Word-Buff Stuff!
Word Puzzles Archive

Issue #4

A-D-E-E-R-T-?

Scrabble Word Finder for Issue #4

WARNING!

You must use a Java enabled browser to solve this puzzle.



ACROSSDOWN
2. Moray, e.g.
4. Do-nothing
6. Metallic element
8. Major employer
9. Falling flakes
11. Commoner
12. Carol
13. Cut, maybe
15. Game piece
16. Wind instrument
18. Turned
19. Be in session
Crossword Diamond for Issue #3
1. Bridge site
2. Whirl
3. Island rings
4. Verse lines
5. Operational
6. Belief
7. Dough
8. A pint, maybe
10. ___ bit
14. Fancy marbles
15. Hair colorer
17. Archeological site

Solve it online here.

Issue #3

Scrabble Word Finder

Below is a Scrabble position part way through a game. Given the rack provided, and the words on the board, your job is to find the play that makes the highest possible score. Note that you are not looking for the strategically best play here, just the one that racks up the most points.

When you've got your answer, click the board to see the solution.

Scrabble Word Finder for Issue #3

PUZZLE NOTES — The answer to the Scrabble Word Finder puzzle, and all words formed by that answer, is always contained in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, which is the official dictionary used in North America for family and school Scrabble. You may however see other words on the board that are not in that dictionary. That's because the game itself is played to Collins Official Scrabble Dictionary, which is the official International Scrabble dictionary.

The puzzle is intentionally constructed so that the solution just happens to lie in both dictionaries. This is the best way I can think of to keep everybody happy. Confused? Here's an article I wrote about Scrabble Words that might help.

Word Search Spelling Bee

This issue's Word Search Puzzle continues the theme from Word-Buff's Corner. The list of words you need to find in the grid consists of the last fourteen 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee words required to single out a winner from the four final spellers.

Just click here to print the puzzle as a PDF and solve it offline. When you're done, come back and click the grid to reveal the solution.

Word Search Puzzle for Issue #3



SCHIZAFFRIN
WISENT
DIACOELE
REREDOS
ANTONOMASIA
BOUQUINISTE
ORIFLAMME
GUAYABERA
ISAGOGE
SOPHROSYNE
MENHIR
PHORESY
MAECENAS
LAODICEAN


PUZZLE NOTES — The words used in the Word Search Spelling Bee puzzle are all contained in Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, which is the official dictionary used in Scripps National Spelling Bee. So that's where to go to track down the meanings, pronunciations, and so forth. If a word appears as a link, it means I say something interesting about it somewhere on my website.

Crossword Diamond

If you're a keyboard & mouse type, there's no need to leave your computer. You can solve the crossword online here. The online version gives you all sorts of funky features to help you along, including a 'timer' (to help monitor your solving speed), a 'pencil' (for answers you're uncertain about), and a couple of 'cheat' buttons of course ;-)

If you're more of a pen(cil) & paper type, just print the crossword as a PDF and solve it offline. When you're done, come back here and click the grid to see the solution.

ACROSSDOWN
2. Kitchen pest
4. "Encore!"
6. Like Mayan pyramids
8. Grasped
9. "Cut it out!"
11. Volcanic flow
12. Bound
13. Bungle, with "up"
15. Clue
16. Short
18. Police operation
19. Blue
Crossword Diamond for Issue #3
1. Become unhinged
2. Ancient
3. Inclines
4. Country albums
5. Having left
6. Evening hour
7. "Nothing ___!"
8. ___ and cheese
10. Darling
14. Adjusts, as a clock
15. Back
17. Sun ___

PUZZLE NOTES — The Crossword Diamond puzzle is an American-style crossword with one main difference. The answers are always real words. That means no phrases or proper names! Why? Because I'm a word-buff, not a trivia-buff, and I'm afraid I just don't know the name of President Nixon's dog ;-)

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Why not link to it? Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

BECOME A SCRABBLE JEDI!