Editor's Corner

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Editor’s Corner.

Well, apparently some (OK, most) of you did much better than I did with the word riddles I sent on Tuesday. Today’s challenge, as promised, is called Word Trivia. They’re still word riddles, though, if you ask me.

As I mentioned last time, this quiz is from Dictionary.com. I did a little better with these questions, but that’s because I’ve seen some of them before. I only figured three of them out on my own. I guess I’m not much of a riddler.

Even though I feel a little bit outwitted by you all after the last quiz, I wish you good luck. And whether you do well or not, you can memorize these to torment your friends and family. Have fun! (Remember, you have to scroll down to get the answers.)

These questions are all about words with special qualities that make them unique from others.

1. What word retains the same pronunciation even after you take away four of its five letters?
2. Which two English words are spelled with all of the vowels (including y) appearing only once and in alphabetical order?
3. What is the longest word in English with only one vowel (not including y)?
4. What is the longest word in English that doesn’t use the vowels a, e, i, o, or u?
5. What word meaning “having five syllables” is an example of an autological word—meaning a word that describes itself?
6. What eight-letter word and nine-letter word both begin and end with h-e?
7. What solitary five-letter word keeps the same meaning when you remove its first letter, and then again when you remove the first letter of the remaining word?
8. What, when thrown out of a window, leaves a grieving wife, but when dropped in the middle of a door might just save a life?
9. What heavy seven-letter word can you remove one letter from to get the number 80, but remove two letters from to get the number 8?
10. What seven-letter word would you spell if you started with a two-letter word for a male person, added another letter to form a word for a female person, added another letter to form a word for a great person, and added three more letters to form a word for a great woman?
11. What four-letter word in its uppercase form can be written forward, backward, or upside down and can still be read as the same word from left to right?
12. What common three-letter English verb can become its own past tense form simply by rearranging its letters?
13. What do the words in the following sentence have in common? Bad mood naps stop evil.

ANSWERS:

1. What word retains the same pronunciation even after you take away four of its five letters?

Queue

2. Which two English words are spelled with all of the vowels (including y) appearing only once and in alphabetical order?

Facetiously and abstemiously

3. What is the longest word in English with only one vowel (not including y)?

Strengths

4. What is the longest word in English that doesn’t use the vowels a, e, i, o, or u?

Rhythms

5. What word meaning “having five syllables” is an example of an autological word—meaning a word that describes itself?

Pentasyllabic (Other examples of autological words are adjectival, unhyphenated, pronounceable, and seventeen-lettered).

6. What eight-letter word and nine-letter word both begin and end with h-e?

Headache and heartache

7. What solitary five-letter word keeps the same meaning when you remove its first letter, and then again when you remove the first letter of the remaining word?

Alone (Remove the a to get lone, then remove the l to get one!)

8. What, when thrown out of a window, leaves a grieving wife, but when dropped in the middle of a door might just save a life?

The letter n (Remove it from window, and you get widow. Add it to door and get donor.)

9. What heavy seven-letter word can you remove one letter from to get the number 80, but remove two letters from to get the number 8?

Weighty

10. What seven-letter word would you spell if you started with a two-letter word for a male person, added another letter to form a word for a female person, added another letter to form a word for a great person, and added three more letters to form a word for a great woman?

Heroine (The first two letters are he, the first three letters are her, and the first four letters are hero.)

11. What four-letter word in its uppercase form can be written forward, backward, or upside down and can still be read as the same word from left to right?

Noon

12. What common three-letter English verb can become its own past tense form simply by rearranging its letters?

Eat (Its past tense is ate).

13. What do the words in the following sentence have in common? Bad mood naps stop evil.

They all spell another word when reversed.

The following link will take you to the Dictionary.com quizzes: Word Riddles And Trivia To Test If You’re A True Logophile | Dictionary.com.

I hope you’re awake now! Congratulations on all the questions you got right. Now you’re ready to take on the day. Have a good one.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.