Another Trying Take-Off Puzzle To Try

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett.

And wearing white shoes after Labor Day, it’s our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hi, John.

I’d like to make the point, it is always after Labor Day.

Sometime.

It’s long after Labor Day.

Or maybe you’re just ahead.

Somewhere in the world right now, it’s 5 p.m. after Labor Day.

That’s right.

I am fashion forward, maybe a little too forward.

We’re coming to the alphabetic end of years and years of takeoffs, and that’s where we take a letter off the start of a word, creating a new word.

Now, we’ve been working our way towards a Z, and we’re at a point now where not enough common words begin with U, so we’re going to go with V and W.

I’ll give you a clue to two words. One begins with either V or W, and the other is the same word with the first letter taken off.

For example, he plugged his guitar into the loudspeaker and began an improvised intro with clue both amp and vamp.

Gotcha.

Got it?

So that’s the V.

Some of them might have Ws.

Some of them might have Vs.

This one’s very simple.

What place?

This place.

Where?

Here.

Yeah, where?

Here, right here.

The simplest one we have.

I am making way too little for someone as old as I am.

I mean, that’s just a life problem.

That’s just me, yeah.

Your wage is not sufficient for your age.

That is correct.

My wage doesn’t match my age.

I guess my worst habit is when I finish a soda, I chew on the cubes.

When I finish the soda, I chew on the cubes.

So W or V.

Your vice?

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

Your vice is chewing ice.

Good, Martha.

Thank you.

If that’s my worst habit, I’ll take it.

I have an intense desire to join a coven.

An itch to be a witch.

An itch to be a witch.

I spent the entire blistering summer harvesting grain on my grandpa’s farm.

Harvesting grain.

W or V?

How about a W?

Yes.

You were harvesting wheat in the heat.

Wheat in the heat.

Yes, very good.

From my chamber high above the street, I could hear the sound of race cars speeding past.

That’s what they sounded like, yeah.

You’ve almost got one of the words there.

Vroom and room.

Yes, vroom and room.

Finally, I hefted the bag in my hands and could tell it was a bit over seven pounds.

So the weight was almost eight. Weight was eight, that’s it, a simple one for the last, and you got it.

Way to go, well done, or l done, I don’t know, it’s just nice work.

I want to say wow, that was an ow some of those.

Thanks, John. Bye-bye.

And if you’d like to join in on the fun, this is the place to talk about any aspect of language whatsoever. So give us a call 877-929-9673 or send us an email.

The address is words@waywordradio.org.