What is the only letter that does not appear in the name of any U.S. state? What do the city of Paris and the letter "F" have in common? What familiar phrase is represented by the sequence "tu(singing)ne"?

If you answered "Q," "they're both the capital of France" and "singing in tune," you have a knack for word puzzles. Let's try two more types of games.

Four Share:

Can you select the one noun that, when placed either before or after each of these four words, forms a familiar two-word phrase or compound word: bus, magnet, high, board?

The answer is "school," as in "school bus," "magnet school," "high school" and "school board."

Now try some more Four Shares (answers at end):

1) Cat, peeping, foolery, turkey.

2) Rabbit, hammer, knife, pot.

3) Holder, luck, shot, roast.

4) Fee, ton, Simon, minded.

5) Smarty, suit, hot, pocket.

6) School, mobile, store, burning.

7) Christmas, house, family, hugger.

8) Show, cable, dinner, reality.

9) Calls, dog, fun, hold.

10) Couch, baked, sweet, pancake.

Answers:

1) Tom. 2) Jack. 3) Pot. 4) Simple. 5) Pants. 6) Book. 7) Tree. 8) TV. 9) House. 10) Potato.

Last Words:

See whether you can think of a noun for each clue, knowing that the clue hints at a word formed by the answer's last three letters. For instance, "a part of the arm bent in archery" would be "elBOW," "a portent for males only" would be "oMEN," and "a final bonus payment" would be "dividEND."

Now try some more Last Words (answers at end):

1) An old composite picture.

2) A valley that produces a beerlike beverage.

3) A big wooden boat for dangerous fish.

4) A rodent climbing the tower of an ancient Mesopotamian tower.

5) A favorite brass instrument.

6) A smooth, soft fabric to cure a sick dog.

7) A naval commander who seeks rocks containing precious metals.

8) A boat for loquacious paddlers.

9) A legal document permitting the arrest of a common insect.

10) A baseball official who's a sourpuss.

Answers:

1) montAGE. 2) dALE (or vALE). 3) shARK. 4) zigguRAT. 5) trumPET. 6) velVET. 7) commodORE. 8) kayYAK. 9) warrANT. 10) grUMP.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: 272447 at Pixabay