# Word play, a la Will Shortz **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 2, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664 "2008-04-02T12:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/1 "2008-04-02T12:49:21Z")
I’ve got a Will Shortz Puzzle-A-Day calendar, and yesterday’s stumped me. Here 'tis: > [@Will Shortz](#): > > If the word POND were an adjective, the comparative form would be PONDER. If EARN were an adjective, the superlative would be EARNEST. Think of a familiar four-letter word that can have either -ER or -EST added to the end to make a new word unrleated in meaning to the original. All three words are uncapitalized. Bouns hint" the original four-letter word is an informal term. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/2 "2008-04-02T13:12:57Z")
Just to clarify, does it have both the -er and -est endings? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/3 "2008-04-02T13:22:08Z")
Yes. XXXX is a word, XXXXER is a word, and XXXXEST is a word, with no two of those words related to any other. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/4 "2008-04-02T13:57:23Z")
There are almost too many words ending in -er that have no relation to the word they might be a comparative to, like mother, proper, jumper, etc., but the difficulty (as I assume you have found) is getting -est words to do that to the same root. In fact, I’m having trouble with the -est thing altogether. Here’s a joke reply: count. You have to misspell the -est part. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/5 "2008-04-02T14:04:17Z")
I was tempted (ha!) to say “temp” but then I realized that that really doesn’t count as a word on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/6 "2008-04-02T14:06:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sunshine and Smiles] I was tempted (ha!) to say “temp” but then I realized that that really doesn’t count as a word on its own. [/QUOTE] I’ll bet that’s it, since “temp” is indeed an informal term (to refer to a temporary employee). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/7 "2008-04-02T14:08:37Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] I’ll bet that’s it, since “temp” is indeed an informal term (to refer to a temporary employee). [/QUOTE] Good point. It gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/8 "2008-04-02T14:15:56Z")
**Sunshine and Smiles** shoots – and scores! Congrats, that was it! ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play-a-la-will-shortz/443664/9 "2008-04-02T14:17:31Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] **Sunshine and Smiles** shoots – and scores! Congrats, that was it! [/QUOTE] Well, that’s a surprisingly satisfying way to start my day. Alright!