SIX LITTLE WORDS - 16 years later

[To my wonderful readers - from J.A.]

My first post on this blog was SIX LITTLE WORDS - posted on July 23, 2008, 16 years ago to the day. My deepest thanks to all my readers - especially the faithful thirty-to-fifty who have been with me from the beginning. As of today, the blog has 14,914 posts and 544,976 "hits". 

Ever since I was a boy, I've been intrigued by riddles, brain teasers, word puzzles and games, and language curiosities. I used them often throughout my thirty-year teaching career. When I retired, I was left with files and boxes of disorganized material, including 100+ GAMES Magazines. This material was the initial source of the blog. Organizing it, doing some editing, and finding new sources of material has been a great labor of love for me these past 16 years. I am not a creative person. What I am good at is collecting and organizing the creative work of others. That is why I have made every effort to cite author and source whenever possible. I see this blog as a celebration of the endless possibilities of our language to define and delight our lives. It's been an honor to share this blog with you and to feel your constant and continuing support. Thank you.

Below is the original puzzle, followed by a new one - also about six little words:

SIX LITTLE WORDS

Credit: GAMES Magazine 

August, 1984

Carlene Stroup

(posted July 23, 2008)

What characteristic do the following words have in common?

WED, SHELL, WELL, ILL, ID, SHED

Answer:

An appropriately placed apostrophe will change each word into a contraction:

(WE'D, SHE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL, I'D, SHE'D)

 

SIX LITTLE WORDS - July 23, 2024

The six little words TO BE OR NOT TO BE have something in common beyond their celebrated fame as the beginning of Hamlet's soliloquy. Can you determine what it is?

Answer:

 

Each word becomes a new one with the addition of the letter E at the end:

 

TOE BEE ORE NOTE TOE BEE