The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life

1. MOON STARERS (the answer is an occupation) 2) BAG MANAGER (occupation) 3) A STEW, SIR? (occupation) 4) MR. MOJO RISIN’ (singer) 5) ONE COOL DANCE MUSICIAN (singer) 6) GENUINE CLASS (actor) 7) RADIUM CAME (scientist) 8) CASH LOST IN ’EM (object) 9) BUILT TO STAY FREE (landmark) 10) DIRTY ROOM (place) 11) VIOLENCE RUN FORTH (historical event) NPR

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relatively recent addition to the word puzzle category is Equation Analysis Tests, also known as Ditloids (a word coined by William Hartston, author of A Brief History of Puzzles, in 1999). A Ditloid consists of a common phrase—usually one that begins with a numeral—that has been reduced to its initial letters. For instance “52 W in a Y” has the an

To download a PDF of this puzzle, go to http://prhlink.com/9780593136720a013

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7. Solutions to Seven Rebuses from History begin on this page.

12. Take the third letter of a popular cartoonist. Shift that letter two spaces to the right in his name. That will give you something you might see on a city street. Note: The cartoonist himself called the show and pretended to be stumped. Here is one written by Mike Reiss: 13) Think of a two-word phrase you might see on a clothing label. Add two lett

1. Matchsticks have been a puzzle staple since the 1800s. Here is one from The Moscow Puzzles by Boris A. Kordemsky (1956), the most popular puzzle book in the history of the Soviet Union. Correct the equation by shifting just one match. 2) Kinship-themed puzzles have also been around for centuries. Here’s a classic: Two girls were born to the same mo

2. Rebuses were popular in the nineteenth century, including this rebus-style “escort card” a man might give a woman at the end of a date. 3) During the Great Depression, Old Gold cigarettes ran a rebus contest that became a nationwide craze. Contestants had to solve 270 rebuses for a $100,000 prize. A 1937 Life magazine article reported that two mill