A Potpourri of Puzzlers

by William F. Bultas
Here are several word puzzle teasers. To see the answers to the puzzles, click here at any time. If you want to try to solve all of the teasers before checking your answers, you'll need scratch paper, or a program such as notepad to record your answers, and then you can check them here. In this case, you can use the scale below to rank yourself when you're done. Don't take your score too seriously if you are under age 18, your native language is not English, or for any other reason(s) you feel may be applicable (such as that it's just a scale I made up!). Have fun!


# of Correct Answers                 Your Ranking
        0-4                          Need Improvement
        5-9                          Average
       10-14                         Above Average
       15-19                         Superior
       20-24                         Gifted
       25-29                         Highly Gifted
       30-34                         Genius

For problems 1-12, match the word, number or name on the right with the word, number or name it is most closely associated with on the left. Each (lettered) answer will be used exactly twice.

1. Narcissus                    A. Deed

2. Tolstoy                      B. Petroleum

3. Benzine                      C. Flower

4. Didact                       D. Procession

5. Palindrome                   E. 1828

6. Cavalcade                    F. Instruct

7. Wedding                      

8. Enjoin                       

9. Stamen                       

10. Schubert                     

11. House                        

12. OPEC

For problems 13-18, decide whether each of the following is true or false:

13. The number 1 is a prime number.

14. Some of the characters in the Simpsons have the same first names as members of the creator's family.

15. The caterpillar has more than 1,000 muscles.

16. The word "geriatrics" was coined in the 1980s.

17. A pelican consumes about 66 percent of its body weight in a single meal.

18. The Roman Catholic population of the world is larger than that of all other Christian sects combined.

For problems 19-23, decide which item does not belong with the others in each of the following problems:

19. speakeasy Capone Hitler Gatsby

20. soporific lethargy servile Winkle

21. Flag(US) sidereal David cylindrical

22. liverwurst Achilles canine boot

23. sordid ensure oatmeal ignite

Puzzlers 24-28 are 5 analogy problems. They follow the format of A is to B as C is to D. However, it is sometimes better to look at the relationship as A is to C as B is to D. NEVER look at it as A is to D as B is to C, though, as this is not the relationship. Example:

Up is to Down as Day is to

Shoe Night Summer Taco

The correct answer is Night. You'll find these kinds of problems on scholastic tests such as the SAT, GRE, MAT and others. Here you go:

24. Copernicus is to Galileo as Marx is to

Juno Felix Modelo Mao Fitzgerald Thurgood

25. Tea Party is to Boston as And Stormy Night is to

Umbrella Chicago Phoenix California Dark Juniper

26. Reagan is to Rand as Ronald is to

Cynthia Rebecca Ayn Simpson Doc Buddy

27. Auditory is to Olfactory as Hearing is to

Touch Factory Taste Sight Hearing Smell

28. Hood is to Hook as Robin is to

Admiral Sergeant General Captain Corporal Airman

For problems 29-34, Try to complete each of the following famous quotes and titles:

29. Four score and seven...

30. A hop, skip, and a...

31. Another notch in his...

32. Don't mix business with...

33. Pride and... (title)

34. Sense and... (title)

Click here to see the answers

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