Chop Off a Letter in the Take-Off Word Game

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 who is this stepping out of a blue phone box?

It’s John Chaneski, our quiz guy.

Hi, John.

Hi, Grant.

Hi, Martha.

This week, it’s one of our staples, the takeoff.

It’s a variation on a National Puzzlers League puzzle type, but it’s very simple.

Take a word, take off its first letter, and a new word is left behind.

That’s it.

I’ll read a sentence that contains clues to both the original word and the resulting word, and you tell me both of them.

Now, this week we’re taking off the letter M from the beginning of all these words.

For example, if I said, the knight was an expert at swinging a heavy spiked club.

A heavy spiked club is a, do you know what it is?

Mace.

A mace.

So he was an ace at the mace.

Right, an expert. Ace is a word for an expert.

So, yeah, M, mace, mace, mace, very good.

Okay, here’s the first clue.

The first man introduced himself to the fancy lady.

The first man introduced himself to the fancy lady.

Madam and Adam.

Madam and Adam.

That’s even part of a famous thing, yes.

Madam, Adam.

They were the most accomplished sorcerers in many, many years.

Mages and ages.

Yes, mages.

Oh, good.

I should have thought of that.

I read so much fantasy fiction with mages in it.

And ages, many, many years is ages.

Very good.

If he finds the cattle trough empty, you’re the one who will face his wrath.

Ooh.

Anger, danger.

Manger.

Manger.

Manger, yes.

The sparse pantry had me craving a decent meal.

So empty cabinet.

And the pickings were meager.

Yes.

Oh, very good.

So it made me…

Eager.

Yes, it made me eager for a decent meal or craving a decent meal.

Very good.

Very good.

Yeah.

Now that we joined the troop, we were responsible for putting out the dregs of the campfire.

Ashes and…

That’s what I was thinking, but what about members and embers?

Yes, members and embers is correct.

Now that our feud had drawn to a close, we fixed the fence between our backyards.

Ended and mended.

Yes, ended and mended. Very good.

Finally, the tale the storyteller recited had a deep, meaningful lesson.

Ooh.

The oral and moral.

I’m not quite sure how to fit them in there.

Yes, oral and moral.

Oral recited is oral, and a meaningful lesson is moral.

Very good.

You guys got them all.

And the moral of that tale is work on your quizzes, and you’ll get better just like these guys.

Well, John, thank you so much.

I’m sorry you have to take off.

Very good.

Yes, I don’t take off.

Those are M takeoffs for today, and I’m going to take off.

Take care, guys.

All right, take care.

Give our best to the family.

You too. Bye-bye.

All right. Bye-bye.

And we’d love for you to take a moment and go to your phone and call us to talk about language, 877-929-9673, or send us an email.

The address is words@waywordradio.org.