Quiz Guy John Chaneski proffers a puzzle he calls “F-Takeoffs,” which involves removing the initial letter F from a word to get an entirely different word. For example, if John orders some lumberjack tools by sending some scanned, printed orders over a phone line, what two words apply? This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Takeoffs 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 we are joined by our giant quiz guy, John Janeski.
Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha.
Hello there. How are you doing?
Hi, yeah.
You’re like 6’5″, right?
6’5″, is me. That’s true. I mention all the time Abraham Lincoln was only 6’4″.
Here’s the quiz for today. It’s called F. Takeoffs.
Now, we’ve done takeoffs before.
That’s where we take off the first letter of a word to get another word.
And this time we’re going to make two words by taking the letter F from the start of a word.
Only F now.
For example, if I said I ordered some lumberjack tools by sending some scanned printed orders over a phone line, that would clue both axes and faxes.
Yes, you got it.
So that’s how all of these are going to go.
Each clue will clue two words.
Here we go.
I usually get what I want through either bribery or compliments, especially the second one.
Bribery or compliments?
Flatter and ladder.
Flatter and ladder. Yes, very good.
Her flower garden grew so luxuriously that my face soon became red and hot.
Flush and lush.
Yes, very good.
I’ll be appearing in a new play based on a true event.
Fact and act?
Yes, fact and act.
His health is not good, and as a result, his classwork is suffering.
Fail and ale.
Failing and ailing, yes. Very good.
The two of us tussled over the briefcase, but it turned out to have nothing inside it.
Fought and ought?
Yes, fought and ought. Nice.
If you think it was intense fear that made me run, then you are absolutely correct.
Fright and right.
Fright and right.
In fact, I ran away so quickly I knocked over a lamp.
Flight and…
Yes.
Light and flight.
Yes, flight and light.
Finally, she was so attractive.
I invited her up to my place to see my art print made by a process of coating a glass plate with a protective layer, drawing on it with a needle and covering it with acid to corrode the parts of the needle that’s exposed.
If you know what I mean.
Fetching and etching.
Fetching and etching.
She was so fetching, you took her up to see your etchings.
I thought you were going to say fox and ox, you know, like the Picasso and ox.
Sure, that would be very nice.
I wish I owned the Picasso.
That would be wonderful.
You guys did fantastic.
Way to go.
John, thank you, and we’ll talk to you next week.
Talk to you then.
Take care.
Bye.
And we want to talk with you about language, so call us, 877-929-9673, or send an email to words@waywordradio.org, and you can find us on Twitter at WayWord.
