Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s puzzle features sentences that include a short word that anagrams to another word, and is defined by yet another word in the sentence. For example, if the clue is I can get no research done because the room is so dusty, what’s the anagram, and what’s the definition? This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Try Your Hand at Short Word Anagram Wordplay”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette.
And joining us now is that international man of mysteries wrapped in enigmas, John Chaneski.
Hi, Martha. Hi, Grant.
I’ve been to at least two countries, so yes, it does count as international.
Hello, Canada.
Anyway, short anagrams today is the title of our quiz.
You know, anagrams are a staple of wordplay, but we don’t do them much here because they’re not always easy to do in your head.
But we’re going to try some simple short anagrams and we’re going to add hints.
I’ll give you a sentence. That sentence will contain a short word that anagrams to another word.
Also in that sentence will be another word that defines the answer. For example,
I can get no research done because the room is so dusty. The definition is research and the anagram word is dusty, which anagrams to study.
Study. Yes. Research, study.
Dusty is study. That’s the anagram.
Okay, let’s give it a shot.
We sat around the fire and wept into our mugs of hot cider.
Not smug.
Hot cider.
Sounds like cider is the key word. Yeah, it’s got to be something.
And is it is it synonym for wept?
Yes.
Like cried?
Yes, cried is the anagram of cider.
And the definition is the word wept.
Nicely done.
This summer I want to sample the grits in every southern state.
Taste and sample.
Yes, exactly.
State anagrams to taste.
And it’s synonym for sample.
Nicely done.
A dark, hairy thing crept out of the closet.
Oh, night.
Thing anagrams to night.
Oh, good one.
For dark, yes.
That was the tricky part was the definition.
Here we go.
I’m going to toss this poem because it’s not worth my time.
You’re not going to emit it.
No.
We’re not anagramming this.
No.
Are you moping?
No, not an anagramming poem either.
Oh, oh, oh.
Yes.
Love that sound.
Worth anagrams to throw.
Right.
And it’s defined by the word?
Toss.
Toss, yes.
Very good.
For what I paid, I found the dinner options rather lame.
Meal.
Dinner, yeah, lame manograms to meal, which is a synonym for dinner.
Yes, very good.
Nicely done.
All right, you guys did fantastic.
That’s a workout.
Thank you, John.
That was a mind-bender for sure.
I appreciate the workout every week.
Take care, guys.
Thanks so much.
Whether you’re into word games or slang or new words or the jargon you use at work or some new bit of language that you read in a book, we’d love to talk about it, 877-929-9673.
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