Wordplay Wizardry: Can You Solve Frank Paul's Puzzles?
Quizmaster extraordinaire Frank Paul has set a trio of brain-teasers that will put your linguistic skills to the test. The first challenge involves altering pairs of words by replacing three consecutive consonants with three consecutive vowels, while maintaining the same spelling pattern.
The solutions to these puzzles are as follows:
1. Grr! Ooo!
Answer: mildly - milieu
2. Splits open; writing desk
Answer: bursts - bureau
3. Peers; a nephew of Donald Duck
Answer: lords - Louie
Next up is the "Strip Tease" challenge, which involves removing the first and last letter from each word in a sequence to reveal the next word.
1. Astronomical event, fastens, body part
Answer: eclipse - clips - lip
2. Most cheerful, relatives, detach
Answer: jauntiest - aunties - untie
3. Most ostentatiously bold, red areas, only Black man to win a Wimbledon singles title
Answer: brashest - rashes - ashe
The "Word Loop" puzzle presents an answer in the form of AB, BC, CA, where each word is individually spelled out.
1. Disadvantage; minor circus attraction or distracting spectacle; decisive confrontation
Answer: downside - sideshow - showdown
2. Buttocks; an item used by skirt-wearing equestrians; a breed of pig
Answer: backside - sidesaddle - saddleback
3. Bit by bit, or in an unsystematic and fragmentary way; typically shortly after waking, around midday or in the evening; a clock or watch
Answer: piecemeal - mealtime - timepiece
The final challenge involves finding three hidden numbers next to each other in a piece of writing.
Solution: seven - zero - eight (turn the image upside down!)
These puzzles are taken from Frank Paul's latest book, S<em>pin Off: Choose your puzzle-filled path to TV stardom</em>, available on the Guardian Bookshop. Can you rise to the challenge?
Quizmaster extraordinaire Frank Paul has set a trio of brain-teasers that will put your linguistic skills to the test. The first challenge involves altering pairs of words by replacing three consecutive consonants with three consecutive vowels, while maintaining the same spelling pattern.
The solutions to these puzzles are as follows:
1. Grr! Ooo!
Answer: mildly - milieu
2. Splits open; writing desk
Answer: bursts - bureau
3. Peers; a nephew of Donald Duck
Answer: lords - Louie
Next up is the "Strip Tease" challenge, which involves removing the first and last letter from each word in a sequence to reveal the next word.
1. Astronomical event, fastens, body part
Answer: eclipse - clips - lip
2. Most cheerful, relatives, detach
Answer: jauntiest - aunties - untie
3. Most ostentatiously bold, red areas, only Black man to win a Wimbledon singles title
Answer: brashest - rashes - ashe
The "Word Loop" puzzle presents an answer in the form of AB, BC, CA, where each word is individually spelled out.
1. Disadvantage; minor circus attraction or distracting spectacle; decisive confrontation
Answer: downside - sideshow - showdown
2. Buttocks; an item used by skirt-wearing equestrians; a breed of pig
Answer: backside - sidesaddle - saddleback
3. Bit by bit, or in an unsystematic and fragmentary way; typically shortly after waking, around midday or in the evening; a clock or watch
Answer: piecemeal - mealtime - timepiece
The final challenge involves finding three hidden numbers next to each other in a piece of writing.
Solution: seven - zero - eight (turn the image upside down!)
These puzzles are taken from Frank Paul's latest book, S<em>pin Off: Choose your puzzle-filled path to TV stardom</em>, available on the Guardian Bookshop. Can you rise to the challenge?
The answer to 2 is jauntiest - aunties - untie, but it's just untie, not untie-ing! 
Get some quality control on those puzzles, Frank Paul! 
I'm literally dying over here from all the brain-teasers 
Did u see that the 1st puzzle involves replacing 3 consecutive consonants with 3 consecutive vowels? 
Like, what a genius move! 
. And get this - there are over 7 million words in the English language, but only about 170,000 of them are "high-frequency" words that are used in everyday conversation 
Mildly-milieu is a great example of how wordplay can be both clever and elegant 
. And have u noticed how some of the answers r like, totally related to each other? 
Like, bursts-bureau- Louie - there's gotta be more to that story! 
. What I find really interesting is how the solutions to each puzzle not only reveal a clever play on words but also add an extra layer of fun when you look at the images and try to spot the hidden numbers 
. It's amazing how something that seems like just plain old brain-twisting can be so engaging and entertaining 
. And I have to say, the variety of challenges – from word swaps to image puzzles – keeps it fresh and exciting 
stuff! The Strip Tease challenge is so cool, but I'm having trouble with the Word Loop puzzle... I mean, who comes up with these clever combinations? 
Downside - sideshow - showdown? Genius! And can we talk about how much I love Frank Paul's book, Spin Off? 
... what's next, deciphering secret messages using anagrams or something?! 
I mean, can't they come up with something more challenging? 
the solutions are basically obvious once you take the time to think about them, but hey, if you're into that sort of thing, go for it 
. And can we talk about how obscure some of these answers are? Like, who knows what a "sidesaddle" is 
, but these puzzles look like a real brain-twister. I mean, altering pairs of words by replacing three consecutive consonants with vowels is just plain weird... it's like Frank Paul took language and turned it on its head 
, or maybe it's just my inner nerd coming out to play. Either way, I think this is a great way to exercise your brain and have some fun at the same time 
. And the Word Loop puzzle? Mind-blowing! It's like Frank Paul is speaking my language (or should I say, not speaking it? 
. Anyone up for a friendly competition to see who can solve all these puzzles first? 
! I just saw these puzzles and OMG, they're SO clever 
! I love how Wordplay Wizardry Frank Paul has created a whole sequence of brain-teasers that test your linguistic skills. The Strip Tease challenge is especially cool - I loved figuring out the answers once I got the hang of it 
Mind. Blown.