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Wonderful World of Words

November 12 – 14, 2021

FEATURED EVENTS FROM PAST YEARS

A wonderful weekend for all those who love language, puzzles, and games!

39 years ago “Words” weekend at Mohonk Mountain House was founded by the late and wonderful Gloria Rosenthal and her husband Larry. In 2007, the torch was passed to Will Shortz, The New York Times crossword editor and NPR Puzzle master, who led the event for 13 years.

This year we welcome as host a man who has been confounding Words participants on Saturday nights for many years, Greg Pliska.

Featuring Will Shortz and a BIG PUZZLE PACK with puzzles from Will, Greg and puzzle maker Eric Berlin.

In addition to the extra-large packet of puzzles, the program will feature three live events led by Greg and Will. Sharpen your pencils, limber up your brain, and come prepared to puzzle and be puzzled!

Listed below are some of the events from the past years.

2020 Words Puzzle Challenge #1: Cryptolist

by Will Shortz

The names of nine related things have been encrypted below. Each letter stands for the same letter throughout the list. For example, if A = J in one word, A = J in every word. Decrypt the list. Then read the circled letters from top to bottom to see what the nine things have in common. Submit your answer Saturday morning from 10am – noon in the Parlor to be eligible for a prize.

  • UXWVQ  KWWM
  • CHOVHWGTIB
  • QGOBOFWAQCHT
  • NRW’P  NRW
  • TVFTP
  • VRQPTXIXP
  • ZWSHQ  LXHCQ
  • LTYQVVQQI
  • LWWLFQ

2020 Words Puzzle Challenge #2: Home is…

by Greg Pliska

Find the seven-letter name of a U.S. city in each row and column, using one letter from each box for each city. NEW YORK has been crossed off in the third row to get you started. When you have found all 14 cities the remaining letters in each box will spell, in order, a quote from Maya Angelou that describes what “home” is. Submit your answer Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. – noon in the Parlor to be eligible for a prize.

Availability is limited. For reservations, please call .

Will Shortz

Packet of Puzzles

After you check-in at the front desk come to the Parlor to pick up your packet of word puzzles and contests created by Will Shortz and Greg Pliska. There will be a submission box across from the Front Desk in the lobby.

Friday Night – The Puzzlemaster Presents…

Join Puzzlemaster Will Shortz for an evening of mental challenges and wordplay. Games will include “Beat the Champ,” where participants strive to answers puzzling questions faster than an ever-increasing number of their fellow attendees.

Greg Pliska

Game Giveaway

Though David Feldman, our game aficionado for many years on The Wonderful World of Words, cannot join us this year, he has helped us gather together some games to play. Throughout the weekend there will be plenty of spots for you and your fellow game fans to play at your leisure. Stop in the Parlor and select a board/strategy/card game to play throughout the weekend and then let the winner take it home.

Saturday Afternoon – What Do You Know?

An afternoon of knowledge and word games, hosted by Greg Pliska. Work your way through Merriam-Webster, category-by-category, in “Dictionary Race,” where the goal is to not advance farther than your opponents. In “50/50 Trivia,” you try to write questions that exactly half of the players will get right, while predicting whether other questions are too easy or too hard—it’s not what you know, it’s what you think everyone else knows!

Saturday Evening — Players’ Choice

Gather for informal games, try to complete your puzzle packet by midnight or enjoy the evening’s live music.

Midnight
All puzzle packet items for all groups must be turned in by midnight tonight.

Will Shortz

And The Winner Is…

Greg Pliska leads the awards program in which he and Will Shortz reveal solutions to the packet puzzles, read the wittiest entries in the creative competition, and name the winners of all the weekend games.

Availability is limited. For reservations, please call .

MEET OUR PROGRAM LEADERS

Greg Pliska

Greg Pliska

A composer and orchestrator, Greg Pliska has been solving and creating puzzles since he could read. He has been a puzzle writer and presenter for public radio’s Ask Me Another and A Way With Words, and he creates puzzle hunts for corporate and academic clients. Greg has scored films, television shows, musicals, and opera. His orchestrations can be heard every morning on NPR and at night on CBS Evening News. His latest film project, Push, should be available in the new year, in whatever form we’re viewing films in the new year.

Will Shortz

Will Shortz

Will Shortz is the crossword editor of The New York Times, puzzlemaster for NPR’s Weekend Edition, and founder/director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. He directed Words from 2007 until 2019 and is the only person to have attended every Words weekend since the beginning in 1982. Will owns the Westchester Table Tennis Center in his hometown of Pleasantville, N.Y.

When you visit during Wonderful World of Words, your overnight package includes:

  • Three meals daily featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients from our farm-to-table partners. See our full list of dining options>
  • Access to more than 85 miles of scenic hiking trails
  • Yoga, Meditation, and Fitness classes
  • Afternoon tea and cookies in our historic Lake Lounge
  • Make an appointment to visit our Greenhouse
  • Indoor heated pool with underwater music
  • Guided hikes and outdoor activities with our Recreation team
  • Nightly evening entertainment, special events, and more! See activities schedule>

Seasonal Activities

À la carte experiences available to overnight guests:

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