Questions tagged [wordplay]
A form of wit in which the used words become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement.
1,491
questions
9
votes
3answers
674 views
Cultural before-and-afters
Each answer to a clue will consist of the titles of two works or series put together, where the last word of the first title matches the first word of the second title.
Note that the word match does ...
18
votes
1answer
1k views
Bankers with rancor
Three colleagues at the bank are boasting to each other…
Colleague 1: “Ask anybody – I’m clearly the best.”
Colleague 2: “And how do you figure that?!”
Colleague 1: “Well, just ...
14
votes
1answer
1k views
What brought these couples together?
Sometimes it's difficult for outsiders to understand what brings a couple together.
What brings each of these couples together?
...
16
votes
1answer
716 views
The sound of thunder's like a whip
The sound of thunder's like a whip,
one takes a stab and makes a quip;
uncaps a bottle, lights a pipe,
accessing files of private type;
a mental crisis, break of dawn,
can experts solve what'...
5
votes
1answer
186 views
Uncover Lenny Fingers' street hustle
Lenny Fingers is out on the street again, hustling people with his shell games. This time, he's using words.
As you walk by, Lenny grabs you with an enthusiastic smile and shows you two words side-...
20
votes
2answers
1k views
Something in the TV
There is one answer that satisfies the title, and all of the lines below.
I can bow to the enemy.
I am the opposite of myself.
I can help you, if you want to go back.
I am known for staying ...
14
votes
1answer
1k views
16
votes
2answers
1k views
Eric Andre had a dream
Eric Andre had a dream.
What did he dream?
Hint $\downarrow$ (the answer does require knowledge, though I'd assume it's pretty common to know about it)
Not part of the puzzle. TL;DR
This is my ...
15
votes
1answer
532 views
Mind ya, it's Homophones Everywhere!
No gibberish, let's jump to the riddle!
I am a NAME.
Remove a letter, I am what a name may stand for.
Remove yet another letter, I am another name of another type.
What on earth am I?
Oh, ...
13
votes
3answers
500 views
Piece de Resistance - Five Flowers with One Missing
Five - Flowers with One Missing
This puzzle is part of the "Piece de Resistance" series. Go back to Part 1 (Ace) for the story.Ace Two Three Four Five ...
Removing the silver matter, you see this ...
29
votes
2answers
3k views
The cat exchanges places with a drawing of the cat
Given
CAT RENDERING
see if you can get them to exchange places, resulting in
RENDERING CAT
by ...
26
votes
1answer
2k views
These were just lying around
What peculiar property do all these words have in common?
AMP
APP
BARF
COME
CUR
EAR
GANG
GROW
IMP
ON
PEAR
PIMP
SING
STAB
TRIP
Afterword:
13
votes
1answer
319 views
Listen to this riddle carefully!
Hi all!
Here's a riddle. Please guess what thing is described below, and don't forget to explain each clue. :)
- - - Riddle starts - - -
Oh, my dear friend,
If you want to know who I am,
listen ...
13
votes
2answers
328 views
Piece de Resistance - Three Troublesome Toshes
Three - Troublesome Toshes
This puzzle is part of the "Piece de Resistance" series. Go back to Part 1 (Ace) for the story.Ace Two Three Four Five ...
For the third time you removed the surface, and ...
6
votes
3answers
198 views
Is there a name for this kind of anagram?
I was thinking about anagrams and I was wondering if there was a name for anagrams that keep the relative order of the letters, but instead rearranges them by moving the starting point of the word and ...
10
votes
2answers
601 views
Piece de Resistance - Introduction & Ace and A's
OP's Words
This puzzle is part of the "Piece de Resistance" series. Read the following section for the storyAce Two Three Four Five ...
Hey guys (and gals), I have worked on this for weeks, took me ...
15
votes
1answer
314 views
Newton's cradles
I went to one of those discovery stores and picked up a few Newton's cradles, except these have hanging words instead of hanging spheres.
Check it out:
This one has a starter pendulum with two ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a list of words that will enable the second player in two-player Ghost to always win?
I read in an old puzzle book of mine (I don't remember what it was called, but it had an orange hardback cover and featured only original puzzles) that it is possible to create a list of words that ...
16
votes
1answer
464 views
Twelve past eleven at the police station
An immeasurably large kudos to this puzzle, which was the inspiration for this one.
All of the blanks in the following passage may be filled with words. Each of the seven blanks contains one distinct ...
4
votes
1answer
132 views
Weird piece of paper I found on the ground
I found this piece of paper on my way to a blimp, and was confused - please help!
Here is what it said:
This is for someone jones-ing for a plant-based page-mystery featuring late-bonham ...
14
votes
1answer
531 views
What is an Ornament 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 Ornament Word™. Use the ...
10
votes
1answer
156 views
Navigating the multiverse of bifurcated parallel realities
Suppose you are sitting comfortably in your universe admiring the word SING. Just then, Q enters your universe and insists that you insert the string "IMMER" into your precious word to create a new ...
9
votes
2answers
225 views
Luncheon in the dungeon
– "Sssslither..."
Brigitte jumped. The voice had whispered almost directly into her ear, yet there was nobody to be seen. She looked at the ground beneath her feet. Was something moving? ...
9
votes
2answers
151 views
A progressive Riley
Okay. This is the first Riley I've written, and it gets progressively harder as you go along, so here goes. I wrote this, and then realized that I used a mispronunciation of the target, so I had to ...
10
votes
4answers
555 views
How do you feel?
Someone's spilled coffee
On your white shirt.
The report you spent
Four hours on,
Ruined in the rain.
And someone's decided
That it'd be funny if you found,
Dragon dung in your in-...
5
votes
3answers
799 views
As the Ferris wheel turns
It's a lovely evening in Letterland and all the little letter couples have gone down to the seaport promenade to stroll about and ride the Ferris wheel.
As the Ferris wheel turns, those on the ...
-3
votes
2answers
119 views
What am I? (ft. cool poems)
Without me,
There would be no vowel.
Though consonants would exist,
The alphabet thrown in the bowel.
But, now, another problem occurs,
For bowels exist not,
When, Death, I am yours.
...
2
votes
2answers
96 views
A word challenge/competition! (ft. Categorically Deceiving words) [closed]
Here are the rules:
A Categorically Deceiving word is one whose letters can be mixed around to form a new word which belongs to the same category as the original (e.g. red and green belong to the ...
18
votes
2answers
1k views
What is a Romeo Word™?
In the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee, a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.Template taken from Rubio.
Finally made a formal What is a Word puzzle after the ...
10
votes
6answers
1k views
Wordplay addition paradox
There are words from which you can remove a "chunk", leaving a new word. Like this:
...
6
votes
3answers
632 views
Wordplay subtraction paradox
There are words from which you can remove a "chunk", leaving a new word. Like this:
...
20
votes
1answer
1k views
Farmer needs to get his word across the river
In the spirit of the classic river-crossing puzzles:
...
9
votes
2answers
303 views
An Ode Full'a Herrin's
Dear smart friend,
How witty sire alway look!
Here's ag'in an ol' ode,
For you, fiend, a puzzler's game!
Demeanour means imp's English name introduction.
Small film halves film ...
14
votes
3answers
911 views
Modulus Operandi
These words have a remarkable form of self-symmetry:
ANDROCENTRIC
CONDESCENDED
EXTRATEXTUAL
RESETTLEMENT
SUBMERSIBLES
What is it?
Afterword:
It is ...
14
votes
1answer
261 views
Anagram of an anagram
My anagram's anagram is a furious lady.
My anagram's anagram is a comic military force.
My anagram's anagram is to sell weapons to a flamboyant guy.
What are we anagramming?
13
votes
3answers
804 views
This one's for Matthew:
I tend nations damaged, with many a crater
Spilt blood, nothing lost! That's a strong indicator
Reason's right if I act; out something charged!
Rounds for the charger, allows losing large... ...
39
votes
2answers
2k views
Salt, pepper, herbs and spices
This puzzle is dedicated to an avid violinist.
Who is the violinist?
I got lots of upvotes for my previous "one-liner wonder" so thank you very much! Since you guys liked it, I have made another. ...
0
votes
9answers
2k views
What has eight eyes but no i in the name? [closed]
What has eight eyes with none in the name?
People travel from across USA to see this
12
votes
2answers
257 views
Chrysanthemum bejeweled with dew drops
If you squint, you might be able to see letters in the reflections of some of the dew drops. Those will help get you started.
In this puzzle, the adventure begins just after 12 o'clock and the ...
1
vote
5answers
246 views
How fast can you “DOCK” the “SHIP”? [closed]
You have to reach DOCK from SHIP in the minimum number of tries with the following rules.
You are only allowed to change one letter at a time.
You have to keep the word length the same.
At each step ...
11
votes
1answer
371 views
Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the richest of them all? (I make billions #7)
Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the richest of them all? (I make billions #7)
Clue group 1:
This spa provides a great relaxation rub. Earbuds are included too.
I compared virtual machines, and ...
6
votes
1answer
109 views
An Efficient Riley
My prefix is for my infix.
My suffix recalls a baritone or a bass.
My whole is quite dreamy - what am I?
7
votes
2answers
182 views
Puzzling Knight has a Message for all- Especially Newcomers
Of all the more than a Trillion messages he can deliver, he has especially selected this message for all.
Follow his(normal chess moves for the Knight) path to get the message.
His journey starts ...
13
votes
1answer
171 views
No Halves Hath the Heptagram
Here is the heptagram:
Rules are the same as for the octagram. However, the heptagram has the very nice property that all words are unique. I.e., as you go around, you will not encounter any ...
12
votes
5answers
697 views
I make billions (#5)
I make bullions balloons billions (#5)
Main clues:
These statues are wonderful! I'm going to invest in the sculptor.
Move faster! I need to finish the 18th hole and return this golf ...
5
votes
4answers
482 views
I make billions (#3)
I make billions (#3)
My products are quite edgy,
But most have been a bust,
I'm only one of many,
Lord knows who we can trust,
I'm not a politician,
Yet I work with presidents,
...
10
votes
5answers
471 views
Here is my description. Now, tell me, what am I?
This is not a location, but if you specifically spelt me with an 's' you would spot me in several bedrooms.
I could go on, but I feel that's enough of me for now.
What am I?
HINT 1: 29/06/19
HINT ...
6
votes
1answer
103 views
Mono-Tonic Crpytic-Clues
Answer for this puzzle is one word. All of the following clues have the same enumeration, but I am hiding it from you ;)
$500 note (?)
You ended up turning around (?)
Substance emitted through ...
5
votes
1answer
142 views
Omni-Riley-Rebuses
Partially inspired by MetaZen’s Four Directions Series :)
North:
East:
South:
West:
This puzzle is a part of Ooohh, it all makes sense now! :D
4
votes
1answer
126 views
Cryptic, then Crossword, then Clues
Answer is one word.
{1}{2}{3}{4} (6)
{1} [a] (7)
{2} [b][c][d][e] (6)
{3} [f] (3)
{4} [g][h][i] (6)
[a] Bonding family in cod (7)
[b] Container fight (3)
[c] Considering ...
