STARTLING

[PALADIN85020]

There is a word in the English language, 9 letters long, that when you sequentially remove just one of the letters at a time, the result is another English word each time, right down to the last one letter.

That word is “STARTLING.”

Remove T and you get STARLING

Remove L and you get STARING

Remove A and you get STRING

Remove R and you get STING

Remove T and you get SING

Remove G and you get SIN

Remove S and you get IN

Remove N and you get I

I can think of no other 9-letter word where this is possible, but there may be some. Think on it, and if you can come up with other 9-letter words that can be manipulated the same way, post it here!

John

 

[swsig]

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[JcMack]

I never understood a bunch of crows is a "Murder".

 

[Rustyt1953]

Or why my cats are a clowder.

 

[DWalt]

There are a great many largely unknown collective nouns.

 

[Rustyt1953]

cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.

 

[Bekeart]

We drive on a parkway.
We park on a driveway.

 

[arjay]

My father after he’d been here 30 years “I hate this language,it makes no sense!

 

[Rustyt1953]

My father after he’d been here 30 years “I hate this language,it makes no sense!

I understand. After I moved to this country It took me a while to figure out the language.

 

[Rifleman200-10X]

cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.

I read a lot of books. Quickly. I can't explain it, but the average page just takes me a few seconds to read, it seems like I'm reading whole sentences at once, not individual words. My teachers in school couldn't believe I had read an assignment so quickly, and often challenged me to recite what I'd read. Usually walked away, shaking their head.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I read a lot of books. Quickly. I can't explain it, but the average page just takes me a few seconds to read, it seems like I'm reading whole sentences at once, not individual words. My teachers in school couldn't believe I had read an assignment so quickly, and often challenged me to recite what I'd read. Usually walked away, shaking their head.

I am much the same way as my brain scans the paragraph in small blocks. Having a decent sized vocabulary helps me to not get bogged down.

However, in fairness, I had help developing this trait.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrwDzuUtQKY[/ame]

 

[yaktamer]

Can't help. My expertise is more in the nature of four letter words.

 

[llowry61]

cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.

This is why the ability to proof read is a true gift !

 

[Toolguy]

Not a gift. You usually have to pay to get it done.

 

[oldbrownhat]

I understand. After I moved to this country It took me a while to figure out the language.

A brief trip to Newcastle or the wilds of Norfolk could have had the same bewildering effect at much less cost

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

I never understood a bunch of crows is a "Murder".

How about a bunch of foxes is a skulk.

 

[oldbrownhat]

How about a bunch of foxes is a skulk.

Those 14th c. terms of venery are at times bewildering. But I rather like "a parliament of owls".
James Lipton's "An Exaltation of Larks" is a classic for these terms.

There must be a market for new terms, though. How about "an obfuscation of bureaucrats"?

 

[LVSteve]

There must be a market for new terms, though. How about "an obfuscation of bureaucrats"?

That should go nicely with "a confusion of politicians".
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(That's the only family friendly one I could think of at short notice. I have a myriad of others that would get me suspended)

 

[oldbrownhat]

That should go nicely with "a confusion of politicians".
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(That's the only family friendly one I could think of at short notice. I have a myriad of others that would get me suspended)

Oh, don't we all Don't we all......