What is a flat?

Have you ever noticed that “drawer” backwards is “reward”? Or that you can turn “pastry” into “pantry” by changing the third letter? These sorts of letter manipulations form the base of what we call a flat, a nifty little word puzzle turned into a verse or poem. We call just the wordplay the “base,” and the versified puzzle the “flat.” They may seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the basics, we think you’ll love them!  There’s a Guide to The Enigma that explains all the different flat types; you don’t need to memorize them!

In each flat, a verse is given with one or more missing words, which are the answer to the flat. These missing words are replaced with cue words, like FIRST or SECOND, and you can figure out what the missing words are by using the hints (context) provided by the verse. As an example:

 LAST-LETTER CHANGE (7) 

“Holy Orthodonture!” Robin cried, 
Beholding Joker’s SECOND, leering rictus. 
“We’ve tracked you to your FIRST, but, now inside, 
The Joke’s on us!  It seems, you fiend, you’ve tricked us!” 

=G NATURAL, New York NY

First, check out the title; it tells you what type of flat this is. In this flat, LAST-LETTER CHANGE means you’re looking to transform one word into another by changing its last letter, like turning “barn” to “bard” or “routing” to “routine.” The number (or numbers, in case of an answer phrase) in the parentheses is the enumeration, and it tells you how long your answer is. In this example, both answer words are seven letters long. The capitalized cue words (FIRST and SECOND) act as placeholders, showing you where the answer words belong. Keep in mind that the answer words need not rhyme or fit the verse the same way the cue words do; they only have to make sense in context. Said another way, “SECOND” and “FIRST” in the flat above keep the poetry meter and rhyme scheme going. When you place the solution into “SECOND” and “FIRST,” the meter and rhyme might not be maintained.

Flats also include a byline identifying the author, not by name but by nom and location. This flat was written by G Natural, who lives in New York. 

You can take a shot at solving this, get a hint, or reveal the answer hidden below.

Hint

FIRST and SECOND are going to be replaced by seven-letter words that differ only in their last letter. Looking at the context of the verse, FIRST is a place associated with Robin and the Joker. SECOND is an adjective that might describe Joker’s smile (“leering rictus”).

Solution

The two answer words are “hideout” and “hideous” — they tracked Joker to his HIDEOUT, there beholding his HIDEOUS leer.

If this example piques your interest, then you can check out more of our puzzles in the free mini-issue of The ENIGMA or join the NPL.