SpecGram >> Vol CLXXXVIII, No 4 >> Mix & Match **—Max & Mitch Ninelette
Mix & Match **
by Max & Mitch Ninelette
The goal of this Mix & Match puzzle is to reconstitute a set of nine 9-letter words that have each had two trigrams removed. Below are two separate puzzles. Each includes a table to fill out and a set of trigrams with which to fill it up. Using each trigram once, fill the blanks in the table to form various nine-letter words. When you are done, three additional words will be revealed in the vertical direction for each puzzle.
AN | ___ | ___ | S |
DI | ___ | ___ | Y |
ON | ___ | ___ | C |
TR | ___ | ___ | E |
FA | ___ | ___ | L |
TI | ___ | ___ | E |
ID | ___ | ___ | C |
PH | ___ | ___ | N |
PO | ___ | ___ | Y |
ACO | IOM |
ANS | LYP |
APT | MUT |
ARM | NAT |
ATI | TOG |
CHO | TOM |
ENI | TTI |
HON | VAT |
ICA | YXI |
E | ___ | ___ | FY |
I | ___ | ___ | US |
P | ___ | ___ | AL |
B | ___ | ___ | ON |
C | ___ | ___ | GE |
A | ___ | ___ | ON |
P | ___ | ___ | ON |
G | ___ | ___ | AL |
P | ___ | ___ | NT |
ARO | MAT |
ART | OMI |
ATI | PLI |
EME | RAM |
ENI | RON |
GNO | TIV |
HON | UTO |
ILA | XEM |
LAC | XYT |
If you think you’ve figured out all the answers—that’s 24 nine-letter words!—submit your solution to the editors of SpecGram by November 15, 2020, and you could win a prize. Solutions and winners will be announced in the December issue.
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The solution to October’s Triskaideka—Cryptolinguistic Puzzle is provided here, with additional explanations given below.
Despite the high degree of difficulty, all of the following puzzlemeisters completed the puzzle and will be receiving prizes:
Wayne Zhao •
Carl Joshua Quines •
Vincent Fish
Across: 1. pun “faux net-ish-inns”; 9. sec (backwards)(Fr. for these/those); 11. Eco (backwards)(Welsh for okay); 12. TOI(let)(Fr. for you (informal)); 13. CAL(vert Watkins)/Center for Applied Linguistics; 14. anagram of hiring crabby Ann; 17. (i)TAL(i)C; 18. HER + O + I.C.; 20. Not pun “hollow phrases”—though could be mispronounced as such; 22. anagram of canoe (Port. for I wave); 23. MAT(C)H; 26. M.O. (modus operandi) + D.-Al; 29. OM + AHA; 32. A REA(l place); 33. (wh)ALE(n), (di)ALE(ct); 34. FRE(ir)E; 35. TEN(se aspec)T; 36. S + TILL + S; 38. (as)SIMI(lation); 39. (h)IND(i t)EX(t v)ERS(e); 40. LE (a V)(X) EME; 42. MIA (backwards, Esperanto for my/mine); 43. as in van Dijk, van Valin, etc.; 44. R + (w)OMAN; 47. PHONE + TICS; 49. abbr. for obituary, Latin 3ps indic. of obeō, to go toward; 50. Latin for a little; 52. (hung)ARIA(n); 53. anagram of can I locate fix null; 55. VO(U)S; 56. EME(rgent); 57. anagram of reset sew; 58. anagram of has nails.
Down
2. “No (NCO) NC (ate) native”; 3. (hocket)T OR CH(omsky); 4. (LSA pol)ICY; 5. Anagram of once (t)abu; 6. irata (backwards)(It. feminine singular for irate); 7. No + N (Fr. for no); 8. SIC(k) + H (German reflexive pronoun); 9. CAN + O.E.; 10. EL (Sp. for the) + GIN; 13. CIRCU(s) + M + FIXATIONS; 14. B(1 lb.)AO; 15. (me)ILL(et); 16. HEA(d)(Estonian for good); 17. anagram of choir time least; 19. pun “cocks see”; 21. homonyms; 24. Initial letters of A Real English Noun (Dutch for “ears”); 25. T(he) END; 26. anagram of it calmer; 27. (mo)DAL; 28. anagram of hell no soap; 30. anagram of a manner I; 31. (t)HE IM(plicature); 36. SE (refl. pron. in Fr., Sp., It., etc.) + A; 37. I(S)M; 38. (a)S EVER I(n) (It. for strict (masc. pl.)); 41. E + (backwards) NO LISP; 45. OB(s)E(ss)(initialism for Order of the British Empire); 46. MIX(tec); 47. Pl. + UM; 48. backwards LAT(I)(A)N; 50. P + A + S + S; 51. U. + backwards REF (Ger. for shore); 54. (myers-s)COT(ton).
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