Fun! I have only a guess for 8, and I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at in 5 - I have a guess for that too, but it can definitely be wrong (and I'll come back to look at it again later), but I'm sure of everything else.

Thanks, Jasdip!

I think I have 8, but not sure. And 9 I have an answer, I think it’s right but I’ll have to do a google to confirm.

These were fun. I’m pretty sure this is from an old issue of Games Magazine. My husband reinstated my subscription for my Christmas present a few years ago, and he includes it in my stocking now every year. (I’m especially a fan of their cryptic crosswords.) But, they still have some form of wacky wordies from time to time!

Thanks, jasdip!

Ooh, just saw this!

Okay, I’m on it.

Thanks, Jasdip

Not sure about 5, either.

12 may hit too close to home😳

ha ha, just had a good look at 5, got it!

Fun! Haven't figured out 4 and 9 yet. Can't figure out what the letters in 4 are made of, and I think that's the key.

Rusty

Lol - rox, 12 came a little too quickly to me, too! Hehehe.....

I still don't know what I'm looking at for 5, but since my earlier guess didn't account for the doohickeys on the bottom, I'm now sure that it's wrong. But, it occurs to me that all of our wrong answers could make for some fun entertainment tomorrow, if we're willing to share them, so all is not lost!

lettersatoz, I stared at 5 for a bit and then it just popped into my head what they are. I was pretty proud of myself.

stumped on 5 & 9....

Think I have them all but I had to check that 3 existed.

Fun! I havent figured out 4 and 9 yet either. Same as Rusty.

Edited to say I just figured out what is represented in 4. It is slightly an old-fashioned representation by today’s standards.

I don't have 4 and 9 either.

Edited to say I just figured out what is represented in 4. It is slightly an old-fashioned representation by today’s standards.

Agreed, OutsidePlaying. The depiction sucks.😀

I know what the answer to 4 is, obviously, but I have no idea what it means, or meant at the time.

^ I think it is/was a more popular phrase when used with a synonym for vote, rather than vote itself - or at least that's what I'm more familiar with.

I'm pretty sure I know what the item in 5 is now (as confirmed by roxsol when it popped into her head yesterday) but I still don't know the phrase. Hints welcome. I think I'm good with everything else.

lettersatoz, you will be so proud of yourself when you get the answer to 5. It could reach a point of being annoyingly proud.

Gosh, I was. 🙂

Okay, I think I have 4 figured out, thanks to comments above. I agree with lettersatoz, a synonym for 'vote' would be a better fit.

Just #9 to go now.

Rusty

Sometimes i think about these in the morning before I get up. And just rolling over flipped my brain cells and I got 9.

Aaaaahhhh -- got 5 -- thank you roxsol, again! Your modification did it - don't think I would have even seen the word without it - duh - as long as that one took me, I doubt I'll be accused of the phrase any time soon - haha.

Missing 9 and 13

FOAS, the very most, top of the list, important thing about solving 9 is to think about what bpath said. I bet she looked in the mirror after waking up, too.

Not a clue, just an earworm I’ve had today and who doesn’t enjoy fun music.

That hint just gave me 9!

I know that FOAS was late to the party, so if you're not ready yet, ignore this.

1. Stacked deck

2 Life of ease

3 Holy mackerel

4 Straw vote

5 Inflated ego

6 Sloppy joes

7 Rule of thumb

8 T-squares

9 Inverted pyramid

10 Spinal cord

11 Spring fever

12 Checkered past

13 Me and my shadow

Aw, heck, my civil engineer father would have gotten T-square. OTOH, my crossword-doing mother and that same father in his grammarian hat would like my answer, ”crossed T’s”.

Thanks, jasdip!

Ooh, I had boxty for number 8. I think I must have been hungry when I looked at it.

Thanks, Jasdip

Haha I was wondering why I was having such a hard time with the cursive in #9 - didn’t notice it was upside down! I thought it was a misspelled new word. Although in retrospect I was using a letter twice:

pnu worhd

#4 I initially thought those sticks were matches and I couldn't get anything but with a couple of hints I went from straw poll to straw vote. For #8 I had tee-box for golfing but t-squares makes more sense.

This was fun thanks Jasdip

I got them all but 9. I didn't realize it was upside down, either. I was trying to rearrange pnuorhd into something, and couldn't.

Rusty

Got them all - with a little help from my friends (cue The Beatles)!

So my issue with #5 was…maybe I spent too much time on my Christmas Eve charcuterie board, but I thought they were black olives! And because it’s not physically possible for me to hand an olive to my husband without simultaneously saying, ”Olive YOU!” (because I’m goofy that way and he expects it and even though he rolls his eyes at the pun, I know he’d secretly be sad if I didn’t), I was trying to make the phrase something about olives (or, ’I love ___’). After a while, I realized I wasn’t accounting for the doohickeys at the bottom, so eventually decided they were balloons, but still didn’t quite get that they were letters, but if they were I was too focused on what I thought was the letter I, that turned out to be the white hole in the ’o’. Thank God it’s a slow week at work, ’cause I spent way too much time on that one!! 😵‍💫

You are too funny Letters! Your comment made me laugh, plus every time you said 'doohickeys'.

I got them all when i finally realized 9 was a mirror image of the word. Should have realized it sooner. I kept trying to look at it backwards & it didn't dawn on me to consider the mirror image.

Ha - I thought 11 had something to do with zigzag because it looks like zigzag stitching, not springs 😄

Happy New Year to all, and thanks for all the fun, Jasdip!

Wishing everyone a

🤠

Back atcha Rox! I often call you Rox, as that's what I often called Roxie

Aww, sweet little kitty.

Jasdip, my whole famiy calls me rox.🙂

Happy New Year, Brainiacs! Thanks for making my year a little more fun! 🥂