22. ROMAN NUMERALS ARE IN

Identify the synonym for the first clue.

Next insert Roman numerals (I, V, X, L, C, D, M) in singular form or in proper combinations, in the first synonym, to get the synonym for the 2nd clue.

The number of letters in the synonyms before and after insertion are given in brackets.

Example
1. A pig’s home - diamond year. (3,5)
Ans S(IX)TY
2. Best pilot - the peak (3,4)
Ans: AC(M)E
3. God - downward slope (5,9)
Ans: DE(CLIV)ITY

21. TWO TOGETHER - TWICE

Find a single word containing two letters together twice, that’s a synonym for the clue.

The number of letters in the word is given in brackets.

Example
1. Raw green skinned salad vegetable (8)
Ans: CUCUMBER
2. Pulpy red juicy salad vegetable (6)
Ans: TOMATO
3. Popular American game (8)
Ans: BASEBALL

20. CONJOINED TWINS - ANAGRAM

Find the word from the first part of the clue.

This word must contain a set of conjoined twin letters.

The number of letters is given in the bracket .

Next, jumble up the letters to form a word that’s a synonym for the 2nd clue in the puzzle.

This word may or may not have a set of conjoined twins but has to be an anagram of the first.

Example
1. A talking bird, and a Carnivorous one (6,6)
Ans: PARROT RAPTOR
2. Large earth moving machine, that is Manipulated (6,6)
Ans: DIGGER RIGGED
3. Put off balance, hindmost (6,6)
Ans: RATTLE, LATTER

19. EMORDNILAP

EMORDNILAP is PALINDROME spelt backwards, which is what this puzzle is all about

Find a synonym for the first clue (the number of letters are given in brackets).

Reverse the letters and obtain a word that is synonym for the second clue of the puzzle.

Example
1. Sentry: ID badge (7,7)
Ans: GATEMAN, NAMETAG
2. Dried stalk: Disfiguring features (5,5)
Ans: STRAW, WARTS
3. Fibber: Protest strongly (4,4)
Ans: LIAR, RAIL

18. CHANGE ONE VOWEL

Find synonyms for the first clue.

Then replace one vowel with another in the word to get a synonym for the second clue.

The number of letters in the words are given in brackets

Example
1. Taste - Plain (6)
Ans: SAMPLE SIMPLE
2. Free expanse - Flavour (5)
Ans: SPACE SPICE
3. An ass - Rhythmic moves & steps (5)
Ans: DUNCE DANCE

17. DOUBLE GUILLOTINE

Select the word to be a synonym for the first clue.

Now behead it (remove the first letter) and behold you get a synonym for the second clue.

Now the beheaded word beheld needs to be beheaded once more to become a synonym of the third clue.

The number of letters in the 3 words are given in brackets

Example
1.. Scale, Fragrance, Small coin (6,5,4)
Ans: ASCENT – SCENT - CENT
2. Charge, Food grain, Assassinate (slang) (5,4,3)
Ans: PRICE – RICE - ICE
3. Berate, Chilly, Aged (5,4,3)
Ans: SCOLD-COLD-OLD

16. SYNONYMO US

Simple synonyms for the clues given, with one condition.

The synonym must contain the letters US in that order and adjacent to each other.

The number of letters in the word is given in brackets

Example
1. Luxurious car (9)
Ans: LIMOUSINE
2. Whiskers (9)
Ans: MOUSTACHE
3. Justify or release from (6)
Ans: EXCUSE

15. V 2 R 1

Two words seamlessly combine into one with a distinct meaning.

The clue for the final word is given at the start.

This is followed by the clues for the 2 words that seamlessly link to form the final word.

The number of letters in each word is given in brackets.

Example
1. A plantation of grapes, that has a climbing plant, on a measure of length (4,4,8)
Ans: VINE YARD VINEYARD
2. Neuter, the fishing action cost (4,4,8)
Ans: CAST RATE CASTRATE
3. India as a land mass is, one that can write, narrow-mindedly (3,7)
Ans: PEN INSULAR PENINSULAR

14. TWO WORD ALLITERATION

Occurrence of the same letter at the beginning of each word of a 2-word phrase or name, is the (W)icked (W)itch’s puzzle for the day.

The number of letters in each word is given in brackets.

Example
1. Sober group (10,9)
Ans: ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
2. Yankee game (4,4)
Ans: BASE BALL
3. A long unsolved investigation (4,4)
Ans: COLD CASE

13. CIRCULAR WORDS

A Circular word is actually 2 words rolled into one.

By placing the letters of the word in a circle and starting with a different letter in a clockwise arrangement, two words can be obtained.

The number of letters in the words (obviously the same) are given in brackets.

Example
1. Measure, this body part (4,4)
Ans: INCH . . . . CHIN
2. Depend on, this musical instrument (4,4)
Ans: RELY – LYRE
3. Smile at this band (4,4)
Ans: GRIN . . . RING

12. EPONYMS

Find the eponym for the clue given.

An eponym(noun) is a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named.

A noun or verb based on the name of a person.

The number of letters in the eponym is given in brackets

Example
1. Head chopper. (9)
Ans: GUILLOTINE.
2. Manipulative and deceitful self interest (13)
Ans: MACHIAVELLIAN
3. Huge in size (5)
Ans: JUMBO

11. WORD RE WORD

Find a suitable word for the first part of the clue.

This word when prefixed with RE will form a word meaning the second part of the clue.

The number of letters in the words before and after prefixing with RE is given in brackets.

Example
1. Omen - Bow out (4,6)
Ans: SIGN, RESIGN
2. Ships terminus - written account (4,6)
Ans: PORT, REPORT
3. Put down gently - convey (3,5)
Ans: LAY, RELAY

10. CONS ONLY

Not a nefarious activity.

No scams. The CONS stand for CONSONANTS only.

Below are well-known 6-letter words with only their ending or beginning 3 letters given.

Add 3 consonants (no vowels and no plurals, please) to obtain a synonym for the clue given alongside..

Example
1. B A L - Band instrument
Ans: CYMBAL
2. L E N - Extent
Ans: LENGTH
3. A M I D – An Egyptian structure
Ans: PYRAMID

9. I OUT . . . U IN

Each question contains 2 sub-clues, which must be used to obtain 2 words.

The number in brackets is the number of letters in each word.

The first word contains at least one I. An I in the first word is replaced by a U to obtain the second word.

Example
1. Distance - Ass (4,4)
Ans: MILE, MULE
2. Ape - Idiot (5,5)
Ans: CHIMP, CHUMP
3. Inane - Taint (5,5)
Ans: SILLY, SULLY

8. I CAN BE WITHOUT U

Find a word that is a synonym of the 1st part of the clue.

Ensure that it has a U in it. Now remove the U and retain the order of letters as earlier to find a word that is a synonym for the 2nd part of the clue.

The number of letters in the words, before and after removal of U, are given in brackets.

Example
1. At a place of residence . . . . . a water pipe (5,4)
Ans: HOUSE, HOSE
2. First appearance . . . . . owed money to (5,4)
Ans: DEBUT, DEBT
3. Rationale . . . . . for a receptacle (5,4)
Ans: CAUSE, CASE

7. HOMOGRAPHS

A fine distinction between homophones, heteronyms and todays HOMOGRAPHS.

Homographs each of two or more words spelled the same but not necessarily pronounced the same but having different meanings.

Find the homograph (word) for the clues given.

The number of letters to the word is given in brackets

Example
1. Send out this consignment, on a liner (4)
Ans: SHIP
2. Company, stood like a rock during the recession. (4)
Ans: FIRM
3. Salute to this English breakfast item (5)
Ans: TOAST

6. CURTAIL (aka) BUTT CHOP

Remember the nursery rhyme ‘Three blind mice'. Well, we are not here to harm any living species.

Instead, we are going to chop off the end letter of the answer to the first clue, to obtain the answer to the second clue.

The number of letters in the two words, are given in brackets.

Example
1. Obstruct the path of - group of countries with common interest. (5,4)
Ans. BLOCK, BLOC
2. Aircraft – that’s a schedule (5,4)
Ans: PLANE, PLAN
3. A place for drama - by male deer (5,4)
Ans: STAGE, STAG

5. GUILLOTINE

“Off with the heads” cried the Queen of Hearts, but Alice in Wonderland and Lewis Carrol, together they converted it into a beheading of Words.

Select a synonym for the 1st clue . Then remove the 1st letter to get a synonym for the 2nd clue.

The number of letters before and after the chop is given in brackets

Example
1. Off with the head of “group in school” & get “a girl” (5,4)
Ans: CLASS, LASS
2. Off with the head of “minimum” & get “ a direction” (5,4)
Ans: LEAST, EAST
3. Off with the head of “massacre” & get “ expression of joy” (9,8)
Ans: SLAUGHTER, LAUGHTER

4. SIAMESE TWINS

Find a synonym for the first clue.

Now insert twin letters that come together like AB, PQ, UV etc. (in alphabetical order)] at the start, end or in between the first word and obtain a synonym for the second part.

The number of letters in the two words before and after the insertion of the twin letters, are given in brackets.

Example
1. A wound mark on the body – Beetle sacred to ancient Egyptians (4,6)
Ans: SCAR – SCARAB
2. In a moment or very quickly - tiny flow of liquid (5,7)
Ans: TRICE – TRICKLE
3. Male parent of an animal – Strong want or yen (4,6)
Ans: SIRE - DESIRE

3. HOMOPHONES AND IDENTICAL CONJOINED TWINS

Homophones are words that are spelled differently but are pronounced with the same phonetics.

The homonyms here have an additional twist. At least one of the words has an Identical Twin in it.

The twins are conjoined i.e., adjacent.

The number in brackets is the number of letters in the first word and second word respectively.

Example
1. Prohibited that musical group (6,4)
Ans: BANNED, BAND
2. A 7-day period of feebleness (4,4)
Ans: WEEK, WEAK
3. Arrest that visitor (6,6)
Ans: COLLAR, CALLER

2. HETERONYMS

Heteronyms are words which are spelled identically but have different pronunciations and meanings.

The number of letters in each word of the solution is given in brackets

Example
1. Exist; On Air (4)
Ans: LIVE
2. Fish; Low sound (4)
Ans: BASS
3. Criminal activity, a holding tool.
Ans: VICE

1. HOMOPHONES

Homophones are similar sounding words spelt differently with different meaning.

The number of letters in each word of the solution is given in brackets

Example
1. Shattered bit - calm (5,5)
Ans: PIECE, PEACE
2. Afraid of something - strong and violent (5,6)
Ans: FEARS - FIERCE
3. A very strong metal - take away stealthily. (5,5)
Ans: STEEL - STEAL