Questions tagged [english]
Puzzles that crucially depend on some feature of the English language or that only work in an English formulation.
419
questions
21
votes
1
answer
2k
views
curious inflection of English words
The agent-noun form of lingerie is frank.
The present-participle form of military actions is lying.
The past-tense form of sheep is permanent.
The past-participle form of six-pack is urn.
...
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-3
votes
1
answer
213
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see/// ,sm. upi eo;; gohitr yjod piy/
see/// ,sm. upi eo;; gohitr yjod piy/
Did you solve it? If so, post your answer below. Go solve it! It is really easy. It is a common secret language. (Not really secret though.)
- 19
13
votes
1
answer
942
views
A Trivial Pursuit #06 (Sports and Leisure 1/4): Life Goals
This is part 6 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
...
- 134k
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
An "IQ puzzle" of lines
Which of the options, A-D, should replace the question mark in order to complete the image below?
- 29.8k
23
votes
1
answer
2k
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A confusing sign
This puzzle is part of the Monthly Topic Challenge #12: mobile-friendly puzzles.
I saw this posted on a sign, but couldn’t make sense of it. What was it trying to say?
By ridge loses own aster or ...
- 24.5k
16
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Longest English homophone/heteronym chain
English has many words that have multiple pronunciations for the same spelling (heteronyms) or multiple spellings for the same pronunciation (homophones). What is the longest chain of unique spelling/...
- 279
12
votes
1
answer
2k
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I am travelling around England measuring. But what, and why?
I am to travel around England with my pH meter and related equipment. My boss gives me the following instructions as a reminder of where to visit.
D I X Y.
What does this mean, where should I go, and ...
- 8,079
4
votes
1
answer
283
views
A Divisive Little Riddle
"Want a cracker? Want a cracker?"
the parrot said. Who wants a cracker?
The grass is always greener,
but you walked in the long grass.
Now me and mine will bleed you dry.
Don't you know who ...
- 2,438
10
votes
2
answers
4k
views
I am a non zero number
I am a non zero number.
I can be shown with a single letter, or three letters, or five letters or six letters.
What number am I?
- 5,407
4
votes
2
answers
688
views
An Homage to "The World's Hardest Riddle"
This is an homage to The World's Hardest Riddle.
This riddle will make more sense if you check it out first.
I apparently am not smarter than a kindergartener, but here's my version of the riddle to ...
- 2,438
9
votes
2
answers
631
views
What is a pedestrian-friendly city?
If a city satisfies a certain condition, it is a pedestrian-friendly city. Here's some examples.
Pedestrian-friendly
Not pedestrian-friendly
Davenport
Fremont
Asunción
Dallas
Ikast
Istanbul
...
- 2,946
25
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Strange Glyphs From Another Time
The following glyphs were recently uncovered at a dig site, which have stumped cryptographers and linguists alike. These symbols are guessed to be some sort of ancient language, but nothing is yet ...
- 539
9
votes
1
answer
590
views
A Crossweb Puzzle for Herb
I brought my buddy Herb my new Crossweb puzzle to try, and he wrinkled his nose.
"No way. Far too difficult. Besides, there's only one type of Crossword puzzle I like and this is NOT it."
...
- 24.5k
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What is a Dual Word?
This puzzle is based off the What is a Word™ series started by JLee
If a word satisfies a certain property it is called a Dual Word. Here are some examples:
Dual Words
Not Dual Words
BARRED
BANNED
...
- 24.5k
3
votes
1
answer
193
views
A count's aunt goes to auditory specialist because of hearing issues [10], cryptic crossword clue
A single cryptic type cross word clue...
A count's aunt goes to auditory specialist because of hearing issues. [10]
- 4,261
5
votes
1
answer
239
views
Spie? Cryptic crossword clue
Cryptic crossword type clue
Spie? (5,4)
This is meant to be a clue that could appear in a cryptic crossword.
- 4,261
1
vote
2
answers
148
views
What's the minimum number of five letter words that form a haiku, if it's possible at all?
Inspired by Wordle, I wondered if it's possible to have a Wordle game that forms a haiku? The question is in two parts:
Is it possible to form a Haiku using only five letter English words (e.g. using ...
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-6
votes
4
answers
247
views
Riddle - Name the Bee [closed]
What is the name of the Bee, Which flew all over the United States in its lifetime?
- 2,126
-2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
FIND 4 sets of 5-letter words using these non-repeating letters: [closed]
Find 4 sets of 5-letter words using these non-repeating letters:
N, C, A, V, M, S, E, Y, U, R, O, F, G, T, I, L, H, K, P, D
5
votes
3
answers
415
views
Making multiple sentences out of 5 words [closed]
Given below are four or five letter english words. Total 5.
Using all the 5 words exactly once, can you make at least 8
grammatically correct english sentences?
M___
C___
T___
B___
N___
You can use ...
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36
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Imagine a chess board, but seven-eighths wide
My grandfather wrote me this riddle on a napkin when I was 12. It took me more than a year to solve, but I got it eventually. He said I didn't get it until I had explained the sections, so explain ...
- 461
10
votes
3
answers
1k
views
A pointless riddle
Please explain all lines.
I may seem small and useless
Several letters but less than one
In fact I am not here, not at all
But I am near; up above.
Good James made me famous
So when he humbles ...
- 24.5k
9
votes
1
answer
438
views
Doubling Down - When a Good Idea Goes Bad
(Please note that this story is a work of fiction spun for the sake of the puzzle. It is based on little actual fact.)
Back in the early 1940's, in the dead center of WWII, there was a bit of a ...
- 619
9
votes
6
answers
922
views
Just this puzzle (notes on the fridge)
Found some notes scrawled on the fridge. What was I struggling with?
Anger? Bother? Chafe?
Destroy? Eradicate? Forget?
Garden? Herb? Ingredient?
Just this puzzle?
Word tag - the answer is a word or ...
- 24.5k
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
A strange number pattern, isn't it?
This looks like a strange number sequence to me. Or is it?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29
30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 ? ? ? ? ?
So what are ...
- 39.2k
4
votes
1
answer
82
views
Three More Adjacent Riddles ("this place of beauty")
(As before, the puzzle only makes sense/has a unique answer as a whole, but "easy ins" have been strategically placed.). Please explain every line rather than just the final 3 answers.
I and ...
- 24.5k
12
votes
1
answer
301
views
2
votes
2
answers
258
views
Three Adjacent Riddles
When I am two
There is an
Irrelevant
Announcement
Of surprise, with uff
For I am really six or thirteen.
When the sun rises
Over this eastern shore
Hesitating briefly
Before quickly passing this small ...
- 24.5k
14
votes
1
answer
710
views
Three games played on a table
Three well-known games (using American rules/gameplay) are being played on a table...
What is the game? What is the table? (Bonus: find a sugar)
noses, pons, cons, transit, worries, postbase, ...
- 24.5k
6
votes
2
answers
579
views
Five words, Five vowels, Five last names
These five words are from the Collins English Dictionary.
Are also last names,
And have one vowel difference in exact same location and same
consonants in exact same locations.
Example : Last Lest ...
- 39.2k
-5
votes
1
answer
167
views
English word with the longest sequence of non-vowels
Challenge Find all English words that contains at least 9 non-vowels consecutively.
Rules
Definition of vowel: For the purposes of this puzzle, the only vowels are A, E, I, O, U.
Non- vowels are all ...
- 8,079
18
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Describe your ability to solve this number sequence!
Here is a sequence of numbers:
0, 2, 4, 6, 8, -, -, -, 10, 12
Can you fill in the three blanks and thus reveal your excellent puzzle-solving ability?
- 8,079
7
votes
1
answer
302
views
What is a Compound Word™?
In the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee, a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Compound Word™.
Use the examples ...
- 1,812
16
votes
1
answer
482
views
Interrupting your day to bring you a puzzle
Please explain the following math.
To start, here are some basic relationships - creative thinking may help (or not)
1) p < c < h < n1 <= n2
The pipe symbol is used as shorthand for ...
- 24.5k
9
votes
2
answers
570
views
Don't take these too literally (A British sensation)
Don't take these too literally.
Homophones and other liberties are taken.
My prefix is
My prefix is found at a funeral
My infix at any salon
My suffix is found at a table
My whole is just three ...
- 24.5k
14
votes
1
answer
753
views
We Need to Extract Frank’s Site Rankings
I asked my friend Frank to rank his favorite Stack Exchange sites from 1 (favorite) to 10 (least favorite).
This is the feedback he left, but I got them a little mixed up and don’t know which he ...
- 24.5k
3
votes
2
answers
553
views
Eduardo's Krazy English Kwiz
Eduardo is having a dream the night before his English quiz. Actually it's a nightmare. His teacher hands him the quiz and says "Hello, Eduardo. To wake up confident and rested, just answer this ...
- 155
1
vote
1
answer
156
views
Words with dual and opposing meanings
What is the word in each case?
I can attach or cut.
I can be virtual or real.
I can approve or penalize.
I can separate or entangle.
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3
votes
2
answers
749
views
No Sound in Space
I hear there is no sound in space.
But you are not in space so should have no trouble solving these.
(These are related/themed cryptic clues, more or less. They may or may not be valid or fair, in the ...
- 24.5k
1
vote
1
answer
573
views
What is a Sharp Word?
(Based off and inspired by JLee's What is a Word™ puzzles)
What Is A Sharp Word?
Word that conform to a specific rule are called sharp words.
Here are some examples:
Sharp Words™
Non-Sharp Words™
...
- 605
2
votes
1
answer
299
views
What is a Late Word?
(Based off and inspired by JLee's What is a Word™ puzzles)
What Is A Late Word?
Word that conform to a specific rule are called late words.
Here are some examples:
Late Words™
Non-Late Words™
...
- 605
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is a Mediocre Word™?
This puzzle is based off and inspired by the What is a Word™ and What is a Phrase™ series started by JLee and their spin-off What is a Number™ series.
Main puzzle:
If a word conforms to a special ...
- 993
3
votes
2
answers
289
views
Country Outliers
You are given a note from a language nerd, which is:
If Japan is 239,
Then Germany is 4.
Greece is 14,
While Italy is 3.
Now, Philippines has 412.
But Norway has 2357!
Now you are given 3 questions:
...
- 1,378
-3
votes
1
answer
141
views
What is a Number Word™?
This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee, with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Number Word™.
Use the ...
- 1,378
6
votes
1
answer
258
views
Hangman: Reverse Edition
Put a P, then Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva will turn a goddess into this.
Put an R, you speak it more than writing it.
Put a T, I become e-learning.
Put a G, then I become a floor.
If you're new to ...
- 1,378
12
votes
1
answer
699
views
AnaCross: A crossword made of anagrams
This is a new type of puzzle I've devised: the AnaCross. Nothing new under the sun and all, I'm sure someone has made one before, but I've never seen it.
The rules are pretty simple. At the end of ...
- 3,909
4
votes
2
answers
318
views
Mathematics for the English major
An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #48: Unusual tag mix
I was looking at the unusual tag mixes post, and one of the ones listed is combinatorics and english. I thought "who's going to be ...
- 26.4k
7
votes
4
answers
316
views
Who is Mr. T and where does he work?
Update:
To encourage completion of this puzzle, I've added spoilers to indicate any correct or incorrect answers so far. Also, it's possible to work on Part 2 while Part 1 is incomplete or partly ...
- 5,732
8
votes
3
answers
416
views
With a little effort, one can prevail
What is common between the following words and names?
(Inspired by this except that I actually know the answer to this one)
Defeat
Kleenex?
Guanaco
Nerdiest
Sardar
Ian McKellen
Dingo
Gun
Diablo
...
- 24.5k
17
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Largest set of words that don’t share letters [closed]
For instance,
banana, excess, giggit, voodoo, pullup, myrrhy
are six six-letter words that don’t share any letters with each other. This isn’t a heterogram puzzle: repeated letters within a single ...
- 179