New Word Sudoku (Paraprosdokian Sudoku!) Puzzles for Saturday, 6/21/2025

The grocery store clerk said … you had to go to Office Depot to buy staples.

A paraprosdokian is wordplay where the latter part of a statement forces you to reinterpret the first part. The phrase intentionally leads you in one direction—misleads you into thinking one way—and then abruptly changes direction, ending with the unexpected twist. The origin of the word is Greek, meaning "against expectation."

Most of the statements in these weekly blog posts are actual paraprosdokians; you might possibly dispute a few. But since they’re still fun plays on words, I’m sharing them anyway.

Because paraprosdokians come in two parts, I present each part as a separate quote, each revealed by solving its own set of word Sudoku puzzles.

SURFED
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

TINY
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

TACO
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

MARBLE
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

PUNT
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

ROSY
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to Friday's Word Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday's 5x5 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in AR + FIE (FAIRE) and the 7x7 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NORS + IVE (ENVIROS).

The Saturday paraprosdokian in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzles for Friday, 6/20/2025

AR + FIE
5x5 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and enclosed shape contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells

NORS + IVE
7x7 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and enclosed shape contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to Thursday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's AEIOU 10x10 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in HUNG OAR + FIE (FAIR ENOUGH).

New puzzles in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Thursday, 6/19/2025

HUNG OAR + FIE
AEIOU Sudoku: 10x10 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x5 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

(A reminder that weekday puzzles in 2025 are based on words or phrases containing at least three of the letters in FIVE, a puzzle form I call Missing Letter, Hidden Word Sudoku. Please see my amazon puzzle page www.bit.ly/WordSudokuBooks for puzzle collections of this form that span the entire alphabet.)

 

Solution to Wednesday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's 8x8 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in LOCKS + IVE (LOVESICK).

A new puzzle in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Wednesday, 6/18/2025

LOCKS + IVE
8x8 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x4 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to Tuesday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's 9x9 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in TWO RAN + FVE (WAVEFRONT).

A new puzzle in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Tuesday, 6/17/2025

TWO RAN + FVE
9x9 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 3x3 square contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to Monday's Word Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday's 4x4 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in T + IVE (VITE) and the 6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in HAT + IVE (HAVE IT).

More puzzles in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzles for Monday, 6/16/2025

T + IVE
4x4 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x2 square contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells

HAT + IVE
6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x3 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to the Sunday Murphy's Law Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday’s Qudoku puzzle sets spelled out a corollary to Murphy's Law.

New puzzles in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to the Sunday Dad Joke Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday’s Qudoku puzzle sets spelled out a (sad to say) Dad joke.

WHAT DO

New puzzles in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku (Murphy's Law Sudoku!) Puzzles for Sunday, 6/15/2025

Anything that can go wrong, will

Murphy's Law is the well-known axiom of practicality. Every other Sunday in 2025, solve these Word Sudoku puzzles to discover Murphy's quirky corollaries, informative industry-specific restatements, and droll departures.

TRUNKS
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

VOYAGE
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

HILT
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

(All puzzles and text contained in this blog are copyright © 2008-2025, David H. Thompson. All rights reserved. Please tell your puzzle-loving friends to follow this blog. Thank you!)

 

New Word Sudoku (Dad Joke Sudoku!) Puzzles for Sunday, 6/15/2025

I have a joke about paper. It’s tearable.

A Dad joke is a bad, sad attempt at humor…or almost the funniest thing ever. Depends on whether you're a dad, AND on whether you're the one telling the joke…

These Dad jokes in 2025 all pose a question in the first set of puzzles; try to guess the answer before solving the second set!

PHYLUM
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

STOW
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

CAKE
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid

What do

CLIENT
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

(All puzzles and text contained in this blog are copyright © 2008-2025, David H. Thompson. All rights reserved. Please tell your puzzle-loving friends to follow this blog. Thank you!)

 

Solutions to the Saturday Paraprosdokian Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday’s Qudoku puzzle sets spelled out wordplay known as a paraprosdokian.

The Sunday Challenge in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave