December 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to December's edition of Philosopher's Tone! I'm your host, Professor Rebus, and I'm delighted to have you aboard the Pitcherwits™ Express. What can you expect? A monthly dose of bonus puzzles, wisdom and snippets about the English language! I hope you enjoy this month's publication.

A quick reminder that the puzzle PDF downloads are now fillable, meaning you can fill them out on your computer instead of having to print them. Before you try to fill them in, save the file to your desktop first instead of opening the file in your internet browser, otherwise they won't work properly.

Onwards!

  • "Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love." - Che Guevara

  • "You can get everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people to get what they want." - Zig Ziglar

  • "You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Dr M. L. King Jr.

  • "The difference between what we do, and what we are capable of doing, would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems." - Mahatma Gandhi

  • "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - Mother Teresa

  1. Ethmoid (a) part of a community (b) face bone (c) toxic for humans

  2. Grison (a) essential ingredient (b) major trauma (c) small mammal

  3. Selachian (a) of a mountain range (b) boneless fish (c) from Turkish culture

  4. Jaconet (a) cotton cloth (b) insect pupa (c) upstart

  5. Tatterdemalion (a) dilapidated (b) pernicious weed (c) weary ghost

From the initials and the clue, what’s the phrase?

  1. W.T.A.W.T.A.W. Determination can overcome most obstacles in life

  2. D.A.T. The only certainties in life, eh Ben F.?

  3. C.I.M.T.A.K. Satisfaction and happiness are better than owning a whole realm.

  4. H.M.B.M.F. Know this, and you know your stuff.

  5. A.W.O.A.T. A  most enjoyable period.

What are the rhyming phrases suggested by these clues?

  1. T.F. Dinner time story

  2. G.P. Horrible ‘guzunder’!

  3. L.S. Cat protector

  4. B.R. He massages fat

  5. G.B. This one knocks out teeth

Chuckle Lines

  • "There’s a fine line between fishing, and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot." - Steven Wright

  • "I have the world’s oldest globe. It’s flat." - Buzz Nutley

  • "Apparently, one in five people in the world are Chinese. And there are five people in my family, so it must be one of them. It’s either my mum or dad, or my elder brother Colin. Or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu. But I think it’s Colin." - Tommy Cooper

  • "If you look like your passport photo, you’re too ill to travel." - Will Kommen

  • "I read The Times each morning, and if my name is not in the obituaries, I go on to enjoy my day." - Noel Coward

  • "When I hear someone sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’" - Sydney Harris

 

Signing off until next time...

Professor Rebus

Solve clues with us on Instagram at @pitcherwits

Answers:

What’s the meaning?
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. a
5. a

What’s that phrase?
1. Where there's a will, there's a way
2. Death and taxes
3. Contentment is more than a kingdom
4. How many beans make five
5. A whale of a time

Rhyme time
1. Table fable
2. Grotty potty
3. Leopard shepherd
4. Blubber rubber
5. Gnasher basher

Professor Rebus