Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Writing Life: Word Game

by JJ Murphy

What do the following words have in common? The bold first letter is a clue.

Banana
Dresser
Grammar
Potato
Revive
Uneven
Assess

I confess, I stared at this list for several minutes, gave up, and came back to look at it later.

Once you get the answer, I expect your response will be, “Oh, how obvious.” But until then it’s a bit of a brainteaser.

I’ve been contemplating the amazing flexibility and resulting confusion of the English language as a response to cabin fever this past winter.

It has been impossible to cross country ski or snowshoe on ice, so I’ve spent a good deal more time indoors than I normally would.

I enjoy word games and puzzles, especially when I learn new words or new ways to use words. So, have fun, take your time, and see if this little puzzle suddenly reveals itself.

I finally gave up and peeked at the answer, so you’re ahead of me if you can figure this out for yourself.

Give up? Here’s the answer:

Take the first letter in each word and place it at the end of the word and then spell the word backwards and you’ll have the same word.

JJ Murphy is a freelance nature writer, photographer, blogging hiker, forager, locavore, and tree-hugger with more than 50 years of eco-centric living experience. Visit www.WriterByNature.com if you need relevant content that captures your personal style and tone.


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