How Fast Can You Solve These 3 One-Minute Puzzles?
The first is easy, the second is harder, and the third is cryptic.
If you play word games on your iPhone or Android phone, you may have already done today’s Wordle and played another game or two. Now how about trying something completely different?
Joggle.
In this game, you’ll get a crossword-style clue and a word. Like this:
You’ve got to solve the clue by changing two letters in the given word.
The answer to the above puzzle? DEBTOR. Easy enough!
Now try it for yourself.
Puzzle #1. We’ll make it even easier: The 2 letters to be replaced are underlined:
Puzzle #2 is a little harder, because no hint is provided. The letters to be replaced aren’t underlined:
Done? (The answers and explanations are at the bottom of this page).
Are you ready for Puzzle #3, a cryptic? If you are a seasoned cruciverbalist, skip forward to the puzzle. But don’t worry if you have never come across cryptic clues — or stared down at them. These typically have 2 parts. One is a literal definition of the answer, and the other is a hint involving wordplay. This New York Times article lists the common types of wordplay. They can be a bit daunting to the uninitiated, but once you know the tricks, you’ll be all set to discover the addictive, satisfying world of cryptic crosswords.
So, here goes:
If you enjoyed these puzzles, there are a couple thousand more in Joggle — Word Puzzle, a free word game for iOS and Android.
(Joggle — Word Puzzle: Download link for the iOS App Store: Here)
(Joggle — Word Puzzle: Download link for the Google Play Store: Here)
And finally, the answers to the three puzzles:
#1 (FUN level): COSTLY (Literal meaning: Extravagantly expensive.)
#2 (WIZ level): DAINTY (Literal meaning: Delicately beautiful)
#3 (PRO level): GLOOMY (Literal meaning: Dim. Wordplay: G(LOOM)Y: Hover menacingly = LOOM, Empty gallery = GY (GALLERY with inside letters ALLER removed). LOOM in GY = GLOOMY. 😁
