Questions tagged [english]
Puzzles that crucially depend on some feature of the English language or that only work in an English formulation.
352
questions
7
votes
0answers
277 views
What is a BS 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 BS Word™.
Use the ...
10
votes
1answer
195 views
What is a Computer Phrase™?
In the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee, a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a phrase conforms to a special rule, I call it a Computer Phrase™. Use the ...
7
votes
1answer
517 views
What is a Rotting 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 Rotting Word™.
Use the ...
6
votes
1answer
151 views
Can you find the missing words?
Given that:
$
\begin{gather}
\ \text{ art}\hspace{1em}\Leftrightarrow\hspace{1em}\text{phi}
\end{gather}
$
Can you figure out the words that are missing?
$
\begin{gather}
\text{imps}\hspace{1em}...
11
votes
1answer
223 views
What is a Vowelreuben™ 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 Vowelreuben™ Word™.
Use ...
7
votes
2answers
173 views
A phonetic Vowelburger™ Riddle
You can find the other Vowelburger™ Riddle here
I ordered 5 Vowelburgers™ with buns and meat only at the linguistic restaurant - help me identify each one from the description on the menu!
The ...
5
votes
2answers
156 views
Can you name the Product Code™?
Given the product codes of 10 fruits and vegetables in the chart below, can you figure out the product code of Broccoli?
$
\begin{gather}
% custom template - reuse if you may
\def\S#1#2{\Space{#1}{...
12
votes
2answers
307 views
1
vote
1answer
156 views
Here is the Answer, Now Solve!
Using a certain rule, I can express "THIS PHRASE IS VALID" as "KZZK GZISKV ZK PSDZV". What is this rule, and how did I come to it?
Hint/Note: Non-native English speakers may have a more difficult ...
7
votes
2answers
302 views
What is a Plot 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 Plot Word™.
Use the ...
8
votes
1answer
269 views
What is a Baguette 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 Baguette Word™.
Use the ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
What is an ?????? 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 an ?????? Word™.
Use the ...
5
votes
1answer
205 views
9 (plus or minus various things) is the opposite of 8
Find a word, whose pattern is such that is fits the nine letters as follows. Then change it accordingly so that its pattern becomes eight letters as follows respectively.
...
16
votes
1answer
285 views
What is an HTM Word™?
In the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it an HTM Word™.
Use the examples below to find the rule.
$$
% set Title text. (...
6
votes
2answers
176 views
Unidirectional letters flow
GOAL:
Write a letter in each square such that every group of four contiguous squares is a four-letter existing English word (i.e. it can be found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary).
RULES:
The ...
3
votes
0answers
86 views
Zed's Dance: Disarray and Cabaret
All this talk about my friends and I... it's about time I announced myself for a change!
I'm kinda nervous about this because — let's face it — I'm an odd-ball. Take, for example, the ...
3
votes
1answer
94 views
Logic Puzzle - Alphabet splitting extraordinaire! sequel
A group of Gobos is discussing how to divide the Scrabble tiles into two groups.
Here is what they suggested.
ADFHJLMOQSUY; BCEGIKNPRTVWXZ
ABFKLMPVWY; CDEGHIJNOQRSTUXZ
AGIJKQXZ; BCDEFHLMNOPRSTUVWY_
...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
What is the longest word made with mostly affixes? [closed]
What is the longest word you can make that is mostly made up of affixes (prefixes and suffixes)?
For example,
Retestings
would work, but it's not a long word.
The word has to have only one ...
7
votes
0answers
183 views
Zed's Order: Breakfast at Elon's
My friend Elon and I constantly irritate each other. He recently built himself a rather respectable restaurant – a sort of bed-&-breakfast, minus the beds. Last week, he asked if I could ...
5
votes
1answer
163 views
What is a Counterfeiting Word™?
This puzzle 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 Counterfeiting ...
4
votes
2answers
209 views
Spelling Beelzebub
I've recently been banished to a land of eternal torment. Nevertheless, the first thing I do each morning is still to solve the New York Times Spelling Bee. Unfortunately, here they don't give out the ...
7
votes
0answers
468 views
Zed's Phone: Failure to Communicate
My friend Beto and I constantly buy things for one another. One day, he gave me a strange-looking phone and said it was my birthday gift (My birthday wouldn't be until 3 more months). He said he ...
6
votes
2answers
323 views
-3
votes
3answers
90 views
Sentence with 5 letter words
Can you make a sentence only using words of exactly five letters?
It must be a grammatically correct sentence.
6
votes
1answer
598 views
Zed's Note: Famously Infamous
My friend Al and I constantly bicker. One time, he proudly boasted that he can crack any cipher ever written, so I put out a little wager: if I can stump him with any cipher I write, he would have to ...
0
votes
1answer
208 views
A loyal traitor
Two countries are at war, Albekistan and Uzbania. The leader of the Albekistanian army asks, "Who ___ me?". The Uzbanian army's leader replies, "I ___ you!" She is promptly shot by her own army for ...
25
votes
5answers
4k views
Well-known American figure with Roman numerals
Which well-known American figure has an 8-letter name, with 6 consonants and all of them are Roman numerals?
18
votes
9answers
10k views
“bees” -> “hive” in 5 letter changes or fewer
Example of "warm" -> "cold":
warm
worm
word
cord
cold
Notice that it's a real word each time. Can you get from "bees" -> "hive" in 5 letter changes or fewer?
5
votes
1answer
253 views
Density type puzzle 4
In the spirit of this puzzle, here's another (with dice!). Enjoy!
Final answer: (8)
Hint
7
votes
1answer
249 views
Density type puzzle 3
Another puzzle in the spirit of this puzzle. Enjoy!
Final answer: (8,7,4)
Hint
Hint 2
9
votes
1answer
431 views
Hangman game backward #12
Time to get back to Puzzling! Hangman game backward #12 - guess what the question was:
fill in "a" - In some area it proves to be a big problem to kids / teens or even adults these day, which ...
6
votes
5answers
3k views
Remove last letter 4 times, get a real word each time, starting word is a car model [closed]
The best I tried so far:
Ford Explorer
Explore
Explor - not real
Explo - not real
Expl - not real
9
votes
3answers
386 views
What do Abraham and Levi each like?
Abraham and Levi are two friends who like many of the same things, but sometimes their preferences can diverge. Given the examples below, determine what governs their curious differences of opinion.
...
13
votes
1answer
291 views
Bill and Dan's Journey
What is this story about?
(Apologies if at the end I improperly announce the answer.)
Bill and Dan bravely ventured forth, eagerly hiking towards a notorious outcrop. Traipsing through the water ...
10
votes
1answer
269 views
Foul Psychology Question
According to our psychology examination, Mr. X
Is afraid of heights as well as the cookie monster under his bed (1)
Prefers to work late into the night (2)
Has 20/20 vision with perfect ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
What do we call not being behind on time but rather “stuck” or with the times? [closed]
Behind on time, and haven't caught up. No one cares, except those who's time is stuck. Stuck where? Not behind. It's stuck with the times.
mention: it's only 1 word
note: I have no idea what's the ...
8
votes
1answer
213 views
What are T Words and M Words?
I have two categories of English words. (Some English words are in neither category, and some are in both.) Use the examples below to determine the categories' membership criteria and explain the ...
0
votes
0answers
175 views
What is a TRUE Union Word™?
In the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee, a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
More specifically, this is an extended Word™ puzzle, built on the base of What Is a ...
6
votes
3answers
376 views
Who / what am I?
I can be in many places when you talk, and there is more to me than just intention.
Some say I am bad. I mean, I am... but maybe you will understand that sometimes I am needed for a happy ending.
...
5
votes
3answers
293 views
0
votes
2answers
146 views
iEnglish word and its secret Puzzle [closed]
Many students pass their A-Levels (UK), High School Degree or their countries' equivalent. Most of them passionately have to study mathematics and in one of their courses, they might have heard:
...
6
votes
2answers
296 views
A Fairy Chess Ladder
This is yet a fairyly ordinary word ladder on the chessboard.
Sequence:
PAWN > KNIGHT > ROOK > QUEEN > KING
Rules:
Each step you can do ONE of the following:
1) Add a letter
2) ...
12
votes
2answers
252 views
I Want Some Ice Cream
This is similar to the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles. Giving credit where credit is due.
I was sitting at Landra Hort's Mystery Ice ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Unconventional Opposites
We all know that many words can be made opposite by adding 'un' or 'ir' in front, but have you ever heard of opposites made by adding other letters in the middle?
I've given the letters that you ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
What is an Outside 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 an Outside Word™.
Use the examples ...
3
votes
1answer
126 views
Minimum number puzzle!
What is the minimum number of letters required to satisfy all the following clues?
"especially bad" "earth's counterpart" "flows one-way,
strictly" "release as outward flow"
"being this is ...
-2
votes
1answer
61 views
Archive Trouble
Inspired by The Vowel Eater. Thanks, @JonMark Perry!
A vowel,-space,-and-punctuation-eating monster and a paper-ripping monster have broken into the Federal Archives of the United States! (oh no!)
...
12
votes
1answer
480 views
My suffix is short for the place where you are…
My suffix is short for the place where you are,
My infix for who,
My prefix for where you can learn about what's
Mistaken for me in a crowd at least two.
To echo a riddle that's ...
35
votes
1answer
2k views
Took a trip to a parallel universe, need help deciphering
I recently traveled to a parallel universe where the people wrote in a symbol-heavy language seemingly derived from English. While there, I attended various sorts of collegiate lectures to get a feel ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
From jafe to El-Guest
Largely inspired by From Puzzling to StackExchange by CodeNewbie
From jafe to El-Guest
jafe > cafe > cate > cete > cet > get > gest > egest > e gest > e guest > el guest
Rules:
In any move, you ...
