# Wordplay **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 7, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022 "2009-06-07T16:45:35Z")\ **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:** [June 7, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/1 "2009-06-07T16:45:35Z")
From my puzzle-a-day calendar: > [@](#): > > Hugh has unusual likes and dislikes. He likes a ref but not an umpire, a piano but not an organ, epoxy but not glue, and calm but not serenity. Based on this information, will he like a taxi or a cab? Not superhard, but fun. If you want to spell out the reasoning for your guess, pls. put it in a spoiler box so people coming into the thread after you can play along. Posting more examples of pairs of things he likes and doesn’t like is another way of indicating whether you got the answer or not, and one that doesn’t require spoiler boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/2 "2009-06-07T19:38:01Z")
He’d like a cab because it has two alphabetically consecutive letters. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/3 "2009-06-07T20:02:21Z")
Hugh like plaster, spackle and stucco but not cement. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/4 "2009-06-07T20:46:23Z")
Ahhhh. Hugh wants plastic, not paper. Hugh likes bobcats, not lynxes. Hugh likes death, not life. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/5 "2009-06-07T21:50:58Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Hugh like plaster, spackle and stucco but not cement. Not quite. Close. But not quite. The same applies to Thudlow’s entries. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/6 "2009-06-07T21:59:15Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Not quite. Close. But not quite. > > The same applies to Thudlow’s entries. Ah, gotcha. Damn (not darn). Hugh likes the OP but not my reply. Hugh likes suede but not leather. Hugh likes beef but not pork. Hugh drinks Nehi but not Fanta. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/7 "2009-06-07T22:02:59Z")
Yupper – **Thudlow** has it. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/8 "2009-06-08T00:15:27Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/9 "2009-06-08T01:11:54Z")
Without reading past the OP: He’d prefer a cab to a taxi. He also likes a blade, but not a knife: a laugh, but not a chuckle; pop, but not soda; Desmond Tutu, but not Nelson Mandela. He’s solemn, but not serious. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/10 "2009-06-08T01:46:10Z")
Are we open to more of these? The first one I can remember, when I was introduced to this game is still a classic. Given that we aren’t too much under way, let me toss this near gimmie in. Apples, but not Bananas Baseball, but not Cricket Accounting and Bookkeeping, but not Financing and Investment Banking. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/11 "2009-06-08T01:52:44Z")
Silver, but not Gray Purple, but not Indigo ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/12 "2009-06-08T17:33:37Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Are we open to more of these? > > The first one I can remember, when I was introduced to this game is still a classic. Given that we aren’t too much under way, let me toss this near gimmie in. > > Apples, but not Bananas > > Baseball, but not Cricket > > Accounting and Bookkeeping, but not Financing and Investment Banking. Cooking, but not Baking Corvette, but not Mustang Rabbit and Bunny, but not Hare As for > [@](#): > > Silver, but not Gray > > Purple, but not Indigo would it be correct to add: Orange, but not Pumpkin? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/13 "2009-06-08T19:55:16Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Are we open to more of these? > > The first one I can remember, when I was introduced to this game is still a classic. Given that we aren’t too much under way, let me toss this near gimmie in. > > Apples, but not Bananas > > Baseball, but not Cricket > > Accounting and Bookkeeping, but not Financing and Investment Banking. Baccarat, but not Chemin de Fer. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/14 "2009-06-08T23:29:24Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Cooking, but not Baking > > Corvette, but not Mustang > > Rabbit and Bunny, but not Hare > > As for > > would it be correct to add: > > Orange, but not Pumpkin? Yes. Indeed. Not sure what else you could add, ater that though. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/15 "2009-06-08T23:30:29Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Cooking, but not Baking > > Corvette, but not Mustang > [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Baccarat, but not Chemin de Fer. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/16 "2009-06-09T11:52:32Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Silver, but not Gray > > Purple, but not Indigo > [@Sternvogel](#): > > Orange, but not Pumpkin > [@Meeko](#): > > Not sure what else you could add, ater that though. Okay, I’m totally not getting this one – could someone spoilerbox an answer, pls? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/17 "2009-06-09T12:45:10Z")
Without looking at others’ answers, my first thought is that he might like a taxi _and_ a cab, but it seems unlikely to be the answer. Let me try: Does he like an auto but not a manual? ETA: having looked through the thread, pretty sure I haven’t got it. This is going to be a “kick yourself” moment, I’m sure :). ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/18 "2009-06-09T13:48:48Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Okay, I’m totally not getting this one – could someone spoilerbox an answer, pls? The words _silver_, _purple_, and _orange_ don’t have any “real” rhymes in the English language. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/19 "2009-06-09T14:36:19Z")
Ah, gotcha. Thanks. And **Dead Cat** – nope, whatever you’re thinking, it’s not right. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022/20 "2009-06-09T14:45:24Z")
Okay, here’s a hint: He liked _Blade_ but not _Matrix_; he gets high but not stoned; he will stop but not cease. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wordplay/499022.md?page=2)