
Bulbs push, due culture nurtures fruitful flush;
Thrush builds, full sunhued plumes furze tufts unfurl,
Up bursts, pure flute-fugue, Bulbul’s tuneful gush.
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3
The enigma—
And both I sigh and see
Joined to my third, which much perplexed
And sorely puzzled me.
’Twas fifty, and ’twas something more,
Reversed ’twas scarce an ell,
With first and next it forms a whole
Clear as a crystal bell.
What is my whole? A splendid tear
Upheld in cruel thrall;
Blow soft, ye gales, bright sun, appear!
And bid it gently fall.
is solved by ICICLE.
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4
The charade—
Transpose one for my second;
My whole, a biped, quick or dead
Is dainty reckoned.
is solved by Pigeon (one becomes eon).
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5
Byron’s enigma—
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 page
I always am greatest alone.
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.
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.
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6
Till you cut off my head;
Then as black as a coal,
Or a mortal instead.
Shaken up and recast
We with science are found,
Read us back from the last
And we live underground.
is solved by Star, tar, arts, rats.
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7
Horace Smith’s charade—
All prejudice must bend the knee before its iron will;
Yet “Onward!” is the Briton’s cry—a cry that doth express
A 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 by Reformatory.
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8
Beheaded I lead upward more or less;
Again—with varied fragrance I am rife;
Again—but little value I express.
is solved by Nascent, ascent, scent, cent.
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9
The enigma—
A victory was won by me.
Behead me, and I may be found
In 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 by Sling, ling, gin, in.
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10
The charade—
“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 by Pleasure.
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11
The answer to the problem—
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 passes me—
is (1) Take a motor if it comes first.
is (2) Take a horse ’bus if it comes first, and comes within 21⁄2 minutes of waiting.
is (3) Wait for a motor if a horse ’bus comes first, but does not come till after 21⁄2 minutes.
As I may have to wait 0 minutes or 15 minutes, the average time of waiting will be 71⁄2 minutes.
If I wait x min., 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 - x mins., I should reach the Bank in 171⁄2 - x mins.
If, therefore, x is greater than 21⁄2, the motor is the quicker.
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12
The historical charade—
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 age
My whole a place in Britain’s history fills.
Immortalised in Shakespeare’s magic pages
As one who’d fain reform his tailor’s bills!
is solved by Stephen (Step-hen).
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13
My first had dangling at his side,
On chain securely hooked.
My first he came from o’er the sea,
A bundle of conceit looked he,
And he was all he looked.
Where in desponding mood was seen
My whole, with drooping head.
“Behold,” she said, “a perfect, true
And striking likeness, sir, of you!”
And, laughing, gaily fled.
is solved by Donkey.
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14
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.
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15
Unity is a probable solution of the old enigma, part of which evidently refers to “a house divided against itself”—
And very useful in my post;
There’s not a house in all the land
Without me properly can stand.
Though men disputed long ago
Whether I did exist or no,
Once more some thousands have been slain
Because they could not me attain.
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16
The anagram proverbs, “These grave lips chatter no ill,” and “Elephants, all to richest giver,” are both founded on Little pitchers have long ears, and spelt with exactly the same letters.
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17
The charade—
The rest is in a city found;
My whole to win its way is bound.
is solved by Pertinacity.
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18
The buried potentate in the lines—
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.
is King Edward.
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19
The charade—
Is never seen or heard;
When it is heard the sound is tolled
Out of a Jewish beard.
My next was in imperial Rome,
It was her power and might;
Then you had but to write you wish,
And straightway ’twas in sight.
Of royal rank.
is solved by Clovis (vis in Latin is both power and you wish).
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20
Oft have I saved a castle tower
From 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 by Moat—atom.
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21
The puzzle—
All apart its letters shake.
Let your 6, 3, 5 be high,
Like 5, 1, 2 do or die.
Who 4, 6, 5, 1 enjoys
More 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 words aim, men, game, man, mine, gain, gem, and amen.
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22
The enigma—
Half an hour after his head was cut off.”
Old Couplet.
A warrior formed to deal a heavy blow.
Halve what remains, my second is a thing
Which 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 by Dog (Og, go, dog, God).
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23
The logograph—
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 need
I tell that strength and skill succeed.
is solved by Stable, table, able.
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24
The names that satisfy the conditions of this Single Acrostic—
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 run
Into the sea near Otterton?
What bay on Cuba’s distant coast
Is justly deemed its pride and boast?
The initials of these names will show
A Scotch reformer, who, we know,
Flourished three hundred years ago.
are Kennet, Ness, Otter, Xagua, which give Knox.
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25
The charade—
So former may, or latter;
But twist my tail, and I become as mad
As any hatter!
Who never was called mister;
Cut off my tail, and instantly I can
Become a sister!
is solved by Madam (ma, dam, mad, Adam, Ada).
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26
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.
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27
The rebus—
I am
a man
I rate you
a beast
You know me
reads thus:—I rate you lower than a man, above a beast. Know between you and me I am above the rest.
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28
The charade—
Rome’s fate my next, and one that all may dread.
Long may it be before that fate shall come
And sever with my whole thy life’s last thread!
is solved by Scissors (Lat. scis, thou knowest; sors, a lot).
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29
The poets’ names buried in the lines—
Upon the moor, enchanting spot;
Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,
Up open to his shepherd cot.
Are flying—aye, each to his nest;
And eager make at such an hour
All haste to reach the mansions blest.
are Gray, Moore, Byron, Pope, Dryden, Gay, Keats and Hemans.
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30
The enigma—
Though it reduces one;
A sty is foul if it is there,
By it a deed is done.
is solved by the letter n (me becomes men; one, none; a sty, nasty.)
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31
Studying Praed’s fable;
Lennie’s mother rasped the bread,
Sophy drapes the table.
“Work while you are spared,” they said,
“Spread while you are able!”
The words in italics have the same letters.
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32
The charade—
My whole is quite sure to be in.
Divided afresh, there is reckoned
A 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 by Within (Swithin).
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33
The puzzle lines—
To a slight noise may turn;
My second-twist, a stately word,
And it will bend we learn.
are solved by Pardon (rap-nod).
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34
The enigma—
Then half a score.
When this is duly done
Almost ten more.
This can be good for none,
But trial sore.
is solved by Vixen.
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35
The buried proverb—
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 his example—is—
If you swear you will catch no fish.
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36
Like reevers of ropes far too rotten to hold,
Reserve a severer reverse and disasters
For a State that reveres not incapable masters.
The six words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
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37
My second a snare,
My whole is the offspring of fancy,
Which I sent on its way
Last Valentine’s Day,
As a token of love to my Nancy.
is solved by Sonnet.
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38
The lover’s vow—
Shall never be my second;
It shall my all, come best, come worst,
Be surely reckoned.
is solved by Endless.
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39
The enigma—
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.
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40
If you “resist disasters,” this may, by anagram, distress a sister.
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41
The charade—
When 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 by Archæology.
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42
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 triangle must be greater than the third side.
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43
Between my first and second:
Second has body, arms and face;
First is by inches reckoned.
is solved by waistcoat.
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44
The historical charade—
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 of Drumclog.
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45
Each spouter a Proteus in versatile skill;
Each posture so quaint, each idea so profound,
My barn’s at their service, whenever they will.
A company played there last night, but to-day
Ducks, pouters, and poultry have vanished away!
The five words in italics are spelt with the same seven letters.
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46
The Arithmorem “150 hat robe or tent” forms the name Charlotte Bronte.
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47
The Shedding Letters enigma—
Of all that are busy in country and town.
Take from me one letter, and yet my good name
In spite of this loss will continue the same.
Take from me two letters, and still you will see
That 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 by The Postman!
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48
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.
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49
In the “Geese to Market” problem—