Connections Answers
Sunday, December 14, 2025
1
LAY IT ON THICK
These words describe different ways to give someone a lot of praise or admiration, sometimes excessively or not sincerely. This is the idea behind the American idiom 'lay it on thick,' meaning to exaggerate flattery.
Individual words:
•FAWN: To act very submissive and try extremely hard to please someone important, often by giving them excessive compliments or attention, like a puppy.
•FLATTER: To praise someone, often not sincerely, usually to make them feel good about themselves or to get something you want from them.
•GUSH: To express your admiration or excitement for something or someone in a very enthusiastic, emotional, and sometimes overwhelming way.
•PRAISE: To express approval, respect, or admiration for someone or something, often for their achievements or good qualities. It can be sincere or overdone.
2
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES
These words are main characters or important figures from famous fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author.
Individual words:
•DUCKLING: A baby duck. In Andersen's story 'The Ugly Duckling,' a little bird feels ugly but grows into a beautiful swan.
•EMPEROR: A powerful ruler of an empire, like a king. In Andersen's 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' he is tricked into thinking he wears invisible clothes.
•MERMAID: A mythical creature with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. The main character in Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid' dreams of becoming human.
•PRINCESS: A daughter of a king or queen. In Andersen's 'The Princess and the Pea,' a real princess is so sensitive she can feel a tiny pea under many mattresses.
3
SILENT "L"
These words all contain the letter 'L', but the 'L' is not pronounced when you say the word aloud. It is a 'silent L'.
Individual words:
•CALF: A baby cow is called a calf. Also, the muscle at the back of your lower leg is a calf. The 'L' is silent here.
•CHALK: Chalk is a soft, white material often used for writing on blackboards in schools or drawing on sidewalks. The 'L' is not pronounced.
•COLONEL: A colonel is a high-ranking officer in the army or military. This word is known for its tricky pronunciation, where the 'L' is completely silent.
•WOULD: Would is a helper verb used for polite requests, past habits, or imaginary situations. It is a very common word where the 'L' is silent.
4
FICTIONAL PIGS
All these words are the names of famous fictional pigs from popular books, movies, or cartoons.
Individual words:
•BABE: Babe is a kind pig from a popular movie and book. He dreams of becoming a sheepdog, learning to herd sheep.
•NAPOLEON: Napoleon is a powerful and mean pig leader from the famous book 'Animal Farm'. He represents a dictator who takes control.
•PIGLET: Piglet is a small, shy, and sweet pig. He is Winnie-the-Pooh's best friend in children's stories and cartoons.
•PORKY: Porky Pig is a famous cartoon pig from Looney Tunes. He is known for saying 'Th-th-th-that's all folks!' and has a stutter.