283 language/english/spelling/operations.on.words/deletion.p
Description
This article is from the Puzzles FAQ, by Chris Cole chris@questrel.questrel.com and Matthew Daly mwdaly@pobox.com with numerous contributions by others.
283 language/english/spelling/operations.on.words/deletion.p
What exceptional words turn into other words by deletion of letters?
language/english/spelling/operations.on.words/deletion.s
longest beheadable word P(REDETERMINATION) (16/15)
longest for each letter (6-88,181,198,213,13-159,14-219,15-155,16-96,220,
17-85) APATHETICALLY, BLITHESOME, CHASTENING, DEMULSIFICATION,
EMOTIONLESSNESS, FUTILITARIANISM, GASTRONOMICALLY, HEDRIOPHTHALMA,
IDENTIFICATION, JUNCTIONAL, KINAESTHETIC, LIMITABLENESS, METHYLACETYLENE,
NEOPALEOZOIC, OENANTHALDEHYDE, PREDETERMINATION, QUINTA, REVOLUTIONARILY,
SELECTIVENESS, TREASONABLENESS, UPRAISER, VINDICATION, WHENCEFORWARD,
XANTHOPHYLLITE, YOURSELVES, ZOOSPORIFEROUS
longest beheadable down to a single letter PRESTATE (8)
longest curtailable word (not a plural) (COUNTERMAN)D, (UNDERCOVER)T (11)
longest curtailable down to a single letter LAMBASTES
longest alternately beheadable and curtailable word ASHAMED (7)
longest arbitrarily beheadable and curtailable (all subsequences words)
SHADES (6)
longest terminal ellision word D(EPILATION)S (11)
longest letter subtraction down to a single letter STRANGLING,
STRANGING, STANGING, STAGING, SAGING, AGING, GING, GIN, IN, I
longest charitable word (subtract letter anywhere)
PLEATS: LEATS,PEATS,PLATS,PLEAS,PLEAT
shortest stingy word (no deletion possible) PRY (3)
****
Unless noted otherwise, all words occur in Webster's Third New International
Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA, 1961.
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