# What's the Word?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 8, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799 "2005-01-08T23:24:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/1 "2005-01-08T23:24:18Z")

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More word fun from the overactive brain of twicks:

What do these words have in common?

peony  
wield  
suite  
really  
course  
seize  
amble  
abide  
sewing

Need a hint? Okay – they’re the “opposite” of:

statute  
work  
clamp  
purse  
holly  
doze  
mangy  
lazy  
rouge

If you want to guess, put it in a spoiler box for the sake of those who get to the thread after you do – or come up with some examples of your own and post them for my perusal.

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**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/2 "2005-01-09T00:04:01Z")

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If you drop the second letter in each of the first set of words, you form a new word. If you drop the second to the last letter in the second set, you form a new word.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/3 "2005-01-09T00:11:24Z")

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Yup.

Too easy? ☹

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**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/4 "2005-01-09T00:21:06Z")

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I wouldn’t say it was too easy, although it came to me on the second word of the first list. I like word puzzles and was looking for that type of twist right from the start.

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/5 "2005-01-09T01:23:09Z")

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Bird bird bird, b-bird’s the word!

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**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/6 "2005-01-09T04:32:53Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> Yup.
> 
> Too easy? ☹

No!  
And I’m not telling you just how long I puzzled before looking at the **Cap’n** s spoiler, either. 😛

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word/283799/7 "2005-01-09T14:17:26Z")

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A couple more entries for the lists:

1st list: derive

2nd list: strangle  
writhe

either list ( 😃 ): beard  
heard