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Not necessarily easy, but "'E's-y"!

For each word square below, the Es have been filled in for you. Your task is to complete the rest of the square using only five other distinct letters. That is, you may pick any five letters of the alphabet (other than E), and use each of those letters as many times as you wish. Each square uses a different set of five letters, although there may be overlap between squares. (e.g. if square (1) uses BFKLZ, square (2) might use ABKMR).

The solutions contain only relatively-common English words that should be known to an educated native English speaker. There are no abbreviations, slang terms, archaic words, foreign words, or anything else unusual.

$$\begin{array}{rcrc} \raise{3em}1. &\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline E&&&E&\\ \hline &E&&&E\\ \hline &&E&E&\\ \hline E&&E&&\\ \hline &E&&&\\ \hline \end{array} \quad\quad\quad\quad\quad \raise{3em}2.\quad &\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline &&&E&\\ \hline &&&&E\\ \hline &&&&E\\ \hline E&&&E&\\ \hline &E&E&&\\ \hline \end{array}\\ \\ \raise{3em}3. &\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline &&&E&\\ \hline &&&&E\\ \hline &&&E&\\ \hline E&&E&&\\ \hline &E&&&E\\ \hline \end{array} \quad\quad\quad\quad\quad \raise{3em}4. &\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \;\;\;&&&&\\ \hline &E&&&E\\ \hline &&&E&\\ \hline &&E&&\\ \hline &E&&&E\\ \hline \end{array}\\ \end{array} $$

While I can't prevent anyone from writing a computer program to solve these, I would encourage people to try it without. Where's the fun in brute-forcing a solution?
(Feel free to use a computer to help you find word patterns for a single word, just not to solve the whole puzzle.)

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  • $\begingroup$ Can the words go (in a non-crossword manner) from right-to-left and down-to-up? $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 20:36
  • $\begingroup$ @CarlLöndahl No, they cannot. $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 20:38
  • $\begingroup$ I'm expecting at least two of the grids uses 'a' $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 20:55
  • $\begingroup$ This website might help people: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_frequency#/media/… $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 21:00
  • $\begingroup$ Note to all: I added a clarification of what I intended by the no-computers tag. Feel free to use a tool like the one I linked above to help with your word choices -- I just didn't want someone writing a program that solved the entire puzzle for them. $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 22:19

4 Answers 4

8
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Solution for #2

enter image description here

Used the letters on the right (S,D,G,A,U)

And Solution #4 (probably not what you got)

enter image description here

Used letters T, R, O, U, S

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4
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain - solution 4 added. $\endgroup$
    – APrough
    Jan 22, 2016 at 15:16
  • $\begingroup$ Good work! No one managed to solve them all, but I'm giving you the checkmark for getting 2 out of 4, and for getting the hardest one. $\endgroup$ Jan 22, 2016 at 15:33
  • $\begingroup$ Was #4 actually what you got?! I thought I was going out on a limb with "trout" $\endgroup$
    – APrough
    Jan 22, 2016 at 15:39
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, it was identical. I thought there might be many solutions, but I'm starting to think that I was wrong. Perhaps this is the only valid solution. $\endgroup$ Jan 22, 2016 at 15:46
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Since the answers all came out piecemeal, I figured I'd post them all together in one answer here, to make it easier for people to see the solutions.

$$\require{color} \definecolor{g}{RGB}{0, 180, 0} \begin{array}{rcrc} \raise{3em}1. &NRSTV\quad\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline E&\color{g}N&\color{g}T&E&\color{g}R\\ \hline \color{g}N&E&\color{g}R&\color{g}V&E\\ \hline \color{g}T&\color{g}R&E&E&\color{g}S\\ \hline E&\color{g}V&E&\color{g}N&\color{g}T\\ \hline \color{g}R&E&\color{g}S&\color{g}T&\color{g}S\\ \hline \end{array} \quad\quad\quad \raise{3em}2. &ADGSU\quad \begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \color{g}S&\color{g}A&\color{g}G&E&\color{g}S\\ \hline \color{g}A&\color{g}D&\color{g}A&\color{g}G&E\\ \hline \color{g}G&\color{g}A&\color{g}U&\color{g}G&E\\ \hline E&\color{g}G&\color{g}G&E&\color{g}D\\ \hline \color{g}S&E&E&\color{g}D&\color{g}S\\ \hline \end{array}\\ \\ \raise{3em}3. &AHNSV\quad\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \color{g}A&\color{g}S&\color{g}H&E&\color{g}S\\ \hline \color{g}S&\color{g}H&\color{g}A&\color{g}V&E\\ \hline \color{g}H&\color{g}A&\color{g}V&E&\color{g}N\\ \hline E&\color{g}V&E&\color{g}N&\color{g}S\\ \hline \color{g}S&E&\color{g}N&\color{g}S&E\\ \hline \end{array} \quad\quad\quad \raise{3em}4. &ORSTU\quad\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \color{g}T&\color{g}R&\color{g}O&\color{g}U&\color{g}T\\ \hline \color{g}R&E&\color{g}U&\color{g}S&E\\ \hline \color{g}O&\color{g}U&\color{g}T&E&\color{g}R\\ \hline \color{g}U&\color{g}S&E&\color{g}R&\color{g}S\\ \hline \color{g}T&E&\color{g}R&\color{g}S&E\\ \hline \end{array}\\ \end{array} $$

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Solution for #1

\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline E&N&T&E&R\\ \hline N&E&R&V&E\\ \hline T&R&E&E&S\\ \hline E&V&E&N&T\\ \hline R&E&S&T&S\\ \hline \end{array}

Letters used: N, T, R, S, and V

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  • $\begingroup$ Exactly what I had. I suspect the other answers, with fewer Es, might allow for some deviation from my chosen solutions. We shall see. $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2016 at 21:32
5
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3: snavh

ashEs
shavE
havEn
EvEns
sEnsE
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1
  • $\begingroup$ Perfect! Only one left... $\endgroup$ Jan 22, 2016 at 14:41

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