Memorize these and you could recognize 16.3% of all Compound Words clues.
| # | Answer | Appearances | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the Scarecrow | 3 | This character in "The Wizard of Oz" wants some brains to make him happier |
| 2 | a whirlwind | 3 | In the Bible, "there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire... and Elijah went up by" one of these "into heaven" |
| 3 | a daredevil | 3 | Motorcyclist Evel Knievel is called this on his tombstone & by the Smithsonian |
| 4 | secondhand | 2 | As a compound word, it describes a previously-owned garment; as 2 words, it's part of your watch |
| 5 | moonstruck | 2 | As Cher could tell you, this "lunar" adjective means dazed with romantic sentiment |
| 6 | goodwill | 2 | Judy Collins, Whoopi Goldberg & Susan Sarandon are this type of ambassador for UNICEF |
| 7 | buttonhole | 2 | As a noun, it's a small slit in a garment; as a verb, to try to hold someone's attention |
| 8 | blackmail | 2 | A dark color & a postal term combine as this form of extortion |
| 9 | bedrock | 2 | Fred Flintstone could tell you that after you dig through gravel, soil, clay, etc., you hit this solid stuff |
| 10 | bankroll | 2 | A savings & loan and a bun become this wad of money |
| 11 | baking soda | 2 | (Sarah of the Clue Crew reports from inside a science lab.) To make cake batter rise, you need to create a chemical reaction by combining an acid like... |
| 12 | a slumlord | 2 | This owner of squalid housing overcharges his tenants while allowing the property to deteriorate |
| 13 | a playground | 2 | Outdoor public activity space for kids, often with a swing set |
| 14 | a handshake | 2 | To make a good first impression, a "dead fish" one of these is definitely not advised |
| 15 | a waistcoat | 2 | Pretty much only in "The Wind in the Willows" will you find a toad in a midriffjacket |
| 16 | a mouthpiece | 2 | Anatomical slang term that Little Caesar might have used to refer to his lawyer |
| 17 | a keynote | 2 | F in the F major scale, for example; it also means a major speech at a political convention |
| 18 | a keyboard | 2 | The clavichord & the harpsichord are 2 early examples of this type of musical instrument |
| 19 | a firebrand | 2 | A troublemaker, or a piece of burning wood |
| 20 | a courtyard | 2 | The Palace of Versailles has a "royal" tribunallawn |
| 21 | a commonwealth | 2 | It's the designation of 4 U.S. states including Penn. & Mass. despite not having ties to the United Kingdom |