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A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Listener Quiz! Single Crossers
Grant Barrett
San Diego, California
1532 Posts
(Offline)
1
2008/02/26 - 5:57am

On this past weekend's show, quiz guy John Chaneski invited listeners to submit their own single crossers to quizguys@waywordradio.org.

A single crosser is two words that share only a single letter. The most elegant ones will be closely related words that are both nice and long.

For example, "ab" and "gluteus maximus" are both muscles and they share an "A," but that's hardly elegant.

Remember, they should only have one letter in common and they should be from a fairly narrow category (Snow White's seven dwarves, kinds of trees, etc.).

John looks forward to what you come up with—and there's a chance he'll use your submissions to create a quiz for a future show.

Send your single crossers to quizguys@waywordradio.org.

Dominic
2
2008/02/26 - 8:02pm

this is a submission from my 12 year old son Dominic

clue: Monarch and Painted Lady in english and spanish

Answer: Butterfly and Mariposa

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
3
2008/02/27 - 6:31am

Very nice, Dominic. And with two of my favorite words!

Guest
4
2008/02/28 - 9:08pm

On the collective noun front:

Kettle of hawKs
paRliament of Rooks
coloNy of aNts
Clowder of Cats

I am sure there are a million more

Guest
5
2008/03/12 - 4:04pm

Can one also “mix” systems of expression? As in, “H?O” and “oxygen” — Things that all human beings require. I don't know, that's probably too broad a category.

How about some triple crossers?
Trees: “apple”, “ash”, “oak”
Languages: Czech, Nzangi¹, Zulu
Musical instruments: “flute”, “oboe”, “pipe” (and naker², for a quadruple crosser)

----------------
¹A Chadic language
²An old term for the kettledrum

Guest
6
2008/03/12 - 7:15pm

Wordsmith said:

Musical instruments: “flute”, “oboe”, “pipe” (and naker², for a quadruple crosser)

—————-
¹A Chadic language
²An old term for the kettledrum


Single reed and double reed wind instruments:
"clarinet" and "oboe"

Guest
7
2008/05/31 - 8:48pm

Friend's from the Hundred Acre Wood:

Kanga + Piglet
Rabbit + Roo

Springfield's Finest:

Homer + Bart
Krusty + Ralph

Freshwater fish:

Trout + Salmon
Carp + Bass

Marsupials:

Numbat + Quoll

(This took me over an hour as all the rest of the marsupials are dirty double-crossers! Watch your backs down under ;-D )

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