# Guess the words from internal letter sequences **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855 "2000-12-03T19:55:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/21 "2000-12-04T17:28:24Z")
I love this game! I’ve only collected four stumpers (at least as I see them) that get people puzzling: **wsp ewr wnm ndun** Three out of the four are very common objects. The fourth is, as I understand it, is the only word in the English language with this particular combination. Guess on No. 16 of the original puzzle: _Zugzwang_? I know it’s a term used in chess. OWBE also occurs in _browbeat_. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/22 "2000-12-04T18:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\*I love this game! I’ve only collected four stumpers (at least as I see them) that get people puzzling: > > wsp > ewr > wnm > ndun > > Three out of the four are very common objects. The fourth is, as I understand it, is the only word in the English language with this particular combination.\*\* **wsp** – bowsprit **ewr** – Jewry? probably not, it can’t be a proper noun, right? **wnm** – lawnmower **ndun** – You got me. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/23 "2000-12-04T18:44:45Z")
Point to **scratch1300** for _lawnmower_. I wasn’t looking for _bowsprit_, although that one hadn’t occurred to me before. The **ewr** word I’m thinking of isn’t a proper noun, but I don’t know if there’s ever been a restriction like that in the games I played. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/24 "2000-12-04T18:47:56Z")
1. IERINE is _FIERINESS_. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/25 "2000-12-04T19:15:43Z")
**Olentzero** , NDUN = _GRANDUNCLE_. **bibliophage** , Does CHCL = _PUNCHCLOCK_? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/26 "2000-12-04T19:43:30Z")
point to **Olentzero** for zugzwang. That’s the one I wanted, but I can’t even spell the damn thing without looking it up. point to **scratch1300** for fieriness. I thought this would be the hardest one. sequences remaining to be solved 2: AKNE There remains another common -akne- word besides breakneck. 4: CHCL Not punchclock, which is not in my dictionaries. 5: CHSH 13: STTR 18. YZG updated standings: **mattk** : 8 **The Man Who** : 4 **The Voice of Reason** : 2 **Fretful Porpentine** : 1 **Olentzero** : 1 **scratch1300** : 1 ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/27 "2000-12-04T20:34:49Z")
the obvious other word to #2 is **weakness** … still thinking on the rest… ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/28 "2000-12-04T21:00:40Z")
**scratch1300** : r **ewr** ite (rewrote, etc.) ne **wsp** aper (newsprint, etc.) I see a theme here… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/29 "2000-12-04T21:16:16Z")
One point to **ren** for “weakness.” ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/30 "2000-12-04T21:26:07Z")
…and another for da **chsh** und. Gotta love those German words… ---
**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:** [December 4, 2000, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/31 "2000-12-04T21:31:00Z")
CHCL is BREECHCLOTH, also spelled BREECHCLOUT. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/32 "2000-12-04T21:49:57Z")
_Newspaper_ is the word. The other one I’m thinkin of is not _rewrite_ or any of its variations, but you’re close. Damn, how come I never saw these alternatives? I been hogging these puzzlers for years, thinking I was all clever. Curse you all! ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/33 "2000-12-04T22:47:50Z")
**Olentzero** , There’s also prewrap, rewrap and rewrought. Others? How about this combo: WLYW (not so hard, really) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/34 "2000-12-04T22:58:57Z")
One point to **matt\_mcl** for breechcloth / breechclout. I can’t figure out why it’s not in the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Any ideas? One more point to **ren** for dachshund. Only two more to go: STTR and YZG ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/35 "2000-12-05T01:02:37Z")
Not too hard; 2 words with: YRR Much trickier: YBD ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/36 "2000-12-05T01:58:09Z")
Ren - molybdenum? ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/37 "2000-12-05T02:00:15Z")
is fasttrack hypenated? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/38 "2000-12-05T02:40:24Z")
Fast-track is either two words or is hyphenated. YRR-myrrh Besides cryptic and aptitude, PTI can also be baptism. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/39 "2000-12-05T02:52:41Z")
YRR-pyrrhic. It’s not capitalized when it refers to the metrical foot, but it is when it refers to a costly victory. When I was looking up pyrrhic I noticed one mineral ore and several chemicals also start with pyrr- ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855/40 "2000-12-05T06:05:36Z")
Hmmm. I’ve seen pyrrhic used in the victory sense without being capitalized, rather often. Bad grammar? And I forgot about all the chemical compounds. Myrrhic appears to be valid too. **lurkernomore** , it was indeed molybdenum that I was thinking of. I can’t think of any others YBD words with other roots (molybdate and molybdic are also words, apparently). YZG I apparently have no chance of getting, while STTR continues to annoy me. And I’d have thought someone would have jumped on WLYW by now…I guess it’s different when you already know the answer… Lastly, apparently bewrap and bewray are also words…will it never end?!? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-words-from-internal-letter-sequences/43855.md?page=3)