QUICKSANDWICHITA

Each trio of clues leads to three words that fit the given category. In each case, the middle word is SANDWICHed between the outer words, as with QUICKSAND and WICHITA.

UNITED STATES

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1. the Buckeye state
2. home of Madison county's bridges
3. state named for a U.S. president

PLANTS

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1. climbing passionflower with a tasteless bud
2. vegetable commonly eaten during a movie
3. bachelor's button, shade of blue

RULERS

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1. queen of Thebes, mother and wife of Oedipus
2. Lenin's successor
3. The Great Emancipator

ACTORS

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1. Greta of Sweden
2. Humphrey of Casablanca
3. Stephen of Hulk

ANIMALS

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1. dugong or manatee
2. Molothrus ater that steals others' nests
3. pheasant hunter's best friend

FOREIGN NATIONS

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1. location of the Canal Zone
2. home of Timbuktu
3. Africa's first independent nation, thanks to freed slaves

Bonus: This one works the same way, except that the result is four words.

BIBLE CHARACTERS

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1. son of Judah, twin of Zerah
2. scribe who encouraged the rebuilding of Jerusalem
3. harlot that harbored spies in Jericho
4. prophet with five oracles against Babylon

solution