Newsletter Teasers and Answers

20 March Teaser – Compound interest

What single word can you place either before OR after the three words in each set to create three new compound words.

Example: CANDLE / HOUSE / SKY = “LIGHT” (candlelight / lighthouse / skylight)

  1. GUARD / AFTER / TIME
  2. BASE / ROOM / EYE
  3. FRIEND / WRECK / CHAMPION
  4. PORT / CABLE / KEYS
  5. LANCE / CARE / RANGE
  6. SKY / TECH / SCHOOL
  7. KILL / PUSH / LOOK
  8. SKATE / GAME / ROOM
  9. KNIGHT / WINK / NEIGHBOUR
  10. LORD / HEAD / SLIDE
  11. SHELF / YEAR / MARK

ANSWERS BELOW! Continue scrolling at your own risk. 

How’d you go? Here are the answers:

  1. GUARD / AFTER / TIME = LIFE
  2. BASE / ROOM / EYE = BALL
  3. FRIEND / WRECK / CHAMPION = SHIP
  4. PORT / CABLE / KEYS = CAR
  5. LANCE / CARE / RANGE = FREE
  6. SKY / TECH / SCHOOL = HIGH
  7. KILL / PUSH / LOOK = OVER
  8. SKATE / GAME / ROOM = BOARD
  9. KNIGHT / WINK / NEIGHBOUR = HOOD
  10. LORD / HEAD / SLIDE = LAND
  11. SHELF / YEAR / MARK = BOOK

13 March Teaser – Lauded or frauded?

The following list features the names of EIGHT novels that are former winners of the annual ‘Booker Prize for Fiction’. However, hiding within them are THREE titles that we completely made up. Can you spot the three fakes?

  1. Something to Answer For
  2. Orbital
  3. The Half-life of Douglas Marou
  4. The Silent Goat
  5. The Sea
  6. The Sea, the Sea
  7. Midnight’s Children
  8. Lima Bravo
  9. The Bone People
  10. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
  11. The Finkler Question

ANSWERS BELOW! Continue scrolling at your own risk. 

Did you spot our fake literary prize winners? Here are the answers:

  1. Something to Answer For – the FIRST winner, 1969
  2. Orbital – the most recent winner, 2024
  3. The Half-life of Douglas Marou – FAKE
  4. The Silent Goat – FAKE
  5. The Sea – winner 2005
  6. The Sea, the Sea – winner 1978
  7. Midnight’s Children – winner 1981
  8. Lima Bravo – FAKE
  9. The Bone People – winner 1985
  10. Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha – winner 1993
  11. The Finkler Question – winner 2010

6 March Teaser – Place-naming

Can you identify the following world placenames, from their alternate meanings as words in the dictionary?

  1. Household linen, bedding etc. 
  2. A type of rain boot or beef dish.
  3. Local sporting clash.
  4. To kidnap, trick or coerce someone.
  5. A plain folder for documents.
  6. Reborn bird.
  7. A perfumed liquid.
  8. Break apart.
  9. Pleasant.
  10. What a book is for.
  11. North American bison.

ANSWERS BELOW! Continue scrolling at your own risk. 

How’d you go with these cities? Here are the answers:

  1. Household linen, bedding etc. Manchester (UK)
  2. A type of rain boot or beef dish. Wellington (NZ)
  3. Local sporting clash. Derby (UK)
  4. To kidnap, trick or coerce someone. Shanghai (China)
  5. A plain folder for documents. Manila (Philippines)
  6. Reborn bird. Phoenix (USA)
  7. A perfumed liquid. Cologne (Germany)
  8. Break apart. Split (Croatia)
  9. Pleasant. Nice (France) – yes, yes, different sounding!
  10. What a book is for. Reading (UK) – see above!
  11. North American bison. Buffalo (USA)

 

Courses starting soon

6 February Teaser – Duo lingo

If he were still alive, Charles Dickens would be turning 213 years old tomorrow. So to celebrate his birthday, we’re asking you to spot which character (out of the three) we have made up for each of his most famous books. Good luck!

  1. David Copperfield: Maggotty, Dora Spenlow, Tommy Traddles
  2. Oliver Twist: Mr Sowerberry, Mrs Dumphrey, Mr Bumble
  3. A Tale of Two Cities: Madame Defarge, Marquis St Germain, Sydney Carton
  4. The Pickwick Papers: Alfred Jingle, Augustus Snodgrass, Miss Ploom
  5. Great Expectations: Limetoad, Orlick, Biddy
  6. Little Dorrit: Jeremiah Flintwinch, Amy Dorrit, Fanny Bancroft
  7. Bleak House: Lady Dedlock, Inspector Bucket, Lord Faversham
  8. A Christmas Carol: Mrs Mops, Fezziwig, Wilhelmina Wickstaff