September 09, 2021
Think of a number, remove one-third of it, then remove one-third again (in a
different way), and the result will be the original number. What number is this?
Sandy Weisz
Paris and Lisboy
Hello! The last week in our house has been spent devouring the Olympics. My favorite moment so far was actually in the Opening Ceremonies, when they performed this frenetic, delightful 8-minute routine modeling all 50 Olympic pictograms. More like this please.
Meanwhile, congrats to Suni Lee, gymnastics all-around gold medalist.
August 04, 2021
Name two world capitals that are only 300 miles apart. Inside each capital is an
English word. These two words describe two people who could be father and son.
Which capitals are these?
Xiao Decca Man
Hello! In the last issue I published a puzzle about a famous woman in American history with a three-part name. Then, a few weeks ago, I found out that Will Shortz was planning to feature that same puzzle on NPR’s Weekend Edition. I send puzzles to Will for the
July 07, 2021
Name two countries in the Western Hemisphere that are about 1000 miles apart,
one with a five-letter name and one with a six-letter name. Anagram their names
together to get the name of a current head of state. What countries are these?
Ruth Baller Ginsburg
The good news around these parts it that I'm finally, blessedly, fully vaxxed. Last week I spent time in a cafe, and went to see a movie in a movie theater. Yesterday I had a conversation with a client about possibly running one of my tabletop games in
May 13, 2021
Think of the name of a famous woman from 20th century American politics. Change
one letter in her first name to a different double letter. You’ll end up with
the first and last name of a famous 20th century American athlete, along with
the last name of his rival.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
This week marks the one year anniversary of the week everything changed for us here in Chicago. At the beginning of the week, our kids were in school, my office was open, we went to a party at a friend’s house… and then by the end of the week,
March 11, 2021
What three movies, released from 1985-1990, all had one-word titles, all started
with the same letter, and all starred the same actor?
Coffee & Honey
Well! A lot has happened since I wrote you last. The biggest thing is that my team, Palindrome, won the MIT Mystery Hunt. The correct response to this is: congrats/condolences! The top prize is a gorgeous, engraved coin… and the responsibility to write next year’s hunt. It will
February 16, 2021
What two components, which are often mixed together in cocktails, contain,
within their names, words that are opposites of each other?
Lambchop Megadeth
Hello, again! Hope you had a peaceful, restful weekend.
It’s holiday season, which now involves figuring out what it means to have an entirely remote office holiday party. The good news is I’ve been building out my stable of Zoom-based trivia games, and I still have plenty of
November 30, 2020
Which band's name, in four words, contains A, B, C, D, & E, in that order
(though not consecutive)?
Shake and a Haircup
Here in America, we have an election coming up. Maybe you’ve heard. It’s kind of a biggie. Today is the last day to register in several states, including my state, Illinois. Here is the link to register in Illinois, and here is the information for every US state.
October 06, 2020
Think of something you might ask for at a salon. Change the first letter, and
you'll get something you might ask for at a saloon. What are these?
Mission San Juan Kubo
Fall is around the corner, and with it comes a bunch of juicy puzzle events. Mark Halpin publishes his annual Labor Day puzzle set on Saturday, Sep 5th. They’re always a brilliant, difficult set of puzzles that keep me occupied for days or weeks. Then there’s Puzzle Boat
August 25, 2020
Think of a place on earth with a four-word name. Take the third word. Advance
three of its letters to the next letter of the alphabet (so A would become B, B
would be come C, etc.). You'll get the fourth word in the name. What place is
Odenminator
This month we’re welcoming a lot of new subscribers from the Pilcrow Bar hunt. Hello! Welcome to the place where I send you interesting puzzle things I find online every month. This issue we’ve got 3 different puzzle sets, all raising money for good causes.A few small
July 06, 2020
Think of a 9-letter term from mathematics. Swap letters 2 & 3, then move the
fourth letter to the front, to get a 9-letter term from computer science. What
words are these?
Onthusi Astix
Hello. It seems silly and trivial to tell you about puzzles and games while there are much more important struggles going on around us. But I’ve heard from so many of you that my puzzles — especially the ones in the ¶| puzzle game — are a welcome distraction. I’m happy