Don't be EDGY about an IFFY UNDY

Sorry that my blog is a little late this week. There was a bridge event over the weekend at which my results were so bad I can only put it behind me and pray that the Trans-Tasman this weekend in Dunedin will inspire better memories.

This time the quiz will be about hooks. The 3 words in the quiz are from the title.

What letters can you hook in front of EDGY, IFFY and UNDY?

The answers to the quiz are at the end.

In the meantime I will give you a list of hooks at the other end. These words all take an H after them but cannot be pluralised with an S. In most cases H is the only hook. Any alternatives will be mentioned.

ET Well known this takes A and H. Sometimes (ets) is mistakenly played

GOT Also straightforward. GOTH is the only hook

CAZ CAZH is an easy hook to forget. Both words are slang for casual

GART GART is compelled. GARTH is a small yard surrounded by a cloister

SPILT SPILTH will surprise most people. It means something spilled

Next time someone makes a mess say: Clean up that filthy spilth!

SWART SWARTY is good as well as SWARTH (the amount of grass cut by one

sweep of a scythe)

AGUNA A Hebrew woman whose husband has abandoned her but not

provided an official divorce

LIROT An old Italian currency

PALLA Also an E for PALLAE. An oblong cloth fastened with a brooch.

PRUTA An old Israeli currency.

TOROT Another word for TORA, the body of Jewish law

TREFA Food that is not kosher

WIRRA Both WIRRA and WIRRAH are interjections expressing sorrow. Maybe

you will hear one from your opponent if you challenge (wirras)

AARRGH An exclamation of dismay (if your opponent can add the 2nd H)

AGOROT An ancient Greek marketplace

AGUNOT Same as AGUNA, a Hebrew woman abandoned by her husband

ALIYOT The immigration of Jews to Israel

CHALOT White unleavened bread

HALLOT White unleavened bread. C & S front hooks for CHALLOT / SHALLOT

HUPPOT A Jewish wedding canopy

LUCHOT An inscribed tablet of commandments

MATZOT The same as MATZO, a Jewish unleavened bread

MIKVOT A place for ritual bathing

PRUTOT Same as PRUTA, an old Israeli currency

SUCCOT A shelter where meals are eaten

TEREFA Same as TREFA, food that is not kosher

UNGIRT Removed a belt

Yes, quite a lot of Jewish words that have been adopted into English. It might pay to be careful about pluralising any words that end in –OT

So to return to the quiz:

HEDGY Abounding in headges

KEDGY Brisk, cheerful

LEDGY Abounding in leadges. F can be hooked in front for FLEDGY

SEDGY Bordered by sedge

WEDGY Resembling a wedge.

Hooks for EDGY can be remembered as the consonants in WHELKS.

WHELK takes a Y for WHELKY and I guess that smell would be a bit EDGY

BIFFY An American slang term for an outside toilet

JIFFY A short time

MIFFY Easily annoyed

NIFFY Smelly

The hooks for IFFY can be remembered as the consonants in JAMBONE

That is apparently going it alone in 4 handed euchre. I guess that is a bit IFFY

BUNDY To clock on or off work

CUNDY A covered drain

FUNDY A member of the radical wing of the German Green party

GUNDY Scottish toffee made of treacle and spices

OUNDY Wavy. W can be hooked in front for WOUNDY

I can’t find a valid word as a mnemonic to remember this one even though there is a vowel to work with. However I have made up my own illegal word to describe part of the mechanisms on a pocket watch – FOBCOG. Just don’t try playing it!

Happy Scrabbling

Patrick