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Arithmetical Morphology, Ted Clarke

Word Ways

Several recent Word Ways articles have used the word mathematics in studies of the morphology of words. Mathematics is a word, but the study of the numbers and disposition of letters in words doesn't merit the label mathematics. Counting and segregating words, and letters in them, seems only to require the use of arithmetic.

Goose Thighs Rehashed, Christopher Mcmanus

Word Ways

One day during his last illness, my father suddenly remembered a car trick from his boyhood. The trick involved the Latin mnemonic MUTUS NOMEN DEDIT COCIS. Everyone was astonished that a nonesense phrase had lain dormant in his mind's deepest recesses for more than sixty years, then sprung serendipitously to his weakened senses.

The Morristown Fables: Part 1, Peter Newby

Word Ways

"Faith and Begorrah", muttered the leprechaun of Moricetown as he moored his canoe in a garden pond of a house in New Jersey. He had carried his mode of transport all the way from the po box he lived in in Iowa City, and was exhausted by his efforts. Nevertheless, he was proud of his craft with its name, Dilling, emblazoned on its prow. The Moricetown leprechaun was deeply emblazoned on its prow. The Moricetown leprechaun was deeply attached to his canoe, Dilling, which he rarely confined to water. Hence, he had taken it with him on his visit to …

'Cause The Bible Told Me So, Martin Gardner

Word Ways

To The Editor: For years I have been entertained by letters calling attention to what the Bible has to say about homosexuality, masturbation, wine drinking, and kindred topics. Are these letter writers aware, I wonder, that the Old Testament condones smoking?

Cheater's Palindromes: Part 2, Walter Fretlaw

Word Ways

In the November 1993 issue of Word Ways, I discussed the tantalizing palindromic skill of Jeff Grant. This time I wish to spotlight the second of the four 1990 Kickshaws compilers of Cheater's Palindromes, Peter Newby.

The Aeginrst Transposal: Part 2, Jeff Grant

Word Ways

GRISANTE the surname of three individuals listed in the 1992 Erie County TD. Saint GRISANTE is another name for St. Chrysanthu of Daria, according to BMGC.

The Evolution Of A Transposal Set, Darryl Francis

Word Ways

During its two decades of existence, Word Ways has presented transposals in one form or another in almost every issue. These are invariably presented as a given set of words which are mutually transposable, with no description of how they are discovered. I thought it might be worthwhile to examine in more detail than usual how a set of transposals can evolve.

Evolutionary Anagrams, Susan Thorpe

Word Ways

Only three phrases on evolutionary topics are anagrammed in the Word WaysMonograph "The New Anagrammasia":

Somalia: Wail, Amos!

Word Ways

Abstract unavailable.

A (5,4) Word Chain Network, Leonard Gordon

Word Ways

On February 27, 1994, I heard Will Shortz on National Public Radio announce the winner of a contest to form the longest possible (5,4) word chain using words from Webster's 10th Collegiate. A Tulane professor came up with the eight-step SCAP-CRAPE-RAPES-APEST-PESTO-ESTOP-STOPE-TOPER-OPERA (which can be represented in compressed form as SCRAPESTOPERA).

A Presidential Word-Search, Ted Clarke

Word Ways

Abstract unavailable.

King's-Move Word Packing, A. Ross Eckler

Word Ways

In chess, a king can move to nay of the eight adjacent squares on the board - up, down, left, right, and the four diagonals. One can construct logological challenges by inserting letters on individual squares of a chessboard (extended, if necessary, beyond its 8x8 limits), and spelling out words by moving from letter to letter via king's moves.

Kickshaws, David Morice

Word Ways

A collection of linguistic kickshaws.

An Abelian Alphabet?, Bernard E. M. Wren

Word Ways

A curious problem may be stated very simply for those familiar with the language of mathematics. Consider the free group on the 26 letters of the alphabet, with transposals as relations; is the group Abelian?

Wordplay On Computer Networks, Mark Saltveit

Word Ways

The Internet is a web of linked computer networks set up initially by the US government. Each computer network on the Internet shares certain data formats and commands, so that anyone on a member network can send electronic mail (email) to anyone else. To enter the Internet, one must first join (an establish an account on) one of the thousands of member networks worldwide. Those networks (free to students and faculty), or a national commercial network such as Compuserve or America On Line. These charge monthly fees plus $4-$12 per hour. Prodigy does not yet offer Internet services, and America …

Whence The Name Of Nancy Drew?, Robert F. Fleissner

Word Ways

In an essay on Charles Dickens' "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," in the Journal of American Name Society [1], I added an endnote to the effect that the name of the celebrated teenage crime unraveler, Nancy Drew, may derive from Dickensian sources: a conflation of the heroine's name, Nancy, from "Oliver Twist" along with Drood from the mystery novel bearing that surname.

Rare Maps For Correctors, Lee Sallows

Word Ways

In "Rare Maps For Collectors" in the November Word Ways, I presented a mapping between integers and letters for producing "perfect" German number names. However, Hans Havermann in Colloquy has questioned my German spelling. He is right to do so; I have confused German und with Dutch en, to produce nonsensical bilingual compounds such as einenzwanzig instead of einundzwanzig.

The Language Of Business, Leonard R. N. Ashley

Word Ways

The bottom line is that business has a jargon all its own. How many of these business words and phrases can make it your business to define? If you get more than half of them right, expect a personal discount the next time you deal with us.

Answers And Solutions

Word Ways

Answers and solutions to the puzzles in this issue.

Back Cover

Word Ways

Back cover of this issue including instructions to authors.

Political Palindromes, Mark Saltveit

Word Ways

Abstract unavailable.

Kickshaws, David Morice

Word Ways

A collection of linguistic kickshaws.

On Converting Numbers Into Words, Anthony Sebastian

Word Ways

I might tary a long time in the declarying the nature of diuerse Schemes, whiche are woordes or stentencies alterd contrarie to the vulgar custome of our speache.

The Ten-Square: A Tribute, Ted Clarke

Word Ways

It's know that for one hundred years

Puzzlists strove for what appears

Could not be done within the span

The Good Lord had alloted man

Doubly-True Alphametics, Leonard Gordon

Word Ways

Alphametics (AMs) are crypted arithmetic problems; one or two are included in almost every collection of adult puzzles. They are a regular feature in the Journal of Recreational Mathematics (JRM). Precedent for including AMs as logology is provided by Dmitri Borgmann in "Language on Vacation."

Colloquy

Word Ways

A collection of responses to previously published articles.

Aeiou Words In Biology: Part 2, Suan Thorpe

Word Ways

Abstract unavailable.

Bosnia Pain (Sob!), Winfred S. Emmons

Word Ways

BOSNIA, GA. REV., ENDED. NEVER AGAIN! (SOB!)

a Southern minister, learning it's all over, vows it won't repeat.

Front Cover And Publication Information, Volume 27 Issue 1

Word Ways

Front cover and publication information for this issue.

Nested Word Squares, Leonard Gordon, A. Ross Eckler

Word Ways

In the may 1983 Word Ways, Helen Motamen describes a word puzzle contest she won in which the object was to construct a five-by-five letter array containing a maximum number of three-letter, four-letter and five-letter words across and down.