Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a puzzle of Container Clues, in which one word is inserted whole into another to create a new word. For example, if the definition is “kind of potatoes,” and the clue is “she is in mad,” what kind of potatoes are we talking about? This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Container Clues Puzzle”
You are listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett, and we’re joined once again by that man of mystery, John Chaneski, our quiz guy.
Hi, John.
Hey, Grant.
Hi, Martha.
What is up?
Well, as you know, I’m trying to promote puzzle solving as a way to keep your brain sharp.
Okay.
And hopefully train yourself to look at situations with an analytical eye, all situations, hopefully.
Any kind of puzzle is great, but as you know, I recommend cryptic crosswords.
Every clue in a cryptic crossword is a little mini puzzle, and they fall into about a dozen different categories.
And we’ve talked about these before, but today we’ll play with what are called container clues.
Now, with a container clue, the wordplay half of the clue tells you to put one word inside another.
For example, if the definition half is kind of potatoes, the wordplay might read, she is in mad.
And if you put the word she in the word mad, you get a kind of potatoes.
Mashed.
Or shamed if they’re feeling bad about themselves.
Well, there’s a little bit of an anagram in that situation.
So it goes in an anagram.
The whole word just goes right inside somewhere between the letters.
Oh, I see.
Okay.
But good knowing about shamed.
So you don’t mix them up like potatoes.
Okay.
We’ll take it nice and easy.
In fact, for the ones we’re going to be using, the inside word will always be two letters.
It’ll be two-letter words inside three-letter words, okay?
Cool.
Okay.
Good.
I’ll get a pen and paper just in case.
Here we go.
Let’s try.
The wordplay is at is in sin.
Satin.
Satin.
Very good.
At is in sin.
You put at in sin.
You get satin, a smooth, shiny cloth.
Here’s the next one.
Is is in ale.
Aisle?
No.
Aisle, yes.
Passage between rows of seats is in ale.
That’s all you need for that.
The two is’s would be superfluous.
Passage between rows of seats is in ale.
How about we is in ten?
Tween?
Tween, a middle schooler say.
Yeah, middle schooler say we in ten.
Very good.
Us is in fed.
Us is in fed.
Feased?
Fused, yes, to join together as one.
Joined together as one.
Finally, in the five-letter words, ox is in tick.
Toxic.
Toxic, yes.
Harmful to ingest.
Ox is in tick.
Let’s try some three-letter words in three-letter words.
Okay?
She is in did.
Dished?
Yes, to deal out some gossip.
She dished some gossip.
Or he ditched some gossip.
R is in red.
Reared?
Not reared, no.
Reared?
Reared, yes.
Brought up a child.
Brought up a child.
R in red.
How about ash is in say?
Sashay.
Sashay, yes.
To walk confidently.
Walk confidently.
Ash in say.
Here’s a good one.
All is in bad.
Ballad.
Say again?
Ballad.
Ballad, yes.
It’s a good clue right there.
All is in bad love song.
You break that and you forget the parts to get the word ballad.
Finally, pun is in sky.
Spunky.
Spunky, yes.
Lively pun is in sky is a good, perfect, simple cryptic clue for the word spunky.
But, yeah, you spunky guys did very, very well on your container clues.
Nicely done.
Appreciate it.
We always appreciate the quiz.
We’ll talk to you next week.
Talk to you next week.
Bye-bye.
All right.
Bye-bye.
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