Are YOU up for a really COOL word puzzle?

[CTyankee]

I just finished "Vowel-play" from the NYT Sunday Magazine. It was great fun. I got 17out of 20 (I think they're right) but it took me a while!

"This puzzle involves the six vowels — A, E, I, O, U and Y. Use the given consonants below, in the order given, and three different vowels to make a word. Then use the same consonants in the same order and the remaining three vowels to make another word.

"This weekend’s Variety Puzzle from the recent National Puzzlers’ League convention is an intriguing word game. I’ve never seen anything like it. There’s little I can say about it without giving away answers, but here are two hints. First, I suppose it’s obvious, but vowels can precede the first consonant.

"Second, just because you’ve found one word that fits doesn’t mean it’s right. You have to be able to make the second word with the remaining vowels — no repeats. For example, No. 7 is DRL. DEARLY fits but that leaves I, O and U, and I don’t think there’s a word you can make with that. Don’t be afraid to abandon your first thought."

Here is the pdf of the puzzle: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/xword/110109vowelplay.pdf

Have fun and let me know your thoughts about the answers!

[InternalDialogue]

1. Cool puzzle!

I'm printing it out and will try to do my best with it this evening.

It's kind of intimidating to see the time spent by the other solvers, especially that freak from Charlottesville.

[CTyankee]

2. Here's the thing: some of them are pretty easy. You get one and then the other one

pops into your mind. I didn't get #7, #12, and #20 (or I got one but not the second word).

So don't despair; jump right in. You'll be surprised how well you'll do...

[namahage]

3. Think I got them all.

Highlight below:

1.CORDIAL, CRUDELY
2.DAYLONG, DUELING
3.FALSITY, FOULEST
4.ORGANIC, URGENCY
5.OVERTLY, VIRTUAL
6.ICECAP, OCCUPY
7.DIALER, DOURLY
8.HOMINY, HUMANE
9.LEMONY, LUMINA
10.LAYING, LOUNGE
11.INHALE, UNHOLY
12.NOTARY, UNITER
13.PEANUT, POINTY
14.SERIAL, SOURLY
15.STEADY, STUDIO
16.TROIKA, TURKEY
17.DAISY, DOUSE
18.HAIKU, HOKEY
19.ANNOY, ENNUI
20.SEPIA, SOUPY

[CTyankee]

4. Aww, give it a try...you'll be surprised how good you are! nt

[namahage]

5. I did. Like I said, I think I got them all.

If you highlight the text next to the numbers you should see my answers.

[CTyankee]

6. Sorry, I thought you were kidding...I'll look...nt

[CTyankee]

7. I did the same thing with #9 (second word) but I think it really is an anagram

of it. On #15 I got another OK word for the first one in your answer.

How long did it take you?

[namahage]

8. I saw your OP about 20 minutes after you posted it,

so probably about 25-30 minutes.

[CTyankee]

9. Some go so fast! It's really amazing.

I just danced around that damned "Lumina." It was right there for me in an anagram....grrr. And I should've gotten the mate to "foulest" but I kept getting hung up on "felicity" which of course was idiotic...

[InternalDialogue]

10. You're right, some of those are a snap, then others hang you up for what seems like minutes

I got the set in 19:38, which went by a lot quicker than I guessed. I had about two thirds of the answers and I looked up at my watch and figured maybe ten minutes had passed, but it was already sixteen minutes gone.

I got all the same answers as namahage above, except for a different one in each question 7 and question 9.

Thanks for posting this! Lots of fun.