Word Code 26 08 2021

The Simon Shuker’s Code-Cracker for today’s NZ Herald is as shown below:

The clues given are: 23 = D; and 24 = C. The first word to decipher is a 9-letter word - D; 14; C; 1; D; 14; 19; C; 14. Three number 14’s. Number 14 has to be a vowel. We cannot think of any 9-letter words that satisfies the conditions here if 14 is ‘ A ‘ or ‘ I ‘ or ‘ O’ or ‘ U ‘. Therefore Number 14 has to be an ‘ E ‘. Once we insert 14 = E, the 9-letter word becomes obvious - DECADENCE. So, Number 1 - A; Number 19 = N. With 19 - N and 20 = G, it is easy to conclude that Number 8 = I.

Now on to the next letter - A; N; 20; 4; E. The word that springs to us is A N G L E. So Number 20 = G; and Number 4 = L. Next word = A; L; L; 16. produces the word ALLY, Number 16 = Y.

Next word is A; 10; 10; E; A; L. APPEAL comes to mind. So, 10 = P. We also have another word exposed - the word PEEP. Then the word P; A; L; P; A; 11; L; E. stands out and Number 11 can be uncovered as B - PALPABLE.

PENCHANT is the next word we found. We need the help of the website www.crosswordsolver.org for this. Thus 21 = H and 5 = T. With these two letters done, we can now have ELITE.

12; E; T; 12; I; E; 13; E. The word RETRIEVE satisfies this rule and thus Number 12 = R; Number 8 = I; 13 = V. The word LAIR is a bonus in this round.

The comes the word V; A; L; E; 6 and Number 6 can be confirmed as ‘ S ‘. With S uncovered, we now have IRIS, IBIS, STAG, and S; 26; E; A; T; E; R gives us SWEATER.

3; V; E; R; 15; I; L; L - Our first attempt here is OVERKILL but once K is later found to be suitable for SKIMP, we change this word to OVERFILL. Number 3 = O; Number 15 = F. SKIMP means Number 7 = K and Number 9 = M.

With Number 3 = O, we learn a new word AXOLOTI which means “a Mexican larval salamander that lives in the mountain lakes of Mexico.”

I; N; R; 18; S; H produces INRUSH, giving Number 18 = U. Another way of getting Number 18 = U is to look at the long word O; B; I; T; 18; A; R; Y. This give us OBITUARY.

The complete answer can now be found with Number 17 = Q; Number 25 = J.

QUIBBLING - The action of raising objections about a trivial matter.

JAPE - A practical joke (noun) or To say or do something in jest of mockery (verb).