basial
adj. pertaining to kissing
Language
Apt
In Pig Latin, TRASH becomes ASHTRAY.
In a Word
gammerstang
n. a tall, awkward person, usually a woman
Catálogo
A self-inventorying Spanish sentence, discovered/invented by Miguel Lerma of the Universidad Politecnica of Madrid:
Esta frase contiene exactamente doscientas treinta y cinco letras: veinte a’s, una b, dieciseis c’s, trece d’s, treinta e’s, dos f’s, una g, una h, diecinueve i’s, una j, una k, dos l’s, dos m’s, veintidos n’s, catorce o’s, una p, una q, diez r’s, treinta y tres s’s, diecinueve t’s, doce u’s, cinco v’s, una w, dos x’s, cuatro y’s, y dos z’s.
See also The Quick Brown Fox, Bills of Lading, and Inventory.
Just So You Know
GREAT CRESTED GREBE is typed entirely with the left hand.
Auto-Antonyms
More self-contradicting words:
- AUGHT (“anything” and “nothing”)
- BULL (“edict” and “nonsense”)
- ENJOIN (“prescribe” and “prohibit”)
- KICK OFF (“begin” and “die”)
- NERVY (“brash” and “timid”)
- RAVEL (“tangle” and “disentangle”)
- TEMPER (“harden” and “soften”)
- UNBENDING (“rigid” and “relaxing”)
- WEATHER (“withstand” and “wear away”)
Zing is appeal, but zinging is criticism.
In a Word
spoffle
v. to make oneself very busy over a matter of very little consequence
“An Eastern Counties word.” — Charles Mackay, Lost Beauties of the English Language
Two in One
This Morse code square reads the same across as down:
As it contains no spaces, each line can be read in two ways.
Love/Hate
SENSUOUSNESSES contains only two consonants.
THERE’S NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN THEM contains only two vowels.
In a Word
gongoozler
n. an idler who stares at activity on a canal