Daily Orbs Hints Today

Match each phrase to the figure of speech it uses.

An incorrect guess reveals the selected figure's definition.

Match each movie to a famous quote.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Can you guess by looks alone which animal pollinates which flower?

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Which countries produce the most crude oil?

Countries averaging at least 500 million barrels a year score points. Those averaging at least 250 million do not cost a life. Figures are average yearly production for 2021-2025. For countries spanning more than one continent, the hint shows where most of their oil is produced.

Match each language to its words for knife, fork, and spoon.

Words appear in that order. All use the Latin alphabet, with accents omitted.

Match each hit song to what it's really about.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each stringed instrument to its picture.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Capitalize these words and their meanings become geographical terms.

Each clue gives the capitalized geographic meaning first, then the lowercase dictionary meaning.

1. Clue 1

   an East Asian country or porcelain dishes and cups

2. Clue 2

   Ireland's second largest city or a wine stopper

3. Clue 3

   the largest of the Channel Islands or a soft, stretchy knitted fabric

4. Clue 4

   Croatia's second largest city or 6-7 at the bowling alley

5. Clue 5

   a port city in Alabama or a hanging sculpture whose parts move in the air

6. Clue 6

   a coastal city in northeastern Brazil or relating to birth

7. Clue 7

   a German city on the Rhine or a lightly scented perfume

8. Clue 8

   a country on the west coast of Africa or a former British coin worth 21 shillings

Sort each color name into its broad color family.

Place the clearest examples first, then compare what remains against each category.

Match each opera to its plot.

Today, October 25, is World Opera Day (chosen because it's the birthday of Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II).

Match each pasta shape to its photo.

Today, October 25, is World Pasta Day.

Each word appears inside the English name of a European capital.

For example: DON appears in LonDON. The letters stay together and don't cross a space. European capitals only in this edition. Type the city or its country.

1. Clue 1

   DAM

2. Clue 2

   WAR

3. Clue 3

   OPEN

4. Clue 4

   REST

5. Clue 5

   HEN

6. Clue 6

   LAVA

7. Clue 7

   INN

8. Clue 8

   RAN

Match the French expressions to their English meanings.

These expressions are used in English. Match their usual meanings, rather than word-for-word translations.

Match each book to two objects from its story.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Sort each picture into the category it belongs with.

Place the clearest examples first, then compare what remains against each category.

Match each historical figure to a fact about their life.

Each fact fits one person here.

Complete these familiar phrases. (Edition theme: Science.)

Each clue gives a meaning and the first letter of each main word. Short words are written out. For example, "Make people feel less awkward: B. the I." means "break the ice". Type the expression, not the initials.

1. Clue 1

   Thinking alike and understanding each other easily. on the S. W.

2. Clue 2

   A person used to try out an unproven idea or product. G. P.

3. Clue 3

   Not especially difficult to understand or do. not R. S.

4. Clue 4

   Absorbing knowledge just by being around it, without consciously trying to learn. by O.

5. Clue 5

   A dramatic improvement or major advance. Q. L.

6. Clue 6

   A decisive check of someone's beliefs or whether something is acceptable. L. T.

7. Clue 7

   A pivotal moment when the course of events changes significantly. I. P.

8. Clue 8

   The minimum number of supporters needed for a cause to sustain itself. C. M.

Match each podcast to two of its episode titles.

25 years ago today the first iPod was introduced. "This amazing little device holds 1,000 songs, and it goes right in my pocket. So, iPod. A thousand songs in your pocket. We think this is a major, major breakthrough." Steve Jobs, October 23, 2001

Match the jargon to the pursuit that uses it.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each journey to a place you would fly over.

Follow the shortest route on the globe, not a real-world flight path that would vary with jet streams etc.

Match two meanings of one word: a thing and an action.

Match a noun clue on the left with a verb clue on the right for the same word. For example: waterbird ↔ to lower your head suddenly These cards match because a duck is a waterbird, and to duck is to lower your head suddenly. The word must be spelled the same in both uses, but may be pronounced differently.

Match each painting to its painter.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

All these bizarre things really happened. Which still happen?

Still done: Practiced somewhere today, even if rarely. No longer done: A historical practice that has died out. Living traditions count. Historical reenactments don't.

Match each famous person's statue to the place it stands.

Match the particular statue pictured. People may have monuments in several places.

Find the word that fits the definition and contains the Roman numeral.

Each answer fits its definition and contains consecutive letters spelling out the given Roman numeral. For example: Question: Place of residence: 1001 1001 in Roman numerals is MI, so the answer must contain "mi". Answer: domicile (Other Roman-numeral letters may be present, even next to "mi"; the word just needs to fit the definition and contain "mi".) Roman numerals: I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, M=1000.

1. Clue 1

   Shaft on which a wheel turns: 40

2. Clue 2

   Guidance about what someone should do: 506

3. Clue 3

   Mythical bird reborn from its own ashes: 9

4. Clue 4

   Comfortable seat for relaxing: 1100

5. Clue 5

   Public and enthusiastic praise: 250

6. Clue 6

   State of being completely forgotten or destroyed: 54

7. Clue 7

   Dictionary, or the vocabulary of a particular subject: 11

8. Clue 8

   Several tunes joined together into one continuous piece: 550

Match each spin-off to the show it came from.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Poop, pee or exhale: match each fact to a way out.

Place the clearest examples first, then compare what remains against each category.

Match each historical entity to its flag.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

One word. One serious definition. One goofy definition.

The first definition gives a word's usual meaning. The goofy definition reinterprets it by splitting it into two smaller parts. For example: Question: Part of the year or Ocean's male child?? Answer: season (season = sea + son)

1. Clue 1

   Floor covering or Automobile's companion animal??

2. Clue 2

   Abduct or Baby goat's snooze??

3. Clue 3

   Public show of opposition or In favor of an exam??

4. Clue 4

   Fairness under the law or What you'll find at the North Pole??

5. Clue 5

   Worth mentioning or Got only dining chairs??

6. Clue 6

   Sign up or Writer aboard an underwater vessel??

7. Clue 7

   Right a wrong or Change clothes??

8. Clue 8

   Introductory statement or Before a leisurely stroll??

Match each team to its home ground.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each planet to a remarkable fact about it.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Name the country across the strait.

Name the country across the strait.

1. Clue 1

   across Strait of Dover from fr France

2. Clue 2

   across Øresund from dk Denmark

3. Clue 3

   across Strait of Malacca from my Malaysia

4. Clue 4

   across Korea Strait from kr South Korea

5. Clue 5

   east out of Strait of Magellan from cl Chile

6. Clue 6

   across Strait of Juan de Fuca from ca Canada

7. Clue 7

   south across Straits of Florida from us United States

8. Clue 8

   across Bab el-Mandeb from dj Djibouti

Translate these vintage slang terms you might hear at a bingo hall or wherever boomers gather.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Who has no Oscars, and who has at least three?

Count Oscars won personally in any competitive category, including producing. Honorary and other noncompetitive awards do not count.

Each set is missing one member. Fill the gap.

Each set is missing one member. Fill the gap.

1. Clue 1

   Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, .

2. Clue 2

   Hearing, Sight, , Taste, Touch.

3. Clue 3

   , A, B, AB.

4. Clue 4

   Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, , Peace.

5. Clue 5

   Strong nuclear force, Electromagnetism, Weak nuclear force, .

6. Clue 6

   Troposphere, , Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere.

7. Clue 7

   Tetrahedron, , Octahedron, Dodecahedron, Icosahedron.

8. Clue 8

   , Ellipse, Parabola, Hyperbola.

Match each city to a fact about it.

"On this board" compares only the ten cities shown.

Match each English word to the language it was borrowed from.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Follow Chuck Berry's music far beyond the stage.

Born October 18, 1926. Eight connections for his 100th birthday. /go-chuck-go/portrait.jpg|Chuck Berry with his guitar, circa 1958|display:block;width:200px;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:16px auto;border-radius:4px

1. Clue 1

   Chuck Berry is called the father of which musical genre?

2. Clue 2

   In which film does Marty McFly play "Johnny B. Goode" at his parents' school dance?

3. Clue 3

   Which classical composer did Berry tell to roll over in a 1956 song title?

4. Clue 4

   Which Californian band turned the tune of "Sweet Little Sixteen" into "Surfin' U.S.A."?

5. Clue 5

   What aquatic bird gives its name to Berry's signature crouching stage walk?

6. Clue 6

   John Travolta and Uma Thurman twist to "You Never Can Tell" in which film?

7. Clue 7

   Which Beatles song, the opening track on Abbey Road, borrowed from Berry's "You Can't Catch Me"?

8. Clue 8

   "Johnny B. Goode" left Earth on the Golden Records carried by two NASA probes. What shared name do the probes have?

Match each metal to its distinction.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match the countries to their flags in negative.

All colours are inverted. The original flag appears after each match.

These everyday words are also sporting terms.

Find the word that fits both the common definition and the sporting definition.

1. Clue 1

   a long, slender post; or motor racing: the first starting position on the grid

2. Clue 2

   the process of settling your bill and leaving a hotel; or darts: a finish that reduces the score to exactly zero, with the final dart landing on a double

3. Clue 3

   one of the things covering a bird's body; or rowing: to turn the oar blade parallel to the water between strokes

4. Clue 4

   a small piece broken off something; or golf: a short shot near the green that sends the ball briefly into the air before it rolls toward the hole

5. Clue 5

   to break with a sharp cracking sound; or American football: the backward pass from the center that starts a play

6. Clue 6

   a period of rapid economic growth; or sailing: the horizontal support along the bottom edge of the mainsail

7. Clue 7

   a smooth, creamy soup typically made with lobster, crab, or shrimp; or croquet: an extra turn granted in handicap play

8. Clue 8

   to suffocate someone with a pillow, or put out a fire with a blanket; or Australian rules football: to block or deflect an opponent's kick as it is made

Match video games to items you might carry, collect, or use.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each food or drink brand to an earlier name in its history.

Some are straight renames. Others trace the brand back through an earlier product or business.

Match each city to its tower postcard.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each legendary creature to its faux scientific name.

The names use Latin and Greek roots to describe cryptids and creatures of folklore.

Match each Aesop fable to its moral.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match these groceries to their photograph.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each Roman-era name to the city it is known as today.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Find the word matching both its modern definition and its literal roots.

Each clue gives the word's modern meaning and a word-for-word rendering of its historical roots.

1. Clue 1

   from Greek for "nose-horned" a type of large mammal

2. Clue 2

   from Old English for "day's eye" a common flower

3. Clue 3

   from Latin for "of a cow" a preparation used to prevent disease

4. Clue 4

   from Latin for "little key" a bone near the shoulder

5. Clue 5

   from Old French for "cover fire" a rule requiring people to be indoors after a set time

6. Clue 6

   from a Greek word for "a piece of broken pottery" to exclude someone from a group

7. Clue 7

   from Greek for "drinking together" a conference for discussing a particular subject

8. Clue 8

   from Greek for "possession by a god" strong excitement or interest

Match each racket sport to its racket and ball, drawn to scale.

Dimensions shown are the racket/paddle length, head width, and ball or shuttle diameter.

Match each wild cat to its photograph.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each river to its place in history.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Translate each Latin phrase.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Name the species of the main Winnie the Pooh characters.

Celebrating a Century of Pooh: October 14, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. The nine main characters featured on Disney's official site represent eight species. Name all the species. Include Christopher.

Match each mathematical symbol to its name or use.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Who was born here, and died there?

Name each person from their birth and death dates and places.

1. Clue 1

   Born: c. 69 BC - probably Alexandria, Egypt Died: August 30 BC - Alexandria, Egypt

2. Clue 2

   Born: 22 February 1962 - Upper Ferntree Gully, Melbourne, Australia Died: 4 September 2006 - Batt Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

3. Clue 3

   Born: 6 February 1945 - Nine Mile, Jamaica Died: 11 May 1981 - Miami, Florida, USA

4. Clue 4

   Born: 14 March 1879 - Ulm, Germany Died: 18 April 1955 - Princeton, New Jersey, USA

5. Clue 5

   Born: 27 January 1756 - Salzburg, Austria Died: 5 December 1791 - Vienna, Austria

6. Clue 6

   Born: c. 551 BC - near Qufu, China Died: 479 BC - Qufu, China

7. Clue 7

   Born: 23 August 1978 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Died: 26 January 2020 - Calabasas, California, USA

8. Clue 8

   Born: 6 July 1907 - Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico Died: 13 July 1954 - Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico

Match each familiar expression to its origins.

Find the story or practice behind each expression's figurative meaning.

Match each unlikely pair of artists to the song they recorded together.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each cargo carrier to its tailfin.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.

Match each country to its largest source of imports.

Start with a match you can justify, then use elimination on the remaining options.