Tug of War
by Asher Walkover
Answer: GEORGE ELIOT
In this game of tug-of-war, the "sides" are a related pair of words, one of which has a positive
connotation, the other a negative. The words have been disguised, though, by having one letter added to each, and anagramming the result.
Picking the correct word will advance you to the next pair; the wrong word will ruin your progress. The extra letters that were added
to the positive word in each pair will spell an answer phrase - THE CLOWNS MARCH ON BUT WHO WROTE MIDDLEMARCH, and the answer is GEORGE ELIOT.
| GODOT | DAUB | GOOD + T | BAD + U | T | ||
| PESTO | HOG | STOP + E | GO + H | H | ||
| ROPE | ONCE | PRO + E | CON + E | E | ||
| GLANCE | MODERN | ANGEL + C | DEMON + R | C | ||
| JOLTS | UNFOLD | LOST + J | FOUND + L | L | ||
| TICKER | ROTATE | TRICK + E | TREAT + O | O | ||
| SHIMS | WITH | MISS + H | HIT + W | W | ||
| PHONE | PARADISE | HOPE + N | DESPAIR + A | N | ||
| WRAP | ESCAPE | WAR + P | PEACE + S | S | ||
| MOTH | CLOUD | HOT + M | COLD + U | M | ||
| EASY | SON | YES + A | NO + S | A | ||
| ROD | IDEA | DO + R | DIE + A | R | ||
| OVERSEER | CRAWFORD | REVERSE + O | FORWARD + C | C | ||
| DRYSTONE | TEACHER | DESTROY + N | CREATE + H | H | ||
| ROMEO | ISLES | MORE + O | LESS + I | O | ||
| SANEST | BIDET | ASSET + N | DEBT + I | N | ||
| WOUND | PUB | DOWN + U | UP + B | B | ||
| FRUITS | TESLA | FIRST + U | LAST + E | U | ||
| TOWN | VENEER | NOW + T | NEVER + E | T | ||
| DINAR | WHINES | RAIN + D | SHINE + W | W | ||
| OINKS | WHIMS | SINK + O | SWIM + H | H | ||
| GRASS | HEROICS | RAGS + S | RICHES + O | O | ||
| VOWEL | WHEAT | LOVE + W | HATE + W | W | ||
| RIFLE | THREAD | LIFE + R | DEATH + R | R | ||
| FLAMES | OUTER | FALSE + M | TRUE + O | O | ||
| TWIN | SLOPE | WIN + T | LOSE + P | T | ||
| FORE | REFINED | FOE + R | FRIEND + E | E | ||
| MUSING | SLUMP | MINUS + G | PLUS + M | M | ||
| EROSION | RENTAL | SOONER + I | LATER + N | I | ||
| STEWED | EUROS | SWEET + D | SOUR + E | D | ||
| FASTED | FIREMAN | FEAST + D | FAMINE + R | D | ||
| FLOUR | FLAIR | FOUL + R | FAIR + L | L | ||
| PHILEBUS | HIPSTER | PUBLISH + E | PERISH + T | E | ||
| MISER | FELLA | RISE + M | FALL + E | M | ||
| FACETED | VORACITY | DEFEAT + C | VICTORY + A | A | ||
| BOULDER | THRONING | DOUBLE + R | NOTHING + R | R | ||
| FATE | FORCE | AFT + E | FORE + C | C | ||
| MYTHUNGA | NICHE | NAUGHTY + M | NICE + H | H |