Part 29
My whole is a metal. Beheaded, curtailed, and transposed, I am a noted English poet. Beheaded and transposed, I then become an American poet. Curtailed again, and I name one of Italy's chief rivers.
_Answer_: Copper, Pope, Poe, Po.
Sufficient examples of puzzles of this nature will have been given to show that very many of the words of every-day use may be made to serve for Retailings.
Still another form of the word puzzle known as Retailings consists in choosing some word which, upon the addition of one or more letters at the end, will make one or more different words of distinct meanings, as in the following examples:--
I am often heard in parliamentary debates. Retail me, and I am the seat of all affections and passions; retail me again, and I am your near neighbour when seated round the fireside.
_Answer:_ Hear, heart, hearth.
I am a disagreeable noise. Retail me, and I help to express an agreeable sound; retail me again, and I am sullied and soiled.
_Answer:_ Din, ding (_ding_, _dong_, the sound of bells), dingy.
I am an earl famous in Scottish story. Retail me, and I am used for manure; once more, and expect stormy weather.
_Answer:_ Mar, marc (refuse of fruit and seeds from which the oil has been pressed), March.
I am a plant and its fruit. Retail me, and I am a well-known fruit; retail me again, and I am a gem.
_Answer:_ Pea, pear, pearl.
I am of great warmth. Retail me, I am bleak and barren; retail me again, and I am a pagan.
_Answer:_ Heat, heath, heathen.
ANAGRAMS.
The inversion or transposition of the letters of a word or sentence to form a new word or phrase is an anagram. This is indeed a literary amusement which will extend the intellect and quicken the thinking powers of all ingenious riddlers who seek to excel in this mental pastime. In past ages it engaged the attention of statesmen and divines, and many wise and witty persons have devoted their leisure hours to this exercise of ingenuity.
The term anagram, in its proper sense, means the letters of one or several words written backwards, being derived from two Greek words "_ana_" (backwards) and "_gramma_" (letter). Thus the word _live_ would form its anagram--_evil_; but the term anagram is now used in the wider sense in which we explained it. Our young friends must not be discouraged at their first attempts in forming anagrams--their anagrams may have little merit, crude efforts seldom have much to recommend them--but perseverance here, as elsewhere, will be rewarded. The true merit of an anagram springs from an apt association of ideas, and a close relation between the transposed words and the original from which they are derived. This involves much practice, great thought, and an infinitude of patience, but is productive of real enjoyment.
The father of the Earl of Beaconsfield, Isaac D'Israeli, devoted a
## chapter in his "Curiosities of Literature" to a consideration of the
anagrams which he had met with in his wonderful research. The chapter should be read by all who wish to excel in these literary exercises, and from it we have selected a few of the choice specimens recorded therein:--
"Charles James Stuart--claims Arthur's seat," "James Stuart--a just master." "An eccentric dame in the reign of Charles I. believed herself to be gifted with the spirit of prophecy, but as her prophesies were usually against the Government of the day, she was eventually brought by them into the Court of the High Commission. She based her claim as prophetess upon an anagram she had formed on her name: 'Eleanor Davies--Reveal, O Daniel.' This anagram was imperfect, as it had one _l_ too many, and the letter _s_ was omitted, but it satisfied her. The bishops reasoned with her out of the Scriptures to no avail, but one of the Deans of Arches vanquished her with her own weapons. He took a pen and hit upon this excellent anagram, 'Dame Eleanor Davies--Never so mad a ladie.'"
An anagram on the late Princess Charlotte, daughter of George IV., is also considered worthy of record:--
"Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales," transformed into "P.C., her august race is lost. O fatal news."
The elder D'Israeli had a keen perception and a thorough appreciation of the points in a good anagram. If this is hereditary, the younger Disraeli, the late Prime Minister of England, no doubt appreciated the ingenuity of the opponent who converted his title into a stinging comment on the result of the general election of 1880:--
"The Earl of Beaconsfield--Self-fooled; can he bear it?"
The names of celebrated men and women of the present day, and those who have come down to us in the pages of history offer a wide field for the young riddler.
The following are samples, new and old, of this species of anagram, which we have collected from various sources, in the hope that they may incite our young friends to fresh exertions:--
"Louis Napoleon--Ape no lion, Soul."
"Lord Monteagle (he who gave information of the Gunpowder Plot)--Go, tell no dream."
"Horatio Nelson--Lo! nation's hero."
A better one than this was composed by Dr. Burney--
"Honor est a Nilo--His honor is from the Nile."
"Marie Antoinette--Tear it, men; I atone."
"Selina, Countess of Huntingdon--See, sound faith clings to no nun."
"James Watt--Wait steam (the 'J' being converted into 'I')."
"Lord Palmerston--So droll, pert man."
"William Ewart Gladstone--A man to wield great wills."
"Leon Gambetta--Able man to get."
"Florence Nightingale--Cling on, feeling heart."
"The Marquis of Lansdowne--Landowner, oft squeamish."
"Alfred Tennyson, poet laureate--Neat sonnet or deep tearful lay."
It will be noticed that several of the examples that we have given are
## particularly apt, anagramatically describing some special feature in
connection with the person selected for experiment.
The names of flowers, birds, &c., can be treated in like manner and afford much amusement. For instance, who would recognise "The calceolaria" when transformed into "Eat coal, Charlie," or the "Geranium," "Ear in mug," the "Heliotrope," "Hit or elope"?
Bird-fanciers would be at a loss to discover "The nightingale" in "High gale in tent," or "The turtle dove" in the words "Eve, let truth do." And if we turn to Natural History fresh illustrations abound--"Cool'd rice" effectually disguises that carnivorous reptile the "Crocodile."
WORD SQUARES.
This is a form of word puzzle which has only to be known to become widely popular, demanding ingenuity and patience of no common order before it is mastered. On first setting out we will confine ourselves to words of four letters. Each line of words from left to right and downwards must form the same word. One example will clearly show our meaning.
+---------+ 1 | M E A D | 2 | E D G E | 3 | A G U E | 4 | D E E D | +---------+ 1 2 3 4
These letters being read from left to right and downwards, the first row and the first column will be found to form the same word; the second row and the second column the same; and so on. This is the basis of the puzzle. It requires some research to select the fitting words, when words of four letters only are used, but when words of five letters are employed we are more puzzled; with words of six letters our perplexities increase, and upon proceeding to higher numbers we are almost prompted to be content with what has already been attained. But difficulty is the great charm to the true riddler, who finds the construction of riddles to be "a whetstone of patience," as Camden aptly named it years ago.
In propounding these puzzles the synonyms only of the different words out of which the puzzle squares are to be formed are to be supplied, and care must be taken in the selection of the words that they are of the same number of letters. The following illustration will assist to make our meaning clear:--
1. Compensations (Amends). 2. A favourite (Minion). 3. To assist (Enable). 4. To eat sparingly (Nibble). 5. A coin (Dollar). 6. Sarcasms (Sneers).
+-------------+ 1 | A M E N D S | 2 | M I N I O N | 3 | E N A B L E | 4 | N I B B L E | 5 | D O L L A R | 6 | S N E E R S | +-------------+ 1 2 3 4 5 6
The riddler has to puzzle out the answers of the six words, and write down the answers as shown in the accompanying diagram, always being careful to see that the words, when written out, are the same in the columns and rows of the corresponding numbers. This illustration will completely let our readers into the mysteries of "_word squares_," and we will now give a few specimens selected from a large quantity which have come under our notice.
_Four letters._ (1) A river in Oxfordshire ISIS (2) A portion of our body SIDE (3) A thought IDEA (4) A chair SEAT
(1) A very common male Christian name JOHN (2) A river in the United States OHIO (3) The noise of a serpent HISS (4) A portion of the human face NOSE
(1) My first has regal powers to sway, KING (2) Is worshipped as my second, in a way; IDOL (3) In harmony my third is sweet and clear; NOTE (4) My fourth 'midst hills is ever near. GLEN
_Five letters._ (1) A period of time W E E K S (2) A very common female name E L L E N (3) To avoid by artifice or stratagem E L U D E (4) A small anchor K E D G E (5) A contemptuous contortion of face S N E E R
_Six letters._ (1) A poetical name for old England A L B I O N (2) A Portuguese province in Africa L O A N D A (3) A town in East Prussia B A R T E N (4) Something aimed at or designed I N T E N T (5) A town in Denmark O D E N S E (6) A town in France N A N T E S
BIRDS, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS ENIGMATICALLY EXPRESSED.
Little difficulty will be experienced in the construction or solution of this simple form of enigma. It will, however, be found to possess a charm all its own, which will add greatly to the mirth and gaiety of the social circle. The following examples will let our readers into the whole secret of this pleasant pastime:--
_Birds._--What a severe attack of quinsey prohibits you from doing. _Ans._--Swallow.
An architect well known to fame. _Ans._--Wren.
A portion of a whole, and a continued range of hills. _Ans._--Part-ridge.
What a coward does in the hour of danger. _Ans._--Quail.
Equality, and a state of utter decay. _Ans._--Par-rot. A monarch, and a toiler of the seas. _Ans._--King-fisher.
_Fruits._--A vowel, and a cooking apparatus. _Ans._--O-range.
To give way to anxiety and sorrow. _Ans._--Pine.
The greatest crime in a school-boy's calendar. _Ans._--Peach.
The colour of growing herbage, and a challenge. _Ans._--Green-gage.
_Flowers._--The title of one of Macaulay's Lays, and the name of one of the public funds. _Ans._--Virginia Stock.
What a good conscience gives to its possessor. _Ans._--Heart's-ease.
An Irish vehicle, and a people who live under one government. _Ans._--Car-nation.
What honey is, and the name of more than one king. _Ans._--Sweet-william.
A religious devotee, and a babe's head gear. _Ans._--Monk-hood.
A noted Quaker, and a _handy_ article of dress. _Ans._--Fox-glove.
REBUSES.
Dr. Johnson and succeeding dictionary makers give as the meaning of the word Rebus, "a word represented by a picture;" but we need not go further than its literal translation, "by things," to arrive at a true idea of this enigma. The Rebuses with which we are now about to concern ourselves will be formed by a series of objects (things) which, when taken as a whole, will be found to complete the riddle. This is a pastime in which many of our great men have taken delight. Lord Macaulay is to be credited with the following:--
Here's plenty of water you'll all of you say, (c) Sea And, minus the h, a thing used every day, (a) Hay And here is nice beverage, put them together; (t) Tea What is it, with claws, but with never a feather? CAT.
We doubt whether this was one of the historian's first efforts, for every endeavour must have a beginning, and this rebus bears the marks of a practised hand.
Subjoined are further examples of the Rebus enigma:--
^a A gatherer of honey; ^b a form of supplication; ^c a fruit; ^d a bird; ^e a title; ^f a fish oft found on the breakfast-table; ^g one of Ireland's emblems; ^h a forest tree; ^i a county in the north of England.
If these words you rightly puzzle out, 'Twill prove you know what you're about Join their initials, 'twill produce a word Which if applied to you would be absurd.
_Answer_: ^a Bee; ^b Litany; ^c Orange; ^d Canary; ^e King; ^f Haddock; ^g Emerald; ^h Ash; ^i Durham.--BLOCKHEAD.
(_a_) The flower that vies in beauty with the rose; (_b_) An emblem of peace; (_c_) A dark blue flower, with green leaves, which blooms in shelter; (_d_) The sweet briar will recall my name.
These joined together, as above, The word will surely rhyme with dove.
Answer: ^a Lily; ^b Olive; ^c Violet; ^d Eglantine.--LOVE.
First in the path of Duty, (D) And ranking first in Art, (A) Foremost in Virtue and in Vice, (V) Leading all in Immortality, (I) And foremost in Devotion. (D)
Pore over these with studious care, A kingly name is hidden there.
_Answer_: DAVID.
Eleven letters I contain; And if you now would find the same, Know that a figment of the brain Will straightway help you to my name.
My 2, 3, 6 is a human being; my 4, 5, 6 is a snare; my 2, 3, 4 is a contraction of a girl's name; my 6, 7, 8 is a contraction of a boy's name; my 8, 10, 11 is the name of a weight; my 11, 10, 8 implies negation; my 4, 10, 8 the past tense of a verb signifying to acquire; my 2, 3, 8 is a web of rope yarn; my 1, 6, 11 is a place of entertainment for man and beast; my 2, 1, 6, 8 is the name of an aromatic plant; my 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 is an immense combination of people.
_Answer_: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 I m a g i n a t i o n.--IMAGINATION.
ARITHMOREMS.
The Arithmorem is, perhaps, the most modern of all riddles, and will, we anticipate, be a novelty to many of our readers. In its construction, figures are substituted for Roman numerals, and letters are added to complete the word it is desired to disguise. These letters, however, may be, and indeed should be, transposed out of their proper order, so that the solution of the riddle may be the more difficult. For example, "54 and e," written as follows, by substituting the Roman numerals LIV. for the figures 54, give LIVE. That is an Arithmorem in its first stage and simplest form. Our examples will illustrate its fuller development. It must, however, be understood that in the solution the words used are to be looked upon only as so many letters and treated accordingly, as is the case in anagrams.
(1) (_a_) 602 and fee (a handsome structure). (_b_) 201 " orant (a medicine to produce sleep). (_c_) 1550 " osage (to be happy and joyous). (_d_) 57 " ten song (a famous traveller). (_e_) 151 " egan (partaking of a celestial nature). (_f_) 56 " stone (an author or authoress). (_g_) 556 " e (the incarnation of evil).
The initials will name a country dear to all lovers of liberty and freedom:--
_Answer_: (_a_) 602 = D C I I and F E E, or Edifice. 2 6 3 5 4 7 1 (_b_) 201 = C C I " O R A N T, " Narcotic. 4 8 7 5 3 2 1 6 (_c_) 1550 = M D L " O S A G E, " Gladsome. 7 4 2 6 5 3 1 8 (_d_) 57 = L V I I " T E N S O N G, " Livingstone. 1 3 2 4 8 11 10 7 9 5 6 (_e_) 151 = C L I " E G A N, " Angelic. 7 5 6 4 3 1 2 (_f_) 56 = L V I " S T O N E, " Novelist. 5 3 6 7 8 2 1 4 (_g_) 556 = D L V I " E " Devil. 1 5 3 4 2 --ENGLAND.
Arithmorems may be elaborated so as to partake of the nature of double acrostics, as in the next examples:--
(2) (_a_) 751 and e pay one (a book of reference). (_b_) 550 " a no go (a Venetian mode of conveyance). (_c_) 100 " thy ear (an amateur sailor). (_d_) 6 " spoor (a conditional stipulation). (_e_) 1050 " e satan (an improvised juror).
The initials and finals read downwards will name, the former the country from which the latter assisted a whole nation to emigrate:--
_Answer_: (_a_) 751 = D C C L I and E P A Y O N E, or E ncyclopedi A. (_b_) 550 = D L " A N O G O, " G ondol A. (_c_) 100 = C " T H Y E A R, " Y achte R. (_d_) 6 = V I " S P O O R, " P rovis O. (_e_) 1050 = M L " E S A T A N, " T alesma N. --EGYPT, AARON.
(3) (_a_) 51 and u bath (a large flat fish). (_b_) 51 " a nob (a name given to persons whose hair is not of a natural colour). (_c_) 5 " ber (a part of speech). (_d_) 551 " asu ana (a Spanish province). (_e_) 201 " ran to (a stupefying drug). (_f_) 102 " r n t (an acid). (_g_) 250 " uoapa (a town on the Mexican coast).
The initials and finals, read as before, will resolve themselves respectively into the name of a well-known town in the West Indies, and the chief product for which it is celebrated:--
_Answer_: (_a_) 51 = L I and U B A T H, or H alibu T. (_b_) 51 = L I " A N O B, " A lbin O. (_c_) 5 = V " BER, " V er B. (_d_) 551 = D L I " A S U A N A, " A ndalusi A. (_e_) 201 = C C I " RANTO, " N arcoti C. (_f_) 102 = C I I " RNT, " N itri C. (_g_) 250 = C C L " UOAPA, " A capulc O. --HAVANNA, TOBACCO.
Without giving the full details, as above, showing how the puzzles are to be worked out, we will now give some examples of Arithmorems which form the names of persons who have, in their different ways of life, made those names illustrious and honoured. Afterwards will be found the titles of books, names of birds, beasts, and fishes. These various examples will show what a vast source of entertainment is here disclosed for the display of wit, ingenuity, and knowledge.
1.--1,051 and _run the tar_. Is honoured as a reformer. 2.--550 " _after the rage_. Is honoured as a kingly king. 3.--1,251 " _shout brush rope_. Is honoured as a discoverer. 4.--102 " _no east warns_. Is honoured as a mathematician. 5.--701 " _H. larks seen_. Is honoured as a novelist. 6.--150 " _hat, robe or tent_. Is honoured as a novelist (lady). 7.--550 " _Yes, fear not, n.n._ Is honoured as a poet. 8.--1,506 " _Ad hue._ Is honoured as an historian.
ANSWERS.
^1 Martin Luther,^2 Alfred the Great, ^3 Christopher Columbus, ^4 Sir Isaac Newton, ^5 Charles Dickens, ^6 Charlotte Bronte, ^7 Alfred Tennyson, ^8 David Hume.
_Puzzles._ _Answers._
101 and Or burn nose so. Robinson Crusoe. 657 " Few fear oak. Vicar of Wakefield. 1,552 " Ah! for that one. Heart of Midlothian. 151 " A pen. Pelican. 1,001 " Pat rang, Ptarmigan. 1,100 " Roar not. Cormorant. 50 " A pet one. Antelope. 550 " Opera. Leopard. 1,500 " Or ye dar. Dromedary. 105 " No hay. Anchovy. 2 " Bet what. Whitebait. 651 " Harp. Pilchard. 50 " On port lent a hoy. Anthony Trollope. 551 " In jam is bee ran. Benjamin Disraeli. 5 " Cors nil ort mem. Mortimer Collins 101 " Sink oil well. Wilkie Collins. 100 " Nor real meat fry. Florence Marryat. 105 " To pay more rent. Coventry Patmore. 1,500 " For jaunty he on sea. James Anthony Froude.
It will afford a capital exercise in the use of the Roman numerals if our young readers will amuse themselves by working out the details of the solutions of the aforesaid puzzles and answers.
DIAMOND PUZZLES AND WORD PUZZLES OF VARIOUS SHAPES.
These puzzles are formed upon the same general principle as described in "Word Squares." The peculiarity of the different puzzles is disclosed in the names, and we will proceed by giving one example of each.
The _Diamond Puzzle_ is arranged by selecting letters or words that may be set forth in the shape of a diamond, thus:--
_Puzzle._ _Answer._
1.--A letter that is both vowel and consonant. W 2.--A Jewish tribe. dAn 3.--A Trojan woman. heLen 4.--A character in "Guy Mannering." berTram 5.--A Grecian hero. agamEmnon 6.--A novelist and poet. walteRscott 7.--A character in _The Tempest_. sebaStian 8.--A character in _Love's Labour's Lost_. merCade 9.--Effervescence. frOth 10.--A letter of the Greek alphabet. eTa 11.--A consonant. T
The central letters read downwards or horizontally name a great novelist and poet--Walter Scott.
The following is an example of a _Diagonal Puzzle_:--
_Puzzle._ _Answer._
1.--My first is a ticket. LabeL 2.--My second is a voice in music. tEnOr 3.--My third is a water-bird. diVer 4.--My fourth is an expensive ornament. jEwEl 5.--My last is a sharp instrument, useless to boys, RazoR but often longed for by boys.
Read from left to right, diagonally, and vice versâ, as shown by the capital letters, and discover the names of two Irish writers of rollicking humour--Lever and Lover.
The _Conical Puzzle_ is arranged in this manner:--
_Puzzle._ _Answer._
1.--A consonant. B 2.--An English river. wYe 3.--An island builder. coRal 4.--Furrows cut by a tool. groOves 5.--A lover's message. valeNtine
The central letters read downwards as in the Diamond Puzzle will give the name of one of England's greatest poets--Byron.
The next example is of an _Oblique Puzzle_:--
_Puzzle._ _Answer._
1.--Malicious retaliation. R evenge. 2.--A musical term. O ctave. 3.--An ecclesiastical assembly. S ynod. 4.--A Scottish river near Elgin. S pey. 5.--The pen's close companion. I nk. 6.--A negative. N o. 7.--A personal pronoun. I.
The initials form the name of a celebrated composer of music--Rossini.
The next form given is _Pyramidal_:
_Puzzle._ _Answer._
1.--A consonant I serve to name, P 2.--A portion of the human frame, eYe 3.--A title of nobility, baRon 4.--Similitude behold in me, parAble 5.--A town that may in Wales be found, beauMaris 6.--With blood I ever do abound, sanguIneous 7.--And I an English town proclaim. barnarDcastle In Durham you may find the same. Now take the centres, which are meant To tell you what I represent--Pyramid.
The last form we give is that of a _Cross_:--