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
PANCAKE · LEVEL · KAYAK · SAW · TRANQUIL · SERENE · COMB · ZIPPER · MELLOW · WAFFLE · PLACID · NOON · OMELET · GEAR · ROTOR · PORRIDGE
Group 1
Hint 1: A nudge
Two get flipped, one gets folded, one gets stirred.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
A griddle, a skillet and a saucepan could each turn out one of these.
Hint 3: Nearly there
The meal that starts the day, often finished with syrup or berries.
Group 2
Hint 1: A nudge
Describing words, not naming words.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Yoga studios and late-night jazz stations both trade in this quality.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Adjectives for someone or something completely unruffled.
Group 3
Hint 1: A nudge
Not one of these ever chews anything.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Rows of little points that grip, cut or mesh.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Each borrows a dental word for its working edge.
Group 4
Hint 1: A nudge
Ignore what these four mean and look at how they are put together.
Hint 2: Narrowing it down
Their meanings scatter in four directions, but the letters all share one trick.
Hint 3: Nearly there
Spell each one backwards and you end up exactly where you started.