Yet Another Wordwise from Minch Quiz

Answer: a friend in need

The letters of the words A FRIEND have been written between, or inside, the letters of the word NEED, giving us a friend in need.

A friend in need is someone who offers support to another who is struggling in some way. The problem can be physical, financial, emotional, or some other difficulty; what defines it is the fact that the person is in a situation where they cannot readily solve their trouble without outside assistance.

Answer: leftovers

The words on the left have been highlighted, making them the left OVERs, or leftovers.

Leftovers is a term referring to food that has not been completely consumed at the meal for which it was prepared. This can be anything from the last slice of pizza eaten for breakfast the next morning through cold sliced meat used for a sandwich to an entire meal packed away to be reheated at a later time. Sometimes leftovers are planned, especially when a dish such as a roast is known to be too much food for those to whom it will be served. In my family, a roast shoulder of lamb may be followed a few days later by souvlaki, and then by a shepherd's pie.

Answer: bottoms up

If you read the letters upwards, you will find the word BOTTOMS, so this is bottoms up.

'Bottoms up' is a common toast made when consuming a drink with friends, suggesting that the bottom of the glass should be raised so that the liquid can be easily imbibed. One might also say 'Cheers', or 'Here's to you', or 'Skol' or similar.

Answer: world without end

The last letter, or the end, of the word WORLD is missing, so this is a world without end. (If the answer were one word, you could also describe it by saying that D is missing - which could be written as dismissing.)

The phrase world without end may be familiar from its use prayers, especially at the end of the traditional English translation of the 'Gloria Patri' (Glory Be to the Father):
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen."

'World Without End' is also the title of a 2007 novel by Ken Follett, a 2012 mini-series based on that book, and a 1956 SciFi movie also known as 'Flight to the Future'.

Answer: double bill

Bill Clinton and Bill Cosby combine to give us a double bill.

The phrase double bill refers to a movie theatre that features two movies for the price of one. In the early days of cinema, this was called a double feature, with one of the films being the main featured attraction, the A movie, while the other was designated the B movie. During the 1950s, the studios changed their packaging to offer two movies with equal billing, hence a double bill.

It can also apply in other areas of entertainment, such as two musicians or bands who present their performances consecutively or two short one-act plays presented together.

Answer: top hat

Here we have the names of three types of hat written one under the other, with the one on top of the others highlighted, making it the top hat.

A fedora is the kind of hat worn by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. Stetson is a brand of hats widely worn in the western parts of the United States, the kind you associate with cowboys. A sombrero is a wide-brimmed Mexican hat, useful for protection from the sun and wind. A top hat is a tall silk hat, worn in the 19th century by gentlemen of quality (but now mostly seen only in caricature to evoke that era and sense of privilege).

Answer: ten below zero

The number ten has been written below the word zero, leading to ten below zero.

This phrase might be heard in some parts of the world, where it is very cold in winter. In regions that still use the Fahrenheit scale, one might say it is freezing when the temperature is below 32; once it drops below zero, that fact is emphasized to show how truly cold it is!

Answer: panda

The symbol + stands for the word AND, so combining that with the preceding P and the subsequent A gives us panda.

The giant panda, with white fur and attractive black markings, is a native of China. A round giant panda, reclining and chewing bamboo, is probably the first image you see when thinking of a panda. It has a distant cousin, the red panda, which was originally just known as a panda, based on its name in Nepalese. While genetic analysis shows that the giant panda is a member of the bear family, the red panda is now classified in the same clade as weasels and skunks.

Answer: tea party

The first T can be read as the word tea; the second one has that same sound, but can be combined with the letters PAR to form the word party. Altogether, that is a tea party.

Tea parties are usually formal or semi-formal gatherings held in the middle to late afternoon, at which participants sit around drinking tea and consuming delicate food offerings. In the 21st century, the name has been adopted by a political movement in the United States, in reference to the Boston Tea Party, an act of defiance against the government carried out by American colonists in the leadup to the American Revolution.

Answer: right in the middle of everything

The word RIGHT was been written in the middle of the letters for the word EVERYTHING. There are a number of ways to describe this, but the phrase right in the middle of everything is in common usage, and makes more sense than the other options, such as right inside everything or every thing around right.

Someone who is right in the middle of everything is being described as deeply involved in whatever is going on. They are in the thick of the action, at the heart of things, up to their ears in whatever is going on.