# Wordplay **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 3, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915 "2008-05-03T18:58:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/1 "2008-05-03T18:58:17Z")
A very minor bagatelle this time – in hopes that someone can help me expand this list. What do the following words have in common? AHA MAT TAO TOOT WOW YAM Words that failed their audition: AWAY EMIT MOTTO MOUTH TOMATO WHY ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/2 "2008-05-03T19:01:36Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] A very minor bagatelle this time – in hopes that someone can help me expand this list. What do the following words have in common? AHA MAT TAO TOOT WOW YAM Words that failed their audition: AWAY EMIT MOTTO MOUTH TOMATO WHY [/QUOTE] They all form a legitimate word when spelled backward. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/3 "2008-05-03T19:04:09Z")
Except that emit spells time. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/4 "2008-05-03T19:05:58Z")
[QUOTE=peekercpa] Except that emit spells time. [/QUOTE] So close and yet… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/5 "2008-05-03T19:16:58Z")
Hint: Look more closely. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/6 "2008-05-03T19:24:12Z")
Don’t know if it’s what you had in mind but: Having the first and last letter change places produces a legitimate word (either the same for the palindromes, or different for the others) among the first group, but not for the second set. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/7 "2008-05-03T20:25:04Z")
They don’t reverse in a mirror? ala “choice”, like in _Still Life With Woodpecker_. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/8 "2008-05-03T21:38:19Z")
And **brujaja** gets it – they’re words that are also words if you look at them in a mirror. twicks, who’s glimpsed herself in the mirror wearing a CAPE MAY sweatshirt once too often ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/9 "2008-05-04T18:13:10Z")
Here’s one: What do these words have in common? ELBOWS BALANCED GRIMACES SHAKESPEARE CROSSWORDS ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/10 "2008-05-04T18:42:43Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] Here’s one: What do these words have in common? ELBOWS BALANCED GRIMACES SHAKESPEARE CROSSWORDS [/QUOTE] They all contain weapons? Bow(s), Lance, Mace(s), Spear, and Sword(s), respectively. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/11 "2008-05-04T19:56:44Z")
I like that game where you take a word, and change one letter at a time to make another word, until you reach its opposite. (they have to be the same # of letters) The only one I have tried that won’t work is changing “spring” to “winter”. You know, like HATE LATE LAVE LOVE ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/12 "2008-05-04T20:08:42Z")
[QUOTE=atomicbadgerrace] They all contain weapons? Bow(s), Lance, Mace(s), Spear, and Sword(s), respectively. [/QUOTE] That is correct. Only about 30 minutes too. How about: Mellow Slack Clue Grown Bold ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/13 "2008-05-04T20:30:57Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] That is correct. Only about 30 minutes too. How about: Mellow Slack Clue Grown Bold [/QUOTE] Change one letter to make a color. Yellow, Black, Blue, Brown, Gold; respectively. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/14 "2008-05-04T20:32:47Z")
You are really smart. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/15 "2008-05-04T20:59:04Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] You are really smart. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I quit. Actually, here’s one more set. Winnebago Tobacco Chinook Laguna Mobile Mono Yazoo Easy actually. ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/16 "2008-05-04T21:40:28Z")
Native American tribes? Just a guess based on a few that fit the description. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/17 "2008-05-04T21:44:00Z")
[QUOTE=atomicbadgerrace] Native American tribes? Just a guess based on a few that fit the description. [/QUOTE] I give up! But I’ll be back with more tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/18 "2008-05-04T21:45:29Z")
Haha, that one was a lucky guess. I’m usually better at actual manipulation of words and numbers, rather than the “what’s missing from this group” or “what do these have in common” type, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/19 "2008-05-05T07:32:56Z")
“Mobile” was a Native American tribe? “Yazoo”? Wow… ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915/20 "2008-05-05T18:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] “Mobile” was a Native American tribe? “Yazoo”? Wow… [/QUOTE] [Yeap](http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/muskhogean/mobilehist.htm), and [yeap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazoo_tribe). If **twickster** thinks I’ve corrupted her thread, I’ll stop. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/447915.md?page=2)