A Shot in the Dark: Wordwise Trivia Quiz

Answer: a cut above the rest

A CUT sits above THE REST, giving "a cut above the rest". This means noticeably better than the competition. It is a compliment you might give to an excellent performance, and no scissors are required.

Answer: just between us

JUST has slipped between the two letters of US. That gives "just between us", a phrase used when sharing something in confidence. The clue turns a promise of secrecy into a very small hiding place.

Answer: more often than not

OFTEN appears three times, while NOT appears once. In other words, you see OFTEN more often than NOT. The expression means usually, rather than on every single occasion.

Answer: prime suspects

The numbers 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11 are all prime: each has exactly two positive divisors, 1 and itself. Every number accompanies a SUSPECT, so these are "prime suspects". In an investigation, a prime suspect is someone considered especially likely to be responsible; here, the numbers supply the word "prime".

Answer: half measures

MEAS is the first half of MEASURES, so the clue offers "half measures". Taking half measures means doing too little to solve a problem, or stopping short of the effort needed. Counting the letters confirms that the cut is exactly halfway.

Answer: going back and forth

GOING appears twice: first backwards, then forwards. It is "going back and forth". The expression can describe repeated movement in opposite directions, but it can also describe changing your mind between alternatives. Even a simple decision can involve a surprising amount of mental travel.

Answer: a blessing in disguise

Take A BLESSING out of DISABLESSINGGUISE and the remaining letters spell DISGUISE. The blessing is in disguise. The expression describes an apparent setback that eventually proves helpful, such as missing a bus and meeting an old friend while waiting for the next one.

Answer: no middle ground

Restore the two central letters, OU, and GRND becomes GROUND. The word has no middle, giving "no middle ground". The expression describes a situation with no compromise between opposing positions. Here, the missing middle is literally the centre of the word.

Answer: once in a blue moon

ONCE has been placed inside MOON, with BLUE alongside. That is "once in a blue moon", meaning very rarely. You might use it for a treat you seldom have, rather than for something that happens on a regular schedule.

Answer: too close for comfort

There are two CLOSEs and four COMFORTs. Say the counts aloud: "two close, four comfort" becomes "too close for comfort". The expression describes something uncomfortably near, such as a ball that just misses a window. Both the counting and the sound are needed to reach the answer.