Ish Word Puzzle

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 it’s time for the quiz with John Chaneski.

Hi, John.

Hey, Grant. Hey, Martha.

Hi, John.

As you can tell from my name, John Chaneski, my background is Polish.

Now, you can probably tell from my physique, too, because I’m tall and kind of slender,

so I’m Pole-ish.

Ish.

Okay, gotcha.

Okay.

Now, I’ll give you a clue to a word or name that ends in I-S-H, ish.

It will sound like I’m describing something that’s similar to something else.

For example, this sounds somewhat like a mark used to identify livestock.

The answer would be?

Brandish.

Yes, brandish. Right.

Now, brandish really means to wave or flourish a weapon, but brandish could be sounds like a brand.

Okay?

Okay.

Here’s a few more.

This one sounds somewhat like an official or legal prohibition.

Banish?

Banish. It’s sort of, you know, banish.

This sounds somewhat like a restroom in the U.K., informally at least.

Lewish? What?

WC-ish. Weird.

Lavish.

Yes.

Lavish is right.

Sort of like a lav.

Yeah, if you put us on an airplane, we would have gotten it.

Now, this sounds somewhat like a fish’s fishy appendage.

Finish.

Yes, finish.

This sounds somewhat like a play on words.

Punish.

Punish, yes, of course.

This sounds something like an 80s term for cool or awesome.

Radish.

Radish.

You’re probably waiting for that one.

All the way back in the 80s, I guess it was.

Time flies.

This sounds somewhat like the way I would refer to me, that is, me vis-a-vis me.

Selfish.

Selfish, yes.

This sounds somewhat like a bridge or arch, or rather the full extent of something from end to end.

Spanish.

Spanish, yes.

This sounds somewhat like a mountain lake or pool excavated by a glacier.

Tarnish.

Yes, tarn.

Oh, tarn.

Yes, okay, very good.

Great crossword word.

That’s a very good word, yes.

This sounds somewhat like a road vehicle that’s bigger than a car, yet smaller than a truck.

Vanish.

Yes, vanish.

And on that note, it’s time for me to vanish.

Vanish.

I am finished.

You are finished.

And speaking Spanish.

I’ll stop punishing you.

And eating radishes.

John, thank you so much.

Thank you, Martha.

Thank you, Grant.

See you next week.

Bye, John.

Thank you.

Bye.

Take care now.

Well, if you’d like to talk with us about anything involving language, give us a call, 877-929-9673, or send us an email.

The address is words@waywordradio.org, or you can hit us up on Twitter at Wayword.