Frank Paul, known as the UK's king of quizzes, has released a series of clever wordplay puzzles that challenge solvers to think outside the box. These brain teasers come in various forms, each requiring unique problem-solving skills.
The first type of puzzle, dubbed "Grr! Ooo!", involves taking two words and altering three consecutive consonants in the first word to form a new set of consonants. The resulting words should be anagrams of each other. For example, when changing the consonants from "G" to "Y", we get "mildly" and "milieu". Another example is transforming "Splits open; writing desk" into "bursts" and "bureau".
The second type of puzzle, labeled "Strip tease", requires taking three words and removing the first and last letter of each word to create a new set of letters. The resulting words should also be anagrams of each other. In this case, we see how changing "Definitive" into "Classic" involves removing 'F' from Definitive to get "Defini-" which sounds similar to "Classi-", but I will stick with my example.
The third type of puzzle is called "Word loop", where three words are interlinked in a specific sequence, with each word containing the next letter in alphabetical order. A classic example provided by Frank Paul demonstrates how changing the letters from "Hold forth; forthwith; withhold" can be transformed into a single sequence.
Lastly, we have the challenging "Rats!" puzzle, which requires finding three consecutive numbers hidden within a text snippet. However, it is hinted that these numbers are not 4, 6 and 3 but rather a cleverly concealed answer, waiting to be discovered by readers.
Throughout these puzzles, Frank Paul showcases his mastery of wordplay techniques, leaving solvers with more than just fun brain teasers β they're also encouraged to think creatively.
The first type of puzzle, dubbed "Grr! Ooo!", involves taking two words and altering three consecutive consonants in the first word to form a new set of consonants. The resulting words should be anagrams of each other. For example, when changing the consonants from "G" to "Y", we get "mildly" and "milieu". Another example is transforming "Splits open; writing desk" into "bursts" and "bureau".
The second type of puzzle, labeled "Strip tease", requires taking three words and removing the first and last letter of each word to create a new set of letters. The resulting words should also be anagrams of each other. In this case, we see how changing "Definitive" into "Classic" involves removing 'F' from Definitive to get "Defini-" which sounds similar to "Classi-", but I will stick with my example.
The third type of puzzle is called "Word loop", where three words are interlinked in a specific sequence, with each word containing the next letter in alphabetical order. A classic example provided by Frank Paul demonstrates how changing the letters from "Hold forth; forthwith; withhold" can be transformed into a single sequence.
Lastly, we have the challenging "Rats!" puzzle, which requires finding three consecutive numbers hidden within a text snippet. However, it is hinted that these numbers are not 4, 6 and 3 but rather a cleverly concealed answer, waiting to be discovered by readers.
Throughout these puzzles, Frank Paul showcases his mastery of wordplay techniques, leaving solvers with more than just fun brain teasers β they're also encouraged to think creatively.