Odds and Ends

No clever theme this week.

A Grade Challenge

You have S A T I R E Y. Nice letters but no bingo.

There are possibilities for 8 letter words with the right letter on the board. But the right letter might not be there or might be in the wrong place. It would be useful to be able to spot all the 8 letter words that are possible. Can you think of them all. There are seven for you to find.

B and C Grade Study List

This study list is inspired by a B grader who was caught by surprise last week because she didn’t know one of the front hooks for GO. AGO and EGO are easy to see, but she had never seen YGO or the plural YGOE (not ygos).

Sometimes I get carried away and pitch the study list at too high a level. This week we are back to basics with front hooks for 2 letter words. Mostly they are situations where there are some obvious letters if you have them, but trying to make sure you don’t miss the more unusual options

DO – You would spot the A hook, but don’t forget UDO

HA – You would spot the A or C hook, but did you know SHA and WHA

HM – The sort of word that doesn’t look like it will take a front hook at all, so it is easy to miss the opportunity to play OHM

MA – It is easy to spot the A hook, but less so OMA. And did you know SMA?

ME – An E and perhaps an A hook are well known. But did you know UME?

MU – A and E hooks are both well known, but it is easier to miss UMU

OF – It is easy to think of the O hook, but did you know DOF and WOF?

SI – It doesn’t look like it takes a front hook, until you remember PSI

SO – Perhaps you would spot the I hook, but less obvious is DSO

ST – It would be easy to forget about P for PST and anyone who did not know EST should certainly learn it

YA – No obvious hook for this one but don’t miss PYA and RYA

YU – The A hook is well known. KYU and RYU are more unusual

Answers to A Grade Challenge

B makes BESTIARY – A book of animal fables

B also makes SYBARITE – A person devoted to luxury

E makes YEASTIER – More like yeast

H makes HYSTERIA – uncontrollable excitement or fear

M makes SYMITARE – A curved oriental sword

P makes ASPERITY – Roughness

V makes VESTIARY – A dressing room