Doublets
is a game which was invented by Lewis Carroll, who described it in these words:
'Two words are proposed, of the same length; and the puzzle consists in linking
these together by interposing other words, each of which shall differ from the
next word in one letter only. . . . As an example, the word 'head' may be
changed into 'tail' by interposing the words 'heal, teal, tell, tall.' Thus
Carroll changed 'head' into 'tail' in five moves:
HEAD HEAL TEAL TELL TALL TAIL
Try
to make the following transformations in the specified number of moves.
1)Change
CAT into DOG in three moves.
CAT-COT-DOT-DOG
or CAT-COT-COG-DOG.
1261)Change
BOY into MAN in three moves.
BOY-BAY-MAY-MAN
or BOY-BAY-BAN-MAN.
2)Change
HARD into EASY in five moves.
HARD-CARD-CART-CAST-EAST-EASY.
3)Change
EAST into WEST in three moves.
EAST-PAST-PEST-WEST
or EAST-LAST-LEST-WEST.
4)Change
ONE into TWO in eight moves.
ONE-OWE-EWE-EYE-DYE-DOE-TOE-TOO-TWO.
5)Change
BREAD into TOAST in seven moves.
BREAD-BREAK-BLEAK-BLEAT-BLEST-BLAST-BOAST-TOAST.
6)Change
SICK into WELL in four moves.
SICK-SILK-SILL-WILL-WELL.
7)Change
RICH into POOR in six moves.
RICH-RICK-ROCK-ROOK-BOOK-BOOR-POOR.
8)Change
GRASS into GREEN in seven moves.
GRASS-CRASS-CRESS-TRESS-TREES-TREED-GREED-GREEN.
9)Change
TREE into WOOD in eight moves.
TREE-FREE-FLEE-FLED-FEED-WEED-WELD-WOLD-WOOD
or
TREE-FREE-FLEE-FLED-FEED-FEND-FOND-FOOD-WOOD.
10)Change
HATE into LOVE in three moves.
HATE-HAVE-LAVE-LOVE
or HATE-HAVE-HOVE-LOVE.
11)Change
BLACK into WHITE in seven moves.
BLACK-BLANK-BLINK-CLINK-CHINK-CHINE-WHINE-WHITE
Contronyms
also known as ‘autantonyms’ or ‘Janus words’ are words which have two opposite
meanings, according to the context in which they occur. For example, with can
mean ‘alongside’ in ‘Come with me’ but ‘against’ or ‘in opposition to’ in
‘Hannibal fought with the Romans’. And remember the pharmacist who unwisely
advertises that he ‘dispenses with accuracy’! Can you identify these
contradictory words?
12)To spray
with powder or remove dust from.
dust (the
aircraft dusted the fields; Have you dusted this room?).
13)Sanctified
or damned.
blessed
(Blessed are the meek; I’m blessed if I will!).
14)Open to
everybody or open to a restricted number of people.
public
(public building; public school).
15)Not good
or very good.
bad (That was
a bad move; He’s a real bad singer).
16)Add to
or remove from.
trim (She
trimmed the dress with lace; Trim the pastry round the edge).
17)To open
or shut.
draw
(curtains).
18)Move
gracefully or move clumsily.
trip (She
tripped across the fields; He tripped over the carpet).
19)To stick
together or split apart.
cleave
(‘Shall a man cleave unto his wife?’ Genesis 2; You can cleave the log
in two with
an axe).
20)A duty
to notice things or a failure to notice things.
oversight
(She has the oversight of the works; My failure to check the meter was simply
an oversight).
21)Remaining
or departed.
left (There
is one cake left; She has just left).
22)That
moves quickly or that does not move.
fast (a fast
horse runs; a fast color does not run).
23)Very
enthusiastic about something or very annoyed at it.
mad or wild.
24)A three
word phrase which means ‘to like more’ or ‘to like less’.
think better
of (I think better of him after he saved the cat; I have thought better of
telling my boss he’s a fool).
25)Acceptance
and approval or disapproval and punishment.
sanction (The
king gave his sanction; They imposed sanctions on the warring parties).
26)A
two-word phrase meaning either ‘working’ or ‘refusing to work’.
industrial
action.
27)A
two-word phrase meaning either ‘definite’ or ‘not possible’.
no question
(There is no question that he is stupid; There’s no question of my giving in).
28)A
two-word phrase meaning a small leap or a massive leap.
quantum leap
(In physics, this name means a sudden change in an atom or molecule; in general
use it means a huge change).
29)A two-word phrase meaning to
stop something and to start something
wind up (The
company was wound up; The clock started when I wound it up).
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