Head To R-I-O For This Week's Puzzle

By Will Shortz

Published August 7, 2016 at 8:26 AM EDT

On-air challenge: Every answer today is a word or name containing the consecutive letters R-I-O. The first set of answers will end in -rio.

For example: Novelty item --> CURIO.

Last week's challenge from Ed Pegg Jr. of mathpuzzle.com: Take the four 4-letter words LIMB, AREA, CORK and KNEE. Write them one under the other, and the four columns will spell four new words: LACK, IRON, MERE and BAKE:

LIMB
AREA
CORK
KNEE

This is called a double word square. I'd like you to find a double word square with six-letter words. Specifically, your square must include the words PONIES ACCEPT SEARED CAVIAR. These four words must be among the 12 common, uncapitalized six-letter words in the square. Can you do it?

Answer:

ACROSS
CLARET
CAVIAR
EMIGRE
PONIES
TRENDS

Winner: Thomas Rymsza of Albuquerque, N.M.

Next week's challenge: Name a famous Olympics champion past or present — first and last names. Remove every letter from the name that appears exactly twice. The remaining letters in order will name certain minerals. Who is this Olympics star?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. ET.