# Ending in -a **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 1999, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698 "1999-09-28T03:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/21 "1999-09-29T02:47:00Z")
satan has powers… and have you seen his pic??? looks just like Jesus too!!! haha 🙂 * * * The wisest man I ever knew taught me something I never forgot. And although I never forgot it, I never quite memorized it either. So what I’m left with is the memory of having learned something very wise that I can’t quite remember. -George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/22 "1999-09-29T02:57:00Z")
Thanks, Satan, for totally screwing up my server. You are truly the Dark Prince. ---
**Author:** ![Temujin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Temujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temujin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/23 "1999-09-29T07:10:00Z")
BTW, are there any words in the English language that end in -b? (Words like “blab” don’t count, because they are …) Oh, never mind … ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/24 "1999-09-29T07:59:00Z")
Well, luckily, someone listed ‘zebra’ in an earlier post, which flagged me to use my browser’s ‘Find’ to jump to ‘zebra’ in Satan’s list. First time I ever found any use for that animal. I think Satan is just trying to prove there are worse things than those who read fiction. . .i.e., those who play scrabble. 😉 Maybe JWK could inform us as to how come there are so few native words in Modern English ending in ‘-a’, in spite of the fact there were “lots” in Old English, as he says. Were there generic shifts that substituted the '-a’s out, or what were the mechanisms – loss of tenses or declensions? An effect from the pronunciation of French? ‘Sea’, ‘lea’ ‘plea’ (well, originally Latin) ‘yea’ are four others in the ‘tea’, ‘pea’, ‘flea’ series. ‘Tea’, however, isn’t native English, of course. Like the tea itself, the English had to get the word from overseas. I guess ‘ha’ and ‘aha’ (no etymology given in my dictionary) would be considered an international expression standardized by and from direct, uncoded neural reaction. How ‘bout ‘gotta’, ‘lotta’, ‘hasta’, ‘wanna’, ‘gonna’, ‘gotcha’, ‘betcha’, mighta’, ‘woulda’, ‘coulda’, ‘shoulda’ ? Ray ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/25 "1999-09-29T15:07:00Z")
I WISH I had more time on my hands. I have a Scrabble CD-ROM called _Frances_ which is designed for “serious Scrabble players.” It makes custom word lists by setting parameters. In this case, I simply typed in 15 tiles (the most possible in Scrabble) and hit \*A which tells it any number of letters ending in A. I’ll work on the “Words ending in -B” list when I get home tonight, since the CD is at home. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/26 "1999-09-29T21:53:00Z")
Too bad Satan’s list wasn’t a song lyric. Then an admin could edit it out for copyright … ## 😃 Bob the Random Expert “If we don’t have the answer, we’ll make one up.” ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/27 "1999-09-30T04:28:00Z")
As promised, words ending in B! Only 243 such words, so I hope this isn’t a server-buster, kiddies: AB ABSORB ACERB ADSORB ADVERB ALB ANTISNOB APLOMB ARB ARDEB BACKSTAB BAOBAB BARB BATHTUB BEACHCOMB BEDAUB BEDUMB BENUMB BIB BIBB BICARB BLAB BLEB BLOB BLOWJOB BLUB BLURB BOB BOMB BOOB BUB BULB CAB CABOB CARB CAROB CATACOMB CELEB CHEMISORB CHERUB CHIMB CHORIAMB CHUB CLIMB CLOMB CLUB COB COBB COBWEB COCKSCOMB COMB CONFAB COOMB CORNCOB CORNCRIB CORYMB COULOMB COWHERB COXCOMB CRAB CRIB CRUMB CUB CUBEB CURB CURRYCOMB DAB DARB DAUB DEB DEMOB DESORB DIB DISTURB DITHYRAMB DIVEBOMB DOORJAMB DOORKNOB DRAB DRIB DRUB DUB DUMB DWEEB EBB ENTOMB ENWOMB EXURB FIB FIREBOMB FLAB FLASHBULB FLUB FLUBDUB FOB FORB FORELIMB FUB GAB GAMB GARB GIB GLIB GLOB GOB GRAB GRUB HABOOB HEARTTHROB HECATOMB HERB HOB HOBNOB HONEYCOMB HUB HUBBUB IAMB INTERCLUB INTOMB JAB JAMB JIB JIBB JOB KAB KABAB KABOB KEBAB KEBOB KERB KNOB KOB LAB LAMB LANDGRAB LIB LIBLAB LIGHTBULB LIMB LOB MEMSAHIB MIB MIDRIB MIHRAB MILNEB MINICAB MINILAB MOB NAB NABOB NAWAB NEB NIB NIGHTCLUB NOB NUB NUMB ORB OUTCLIMB OUTCLOMB OUTTHROB OVERDUB PEDICAB PERTURB PLEB PLUMB POTHERB PREFAB PROVERB PUB REABSORB REB RECOMB REDUB REHAB REPLUMB RESORB REVERB RHOMB RHUBARB RHUMB RIB ROB RUB SAB SAHIB SANDDAB SCAB SCARAB SCRUB SERDAB SHRUB SIB SIBB SILLABUB SILLIBUB SKIBOB SLAB SLOB SLUB SLURB SNIB SNOB SNUB SOB SORB SPARERIB SPIDERWEB SQUAB SQUIB STAB STOB STUB SUB SUBDEB SUBSHRUB SUBURB SUCCUMB SUPERB SUPERBOMB SUPERCLUB SWAB SWOB SYLLABUB TAB TAXICAB THINGAMABOB THROB THUMB TOMB TUB UNCURB UNDERSHRUB UPCLIMB URB VERB WAB WASHTUB WEB WELLCURB WOMB YOB ZINEB ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/28 "1999-09-30T06:51:00Z")
Is there a second-order Hell for Satans? Ray ---
**Author:** ![BenDover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BenDover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenDover)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/29 "1999-09-30T06:57:00Z")
Satan does his job well, don’t you think? I feel like I’ve been thru hell already . . . ---
**Author:** ![Therealbubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@Therealbubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Therealbubba)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/30 "1999-09-30T20:44:00Z")
I didn’t know “blowjob” was allowable in Scrabble, or did you just slip that one in to see if we were paying attention? Therealbubba ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/31 "1999-09-30T21:15:00Z")
Memo to self: Never, ever click on this thread again. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/32 "1999-09-30T23:02:00Z")
How about words ending with that letter “E”? Do any exist in English? If so, could anybody list them? 🙂 * * * Jacques Kilchoer Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/33 "1999-09-30T23:31:00Z")
If ANYONE asks the Prince of Darkness for words ending in ‘C’, they deserve to be tossed into the pit for a LONG spell. 😉 And as for YOU, Jacques Raymond, I hope that gag you are now feeling tied around your fingers is nice and comfy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/34 "1999-09-30T23:33:00Z")
Dammit! Stop bringing this thread to the top! I can’t resist opening it – it’s like trying not to stare at a car wreck. Or in this case, a cache wreck. ## So stop! Please! Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 1999, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/35 "1999-10-01T00:30:00Z")
Maybe it would be useful if you put up all the words of the English language here Satan. Just for reference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BenDover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BenDover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenDover)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 1999, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/36 "1999-10-01T04:50:00Z")
Did someone mention words that end with “c”? “Critic” comes to mind easily . . . Hey, Satan, been to the Alphabet Song thread yet? Talk about a train wreck . . . * * * I have as much authority as the Pope; I just don’t have as many people who believe it! - George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![DW3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@DW3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DW3)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 1999, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/37 "1999-10-01T06:40:00Z")
OK I’ll say it. Geez Satan you gave him the whole… nine… you know the rest. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 1999, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/38 "1999-10-01T16:14:00Z")
Loss of declension led to loss of -a. * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![Konrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Konrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Konrad)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 1999, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/39 "1999-10-01T21:50:00Z")
Gaudere: Actually I think bra comes from the french brassiere. So, nope, not purely english. In fact I don’t think there is much in the english language that is purely english. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698/40 "1999-10-03T06:59:00Z")
_pounce_ Brassiere is not French; the French word for brassiere is _soutien-gorge_. Brassiere is actually a brand name! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ending-in-a/3698.md?page=3)