# Wh\_t w\_rd i\_ th\_s? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 10, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248 "2009-02-10T18:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/1 "2009-02-10T18:20:10Z")
C\_a\_c\_a c\_e\_c\_e\_ s\_i\_s\_i\_ s\_o\_s\_o\_ s\_n\_s\_n\_ b\_r\_b\_r\_ a\_a\_a\_a\_ a\_l\_a\_l\_ ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/2 "2009-02-10T18:26:24Z")
Maybe this is cheating, but a quick UNIX command while I eat my lunch here: egrep -i -e ‘^c.a.c.a$’ -e ‘^c.e.c.e.' -e '^s.i.s.i.’ -e ‘^s.o.s.o.' -e '^s.n.s.n.’ -e ‘^b.r.b.r.' -e '^a.a.a.a.’ -e ‘^a.l.a.l.$’ /usr/dict/words Turns up answers for 4 of the 8: beriberi singsong snowshoe swimsuit ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/3 "2009-02-10T18:35:46Z")
Of course it’s cheating! You could look it up in a crossword solver too, but what fun is that? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/4 "2009-02-10T18:37:25Z")
Tea gave me the rest: charcoal clencher clenched clenches alliable apadanas atalayas amadavat avadavat Yes, I know it’s cheating, so we spoilered it. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/5 "2009-02-10T18:46:10Z")
Harumph. What fun is it when you just consult a database? I bet you use the auto-solve on sudoku, too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/6 "2009-02-10T19:10:38Z")
Cocoa Cecil Sissy So-so Snisn Brrr brrr Alalalal Aallaall ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/7 "2009-02-10T20:30:18Z")
Is there a reason the first word is capitalized but the rest aren’t? Because if doesn’t make a difference, then **Alabaman** fits. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/8 "2009-02-10T20:35:56Z")
The only reason the first letter is capitalized is the board software doesn’t like posts in all caps. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/9 "2009-02-11T01:19:34Z")
The only one I see right off… beriberi ETA: Make that two – snowshoe ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/10 "2009-02-11T02:14:19Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > The only reason the first letter is capitalized is the board software doesn’t like posts in all caps. Is it really “C\_a\_c\_a” or is there supposed to be a final missing letter at the end like the others (“C\_a\_c\_a\_”)? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/11 "2009-02-11T02:17:11Z")
Yes, it is supposed to be C\_A\_C\_A\_. Beriberi and snowshoe are correct. At least, I haven’t found any other words that match that pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/12 "2009-02-11T17:29:09Z")
how about: i–i-i-i-i-i-i-- ? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/13 "2009-02-11T18:25:31Z")
C\_a\_c\_a c\_e\_c\_e\_ = clenched/clenches? s\_i\_s\_i\_ s\_o\_s\_o\_ = singsong s\_n\_s\_n\_ b\_r\_b\_r\_ = beriberi? a\_a\_a\_a\_ = Alabaman? ETA: > [@Fish](#): > > Yes, it is supposed to be C\_A\_C\_A\_. Charcoal. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > how about: i–i-i-i-i-i-i-- ? Indivisibility. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/14 "2009-02-11T18:31:27Z")
Crap, messed up edit in haste - “singsong” is obviously one place too high in the above post. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/15 "2009-02-11T18:46:34Z")
s\_i\_s\_i\_ = slipskin ---
**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:** [February 11, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/16 "2009-02-11T19:26:05Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > s\_i\_s\_i\_ swimsuit ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/17 "2009-02-11T19:51:09Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Indivisibility. Almost. Not quite. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/18 "2009-02-11T20:59:04Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > how about: i–i-i-i-i-i-i-- ? Indivisibilities. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wh_t-w_rd-i_-th_s/485248/19 "2009-02-12T17:12:20Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Indivisibilities. 🆒 I couldn’t be bothered to count the eyes, they made my i’s go funny :).