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
WHISK · KNIGHT · LADLE · SCARLET · SHINGLE · EARLY · GRATER · QUEEN · CRIMSON · ROOK · MAROON · BRIBE · SPATULA · BISHOP · CORAL · CHARMING
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Four things that earn their space in a very crowded drawer.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
None of them is ever served at the table, though each visits the sink often.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Handheld tools a cook grabs by the handle while the pan is still hot.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
A family you might meet on a paint chip rack.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
They all sit at the warm end of the spectrum.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Deep, bright and pinkish versions of one fiery hue.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Each one travels by a rule of its own.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Two opposing sides, and both get exactly the same lineup.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Carved figures arranged on a board of sixty-four squares.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
What these four mean won't help you at all; how they are spelled will.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Trim a letter or two from either end and a much shorter word is left behind.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The four leftovers are all things you can point to on yourself.