The WordCruncher Weekly - August 2, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!

[Consider last week's missing email an unexpected reprieve from your weekly
puzzle...]

Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

JABBERWOCKY CLUELESS PUZZLE

In Lewis Carroll's second tale of Alice's adventures, "Through the Looking
Glass", Humpty Dumpty related the tale of the Jabberwock.  This poem
contains a large number of invented words, some of which actually became a
part of the English language, like "chortle".  Many of these words were
formed by portmaneau, or the combining of two words to make a new word that
combined the characteristics of both ("slithy" - lithe and slimy), others
seem to fill gaps in the language ("gimble" - to make holes like a gimlet),
and others are unique creations ("borogove" - a thin shabby-looking bird
with its feathers sticking out all round, something like a live mop).

Your task in this week's puzzle is first to enjoy the creative coinages in
Carroll's work, then to take those new words and fit them into the puzzle
below.  I hope you will find this puzzle challightingful (challenging and
delightful)!


       -=- Jabberwocky -=-

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
   Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
   And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
   The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
   The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
   Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
   And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
   The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
   And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
   The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
   He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
   Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
   He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
   Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
   And the mome raths outgrabe.


(Here are the words from Jabberwocky that are to be placed in the puzzle
below: beamish, borogroves, brillig, burbled, chortled, frabjous, frumious,
galumphing, gimble, gyre, manxome, mimsy, mome, outgrabe, raths, slithy,
toves, tulgey, uffish, vorpal, wabe, whiffling)

.............................................[ ]
...............[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ].........[ ]
[ ]............[ ]...............[ ].........[ ]
[ ]............[ ]......[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]...[ ]......[ ].........[ ]
[ ]............[ ]......[ ]......[ ]............
...[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]......[ ]......[ ]............
...............[ ]......[ ].....................
..................[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]......
............[ ].........[ ]...............[ ]...
............[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]............[ ]...
...[ ]......[ ]...........................[ ]...
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]............[ ]...
...[ ]......[ ]......[ ].........[ ]......[ ]...
...[ ]......[ ]......[ ].........[ ]......[ ]...
...[ ]......[ ]......[ ].........[ ]......[ ]...
............[ ]......[ ]...[ ]...[ ]......[ ]...
..................[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
...[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]......[ ]...[ ]............
..................[ ]......[ ]..................
.........[ ][ ][ ][ ]......[ ]..................
...........................[ ]..................
...........................[ ]..................


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to "Pattern Matching #1"

1. REBELS
2. HIGHWAY
3. TOMATO
4. DETERMINE
5. TICKET
6. BASEBALL
7. AUTUMN
8. PUPPY
9. RADAR
10. GIRAFFES


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - July 19, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

"Pattern Matching #1"

Each clue below has one blank space, and one word in capital letters.  The
word that fits in the blank space has the same pattern as the capitalized
word.  For example, consider this sentence:
MOM always said, "Be careful with that BB gun, you might shoot your ______
out!"
The answer is EYE.  Both MOM and EYE fit the same pattern, in which the
first and third letters are the same, and the second is different.

Here are some other examples of words with the same patterns:
"ABBCB": GEESE, ERROR, and ADDED
"ABBCDE": EFFORT, GOOFED, LOOSEN, WEEKLY
"ABCCD": CHEER, CELLO, DIZZY

1. The DAMAGE caused by the ____________ infuriated the established
authorities.
2. Janice's baby threw a TANTRUM as the car drove down the noisy and busy
______________.
3. "Let me pick one more ____________ before I DECIDE to call it a day,"
the farmer said to himself.
4. Said the astronomer to his student, "I'll need to look through my
TELESCOPE before I can __________________ whether that's a comet or a
meteor."
5. "They're all sold out, you can't buy a ____________ at the WINDOW," the
scalper taunted.
6. "Our NEARNESS to this park lets us see lots of ________________ games,"
claimed the excited child.
7. Towards the end of AUGUST, one gets the feeling that the summer is over,
and ____________ is in the air.
8. The child tugged excitedly on his mother's skirt. "MOMMA, can we please
get that __________ in the window?"
9. The cop pulled over the Honda CIVIC.  "I caught you doing 80mph on the
__________," he claimed.
10. At the zoo, the GORILLAS and the ________________ are both in the
Africa exhibit.


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to "Quadathlon #1"

SCRAMBLED WORDS:

kacarmat - tamarack
reinme - ermine
gemnata - magenta
hewel - wheel
ghhi - high
figafer - giraffe
aaafssrss - sassafras
amycores - sycamore
enuclear - cerulean
cogrink - rocking
topeelan - antelope
lowely - yellow

CATEGORIES:

COLORS - yellow, magenta, cerulean
ANIMALS - ermine, giraffe, antelope
CHAIRS - rocking, high, wheel
TREES - sassafrass, sycamore, tamarack

PUZZLE:

<pre>
...[C][O][L][O][R][S]...
...[H]..................
...[A][N][I][M][A][L][S]
...[I]..................
[T][R][E][E][S].........
...[S]..................
</pre>


'a' letters:
L, S, H, A, L, S, E, E, S   -->  SEASHELLS

'b' letters:
O, S, H, A, R, E, E, S   -->  SEASHORE


SOLVED QUESTION:
On summertime trips, some people collect SEASHELLS by the SEASHORE; others
sell them.


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

Clarification - The WordCruncher Weekly - July 12, 2004


Despite my best efforts, this week's WordCruncher email has a potential
problem with the whitespace surrounding the crossword portion of the puzzle.

Here is the crossword, using periods in place of spaces in an attempt to
make the spacing even.  If it seems that each of the lines below is a
different length, you will need to view this email in a fixed-width font.

<pre>
...[_][_][a][b][_][*]...
...[*]..................
...[_][_][_][_][*][a][a]
...[_]..................
[_][b][*][*][*].........
...[_]..................
</pre>

Also, a correction to the puzzle from June 28: Clue #2 should read,
"Resembing a fox", not "Resembling a wolf".

Enjoy!
Dave


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - July 12, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

QUADATHLON #1

Group the following scrambled words into four categories containing three
items each.  Devise a name for each of the categories, and fit those names
into the crossword puzzle.  Then, take the letters from the specially
marked squares in the crossword puzzle, and unscramble each set of letters
to make a word that fits in the puzzle's question.  The letters in squares
marked with an asterisk, '*', belong to both the {a} and {b} groups of
letters.

SCRAMBLED WORDS, TO BE GROUPED BY CATEGORY:
kacarmat
reinme
gemnata
hewel
ghhi
figafer
aaafssrss
amycores
enuclear
cogrink
topeelan
lowely


PUT CATEGORIES INTO THIS CROSSWORD:
<pre>
    [_][_][a][b][_][*]
    [*]
    [_][_][_][_][*][a][a]
    [_]
[_][b][*][*][*]
    [_]
</pre>


SOLVE THIS QUESTION:
On summertime trips, some people collect {a} by the {b}; others sell them.


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to "Enchanted Limericks"

LIMERICK #1 (Encrypted)

A canner exceedingly canny
One morning remarked to his granny
   "A canner can can
   Anything that he can
But a canner can't can a can, can he?"
(Source: http://members.rediff.com/manuel_dsouza/lgu.html)

LIMERICK #2 (Scrambled words)

There once was a handsome young Mr.
Who met a young woman and Kr.
   She had a disease
   But instead of a sneeze,
His top lip developed a Blr.
(Source: http://www.english-zone.com/language/limericks.html)

LIMERICK #3 (Misplaced spaces)

A flea and a fly in a flue
Were caught, so what could they do?
   Said the fly, "Let us flee."
   "Let us fly," said the flea,
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
(Source: http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/limerick.htm)


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - July 5, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. What do you think so far?
  2. This week's puzzle
  3. Answers to last week's puzzle
  4. About this email
======================================

1. WHAT DO YOU THINK SO FAR?

This is the tenth WordCruncher weekly email.  What are your thoughts?  Are
the puzzles fun?  Too hard?  What were your favorite puzzles?  Least
favorites?  Send me some feedback!

Spread the joy of WordCruncher.  If someone you know loves word games, ask
them to sign on at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


2. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

"Enchanted Limericks"

In one limerick, there are spaces
That are placed in the incorrect places
   Another you must decrypt,
   And letters have been flipped
In the remaining of the three cases.

(For your puzzle-solving pleasure, capital letters have been lowered, and
all punctuation marks have been removed.  Yes, even the ones that might
help you in a cryptogram.  In one of the limericks below, the missing
punctuation marks are necessary to understand the word play that gets the
lines to rhyme.)


--- LIMERICK #1 ---

g tgeean aztaahleypf tgeef
Mea rmneley nargnoah bm ilx yngeef
   g tgeean tge tge
   gefbiley bigb ia tge
qwb g tgeean tgeb tge g tge tge ia


--- LIMERICK #2 ---

ehrte cneo swa a sehodman gnyuo rm
hwo tme a ungyo anwom dan rk
   hes dha a eedisas
   tbu stadein fo a enezes
shi pto ilp epeedoldv a rbl


--- LIMERICK #3 ---

afl eaan daf lyi n afl ue
we recau ghts owh atcou ldth eyd o
   sa idth efl yle tusf lee
   le tusf lysai dth ef lea
sot heyfl ewthr o ug hafla wint hefl ue


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


3. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to "One Thing Leads To Another"

1. PINECONE
2. VULPINE
3. VULGAR
4. GARNISH
5. BANISH
6. BASH
7. SHIN
8. INWALL
9. WALLFLOWER
10. CONEFLOWER


4. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - June 28, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

One Thing Leads To Another

The answer to each clue below shares some of the same consecutive letters
as the answer to the clue before it.  The other letters in the answer are
shared by the answer to the following clue.  The puzzle wraps around, so
Clue #10 is followed by Clue #1.  Your goal... find the answers!

1. The fruit of an evergreen tree
2. Resembing a wolf
3. Vernacular
4. To add decorative, savory touches to food
5. To drive out or dispel
6. To bludgeon
7. The part of the leg below the knee
8. The lining of a blast furnace
9. A shy person at a dance
10. A common name for a member of the Rudbeckia family


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to "State Treasures"

Massachusetts - statue, asthma, cause
California - ironic, frolic, acorn
Florida - arid, fold, radio
Pennsylvania - naive, insane, alien
Michigan - magic, hang, chain


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - June 21, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

"State Treasures"

Consider the 15 words below.  Each word can be found by rearranging some
letters from the name of a state in the United States.  For example, the
word "ALOHA" can be found by rearranging some letters from "OKLAHOMA".

Your goal is to come up with five states, each of which contains exactly
three of the clue words provided below.  If you've found a state that fits
only two clue words, then you need to think of a different state.  For
example, NORTH CAROLINA also has the letters that make ALOHA, but it may
not be a correct answer for the other clues.

statue
cause
magic
naive
asthma
ironic
arid
fold
insane
alien
frolic
chain
acorn
hang
radio


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to Find the Pattern, Find the Word

The answer to the punnish riddle is QUADRUPEDS.

The solutions to the clues:
1. EXECUTRIX
2. POWWOW
3. SIZZLE
4. UNIVALVE
5. ABYSS
6. ULTERIOR
7. QUINQUENNIAL
8. DOTTY
9. DYNASTY
10. RAUCOUS

The pattern in these words is that each word contains two of at least one
letter.  For example, DYNASTY contains two Y's.  Specifically, the letters
that are duplicated are the last ten letters of the alphabet: Q, R, S, T,
U, V, W, X, Y, Z.  When placed in alphabetical order according to double
letters, the words are as follows:

Q - QUINQUENNIAL
R - ULTERIOR
S - ABYSS
T - DOTTY
U - RAUCOUS
V - UNIVALVE
W - POWWOW
X - EXECUTRIX
Y - DYNASTY
Z - SIZZLE

(Yes, QUINQUENNIAL also has double I, U, and triple N, but only the Q fits
the pattern)

When the words are placed in the order, the word "QUADRUPEDS" can be made
from the first letter of each word.  Indeed, QUADRUPEDS is the answer to
the punnish riddle, "For (four) every foot they walk ahead."


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - June 14, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

Find the Pattern, Find the Word

The solution to this puzzle is a single word, but you have to find answers
to each of the following clues first.  Solve each clue, then find something
about each of those words that indicate some kind of pattern.  Arrange the
words according to that pattern, and the solution to the punnish riddle
will reveal itself.

RIDDLE:
For every foot they walk ahead,
You can count on ____________________

1. A female who takes responsibility for an estate (9): _ _ _ C _ _ _ I _
2. A Native American ceremonial gathering (6): _ _ W _ O _
3. Sometimes, a salesman doesn't sell the steak; he sells the (6) _ I _ _ _
E
4. Description used for a gastropod shell, because they only have one of
something (8): _ N _ _ _ L _ _
5. A bottomless pit (5): _ B _ _ S
6. Sometimes, motives are this (8): _ _ T _ _ _ O _
7. Every five years, one might celebrate a (12) _ U _ _ _ _ E _ _ _ A _
8. Mentally unbalanced polka fan? (5) _ O _ T _
9. A powerful family thoughout multiple generations (7): _ _ N _ S _ _
10. Disagreeably harsh; rough-sounding (7): _ _ U _ _ _ S


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher group at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to Jum-Jumbled #1

SALAMANDER
OTTER
ANTHER
TULIP
EAGLE
PETUNIA
HEDGEHOG
RACOON
EUCALYPTUS
LILAC

Group 1 contains different types of animal: SALAMANDER, OTTER, EAGLE,
HEDGEHOG, and RACOON.
The jumble is SOEHR; the solution is HORSE.

Group 2 contains words relating to plants (specifically flowers, but it was
hard to find a flower or flower part that begins with E): ANTHER, TULIP,
PETUNIA, EUCALYPTUS, LILAC
The jumble is ATPEL; the solution is PETAL.


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.  Each puzzle is an original
creation by David Koelle, the author of the WordCruncher software
application; WordCruncher is always used to help create the puzzle.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - June 7, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

JUM-JUMBLE #1

Solve each of the word jumbles below.  Then group the related words.  For
each group, solve one more jumble in which the letters are the first
letters of each word in the group, and the solved word is related to the
group.  For example, 'ROCK', 'ORTHOCLASE', and 'ESTUARY' fall into a group
because they are all related to geology; you would then solve a jumble for
R, O, and E.  The answer is 'ORE', which is also related to geology.

MALERASDAN
TETRO
TRANHE
LUPTI
GEALE
TUNIPAE
DEGHHGEO
OCNORA
CPTUSELUAY
ILCLA

Final solutions:
  Group 1 jumble = __________; solution to jumble is __________
  Group 2 jumble = __________; solution to jumble is __________



Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to Tangled Lands and Unlikely Alliances

Alliance #1: Kuwait, Uganda, Brazil (KUB-UGR-WAA-ANZ-IDI-TAL)
Alliance #2: Israel, Greece, Russia (IGR-SRU-RES-AES-ECI-LEA)
Alliance #3: Poland, Norway, Mexico (PNM-OOE-LRX-AWI-NAC-DYO)
Alliance #4: Turkey, Rwanda, Sweden (TRS-UWW-RAE-KND-EDE-YAN)
Alliance #5: Belize, Cyprus, France (BCF-EYR-LPA-IRN-ZUC-ESE)

Hint (decoded):
The order of rows in the last column is the same as the order of the first
column.  In the first line, that means the country that begins with 'K'
ends in 'T'.


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net

Don't forget that you can look at previous WordCruncher puzzles at our
Yahoo Group page, http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/WordCruncher/


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

Correction to The WordCruncher Weekly for May 31, 2004

The sixth column of letters should read as follows:

TAL
LEA
DYO
YAN
ESE



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 31, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

Tangled Lands and Unlikely Alliances

There are 15 country names hidden in the letters below.  Each country name
has six letters in it, and each name is created by pulling one letter from
each of the six columns.  Each country has also joined two other countries
in an alliance, and the letters from the names of those countries move
together, sequentially, through the columns, although they are scrambled
across the rows.  For example, if Latvia, Jordan, and Canada were encoded
below (which they are not), you would see the following three letter
groups, dispersed amond the rows: LJC, AOA, TRN, VDA, IAD, and ANA.  Notice
that the first letter of each group spells LATVIA, the second letter spells
JORDAN, and the third letter of each group spells CANADA.  An additional
hint is below.

KUB  UWW  LPA  KND  ECI  TAL
IGR  SRU  WAA  AWI  EDE  ESE
PNM  UGR  RAE  AES  IDI  LEA
TRS  EYR  LRX  IRN  NAC  DYO
BCF  OOE  RES  ANZ  ZUC  YAN

Alliance #1: ____________   ____________   ____________
Alliance #2: ____________   ____________   ____________
Alliance #3: ____________   ____________   ____________
Alliance #4: ____________   ____________   ____________
Alliance #5: ____________   ____________   ____________

Hint:
Uif psefs pg spxt jo uif mbtu dpmvno jt uif tbnf bt uif psefs pg uif gjstu
dpmvno.  Jo uif gjstu mjof, uibu nfbot uif dpvousz uibu cfhjot xjui 'L'
foet jo 'U'.

(To decode, substitute each character with the letter that comes before it
alphabetically.  B becomes A, A becomes Z)


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to Ziffle #1

Two dictionaries were used to find subwords of PLANETS.  One dictionary is
just a standard word list; the other is the Scrabble(R) Players Dictionary,
which sometimes comes up with obscure words.

Below is a list of all 211 words that can be found in PLANETS using the
Scrabble(R) Players Dictionary.  Those words which were not found in the
standard word list are marked with an asterisk; if you didn't find the
words marked with an asterisk, don't feel too bad.

  ale
  ales
*alp
*alps
*als
*alt
*alts
*ane
*anes
  ant
  ante
  antes
  ants
  ape
  apes
  apse
  apt
  asp
  aspen
  ate
*ates
  east
  eat
  eats
  elan
*elans
*els
*ens
*eta
*etas
*etna
*etnas
  lane
  lanes
  lap
  laps
  lapse
*las
*lase
  last
*lat
  late
*laten
*latens
*lats
*lea
  lean
  leans
  leant
  leap
  leaps
  leapt
*leas
  least
  lens
  lent
*lept
*lepta
  lest
  let
  lets
  nae
  nap
  nape
  napes
  naps
*nates
*neap
*neaps
  neat
*neats
  nest
  net
  nets
  pal
  pale
  pales
  palest
*palet
*palets
  pals
  pan
  pane
  panel
  panels
  panes
  pans
  pant
  pants
  pas
*pase
  past
  paste
  pastel
  pat
  pate
*paten
*patens
  pates
  pats
  pea
  peal
  peals
*pean
*peans
  peas
  peat
*peats
  pelt
  pelts
  pen
  penal
  pens
*pent
*pes
  pest
  pet
  petal
  petals
  pets
  plan
  plane
  planes
  planet
  plans
  plant
  plants
*plat
  plate
*platen
*platens
  plates
*plats
  plea
  pleas
  pleat
  pleats
*plena
*sae
*sal
  sale
*salep
*salp
  salt
  sane
  sap
  sat
*sate
  sea
  seal
  seat
*sel
*sen
  sent
  sepal
*sept
*septa
*septal
  set
*seta
*setal
  slant
  slap
  slat
  slate
  slept
  snap
*sneap
  spa
*spae
*spale
  span
  spat
  spate
*spean
  spelt
  spent
  splat
*splent
  stale
*stane
  staple
  steal
*stela
  step
*tae
*tael
*taels
  tale
  tales
  tan
  tans
  tap
  tape
  tapes
  taps
*tas
  tea
  teal
  teals
  teas
*tel
*tela
*tels
  ten
  tens
*tepa
*tepal
*tepals
*tepas
*tesla


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 24, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to start off your week, and learn about a great software tool for solving
and creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

Ziffle #1

The object of Ziffle is to create as many words as possible using the
letters in the given word.  For example, given the word START, you can make
RAT, RATS, TAR, ART, SAT, and thirteen other words.  The words you find
must be at least three letters, and you can only use each letter as often
as it is found in the given word.  For the most Ziffle fun, play it
head-to-head against an opponent, and limit yourselves to 3-minute rounds.
Then take points for only those words that you found, but your opponent
didn't, and score yourselves based on the number of letters per unique word.

Your given word is PLANETS.  If you've read "The DaVinci Code" by Dan
Brown, you may recall that Sophie's grandfather challenged her with finding
ninety-two other English words using the same letters (refer to the third
paragraph of Chapter 21).  Depending on what dictionary is used,
WordCruncher has found between 136 and 211 other words that can be formed
from the letters in PLANETS.

How many other words can you find using the letters in PLANETS?


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

Answers to Lingua Mash #1
(showing examples of other uses of some prefixes, suffixes, and roots)

A - 4, calcite ("calc" - calculus; "ite" - urbanite, )
B - 5, rebar
C - 8, verbose ("ose" - sucrose, lactose)
D - 1, proton
E - 7, cerebellum ("cere" - ceres, cereal; "bellum" - antebellum,
bellicose, belligerent)
F - 9, decant ("de" - de-ice, defrock; "cant" - cantor)
G - 10, autopsy ("auto" - autotroph, automatic; "psy" - psyche)
H - 2, mercury ("mer" - mermaid; "cur" - curator, cure)
I - 6, creepier ("cree" - creed; admittedly, this is a bit of a stretch)
J - 3, apology ("ap" - aphelion)


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

"The WordCruncher Weekly" is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful software tool for solving and creating word
puzzles.  It will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 17, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to spice up your week, and learn about a great tool for solving and
creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

Lingua Mash #1

The numbered clues below resolve to real words.  The lettered clues are
made-up definitions that might fit one of the numbered clue answers, if one
had absolutely no regard for Latin, Greek, and English roots, prefixes, and
suffixes.  Your job is to solve the clues on the top (word lengths and some
correct letters are given), then match the made-up definitions on the
bottom with one of the solved words.  One clue is already solved as an
example.

1. Besides the neutron, the other particle that makes up the nucleus of an
atom: PROTON (6)
2. This metallic element will make you as mad as a hatter: _ E _ _ _ _ _ (7)
3. An admission of error, accompanied by an expression of regret: _ _ O _ _
_ _ (7)
4. A mineral chemically known as calcium carbonate: _ A _ _ I _ _ (7)
5. A steal rod used to reinforce concrete: _ _ _ A _ (5)
6. Inducing more nervous apprehension than a previous horror: _ _ E _ P _ _
_ (8)
7. The section of the brain that controls fine movement, balance, and
equilibrium: _ _ R _ _ _ _ L _ _ (10)
8. Wordy: _ _ _ _ _ S _ (7)
9. To draw off a liquid without disturbing the underlying sediment: _ _ C _
_ _ (6)
10. A procedure used to examine a body to determine the cause of death: _ _
_ _ _ S _ (7)


A. A resident of a mathematical community: _______________
B. To bring a lawyer back to the job: _______________
C. A sugar composed primarily of action words: _______________
D. In favor of a specific measurement of weight: 1, PROTON
E. The grain of war: _______________
F. To remove a song from a musical performance: _______________
G. A mind that works on its own: _______________
H. A method of healing deriving its power from the sea: _______________
I. Having a firm belief in the stability or worth of a dock: _______________
J. The study of things that happen away from other things: _______________


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

"Solve, Group, Scatter, Regroup"

QUESTION: They deal with the little things in life
ANSWER: BACTERIOLOGISTS

CLUES
1. COUGAR; corrected clue answer is VINEGAR
2. CEREBELLUM
3. ECOTOURISM
4. DECIBEL
5. PROTON
6. PERISCOPE
7. CELESTIAL
8. SUGARPLUM
9. SOLSTICE
10. OMNISCIENT

GROUPS OF WORDS BY COMMON THREE-LETTER SEGMENTS
'GAR' - cougar/vinegar, sugarplum
'BEL' - cerebellum, decibel
'OTO' - ecotourism, proton
'ISC' - periscope, omniscient
'STI' - celestial, solstice
Although the segments 'LUM' and 'RIS' are common across multiple words,
grouping words by these segments will leave other words without a group,
so they are not correct.  The segment 'UGA' was an error (sorry!), and is
corrected with the replacement clue.

FINAL SOLUTION
Rearranging the letters in the segments 'gar', 'bel', 'oto', 'isc', and
'sti' gives BACTERIOLOGISTS.


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

The WordCruncher Weekly is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful tool for solving and creating word puzzles.  It
will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 10, 2004 - Correction

In the puzzle for May 10, please replace Clue #1 with the following clue:

1. _ _ _ _ G _ _ is a product created by alcoholic fermentation of sugar,
followed by acetic fermentation of the alcohol. (7)



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 10, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to spice up your week, and learn about a great tool for solving and
creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Answers to last week's puzzle
  3. About this email
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

"Solve, Group, Scatter, Regroup"

The answer to this puzzle is a single word... but getting that word can be
a little tricky!  Answer each of the clues below.  The numbers in
parentheses indicate how many letters each answer contains, and some of the
correct letters are already filled in.  Once you solve the clues, group the
ten words into five groups of two; the words in each group will share a
common, consecutive three-letter segment.  For example, BEAGLE and LEAGUE
both share the three-letter segment 'EAG'.  Once you have identified the
three-letter segments, rearrange all of those segments to find the
15-letter answer to the question below.  It's like four puzzles in one!

QUESTION: They deal with the little things in life (15):
ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

CLUES
1. The words "mountain lion", "panther", "puma", and _ _ _ G _ _ all refer
to the same species of wild cat. (6)
2. The section of the brain that controls fine movement, balance, and
equilibrium: _ _ R _ _ _ _ L _ _ (10)
3. A way for a region to generate income based on the region's natural
resources: _ _ _ T _ _ _ I _ _ (10)
4. A unit of measurement for the intensity of sound:  _ E _ _ _ E _. (7)
5. The two types of baryons that make up the nucleus of a cell are the
neutron and the _ _ _ _ _ N. (6)
6. An instrument used that permits observation from a position not directly
in the line of sight: _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ E (9)
7. Relating to the sky or heavens: _ _ L _ _ _ _ _ L (9)
8. Visions of one of these small candies sometimes dance in one's head: _ U
_ _ _ _ _ U _ (9)
9. The first days of summer and winter each happen on the _ _ _ _ T _ _ E.
(8)
10. If you were _ _ N _ _ _ _ _ N _, you would know all things, including
the answer to this puzzle! (10)


Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE

"SEG MEN TED"
1. CRATER
2. DONKEY
3. HUBRIS
4. APIARY
5. WINDMILLS
6. EARTHWORM
7. ENTERTAIN
8. INITIALLY
9. PRECOGNITION
10. AROMATHERAPY


3. ABOUT THIS EMAIL

The WordCruncher Weekly is a weekly email with a word puzzle to get your
mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful tool for solving and creating word puzzles.  It
will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

The WordCruncher Weekly - May 3, 2004

Welcome to "The WordCruncher Weekly", where you will find a fun word puzzle
to spice up your week, and learn about a great tool for solving and
creating word puzzles!


Contents
======================================
  1. This week's puzzle
  2. Inaugural message
======================================

1. THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

"SEG MEN TED"

Each answer to this puzzle is a combination of two or more three-letter
segments from the group below.  Each segment will only be used once, and
there are no extra segments. Segments are appended to each other; the
letters within each segment do not have to be rearranged.  The numbers in
parentheses indicate how many segments are needed to form the answer.

HUB CRA ARY ERT
PRE ORM ARO API
APY ION COG DON
ENT INI DMI LLS
LLY NIT TIA WIN
RIS AIN THW TER
KEY HER MAT EAR

1. Wide hole in the ground (2): ______
2. Equine pack animal (2): ______
3. Exaggerated pride (2): ______
4. If you lived here, you'd "bee" home (2): ______
5. Renewable energy gatherers (3): _________
6. Garden dweller (3): _________
7. To amuse (3): _________
8. At the beginning (3): _________
9. Seeing something that has not yet happened (4): _________
10. The use of scents for healing purposes (4): _________

Know someone who would be interested in this puzzle?  Forward this email,
or have the person subscribe to the WordCruncher mailing list at
http://www.WordCruncher.net


2. INAUGURAL MESSAGE

You are reading the first issue of The WordCruncher Weekly, a weekly email
with a word puzzle to get your mental gears in motion as you start the week.

WordCruncher is a powerful tool for solving and creating word puzzles.  It
will be available soon at http://www.WordCruncher.net


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .