Maybe family’s coming and you’re looking for a fun activity. Maybe you love Christmas-themed brainteasers. See how you like these!
- Christmas, All Dressed Up December 17, 2022
by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by Vinzenz Lorenz M from Pixabay.)
One week from today is Christmas Eve! Time for a little fun (or a game you can play after Christmas dinner, your choice!).
Here are seven phrases of the Christmas season–“disguised” in different wording! Can you guess them all? (If you get the second one, you deserve an extra cup of hot chocolate!)
- Lack of discord upon the terrestrial globe
- Upon an instance, within the metropolis of the monarch whose name means “beloved”
- My auditory organs intercepted the carillon peal amid the diurnal of Yule
- Accelerating at great pace across the frozen precipitation
- Baked delicacies and dairy product offered to the Yuletide saint
- Our gathered company expresses benevolent thoughts for a lighthearted Yule.
- Fahrenheit-enhanced cacao-based beverage accompanied by gelatin-sucrose confections
- “Dressed Up” for Spring April 13, 2022
by Noella Noelophile®
Royalty-free image by Krysten Merriman from PixabayEaster week is upon us!
Just for the fun of it, here are some Easter-week and springtime phrases, “dressed up” for the occasion. Can you tell what they are?
Royalty-free image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay- Paschal member of Leporidae species;
- Ovoids comprised of cacao-derived confection;
Royalty-free image by donations welcome from Pixabay- Diurnal tribute to solar body following first entire lunar body subsequent to vernal equinox;
Royalty-free image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay- Cerulean ovoids produced by turdus migratorius
Royalty-free image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay- Narcissus pseudonarcissus in herbaceous grouping;
Royalty-free image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay- Gallus domesticus in the era of infancy.
Royalty-free image by Gundula Vogel from PixabayEnjoy, Happy Easter, and Happy Spring!
Continue reading → - Christmas Under (Word) Wraps December 13, 2021
Royalty-free image by anncapictures from Pixabay by Noella Noelophile®
OK! The tree is trimmed, the packages wrapped (or, in the process, as is the case in our house!). Time to have some Yuletide fun, once again. Can you spot these five “phrases of Christmas”, dressed up in different wording?
- Confection comprised of multiple ficus carica
- Among all the arboreal sylvan components, ilex aquifolium is diadem-enhanced.
- I perceived a triumvirate of vessels plying their maritime milieu during the Yule antimeridian diurnal.
- Sprite associated with confectionery prunus.
- What to my astonished ocular orbs became apparent: a microscale conveyance augmented by an octet of diminutive rangifer terandus
- Christmas Incognito December 21, 2020
by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image by Terri Cnudde from Pixabay.)
OK, are you ready for another word game? Grab your hot chocolate (peppermint cane optional) and see if you can translate these phrases, commonly associated with Christmas.
- Perdix fovit, residing in a Pyrus Communis arboreal setting;
- Nocturnal period devoid of decibels
- Unbounded conveyance equipped with solitary equine
- Recently-arrived six-sided crystals of precipitation upon the summit of which appears the lunar body;
- Seasonal woven-fiber adornment lacking in pulchritude
Did you get them all? Most importantly, did you have fun? Stay safe and healthy, this winter, and for Christmas 2020 and for many more to come.
Continue reading → - Twenty (Plus) Words of Christmas December 22, 2019
Ready for some word-game fun–maybe over a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of gingerbread? See if you can spot the twenty or so “Christmas words” we’ve hidden in the following story!
(Royalty-free image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)
My brother Trevor can be wholly oblivious when it comes to gift-giving.
He tends to buy the first thing he sees in an online ad. Venting my frustration did no good last Christmas, so I decided to get an early start on helping him shop this year.
Dropping by his condo, I was overjoyed to find him checking shopping sites. But my mood plummeted when I realized what he was considering: five-pound aged fruitcakes in decorative tins! Elevating myself to my knowledgeable big-sister position, I exclaimed, “Tre, everyone we know has hated fruitcake since before we were born! A mental image of Aunt Jane or Mr. Gilpin eating one of these is enough to give me chills!”
Trevor rolled his eyes. “You could give me free rein, Dee. Really, I know what people like.”
I shuddered, remembering how he gave Mom an orange lapel pin two years ago. “Think in terms of what you’d eat, young man. German chocolate is a lot more to most people’s taste.”
Giving me a light punch on the arm, Trevor rose and grabbed his coat and gloves. “Now, Dee, that’s not imaginative. C’mon, let’s get some lunch. With no sleight of hand, I’ll surprise everyone this year.”
Not convinced, I nevertheless let him walk me to the car. “O, look, just make it something simple, Tre. For everyone.”
He grinned like the author of a bestselling novel. Fervently, I hoped there would be no elephant in the room when we opened packages on Christmas morning.
The day dawned clear and bright. Trevor beamed as he handed everyone a similar small, brown bag.
Friends and family lit up like ocean liners sailing the seas. One after another, people exclaimed, “Trev! This is the best gift ever!”
Green with envy, but proud of my little brother, I opened mine. And there it was! A much better gift than last year’s dulcimer: rye bread, a fresh-baked loaf, warm from the oven.
Now the whole room smelled of warm bread and was filled with happy recipients. I sidled up to my brother and gave him a high five.
“How did you know, Tre? I love fresh bread!”
“So do I!” chimed in about ten other people.
He hugged me jubilantly. “It was you, Dee. Reminding me to keep it simple. Your comments led to my success!”
Continue reading → - Springtime Phrases April 21, 2019
by Noella Noelophile®
(Royalty-free image courtesy of Pixabay and free for commercial use. Check them out at pixabay.com.)
Happy Easter, 2019!
In the mood for a word game? Here are a few phrases related to springtime. See if you recognize them, “dressed up” for Easter!
Polychromatic ovum
Sylvilagus floridanus with a moniker meaning “rock”
Worshipful gathering at point of appearance of the solar body
Turdus migratorius with crimson pectorals
Viola papilionacea living in a natural state
Feline salix
Paschal headgear
Gallus gallus created with gelatin and sugar
Multicolored “legumes” made with liquid sugar
Paschal lightweight, interwoven receptacle
Enjoy–and Happy Spring!
Continue reading → - The Great Christmas Unmasking December 24, 2018
by Noella Noelophile®
(This picture courtesy of pixabay.com. While it says “no attribution required, free for commercial use”, we did want to give them credit!
We’ve been shopping, baking, decorating etc. How about taking the time to have a little fun? As in, a word game?
Here’s one I came up with. The following are some common terms you hear at Christmastime–“costumed” in some fancy language.
The challenge? To “unmask” them by translating them into more common terms!
1. Monarch of genus mus musculus.
2. Dozen diurnals of Yule
3. Phantasm of yesterYule
4. Rangifer terandus afflicted with rhinorosacea
5. Adorn the passageways with portions of pointy-leaved arbor
If you guess all five–extra candy canes in your stocking! Four means you’re headed in the right “Christmas-y” direction. But three or less–you really need a few more “snow days” and some hot chocolate, to take some time and enjoy.
Continue reading →