MISSING WORDS
1. PICKING AND STEALING
What tempting ...... beguiled the boy to sample
Fruit that hung ...... on the parson’s trees?
...... upon ...... shall make him an example
When the stern ...... has brought him to his knees.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. III.—A BOOK AND ITS AUTHOR
What well-known book and its author may be represented thus:—
2. A SWARM OF MISSING WORDS
No less than eight different words, spelt with the same six letters, are available to fill the gaps in the following lines:—
Man of the dark room, ...... none I find
Upon these ...... of likeness to my features.
...... then nought, O man of evil mind,
Who ...... thus to libel fellow-creatures?
Evil thus done ...... upon the doer,
The ...... in thy conduct, Sir, are many;
...... thy life, and let thy crimes be fewer,
Or all thy ...... of good won’t fetch a penny!
No. IV.—ON THE SHUTTERS
Upon the shutters of a barber’s shop the following legend was painted in bold letters:—
No.
John Mar
in atten
from 8 a.m.
Barber
Hair C
The bald cry a
for hi
as displayed
which make hair g
Closes
I
shall
dance
daily
and
utter
loud
s creams
in this window
listen
after 8 p.m.
One evening about 8.30, when it was blowing great guns, quite a crowd gathered round the window, and seemed to be enjoying some excellent joke. What was amusing them when one shutter blew open?
3. NO HEART!
False Kate! ... .... . ...... ’s nest,
.. ..... the Upas tree,
I will not budge, ... .... to rest,
.. .... . coward be.
No, not .... ... enough their sting
To drive me back to thee;
None swifter meet thy beckoning
.... ... the hills I flee.
... .... frosts less my love would quell.
Rather than seek thy side,
Of ... .... horse I love so well
I’ll ... .... hoofs and hide!
The number of letters in each word of the missing phrases is indicated by dots, and the seven letters in each case are those that spell also “no heart,” which we give as a title and clue.
No. V.—A PHONETIC MAXIMUM
How far phonetic spelling may be pushed, is illustrated by the following swarm of variations given in a book published at Enfield in 1829:—
| Scissars | — | ers | — | irs | — | ors | — | urs | — | yrs |
| Scisars | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ |
| Sciszars | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ |
| Scizars | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ |
| Scizscars | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ |
| Scizzars | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ | — | „ |
Or the word may start with Sis, Siss, Siz, Sys, Syss, Syzz, Syzs, Syz, Cis, Ciss, Ciz, Cisz, Cysz, Cyz, Cyzz. By substituting “z” for the final “s” we may double the number, and reach a total of 1224.
4. UNNATURAL HISTORY
’Neath ...... Indian seas fierce battles spread
’Twixt ...... hermit-crabs and other shellfish!
With horrid ...... when their foes are dead,
These crabs declare their shells ......, so selfish!
Each missing word has the same six letters.
No. VI.—SOLVITUR AMBULANDO
On this chequered floor, paved with slabs each a foot square, the palindrome word ROTATOR can be traced in various ways.
| R | O | T | A | T | O | R | O | T | A | T | O | R |
| O | R | O | T | A | T | O | T | A | T | O | R | O |
| T | O | R | O | T | A | T | A | T | O | R | O | T |
| A | T | O | R | O | T | A | T | O | R | O | T | A |
| T | A | T | O | R | O | T | O | R | O | T | A | T |
| O | T | A | T | O | R | O | R | O | T | A | T | O |
| R | O | T | A | T | O | R | O | T | A | T | O | R |
| O | T | A | T | O | R | O | R | O | T | A | T | O |
| T | A | T | O | R | O | T | O | R | O | T | A | T |
| A | T | O | R | O | T | A | T | O | R | O | T | A |
| T | O | R | O | T | A | T | A | T | O | R | O | T |
| O | R | O | T | A | T | O | T | A | T | O | R | O |
| R | O | T | A | T | O | R | O | T | A | T | O | R |
If a man walks over it, taking one slab at every step, and never lengthening his strides, how many steps will he take in tracing every possible variation of the word, and how many such variations are there?
No. VII.—A CURIOUS CHRONOGRAPH
A bachelor clergyman, whose initials were I.E.V., had built a fernery with the profits of his tracts on the deceased wife’s sister question. He dated it on a mural tablet thus:—
| My LateVVIfe’ssIsterbVILtthIs VVaLL; bVT I In trVth neVer VVeD any VVIfe at aLL, nor VVont forsooth, saIth I. e. V. | ||
If the Roman numerals are extracted from this inscription, and added together, they amount to 1884, the desired date.
5
Though ——— secure and ——— in his cage,
Our Polly, when ———, will fly into a rage.
Each missing word has the same six letters.
6
All courtly honours are but light
As grains that from a ——— fly;
And he who wears the ——— bright
May haply in a ——— die.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
7
I’d rather from a ——— eat,
I give my sacred word,
Than dine in slums where ——— meet,
And ——— pedlars herd.
Each missing word has the same six letters.
No. VIII.—AN OLD SAMPLER
In the drawer of a cabinet that had belonged to my grandmother I came upon an old sampler, beautifully worked in scarlet cross-stitch. Its very curious legend runs as follows:—
| AL. IT. | |||
| T.L | EW. O. MA! | ||
| N.T. | Ho! UGH. AVE. Ryli. | ||
| T.T. | Let. Hi! N.G.I. | ||
| S.S. | We. Et. Erf. Art. Ha! | ||
| N.S. | Ug. Ara. N.D.F. Lo! | ||
| W.E. | R.S.T. Ha! TB. | ||
| L.O. | O! Mins. Pri. | ||
| N. G. | |||
8
A much married ....... of Cadiz
Once ....... some riotous ladies.
To ....... him they chucked
A ......., but he ducked,
Which ....... these rude ladies of Cadiz.
The five missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
9. THE LASS AND HER LOVER
A lass and her lover were ——— by the sky
Not to ——— too far where no shelter was nigh.
She lingered behind, and —— — old church,
St. ——— by name, and was left in the lurch.
She tried a short cut through a park on the grass,
But sternly the ——— forbade her to pass;
Then helplessly stood the disconsolate maid,
When the lad she was soon to —— —— to her aid.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. IX.—THE LANDLORD’S PUZZLE
The following curious Missing Words Puzzle is to be seen on a card which hangs in the bar of an inn in the Isle of Man:—
| I had both— | by both I set great store | and a— |
| I lent my— | and took his word therefor; | to my— |
| I asked my— | and nought but words I got. | from my— |
| I lost my— | for sue him I would not. | and my— |
| At length with— | which pleased me very well, | came my— |
| I had my— | away quite from me fell: | but my— |
| If I’d both— | as I have had before, | and a— |
| I’d keep my— | and play the fool no more. | and my— |
It is to be read thus:—
I had both money and a friend, by both I set great store,
I lent my money to my friend, and took his word therefor,
and so on to the end.
10
When ———— smiles, and sunbeams play
On flowers that ———— and deck the green,
———— can match the scene so gay
———— they crown the May-day queen?
The missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
11
’Tis said of William, while his forces rested
On Albion’s ———, when Harold had been bested,
He made the ——— of his ——— fuse
Saxon spear-heads, to fashion into shoes.
Each missing word has the same six letters.
No. X.—DECAPITATED WORDS
The decapitated words are in italics:—
The ship rode in an eastern bay,
Asleep astern the master lay,
A stern and rugged man was he,
And, like a tern, at home at sea.
Like swooping ern he caught his prey
Whene’er an R.N. came his way;
But while due N. the needle kept
He in his cabin lay and slept.
The ern, or erne, is the sea-eagle.
12
Happiness, brighter than ———, is dead;
Life’s battle, sterner and ——— now,
Heals the sore ——— that love left as it fled,
——— remembrance of long broken vow!
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
13. AN AUTHOR’S EPIGRAM
Press critics fall on me like sharks;
“A shameless ....... of odds and ends,
No ....... original,” and more remarks
In adverse mood. But stay, my friends,
He ....... best who hath his record clean;
My faults are published, yours are yet unseen!
The missing words have the same seven letters.
14
...... are his ......, fashion-forms of grace
In ...... deftly hinted.
...... soft as ......, crowned by Beauty’s face,
In ...... hues are tinted.
The six missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. XI.—AN ANCIENT ANAGRAM
On the front of a church, in the Largo Remedios, at Braga, in Portugal, there is an inscription which, with its letter-perfect Anagram, runs as follows:—
| BEATUS IOANNES MARCUS | ||
| CHRISTI DOMINI DISCIPULUS | ||
 | ||
| ANAGRAM | ||
 | ||
| IS IN MUNDO PIUS EST MEDICUS | ||
| TUIS INCOLIS, BRACHARA | ||
 | ||
which may be rendered—“Blessed John Mark, disciple of Christ the Lord.” He in this world is the holy healer of thy people Braga!
15
When Kate — ——— —— —— displayed
— —— — hide a tear;
“All love is dead — ———,” he said.
“———— I’ll —— ——!”
The missing word and groups of words are spelt with the same seven letters.
16
Some grinding at the ——— must toil,
Down-trodden ——— of to-day;
While other children of the soil
In vast ——— their wealth display.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. XII.—STRIKE A BALANCE
This diagram shows that the odd numbers of the 9 digits add up to 25, and the even numbers to 20.
| 1 | 2 |
| 3 | |
| 5 | 4 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 9 | 8 |
| 25 | 20 |
Can you arrange the 9 digits in two groups in which the odd numbers and the even will add up to exactly the same sum?
17
Betrayed by faithless friends, in ——— mood
Man ——— his fellows as the ——— brood.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
18. HONEST INDIAN
With divers —— his —— is scarred,
He hangs a bangle in his nose;
Such marks secure his —— regard,
Exalt his fame, and —— his foes.
Each missing word is spelt with the same four letters.
No. XIII.—HKISTA!
MRS LR’S SR
MR LR KRS.
“BLR MR LR!”
MRS LR HRS.
How do you read these lines and their title?
19. ON THE OCEAN WAVE
———— who, as we ———— roll,
———— for me the foaming bowl,
And ———— off unfriendly spray
With oilskin cape, thou shalt not say
“In vain I’ve ———— my favours here.”
I’ll think of thee when port is near!
The four missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
20. THE ZENANA MISSION
With high ——— for hearts and hands,
These ——— ——— for distant lands.
The three missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
21
The ———— of his speech did not
———— his audience a jot.
They greeted all he said thereafter
With ————, smiles, and open laughter.
The missing words have the same seven letters.
22
To convent shrine at break of day
With ——— together nuns repair;
Mid gleaming ——— they kneel and pray,
And chanted ——— allays each care.
Spelt with the same five letters.
No. XIV.—IN MEMORIAM
The following puzzle-epitaph was engraved on a tombstone in Durham Cathedral:—
| WEON | . | CEW | . | ERET | . | WO | |||
| WET | . | WOM | . | ADEO | . | NE | |||
| NON | . | EFIN | . | DUST | . | WO | |||
| NO . | WLI | . | F | EB | .EGO | . | NE | ||
| WILLIAM and MARGARET TAYLOR | |||||||||
| Anno Domini 1665. | |||||||||
23
Here once, as a hag is bedizened with paint,
A ——— ——— ——’— in the garb of a saint.
The three missing words are spelt with the same five letters.
24. IN PRAISE OF SUSSEX
Sussex! No ——— of a bygone age
Ride through thy ——— to-day with shield and ———,
And ——— no horseflesh so they may engage
To save some damozel from harm or fear.
Who now would give a thought to ——— or peaches?
He truly farms who ——— a golden store;
And, though he cannot ——— the simplest speeches,
——— down expense, and savings has galore!
Each missing word is spelt with the same five letters.
No. XV.—A FRENCH WORD SQUARE
Here is an excellent French Word Square of seven letters:—
| R | E | N | E | G | A | T |
| E | T | A | L | A | G | E |
| N | A | V | I | R | E | S |
| E | L | I | D | A | N | T |
| G | A | R | A | N | C | E |
| A | G | E | N | C | E | R |
| T | E | S | T | E | R | A |
This is a worthy companion to the English seven-letter squares on “[Problem]” and “[Palated],” which are given on other pages.
25
——— in the ——— far away,
Remote alike from heaven and hell,
The silent ———, so poets say,
Who shape the ends of mortals dwell.
Each missing word has the same five letters.
26
In all our ——— the mechanician’s skill
Now compasses the rogue with artful wile.
The patent ——— and the “tell tale” till
Beset his way who ——— the path of guile,
Besotted youth, who ——— to defy
The rule of right, beware his awful fate
Who, sitting down to eat a stolen pie,
——— the eighth commandment on the plate!
Spelt with the same six letters.
No. XVI.—A QUAINT EPITAPH
This epitaph, most of it in some sort of dog Latin, tells its own pathetic tale on its tablet.
| IT - OBIT - MORTI - MERA PUBLI - CANO - FACTO - NAM AT - RES - T - M - ANNO - XXX ALETHA - TE - VERITAS TE - DE - QUA - LV - VASTO MI - NE - A - JOVI - ALTO PERAGO - O - DO - NE - AT STO - UT - IN - A - POTOR - AC AN - IV - VAS - NE - VER - A | ||
| R - I - P | ||
27
The .... with .... importunate
To rule his .... may try;
His .... is so unfortunate
That .... they may reply!
The missing words are spelt with the same four letters.
28. “TURN AGAIN WHITTINGTON!”
In all the pomp of —— and chains
He lords it o’er the town;
The —— of his hopes he gains
Who —— with half-a-crown.
Each missing word has the same four letters.
No. XVII.—A TRAGIC CALENDAR
| Jan-et was quite ill one day; Feb-rile troubles came her way. Mar-tyr like, she lay in bed, Apr-oned nurses softly sped. May-be, said the leech judicial, Jun-ket would be beneficial. Jul-eps, too, though freely tried, Aug-ured ill, for Janet died. Sep-ulchre was sadly made, Oct-aves pealed and prayers were said. Nov-ices with many a tear Dec-orated Janet’s bier. | ||
29. A SAUCY JADE
A writer quite devoid of tact,
She valued ——— more than fact.
A wayward ——— she made her muse
On ——— and noble heaped abuse.
Dealt ——— on ——— to prince or peer,
Her ——— wit a paltry jeer.
Each missing word is spelt with the same six letters.
30. MISSING WORDS
Of all destructive country pests
The farmer ..... ..... least;
He cannot yet the puzzle .....
How to suppress the beast!
The missing words have the same five letters.
No. XVIII.—A DIAMOND PALINDROME
Within the four corners of this Mystic Diamond the Palindrome, NAME NO ONE MAN, can be traced in 16,376 different directions, in straight lines, or at right angles, starting from the centre or from the borders.
N
NaN
NamaN
NamemaN
NamenemaN
NamenonemaN
NamenooonemaN
NamenoonoonemaN
NamenoonenoonemaN
NamenoonemenoonemaN
NamenoonemamenoonemaN
NamenoonemaNamenoonemaN
NamenoonemamenoonemaN
NamenoonemenoonemaN
NamenoonenoonemaN
NamenoonoonemaN
NamenooonemaN
NamenonemaN
NamenemaN
NamemaN
NamaN
NaN
N
31. TO THE FRESH AIR FUND
OH THE ——— OF THE ———.
The ——— of darkest London are radiant with ———,
You can ——— it in their ——— little faces.
So wherever you ——— let it be your heart’s ———
To ease the ——— and sorrows of all ———.
The missing words in the title and those in the first and third lines each contain six letters. Those in the second four, and in the fourth five.
No. XIX.—SHAKESPEARE RECAST
If you start with the right letter in this combination, and then take every third letter, a well-known quotation from Shakespeare will be formed.
House.canoe.after.
hour.print.cave.child
sash.sleve.acorn.
ample.sad.tatta.hena
mat.ache.cake.taches.
heliac.sacque.usual.
arbor.see.mulch.jacur.
use.stop.
32. THE FLIRT THAT FAILED
She ...... in vain, “Men are ......, and as shy
As ...... in October,” she says with a sigh.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
33
When good men lapse the ....... grins,
When one ....... he swears,
And strives to set his former sins
Against his ....... prayers.
Each missing word is spelt with the same seven letters.
No. XX.—A DOUBLE ACROSTIC
An old Italian bird we know
Whose heart is ever touched by snow.
1. None can press me without pain
1. Pressure is against the grain.
2. I am a king without my head.
3. Here is another king instead.
It is fair to our readers to say that some knowledge of Latin and French is needed for dealing with this very excellent Acrostic, of which a full explanation is given with the solution.
34. THE GIPSY LAD
His hands and face were ———, and sad
Upon the ——— a gipsy lad
Lay; as the breeze his temples fanned
He counted ——— on either hand.
Each missing word has the same five letters.
35. THE OLD DIVINE
In yon grey ——— an old divine
Taught me my ——— to decline,
And verbs with ——— of mood and tense;
But while I plodded on apace
I had to keep the ——— of grace,
And close his prayers with loud ———.
Each missing word is spelt with the same five letters.
36. BANZAI!
No reckless ——— of the sword,
He ——— his fatherland to save.
Fighting for freedom, not ———,
Now ——— of the eastern seas.
The four missing words contain six letters.
No. XXI.—HIDDEN PROVERBS
Five familiar proverbs are hidden in this square of 169 letters.
| R | E | N | O | W | N | E | D | T | H | A | N | W |
| S | Y | O | U | R | C | A | K | E | A | N | D | A |
| S | T | E | T | O | B | E | F | E | A | R | H | R |
| E | A | R | K | S | S | P | O | I | L | E | A | F |
| L | E | O | O | H | E | R | S | N | T | D | V | O |
| O | T | M | O | T | L | I | N | O | H | T | E | U |
| N | O | S | C | A | L | A | G | M | E | H | I | R |
| S | N | I | Y | G | O | R | S | O | B | A | T | S |
| E | N | G | N | E | N | O | T | S | R | N | P | A |
| I | A | O | A | M | O | O | T | S | O | A | E | W |
| R | C | D | E | V | I | L | A | H | T | D | A | S |
| O | U | O | Y | N | O | I | L | D | A | E | C | A |
| T | C | I | V | R | E | H | H | T | A | H | E | Z |
The proverbs are arranged in a regular sequence.
37. OF DOUBTFUL WORTH
A fair ———, though ——— and frayed,
The critic ——— to own,
And it might interest the trade
If ——— by some one known.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
38
In his ——— days, as when he was young,
The ——— indulges in ——— of tongue.
Each missing word is spelt with the same six letters.
No. XXII.—AN ALPHABETICAL TOAST
Lord Duff, who evidently had a turn for puzzles, proposed this alphabetical toast, which became popular among the Jacobites.
| A.B.C. | A blessed change. |
| D.E.F. | Down every foreigner. |
| G.H.J. | God help James. |
| K.L.M. | Keep Lord Mar. |
| N.O.P. | Noble Ormond preserve. |
| Q.R.S. | Quickly resolve Stuart. |
| T.U.V.W. | Truss up vile Whigs. |
| X.Y.Z. | Exert your zeal. |
Another quaint and ingenious use of separate letters is recorded of the well-known preacher, Henry Ward Beecher.
Years ago, before his reputation had become world-wide, he was asked to give a lecture without charge, and assured that it would increase his fame. His reply was characteristic and very much to the point: “I will lecture for F.A.M.E.—fifty and my expenses!”
39. MISSING WORDS
| (1) | A cylindrical lock |
| Where no key can be found, | |
| (2) | An instrument treble |
| And ringing in sound. | |
| (3) | In story-land ranging, |
| (4) | Now chopping and changing; |
| (5) | Broken up, reunited, |
| Quite whole I am found. |
Words, spelt with the same eight letters are indicated in these lines. There are two words in (1).
No. XXIII.—A MORAL PRECEPT
The following obscure legend was worked on an old sampler, in the red cross-stitch that found favour when our grandmothers were girls:—
Elizabeth out
Rue Constantine
Very thin gloves
Way Susan dart.
This was evidently some excellent moral precept, but it hung on its frame, a mere puzzle on the school-room wall, until an expert word juggler came that way, and solved the mystery by reading it off thus:—
“Eliza be thou true, constant in everything. Love sways us, and art.”
40
In the following lines the first missing word has two letters, and the letters are carried on, with one more added each time, and in varied order, throughout the verses, either in single words or in groups of words:—
A lover of .. unkind fair
Were less than ... did he not ....
“Mine is no ..... life, I swear,
It dwells in this ...... alone.
Grant me thy love, like ....... chaste
.. ...... lest thou live unwooed,
..... .. . lowly life to waste
The treasures of sweet ..........”
No. XXIV.—SHAKESPEARE’S MANTLE
Ingenious cryptic efforts have been made to prove that Bacon was the author of Shakespeare’s plays, but it has been reserved for us to reveal, by a convincing cryptogram, the modern wearer of his mantle.
The secret is disclosed by a line of capital letters shown below:—
| Mac | B | eth. |
| Oth | E | llo. |
| Comedy of Er | R | ors. |
| Merchant of Ve | N | ice. |
| Coriol | A | nus. |
| Midsummer Night’s D | R | eam. |
| Merry Wives of Win | D | sor. |
| Measure for Mea | S | ure. |
| Much Ado about Not | H | ing. |
| Antony and Cleop | A | tra. |
| All’s Well that ends | W | ell. |
41. MISSING WORDS
Till a man is as ——— of a ——— as his palm is,
We ——— him from earning his ——— in our armies.
The missing words are spelt with the same five letters.
42. THE PAUPER’S PLAINT
Pale penury that ——— social bands,
And any link that ——— worth to fame,
Take ye the blame for my inactive hands,
I ——— in vain to build upon the sands,
Without a ——— who can make a name?
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. XXV.—CAPITAL SHORT CUTS
The following example of the use of phonetic capitals and figures is fresh and original. It contains more than eighty such symbols in its twenty-four lines:—
A MAID OF ARCADY
A rosy maid of R K D
Is L N in her bower;
Brisk as U C A honey B,
And sweet as N E flower.
Does she S A herself 2 please
(XQQ the saucy miss),
She sings an L E G 2 TT,
Or blows an M T kiss.
“B mine, I say, U bonny J,
B 4 I CC mine L;
When you are gay my hopes D K,
In T sing U X L.”
Without ado she takes the Q,
Her II B 9 and B D,
“O, sir, I do not N V U
I C that U R C D.
“X S of spirits—O D V—
Begins 2 U U U up;
The cure must B a dish of T
With K N in the cup!”
“O L N U I C R true,
Y need I C Q less?
I’ll never D V 8 from U,
But end my cares with S.”
(caress).
43. MISSING WORDS
Mr Backslide, afflicted with weakness of mind,
———— over to Lushington’s inn, where he dined.
He ———— the pledge he had taken as handy,
And emptied forthwith a ———— of brandy.
Each missing word has eight letters.
44
A ——— sat in his ——— grey,
Watching the moonbeams ——— play
On a keg that in the bushes lay,
And these were the words of his song:—
“Thou ——— the weak, thou ——— the strong,
To thee the ——— of bad deeds doth belong.”
And the leaves with a ——— took up the sad song.
Each of these missing words is spelt with the same six letters.
No. XXVI.—SIMPLE SCHOLARSHIP
Three hungry scholars came to a wayside inn, and saw this sign over the door:
PLACET ORE
STAT ORDINE
ORE STABIT
ORE AT ABIT
One of them eager to show his ready wit, translated these Latin words of welcome roughly into English verse:—
“Good cheer we provide,
Our service is sure;
Their savours abide
Though meats don’t endure!”
The complacent smile faded from his face as a village schoolboy, who had overheard him, broke in with the real rendering of the words:—“Place to rest at or dine; O rest a bit, or eat a bit!”
45
In these lines, where the dots occur, insert words, each of which is longer by one letter than the one before, and so complete the poem. The same letters are carried on each time in varied arrangement:—
Nature . love .. every land,
On burning plain, by wooded rill;
Where ... is girt by coral strand,
Or .... rears her castled hill.
Then ..... from me the tale to hear,
How, true to one ......, the bee
Once ....... out keeps, year by year,
The ........ by her instinct given,
Which teach her, wheresoe’er she roam,
In every clime beneath the heaven,
To build the same ......... home.
No. XXVII.—WAS IT VOLAPÜK?
| FFAH | CHTI | WT | ||
| HGU | ACT | ONE | ||
| RASD | RIB | DLO | ||
A schoolmaster in the Midlands, who was a bit of a wag, wrote this on the blackboard, as a novel exercise for the boys of Standard VI. Can you decipher it?
46
Here is another ingenious specimen of missing words, spelt each of them with the same five letters:—
That Samson did a thousand ———
Is not so wondrous strange.
In days like these at ——— such feats
Assume a wider range.
The Press ——— news ——— now,
Enough to scare a sinner,
And any fool who chooses may,
In Samson’s way, his thousands slay
Who chews his ——— at dinner.
No. XXVIII.—ANOTHER EPITAPH
(On an Old Pie Woman)
BENE AT hint HEDU S.T.T.H. emo Uldy O
L.D.C. RUSTO F.N.E. L.L.B.
AC. hel orl AT Ely
W ASS hove N.W. how ASS Kill’d
Int heart SOF pi escu Star
D. sand Tart Sand K N ewe,
Ver yus E oft he ove N.W. Hens he
’Dliv’ Dlon geno
UG H.S. hem Ade he R la STP uffap
UF FBY HE RHU
S. B an D. M.
Uchp R.A. is ’D no Wheres He dot
H.L. i.e. TOM a Kead I.R.T.P. Iein hop est
Hat he R.C. Rust W I
L.L.B. ERA IS ’D——!
47. IN A FARM-YARD
All his flock from ——— rough,
To the ——— ran apace,
Where their ———, old and tough,
———, the guardian of his race.
In these lines each missing word is spelt with the same six letters.
48
This is a bright little specimen of a missing words puzzle:—
Come, landlord, fill the flowing ——
Until their —— run over;
For in this —— to-night I’ll ——,
To-morrow —— to Dover!
Each missing word has the same four letters.
No. XXIX.—DOG LATIN
An old worn stone, with the inscription given below just legible, was found near to some ancient Roman remains, and was the valued possession of a local antiquarian, who was convinced that it dated back to the days of the Emperor Claudius:—
BENE
AT . HTH . IS . ST
ONERE . POS . ET
H . CLAUD . COS. TERT
R . I . P
ES . ELLE . RO
F . IMP
IN . G . TONAS . DO
TH . HISCO
N . SORTJ
A . N . E
His pride of possession was, however, shattered when a rival collector read it off into excellent English:—“Beneath this stone reposeth Claud Coster, tripe seller, of Impington, as doth his consort Jane.”
49
Here, as quite a novelty, is a double-barrelled missing words puzzle. As a puzzle, Part I. should stand alone, but the second part forms a thinly-veiled solution, which throws light upon the missing words. These are four in number and are spelt differently with the same six letters.
Part I
I tell of voices hushed and still,
I bid men prick their ears,
I help an army’s ranks to fill,
My gleam like gold appears.
Part II
Hushed is the still and ——— voice,
Pricked ears are keen to ———,
Men who ——— make noble choice.
——— like gold will glisten.
No. XXX.—THE PROBLEM SQUARED
| P | R | O | B | L | E | M |
| R | E | C | E | I | V | E |
| O | C | T | A | V | E | S |
| B | E | A | C | O | N | S |
| L | I | V | O | N | I | A |
| E | V | E | N | I | N | G |
| M | E | S | S | A | G | E |
This is a singularly perfect specimen of a seven-letter Word Square.
50. MISSING WORDS
Some men their ——— escorted on their way,
When “——— look here!” I heard a driver say:
“It ——— our pluck to toil like ——— all day,
When wanting ——— we starve on wretched pay.”
Each missing word is spelt with the same five letters.
No. XXXI.—BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Can you disentangle the eight-line verse which is scattered over these 64 squares? You must leap always from square to square, as a knight moves on the chess-board.
| tle | to | a | cat- | life | and | live | In | |
| By | tle | ow- | bro wse | of | non | tle | fall | |
| ter | tur- | gain | like | land | one’s | quiet | And | |
| of | ar m | Bet- | me ad- | and | Than | a- | bat- | |
| bask | Be t- | lau- | or | tle | ness | done | wan- | |
| rel | let | Than | die | With | der | of | smo ke | |
| ter | in | brain | myr- | on | and | har- | un- | |
| Ch ap- | or | to | sun | with | work | In | heat |
The verses begin with “Better to die,” and end with “tle” in the top left-hand corner.
51. WISDOM WHILE YOU WAIT
As a ———— ———— of facts you’ll find
Our Encyclopedia ———— the mind.
The three missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
52. MISSING WORDS
You drink that ———, ——— wine, too lavishly at night,
And say a ——— or a swim next morning puts you right,
When night brings you a sudden ———, and morning devils blue,
Then you’ll ——— your careless boast, and own my warning true.
Each missing word is spelt with the same six letters.
No. XXXII.—A BROKEN SQUARE
Can you complete this broken Word Square?
| O | E | |||
| O | E | |||
| I | O | |||
| E | E | |||
| E | E |
53
The missing words in these lines are all spelt with the same six letters:—
— ——— but for rebel act
Without — ——— should be;
But this — — — end, in fact
None find — ——— in me.
54. MISSING WORDS
“Oh for a ——— in this vast solitude,
This endless rise and fall of ——— and moor!”
Soliloquised a ——— in sad mood,
As through the lonely hills the staff of life he bore.
Spelt with the same five letters.
No. XXXIII.—A KNIGHT’S TOUR PROVERB
If the letters on these squares are taken in proper sequence they will form the words of a well-known proverb:—
| E | |||||||
| E | T | ||||||
| L | H | ||||||
| E | R | S | |||||
| E | A | S | |||||
| D | E | O | S | ||||
| S | P | M |
When a starting point has been chosen for trial of this puzzle, the successive letters must occupy the squares which in every case are reached by a knight’s move at chess, until a popular proverb is formed.
55. “MONSTRUM HORRENDUM INFORME INGENS”
’Twas in ........ that we saw him play
Like a ........ in his sports, and they
Amuse us as a good ........ may.
Each missing word has the same eight letters.
No. XXXIV.—GUARINI’S PROBLEM
The following curiosity, which is known as Guarini’s Problem, dates back to the year 1512. On a board of 9 squares two white Knights are placed in the top corners, and two black Knights in the bottom corners, thus:—
The problem is to interchange, in as few moves as possible, the positions of the white and black knights.
56
We call particular attention to the construction of this very curious couplet, in which the spaces are filled by the same seven letters. In every case four of the letters of the missing words or phrases are the same, and keep the same order, and in all but the first the order of the letters is unchanged throughout, though the meaning always alters, as it does in that most perfect old Latin motto, “Persevera, per severa, per se vera,” “persevere through trials, true to thyself.”
Soup is —— ——— for a ———— divine,
Who with —— ——— is —— —— to sit down and dine.
No. XXXV.—AN ANAGRAM SQUARE
Can you break up and recast the five words in this square, so that the fresh words form a perfect Word Square? The initials are A, M, E, N, D, S.
| S | E | N | D | E | R |
| O | N | I | O | N | S |
| B | A | B | B | L | E |
| M | A | N | N | E | R |
| S | M | I | L | E | D |
| L | I | N | E | A | L |
57. MISSING WORDS
Sweet as the —— and cruel as its thorn,
—— thy power is great, thy pity scorn.
Swift as the —— that through the forest fly,
Deep as the —— that deepest hidden lie,
Is thine own —— to hapless mortals given,
Semblance of darkest hell or brightest heaven.
These missing words are spelt with the same four letters.
58. MISSING WORDS
(Dedicated to the Fresh Air Fund)
Good ——— for City ———
My pipe ——— for — —— charms, that yield
Pictures and ——— of a children’s day.
Lest conscience ——— I —— — down to say
My ——— shall send some city ——— afield.
Each word or group is spelt with the same five letters.
No. XXXVI.—SHAKESPEARE’S PSALM
Quite as cryptic and convincing as any of the curious Shakespeare-Bacon cyphers is the evidence which connects our great English poet with the forty-sixth Psalm of the authorised Bible version.
Shakespear, spelt thus, as it often was, contains four vowels and six consonants. This is the key to the position. If, guided by these figures, we turn to the forty-sixth Psalm and count from the beginning, we find the forty-sixth word is “Shake.”
Then, counting from the end, disregarding the “Selah,” which is no part of the text, we find that the forty-sixth word is “spear.”
Thus, by a startling and perfect succession of affinities, the poet’s name-number is linked again and again with this Psalm, until it reveals his name.
If any sceptic asks why the Book of Psalms should thus be turned to, the answer comes in the curious fact that the actual letters of the name William Shakespere, another of its different spellings, form this sentence as their anagram, and thus afford the necessary clue:—
“We are like his Psalm.”
A final point of interest is made when we notice that Shakespeare himself must have been just forty-six years old when the Psalms were re-translated.
59. MISSING WORDS
He said “You ———” when one lied,
He said “Don’t ———” when one hied,
His glass held ——— at his side,
He can ——— what he denied.
Each missing word is spelt with the same six letters.
No. XXXVII.—A KNIGHT’S TOUR
The letters on this board, if read aright in the order of a Knight’s moves at chess, will give a popular proverb.
| R | L | T | E | Y | L | R | O |
| Y | H | L | T | O | B | T | A |
| T | A | A | A | H | T | I | |
| E | L | E | I | N | E | O | |
| D | H | W | Y | E | S | Y | |
| R | T | E | S | D | B | W | |
| Y | N | E | S | N | D | A | E |
| H | A | A | A | W | I | D | E |
Start from the most central E, and you will be able to trace the proverb.
60. MISSING WORDS
Mr Snip, the ————, was ———— a hill,
With a bag of new ———— for stock;
When a runaway motor-car gave him a spill
Which scattered his doubts with the shock.
Each missing word is spelt with the same eight letters.
No. XXXVIII.—A WORD SQUARE
The pupils of Dr Puzzlewitz found one morning these vowels printed boldly on the blackboard:—
| E | * | A | * | E |
| * | A | * | E | * |
| A | * | E | * | * |
| * | E | * | * | E |
| E | * | * | E | * |
Under it the doctor had written “Fill in the consonants, so that the words read alike from top to bottom, and from side to side.” How is this to be done?
61. MISSING WORDS
——— her fair cheek, and back o’er all
The ——— of years ——— memory.
Those wedding ——— to her recall
The ——— he urged so tenderly.
Each of these missing words has five letters.
62. MISSING WORDS
Two burglars attempted to ——— a house,
The ——— was heard, though as still as a mouse.
When challenged at once he a ——— became,
But caught as a ——— he finished his game.
Each word has the same five letters.
No. XXXIX.—THE SQUAREST WORD
The squarest word in any language is the Latin time, which, in connection with the three other Latin words, item, meti, emit, can be read, when written as a square, in every possible direction. Thus:—
| T | I | M | E |
| I | T | E | M |
| M | E | T | I |
| E | M | I | T |
As it seems impossible to go one better, we have been seeking, as a new nut for our store, some English word which may be a good second. Can you complete the square which is built up on these lines?
| D | E | L | F |
| * | * | * | * |
| * | * | * | * |
| * | * | * | * |
Delf is the key word, but it so far falls short of the perfection aimed at, that other letters are used in four of the vacant places. Still, it is so constructed that words which begin with D, E, L, or F appear each of them in four different directions, and is thus quite a notable example.
No. XL.—A PUZZLE DIAMOND
Can you fill in this diamond with four words that read alike from left to right, and from top to bottom?
| D | ||||||
| . | I | . | ||||
| . | . | A | . | . | ||
| D | I | A | M | O | N | D |
| . | . | O | . | . | ||
| . | N | . | ||||
| D | ||||||
63. MISSING WORDS
The ———— fool in olden days
Gave kings advice in jesting phrase;
He’s ———— now; the modern throne
———— all follies but its own.
Each missing word is spelt with the same eight letters.
64. MISSING WORDS
Days of ——— and times of evil,
Starving girls with ——— do toil,
No man ——— feast or revel,
Hushed is ——— and turmoil.
Each missing word contains the same six letters.
65. MISSING WORDS
Who ———— in his pride and rage,
To ———— vice a prey,
May hope to reach a green old age,
And find ———— his stay.
Each word has the same seven letters.
No. XLI.—A DEFECTIVE DIAMOND
| S | ||||||||
| . | . | M | ||||||
| P | . | . | . | L | ||||
| . | . | N | . | . | A | L | ||
| S | . | . | . | N | . | . | . | R |
| M | . | . | . | C | . | E | ||
| L | A | . | . | E | ||||
| L | . | E | ||||||
| R | ||||||||
The places now occupied by dots are to be filled in with letters so that a complete diamond is formed, of words that read alike from left to right, and from top to bottom.
66. A POET’S POLITICS
When Limerick once, in idle whim,
Moore as her member gaily courted,
The boys, for fun’s sake, asked of him
To state what party he supported.
When thus to them the answer ran,
“I’m of no party as a man,
But as a poet ———”
What is the missing word?
67. MISSING WORDS
Is England ———? That this is so
A solemn ——— aspires to show.
By most ignored, the theme — —— to some
Who gravely to the same conclusion come.
Like ——— o’er obstacles they soar,
And if an —— — ’vert they rave the more.
There are six letters in the missing words and phrases.
No. XLII.—A SPECIMEN MAGIC SQUARE
The following clever word square of the unusual number of seven letters, in which there is no undue straining of words or inflexions, is by a master hand, and would be difficult to match:—
| P | A | L | A | T | E | D |
| A | N | E | M | O | N | E |
| L | E | V | A | N | T | S |
| A | M | A | S | S | E | S |
| T | O | N | S | U | R | E |
| E | N | T | E | R | E | R |
| D | E | S | S | E | R | T |
68. MISSING WORDS
Off to the links is now their cry,
For golf is man’s ————:
Be not ———— or slow,
———— hit the ball will go.
Each missing word is spelt with the same eight letters.
69. MISSING WORDS
No maid e’er ———— North, South, East, or West,
More ———— than she who ———— Love’s request.
Each missing word is spelt with the same seven letters.
70. OUT IN THE COLD
Though in ......... I be,
It is, alas! ... ......
No ...... ... comes nigh to me.
Each word or phrase has the same nine letters.
No. XLIII.—A LETTER PUZZLE
Can you fill in the places of these 21 asterisks with only 3 different letters, so arranged that they spell a common English word of 5 letters in 12 different directions?
| * | * | * | * | * |
| * | * | * | * | |
| * | * | * | ||
| * | * | * | * | |
| * | * | * | * | * |
Two of the five letters are vowels.
71
————— his pride the Royal James
Came down upon the ————— Thames;
Like ————— his court repair
To breathe — ————’s freer air.
Each space has the same nine letters.
72. DROP LETTER LINES
With lily leaves his oars are ........,
Her eager hands their treasures .......,
To the fair winds all cares . .....,
And echo faintly answers .....!
The first letter is dropped in each case, so that while the word which ends line 1 has eight letters, the last word of line 4 has but five.
73. ENIGMA WITH MISSING LETTERS
There was no good ... in the d...y, so the klim.
No. XLIV.—A CANINE CHRONOGRAPH
Some years ago a country parson had the following inscription engraved upon the tombstone of a favourite dog that died in 1885:—
CarLo
Dear DoggIe
LoVIng faIthfVL anD trVe
she Lost her sIght
bVt not her LoVe
for
I. e. V.
If the large capital letters are treated as Roman numerals, they add up to the year of the dog’s death, 1885.
74
If the missing letters, indicated by dots, are supplied, and the words are separated, this will be found to form a line in a well-known poem:—
.u.u.m.r.i.u.d.s.s.e..o.l.w.d.a.t.n.f.l.o.e.f.s.e.
75
Complete this sentence by filling in five words in the gaps, each spelt with the same five letters:
If you write ——— ——— at ——— do not ——— the ———.
76. SIX MISSING WORDS
A ..... ..... on ....’. strands
Caught Pat’s heart in her meshes;
He left the ..... in Cupid’s hands,
And watched her ..... her tresses;
Tresses of ..... coloured gold,
That did her fairy form enfold.
Each missing word has the same five letters.
No. XLV.—A HIDDEN NAME
“Yes,” said the village wit, as a merry party sat round the tap-room fire at Stratford-on-Avon, “some wiseacres have tried to prove that Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays, because his name can be found hidden in some of the lines. Let me show you how easily this sort of thing can be arranged to suit our fancy.”
Taking a piece of chalk he wrote upon the door—
| “Titus An | d | ronicus” |
| “All’s Well th | a | t Ends Well” |
| “The Mercha | n | t of Venice” |
| “Corio | l | anus” |
| “Cymb | e | line” |
| “A Midsummer | N | ight’s Dream” |
| “Much Ado ab | o | ut Nothing” |
“Look down the letters under d of these titles of some of Shakespeare’s plays,” he said, “and you will find the well-known name of one who certainly did not write them.” What name did he mean? What but that of the prince of jokers, Dan Leno!
77. MISSING WORDS
Can you supply the missing words in these lines? Each is spelt with the same five letters:—
A man of ——— had caught a ———,
And it was windy weather;
“Give me my ———,” he cried, “to fix
My fish and ——— together.”
No. XLVI.—A CRYPTIC INSCRIPTION
The following cryptic inscription was engraved, in his own language, upon a tablet in honour of the great French astronomer and scientist, Arago:—
URE
AR ERIL
It has this interpretation:—
| AR | à gauche, |
| ERIL | à droit, |
| URE | sur tout. |
Arago chérit la droiture sur tout.
Arago cherished integrity above all.
78. ON THE LOOSE
When ....., our puppy, sets out for a run,
Over ..... he ....., all frolic and fun.
For no whistle he ..... in his desperate hurry
The cattle to ....., and the slow sheep to worry.
Each word has the same five letters.
79. MISSING WORDS
Buy my ripe ———, my ——— who’ll buy?
Don’t look so ———, but take some and try!
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters. What are they?
No. XLVII.—SQUARE THE CIRCLE
Here is a circle which it is quite possible to square:—
| C | I | R | C | L | E |
| I | . | . | . | E | . |
| R | . | . | E | . | . |
| C | . | E | . | . | E |
| L | E | . | . | E | . |
| E | . | . | E | . | . |
Can you fill it in with English words, that read alike from top to bottom, and from left to right? Try it before you turn to the solution. Every E must be worked in as it stands.
80. MISSING WORDS ILLUSTRATED
He who .... may .... at last,
How to .... we show;
Take a sixpence, hold it fast,
Press the .... and blow!
Each missing word has the same four letters.
No. XLVIII.—A BROKEN SQUARE
We give as clues the complete border, and a diagonal in which the same letter persists. Can you construct the whole square?
| B | O | A | S | T | E | R |
| O | E | E | ||||
| A | E | S | ||||
| S | E | E | ||||
| T | E | N | ||||
| E | T | |||||
| R | E | S | E | N | T | S |