# Word Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 2, 2001, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064 "2001-05-02T10:35:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/1 "2001-05-02T10:35:48Z")

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so what are the 3 words that end in -gry?

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**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/2 "2001-05-02T10:40:01Z")

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It’s [been answered.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html)  
(I spent ages on this one when I first got asked - what a waste of effort)

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**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/3 "2001-05-02T10:42:27Z")

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don’tgry  
evengry  
askgry

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**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/4 "2001-05-02T11:05:27Z")

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Welcome to the boards.

Just wanted to let you know that JillGat’s gonna have your ass when she sees this.

Have a nice day. 😉

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/5 "2001-05-07T03:49:05Z")

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[gry](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html)  
See how patient I can be?

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**Author:** ![Tatjana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@Tatjana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatjana)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/6 "2001-05-07T04:32:17Z")

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OK, I’m an idiot. I don’t understand this:

“There are three English words ending with -gry. Two of them are hungry and angry. The third word is very common; in fact you have just encountered it. What is the third word?”

Naturally you are puzzled, because none of the words Cecil has just quoted is common. How do we explain this?

Easy. You are the victim of a despicable trick. The desired answer is “three.”

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**Author:** ![NightRabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-question/64064/7 "2001-05-07T06:30:32Z")

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The third word. You think it means the third word that ends in -gry, but it’s actually referring to the third word of the sentence.

Har har har

Damn word tricksters.