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stranger
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OP
stranger
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A game.
The pros here have probably already seen this, done this, and I apologize if this is a rerun:
What nine letter word in the English language is still a word when each of the nine letters is removed one by one? All nine words that are left each time a letter is removed are common English words.
If you give up... I have a video clip to show the answer.
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old hand
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can you remove them from anywhere in the word? Or only one or both ends?
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Carpal Tunnel
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from anywhere, at least the word I've seen.
formerly known as etaoin...
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I'm sure there must be several.
Works for the word Pilasters.
Pilasters
Pilaster
Plaster
Plater
Later
Late
Ate
At
A
(hey, cool! that was my 50th post and I'm now a journeyperson. At this rate I'll be an addict in a couple of weeks!)
Last edited by The Pook; 02/23/08 12:49 PM.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Awww! they grow up so fast. 
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So is that the word you had in mind, or another one?
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Carpal Tunnel
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in the past, wordsmith proposed verbal decapitation (see Beheading words below the fold), which is much harder in that you must cut the first letter only; but the following were suggested:
prelate
relate
elate
late
ate
te
'e
splashes, plashes, lashes, ashes, shes, hes, Es
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shes, hes and Es are pretty dodgy words! So is elate - it really only occurs as the past/perfect participle, elated, in normal usage - there isn't really a verb 'to elate'.
Last edited by The Pook; 02/26/08 02:54 AM.
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you're totally off base regarding elate! also, shes (similarly, hes) and Es is the chemical element einsteinium, among other things.
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you're totally off base regarding elate! Yeah I guess, but who ever uses the verb elate in real life? also, shes (similarly, hes) and Es is the chemical element einsteinium, among other things. ...which wouldn't be allowable in Scrabble since it's a proper noun, but this isn't Scrabble so I guess it doesn't matter... Still think they're dodgy words. 
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Esn't it an abreviation for einsteinium?
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I haven't watched the video, but I'm assuming it's the one my sister sent me, and it is a bit startling, at first.
and as for Scrabble dictionaries, just don't play Scrabulous, on FaceBook. man, what an irritating, limited dictionary!
formerly known as etaoin...
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dodgy words <> not used in real life <> allowable in Scrabble  - joe (don't *challenge elate) friday
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...and shes and hes as in "This sentence about hes and shes contains two hes and two shes (and two twos)"? Or do those words have other meanings than the plural of he and she? (being too lazy to look them up)
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All nine words that are left each time a letter is removed are common English words. and btw did you mean all eight words that are left, plus the original word? (pedants of the world unite)
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stranger
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OP
stranger
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... and it is a bit startling, at first. Yes, etaoin, it was indeed startling.
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stranger
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OP
stranger
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Yes, Pook. It is actually eight. I see now I did not phrase my original post precisely enough. I apologize for that.
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So was my answer the word you were thinking of, or are we still looking for another one?
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if you haven't guessed by now (I guess not), the word is probly
startling
starling
staring
string
sting
sing
sin
in
I
of something like that.
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Another one would be
splatters
platters
patters
patter
pater
pate
ate
at
a
(which can be done more than one way)
Not to mention:
islanders
slanders
slander
lander
lader
lade
lad
la
a
...or then again
slatterns
slatters
slatter
latter
later
late
ate
at
a
and...
splitters
spitters
spiters
siters
sites
site
sit
it
I
Last edited by The Pook; 02/27/08 07:17 AM.
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...and if you'll allow the word 'planeteer'
1. Someone who helps protect the environment.
2. Someone with a magic ring from w:Captain Planet
(from Wiktionary)
and 'planeter', which should be a word but probably isn't...
...then this ten letter word works:
planeteers
planeters
planeter
planter
plater
later
late
ate
at
a
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Carpal Tunnel
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"This sentence about hes and shes contains two hes and two shes (and two twos)" Or: This sentence about hes and shes contains two hes and two shes (and two twos(no, wait, four twos(oops, five twos(no, no, six ... no seven twos(there, that's all the twos (oops again, eight, no, nine twos)))))
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Carpal Tunnel
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restates
estates
states
state
stat
sat
at
a
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seems to be a bunch of them!
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Oh, I don't know. I started at the end of the tail. It took five tries to find a word that would work.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Y'all people sure have a lot more patience than I do!!
eta--that was a low-down, sneaky trick! kudos. :-)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Oh, I don't know. I started at the end of the tail. It took five tries to find a word that would work. yeahbut® Pookie split off five just like that, so...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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I haven't even got the nine REQUESTED characters. So an official disqualification wouldn't surprise me.  Sic transit.  ( not going to make a living out of this)
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"This sentence about hes and shes contains two hes and two shes (and two twos)" Or: This sentence about hes and shes contains two hes and two shes (and two twos(no, wait, four twos(oops, five twos(no, no, six ... no seven twos(there, that's all the twos (oops again, eight, no, nine twos))))) um...yeah, was wondering when someone would pick up my deliberate mistake, ahem... 
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Oh, I don't know. I started at the end of the tail. It took five tries to find a word that would work. yeahbut® Pookie split off five just like that, so... "yeahbut®" is a registered trademark?? 
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Carpal Tunnel
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"yeahbut®" is a registered trademark??
it's a local conceit. actually®, there was an earlier one.
-joe (just another of our foibles) friday
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Carpal Tunnel
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"yeahbut®" is a registered trademark??
it's a local conceit. actually®, there was an earlier one.
-joe (just another of our foibles) friday heh™ I know it's not mine, I was just showing that I knew it belonged to somebody. is it yours, t?
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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"yeahbut®" is a registered trademark?? Yep; by my beloved Maverick, who joins us no more. [sigh]
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