Hidden Words and Anagrams from Minch Quiz

Answer: Berlin

The word around is the clue to look for a hidden word in the clue to fit in with a definition in the sentence. In this case, the definition is Checkpoint Charlie city, since that is a famous place found on the Berlin Wall while it was standing.

Looking at the entire sentence, we see RobBER LINgered contains the target word.

Answer: paste

The word damaged is a clue to see if the letters of one or more words in the sentence can be rearranged to produce another word or phrase whose definition is provided. In this case, the word tapes can be rearranged to form the word PASTE, which is a substance used to stick things together, or the act of making them adhere.

Answer: spider web

The word constructed tells us to look for a way to rearrange the letters of one or more words to form a word or phrase whose definition is also provided in the sentence.

The letters of pew debris (another indication of an anagram) can be rearranged to give SPIDER WEB, which is a suggested by the phrase bug's lair.

While the word bug usually refers to some type of insect, it can be applied to other arthropods, including arachnids such as a spider. Not all spiders spin webs to catch their prey, but most do. Some actually lurk nearby, ready to pounce on the snared prey, while others only visit their web at intervals to see if anything tasty has appeared.

Answer: lamb

The word consumed is a hint to look for the answer as a word hidden somewhere in the sentence. The word fLAMBéed contains a type of meat, although not one that is usually presented as a flambé dish.

Answer: oysters

The word confused is an indicator for an anagram - we need to rearrange the letters of one or more words in the clue to produce the answer, which is suggested by the entire clue. YES, SORT can be rearranged to give oysters, a type of shellfish.

Answer: larch

The phrase found in is an instruction to look for a word whose letters are written inside one or more words in the clue. Tree is the clue to tell us what we are looking for, and there it is: popuLAR CHildren's park contains a tree.

Larches are deciduous conifers (unlike most cone-bearing trees, they lose their leaves annually) which have a tough wood and a resin which is used in the production of turpentine.

Answer: antique

The word unusual indicates an anagram, and old fashioned item looks like the definition. The letters of QUITE AN can be rearranged to give antique, which is something which is very old. There is also an implication that it has value due to its age, but an awful lot of the items found in antique shops are just old.

Usually an antique is expected to be at least 100 years old, but that is flexible. Cars, for example, are such a recent addition to the list of collectible items that (when the term first started being used in relation to collecting them) there weren't any that old. Antique cars may be much more recent - possibly as little as 25 years old in some places, which is a sad comment on the expected lifespan of an automobile!

Answer: sandals

Once again we have an anagram, as shown by the word peculiar. The letters of AND SAL'S can be rearranged to give sandals, which is a kind of footwear.

Sandals as a footwear class have a sole, but no upper, and are kept on the foot through straps. These may run across the arch, and may or may not include a thong that fits between two toes. Alternatively, there might be long straps that are wound up the lower leg to hold the sandal in place. It is a point of contention whether or not one should wear socks with sandals.

Answer: orca

We are looking for some kind of whale, whose name is seen in (= hidden in) the last three words of the sentence. There it is- harbOR CAtching fish provides an orca.

Orcas, also called killer whales, are the largest member of the group of toothed whales called the Delphinidae, or oceanic dolphins. The name killer whale refers to the fact that they are apex predators, with no natural predators in their usual environment, so feed freely on the prey of their choice. Despite the name, they do not attack humans.

Answer: tidy

The phrase found inside suggest we need to look for a word meaning orderly, whose letters are written in the sentence. The words mosT IDYllic contain the word tidy, an adjective which describes something which is neat and tidy, not cluttered and messy.