# Word play **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241 "2008-02-19T14:25:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/1 "2008-02-19T14:25:08Z")
The usual – what do the following words have in common? BY CASE COLD COPE DO FOND GAZE HE MOTH SATE STANCH TAPE Not quite as usual, there’s one that will totally give it away, so I’ll put it in a spoiler box: POPLAR Returning to the usual – pls. guess either by adding additional possibilities, or by stating your guess in a spoiler box, so that those coming along more than five minutes from now can also play. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/2 "2008-02-19T14:30:00Z")
You were right; the spoiler definitely gave it away. Now I’m cursing my fingers for being so irresistibly drawn to spoiler boxes. Don’t give in! ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/3 "2008-02-19T14:52:44Z")
CLOD PROD POND And yes, the spoiler box word gave it away–although I’m not entirely sure that it wasn’t just because it was treated as a spoiler rather than as a regular member of the pile. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/4 "2008-02-19T14:56:04Z")
[QUOTE=Eureka] CLOD PROD POND [/QUOTE] Only one of these works. Which one? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/5 "2008-02-19T15:03:33Z")
Deleted because all three looked good to me. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/6 "2008-02-19T15:07:56Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Only one of these works. Which one? [/QUOTE] I have no idea. There is apparently a subtlety I’m missing. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/7 "2008-02-19T15:08:12Z")
Nope, sorry, “deleted” doesn’t work. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/8 "2008-02-19T15:11:40Z")
POND! I feel smart today - I finally got one of your word play threads 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/9 "2008-02-19T15:11:56Z")
POND psst… Eureka The U has to be inserted in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/10 "2008-02-19T15:13:50Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Fire] POND psst… Eureka The U has to be inserted in the middle. [/QUOTE] Then why don’t the other 2 work? Oh, you mean the EXACT middle. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/11 "2008-02-19T15:17:30Z")
😃 Nice work, all! ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/12 "2008-02-19T15:21:21Z")
Gotcha. I spent way too much time pouring over the list . . . checking whether the U had to be added before the vowel, or after the vowel, and not enough time checking the overall number of letters. Oh, well. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/13 "2008-02-19T17:36:42Z")
I don’t know if it’s stretching the rule, but you can do odd-lettered ones too: BAD FAN DAB LAD AROSE TROPE ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/14 "2008-02-19T17:41:47Z")
But then the placement isn’t in the exact middle, which was part of the premise. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-play/438241/15 "2008-02-19T20:06:25Z")
ROSE BOND