Today's challenge is a "What Connects These?" puzzle. Each group of four clues shares a hidden link — a word, theme, or category that ties them all together. Figure out the connection for each set!
Big Apple, Windy City, Motor City, Big Easy
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Risk
Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight
Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries
Bonus Challenge: What single word can precede or follow ALL of these words to make new words or phrases? FIRE, WATER, FOOT, MAN
Answers
Nicknames for U.S. cities (New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans)
The first four planets from the sun (in order of distance)
Classic board games
Chess pieces
Zodiac signs (consecutive, in order)
Bonus: WORK. Firework, waterwork(s), footwork, workman — the puzzle allows the connecting word to come before or after each clue word, and WORK does the job cleanly on all four.