Sharpen your pencil (mentally, anyway) — today we're doing a "What Connects These?" round. Each numbered group of five items shares a hidden link. Figure out the connection for each set, then check your answers at the bottom. No peeking!
The Puzzles
1. Big Apple, Windy City, Motor City, Big Easy, City of Angels What do these five have in common?
2. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto, Neptune What connects these five names — beyond the obvious?
3. Jack, Queen, King, Ace, Joker What links these five?
4. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Nancy Drew, Columbo What do these five characters have in common?
5. Swiss, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Brie What connects these five?
Tip: for each set, think about the category one level up — what larger group or pattern ties all five members together?
Answers
1. They're all nicknames for major U.S. cities (New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles).
2. They're all named after Roman gods (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto, Neptune) — even Pluto, though now a dwarf planet, keeps the tradition.
3. They're all cards/figures found in a standard deck of playing cards.
4. They're all famous fictional detectives/sleuths.
5. They're all types of cheese.
How many did you get? Come back tomorrow for another round!