How I Puzzle Myself
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45628)
Philippines
March 6, 2017 10:39am CST
I have always loved word games in magazines and newspapers, like crossword puzzles, word searches, guessing missing letters, anagrams or jumbled letters, matching words, etc. In fact, I would start answering them without reading the instructions first. Haha!
I worked on several word games the other night and wanted to share some of my silly and stubborn mistakes, as well as stumbles and stumps.
Sink stopper (4 letters). My first thought: cork. Answer: plug.
5 jumbled letters I still couldn't figure out: THEUC.
I couldn't get the 4-letter 'dolly' material. Why? Because it's actually 'doily' so the answer was lace. Haha!
I thought 'clothes-free advocate' was 'nudist,' but it was 8 letters long. Answer: Naturist.
What's the last letter of 'Bit' that's also the first letter of 'Wer'? E, as in 'Bite' and 'Ewer.' That was a new word to me, which I learned was another word for 'pitcher.'
Punctuation (5 letters) with an 'O'. I kept thinking Comma, but it's the 4th letter. Answer: Colon.
Short swim, 3 letters, and I immediately wrote Lap. Wrong! Dip. Good thing I always use a pencil!
Epoch/age, 3 letters. I'm always not sure if it's Eon or Era. Answer: Era.
3 letters for Pub. I wrote Bar. Answer was Inn. That pencil really helps!
5 letters for Unflavoured. My answer was Bland, but the N was the 5th letter. Answer: Plain.
You know what, while writing this, I finally figured out THEUC - Chute!
For mylotters who are ESL (English as a Second Language) speakers like me, do word games help your vocabulary?
For mylotters who are native English speakers, do you do word puzzles from other English-speaking countries, for example, US if you're from UK, or Canadian if you're Australian, etc?
19 people like this
21 responses
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
see, you got it immediately, while it took me several days. i remember you also write your shopping list in 4 languages. my vegetable list on the fridge is in english and filipino.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502156)
• Italy
6 Mar 17
@hereandthere You have a very good memory, yes I write my lists in 4 languages because I use the shortest word, no matter which language. I am lazy.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
@LadyDuck no, it means you're very smart and efficient 
2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
I like those kind of puzzles too. In fact, I uploaded a game in my phone before. But uninstall it when I get to the 7 letter words which are hard.
Anyway, can you share to me that word game please? I also would like to do it.
I always do those at Reader's Digest in my college days. But when I started working at the bank, I got busy and hardly have time for those already.
Anyway, can you share to me that word game please? I also would like to do it.
I always do those at Reader's Digest in my college days. But when I started working at the bank, I got busy and hardly have time for those already.3 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
i have 4 pics 1 word on my phone, but it stopped at level 1020, so now i only get the daily puzzle. i want to replace it with a different game.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
6 Mar 17
Last time I was in UK I bought an English crossword book back with me and have almost finished doing all of them. I also love online Scrabble though I haven't played for quite a while.
I would have got plug, inn and era for you but not the others at a glamce, though with a bit of thought chute and doily would also have been cleared.
2 people like this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
7 Mar 17
@hereandthere Do you play word games online too?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
i think it's because here in the philippines, it's american english, but i like trying out other kinds of 'english' and see how far i can go.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
@mysdianait i used to (when the internet was new hehe) like text twist and bookworm. i just go to the site. i don't log in or download them. last year, my niece installed 4 pics 1 word on my phone. when we were growing up b.c. (before computers hehe) we had board games.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117199)
• El Paso, Texas
6 Mar 17
Both are great ways to keep the mind sharp @hereandthere I love spider solitaire level 4, I never win but boy is it a challenge to get close.
If I dared download I could play scrabble online but as it is I just don't trust the web that much.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
@rebelann i remember simple ones like text twist and bookworm years ago. there are games you can play online (on the website) without downloading them.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
my father did crosswords, while my mother plays spider solitaire. i think you can play scrabble online with/against other people.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
i think a lot of senior people today have what i call 'native' intelligence. they're the ones who still thrived even without proper or complete education. just like corbin5's mother who became a reporter. maybe because back then, people had to figure a lot of things out on their own and rely on themselves.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
@JudyEv i notice it with people from my parent's generation and hometown. they rely on verbal communication, active listening, memory, observation, and deduction. but they also have a lot of faith and hope, humor and compassion.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Mar 17
@hereandthere I'm sure you're right. And that's a good way of putting it - 'native' intelligence. As you say, they had to rely on themselves and come up with answers to all sorts of things.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
i remember playing text twist and bookworm.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
6 Mar 17
@hereandthere
I played them as well, and I'm so much hook up to Scrabble.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
12 Mar 17
I love crossword puzzles. I was so obsessed with them for awhile that my late husband refused allow me to do them anymore. I still contemplating now and then when am am out waiting in line etc. The quiptaquotes are fun and challenging but I cannot think how to spell them for sure.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74988)
• United States
18 Mar 17
@hereandthere yes that's it I think that's how they are spelled
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
my mother is 80+ and loves spider solitaire, but i could never figure it out! i've also taught myself how to do sudoku, although my process of figuring out the numbers might seem weird or funny or inefficient to other people.
1 person likes this
@moirai (2948)
• Philippines
23 Mar 17
@hereandthere I had every intention of thinking about it after reading and give the answer in my response. Little did I expect you would have the answer before the end of your post.
@averygirl72 (38847)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
There's a game like Text Twist and I like that game. I don't play crosswords in newspapers.
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (38847)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
@hereandthere Wow I admire those who can answer english crosswords. It seems difficult for me but maybe I should try. I only do tagalog crosswords before
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
@averygirl72 try magazines and newspapers, or online. i'm sure there are free ones with different levels.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Mar 17
yes, i remember text twist and bookworm were among the first/pioneer word games. i used to prefer english crosswords, but now i also do tagalog crosswords.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
12 Mar 17
filipinos are more familiar with american english, but i like trying my hand at word games in other foreign magazines, and answer online quizzes just guessing at everything.
1 person likes this
@carexing25 (1822)
• Philippines
10 Mar 17
this reminds me of my elementary days.. Lol! i was an english quiz bee contender "jumbled words" and "jumbled sentences" category.. ever since I love puzzles and other types of word games.. until now I challenge myself and keep learning new words..
i was an english quiz bee contender "jumbled words" and "jumbled sentences" category.. ever since I love puzzles and other types of word games.. until now I challenge myself and keep learning new words.. 1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
10 Mar 17
wow! i've never been good enough to be chosen for any competitions. how about your son, does he like reading, writing and puzzles?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
10 Mar 17
@carexing25 hilarious! my friend's youngest child is also in daycare since age 3. now she's 5 and knows how to read because she was taught by her grandma who was a retired teacher.
@carexing25 (1822)
• Philippines
10 Mar 17
@hereandthere he hates reading letters repeatedly.. i sent him to school where my aunt is the daycare teacher she told me he won't recite because he insists that he already knows the ABCs..
i've seen his interests in books and words..he can't read but when he sees letters or words he reads it based on how he understands the use of it.. like for example the boots, he flipped it and read the words "for the rain and mud!" (in our dialect) 
but the actual words written there - SIZE 30 made in the Philippines ..Lol!
i've seen his interests in books and words..he can't read but when he sees letters or words he reads it based on how he understands the use of it.. like for example the boots, he flipped it and read the words "for the rain and mud!" (in our dialect) but the actual words written there - SIZE 30 made in the Philippines ..Lol! 1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
6 Mar 17
I love word puzzles. Scrambled letters is my forte
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
6 Mar 17
they say that the subconscious continues to process whatever it is that we can't remember or figure out at the moment. and that's what happened: theuc = chute!
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
well, i have the latest edition of the dictionary that tests my vocabulary. it is a good puzzle game of words.
My mobile phone keeps on getting updated with the apps, and one of the updated apps is the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Now, there are games included, and I am...
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Mar 17
i have 4 pics 1 word on my phone. in the past, i played text twist and bookworm by online.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59648)
• Philippines
9 Mar 17
Word puzzles definitely help. In fact it is something that I recommend that my students do in their free time.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
9 Mar 17
oh, right. because you're an online english teacher. i would like to do something similar.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Mar 17
I used to do word puzzles - but not so much these days! As a kid, I was pretty quick at doing word searches. When I was on those sites where you could play a few games to earn points, I was more interested in the word ones rather than the action ones. But now I hardly do any (but I know I should!).
It never dawned on me to do word puzzles in other languages - though I am pretty sure I can do word searches in Japanese. In J school, we did more verbal word games.
@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
26 Mar 17
I used to love puzzles and other word games .. But I got very busy ... I should get into it again to sharpen my brain cells .. lol
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
11 Mar 17
I used to play those games when I was younger. But since the console games and toys I stopped using it.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
11 Mar 17
i do have some games on my phone, but when i see word games in magazines and newspapers that i'm reading at night, i can't resist doing them.
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
9 Mar 17
i also do them to see how far i can go. same with sudoku. sometimes i complete them, sometimes i don't, but it's okay.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
7 Mar 17
heheh I was about to say chute, then noticed you got it!
1 person likes this
