Home

Get a PDF of the 2024 edition here

2008 Edition of the
Online Guide to the Engima


Preface to the Guide
History of the NPL
Membership Information
Sharing the Puzzles
      Sharing the fun
      Combining Talents
Composing
Editorial Verses
Flats
      Acrostical Enigma
      Alternade
      Ambigram
      Anagram
      Antigram
      Apt. . .
      Backswitch
      Baltimore Deletion
      Baltimore Transdeletion
      Beheadment
      Bigram. . .
      Brookline Letter-Change
      Change of Heart
      Changeover
      Charade
      Combination Padlock
      Consonantcy
      Curtailment
      Deletion
      Diastichal Enigma
      Double-Cross
      Dropout
      Enigma
      Enigmatic Rebus
      False derivative
      FWNFR
      Group flat
      Head-to-Tail Shift
      Heart Transplant
      Heteronym
      Homoantonym
      Homoconcominym
      Homonym
      Homosynonym
      Interlock
      Letter Bank
      Letter Change
      Letter Shift
      Linkade
      Literatim
      Metathesis
      Mutation
      Mynoreteh
      Order Takeout
      Overloaded. . .
      Padlock
      Palindrome
      Phonetic. . .
      Phrase Shift
      Picture. . .
      Progressive. . .
      Rebade
      Rebus
      Redro takeout
      Repeated-Letter Change
      Repeated-Letter Deletion
      Reversal
      Reversed. . .
      Riddle
      Sound Change
      Sound Shift
      Spoonergram
      Subade
      Suber
      Switchback
      Telestichal Enigma
      Terminal Deletion
      Transaddition
      Transade
      Trans-Cross
      Transdeletion
      Transpogram
      Transposal
      Trigram. . .
      Welded. . .
      Word Deletion
      Word Substitution
      Solving the Rebus
      Browse the Flat Pages
Introduction to Forms
      From A to O
      From P to Z
      Form Modifiers
Cryptograms
      Constructing Medium Crypts
      Solving Cryptograms
      Other Solving Approaches
Extras
      Solving Cryptics
      Composing Cryptics
      Observations
Reference Books
Constitution
      Bylaws
Glossary
Supplements
      Non-Guide Flats
      Non-Guide Forms
      Non-Guide Extras
      Where to Find It
      Form Notation
      Italian Picture Puzzles
      Abbreviated Guide to Flats
      Mobile Guide to Flats
      Submissions
Errata


© Copyright 2013 by
the National Puzzlers' League
 HOMOANTONYM

Two words or phrases sound like two other words that are antonyms. For example: ONE = knights, TWO = daze; or, ONE = plane, TWO = fan see. Unlike most flats, homoantonyms need not have bases that are dictionary entries.

HOMOANTONYM (*4, *4)
Born in China, Henry ONE
Quite probably ate rice
And Szechuan dainties. They are fun,
But TWO food’s just as nice.
With Oriental meals the trend’s
To share the fun-it’s couth;
So choose a table, choose your friends.
(Our Henry chose a booth.)
=Nightowl

The solution: ONE= Luce, TWO = Thai (“loose,” “tie” -- as verbs).

Enumerations are given for both parts of the solution (though not for the antonyms they sound like). Both parts of a homoantonym must be spelled differently from the antonyms they sound like. The antonyms are tagged if necessary, even though they don’t themselves appear in the puzzle.

The homoantonym was introduced by Quefanon in September 1938.

 HOMOCONCOMINYM

Two words or phrases sound like two other words or phrases that form a familiar pair. For example: ONE = hied, TWO = hare (“neither hide nor hair”). Unlike most flats, homoconcominyms need not have bases that are dictionary entries.

HOMOCONCOMINYM (4, 4)
Game combined with fish
Is not a dainty dish.
Serve us ONE or TWO,
But ONE-TWO stew eschew.
=Sibyl

The solution: ONE = hart, TWO = sole (“heart and soul”).

 HOMOSYNONYM

Two words or phrases sound like two other words that are synonyms. For example: ONE = rose, TWO = tears (which sound like “rows” and “tiers”). Unlike most flats, homosynonyms need not have bases that are dictionary entries.

HOMOSYNONYM (4, 4)
For a TWO, at the bank I applied.
My papers they checked (eagle-eyed).
“Collateral? None,
Except for my ONE.”
“Oh, go to the devil!” they cried.
=Sal

The solution: ONE = soul, TWO = loan (sole and lone).

Enumerations are given for both parts of the solution (though not for the synonyms they sound like). Both parts of a homosynonym must be spelled differently from the synonyms they sound like. The synonyms should be tagged if necessary, even though they don’t themselves appear in the puzzle.