New Word Game

Rule #1. Put all 21 letters into a crossword-type format.
Rule #2. Take a snapshot of your result and send it to me, or type your result into the comment section, using underscores "_" to space the letters out.

Winning categories:
#1. Smallest perimeter (the shortest length of string that could be used to encircle the resulting crossword)
#2. Longest word
#3. Longest shortest word (i.e. if you use any 2 letter word, you lose, on the other hand, if all your words are at least 5 letters long, you're doing well).
#4. Shortest longest word (i.e. if your longest word is seven letters, eh, not so great. If your resulting puzzle shape is a diagonal series of two letter words, you're amazing. And you have too much time on your hands.)
#5. Least safe for work
#6. A five year old could read it (Simplest words possible)
#7. Most thematically related (all the words are fruits, colors, 'things you'd find in a wallet', verbs connoting motion, etc.)
#8. Make up your own category!


Use real English words. I will use Merriam-Webster's Original Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th edition to verify. Honestly, it is a pretty far stretch on "real" English. I mean 'PTUI'? Really? That's a word? On the plus side, it has both British & American spellings.
Exception: this dictionary does not contain a lot of the juicy words for the LSFW winner (#5). I'm assuming it will be fairly easy to identify those unambiguously.

Here they are again, all upright and in alphabetical order.

Any suggestions for a better format for the digital/analog give and take for this game would be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping to turn this into a series.

And a big shout out to Aunt Sue for suggesting it!

Word Game - 1st Winner

hat bat pat pack mass ball

We have our first word contest winner!

Daniel added hat and bat to the list. I had thought of bat, but passed over hat initially, so now there's at least 14 words with this property...

Who's next?

Word Game - New Clue

mass ball pack pat

These four words share an unusual property (and there are at least 9 others that do as well, but I had to use wiktionary to confirm some of them).

fand is not a word, but if it were a word, it would also share this property.

When you figure it out, think up two more words that share this property, and send me the answers.

Several of you have noted that the 'a' in these words is a short vowel. The property has nothing to do with how the words are pronounced (directly, anyway), but it does matter how they are spelled.

You've almost got it!

Word Game Contest

pack pat mass ball

What do these four words have in common?

If you've got it, find two more words with this unusual (but easy to describe) property, and reply with just those two words.

Another clue - I'm pretty sure that there's no two-letter words that have this property, although an comes very close. I also haven't yet found any five-letter or longer words with this property, although there's no reason there shouldn't be (theoretically).

And thanks Nick for another shot, tot and roast. Now I've got another puzzle, to figure out what ball, pat, pack, tot and roast have in common. Hmmmm.

PS: I've now found 9 other words with this property (13 total), but some depend on some pretty obscure dictionary entries.

Word Game Contest

New clue!

ball pat pack

What unusual characteristic do these three words share?
To answer, give two more words that share the same unusual property (but not your rationale, if you know it, the words you pick will make it clear we're thinking the same thing.

Thanks Nick for guessing qualm and drat, not what I was looking for, but I'm curious what the common thread you saw was, now I have my own word puzzle to work on!

PS: I've found 6 more words myself, but there must be more than that...

Word Game Contest

ball pat

These two words share an interesting and unusual property.

That property can be explained in one simple sentence that any graduate of elementary school would understand.

To win the contest, tell me two other words that share this same property. Do not say what you think that property is.

Do not put anything else in your comment other than two words, or it will be deleted.

The winners will get the fabulous prize of satisfaction. Guaranteed.