Four by Four hints ·
Hints for the Four by Four puzzle
Open one hint at a time for each group. Hints go from a vague nudge to nearly naming the category, and each group stays hidden until you choose to reveal it. Play this puzzle.
The sixteen words
PORRIDGE · RUMMY · CAYENNE · OMELET · RADAR · KAYAK · DECAY · ENVY · POKER · LEVEL · SOLITAIRE · ESSAY · BAGEL · WAFFLE · CIVIC · BRIDGE
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
All four of these are edible, and none of them is a dessert.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
One is boiled then baked, one is folded, one is poured onto a hot iron, and one is stirred in a pot.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Think of the first meal of the day, before you head out.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Four pastimes, some competitive, some quietly done alone.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
One name doubles as a stiff, unreadable expression; another doubles as a river crossing.
Hint 3: Nearly there
All four are played with a standard fifty-two deck.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Forget the meanings and look at the letters.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
In each one, the first letter matches the last letter.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Reverse the letters of any of them and you get the very same word back.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Say each one slowly out loud.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
The sound of each is shorter than the spelling suggests.
Hint 3: Nearly there
You could write each as just a pair of alphabet characters.