PORTMANTEAU WORDS XI

 

LA Times Crossword

April 4, 2025

Katie Hale

A portmanteau is a suitcase that folds out into two equal parts. A portmanteau word is one that blends the sounds and combines the meanings of two words into one. Motel and brunch are portmanteaus - combining motor/hotel and breakfast/lunch - respectively.

 

What are the real and fanciful portmanteaus below? 

1. People who are friendly, or at least civil to each other, despite a rivalry or other conflicts between them

 

2. A newspaper or magazine article written in the style of objective journalism, but which  really only gives information about a product

 

3. Online symposium focused on spider silk

 

4. Radio program that only plays whale songs

 

5. Ever-increasing size of deer antlers 

6. Part brownie, part cookie

 

Answers:

 

1. FRENEMIES (friends + enemies)

2. ADVERTORIAL (advertisement + editorial)

3. WEBINAR (world-wide-web + seminar)  

4. PODCAST (iPOD + broadcast)

5. STAGFLATION - (stagnant + inflation) 

6. BROOKIE - (brownie + cookie)