Friday 10 April 2009

Deletion Indicators

The post on deletions touched upon different ways in which a clue could prompt you to subtract letters from a word. To recap, the deletion clue type could lead you to:

  • Subtract letters from the "head" (beginning) of a word e.g. STOP – S = TOP
  • Subtract letters from the "tail" (end) of a word e.g. TOPE – E = TOP
  • Subtract letters from both edges of a word: e.g. AUTOPSY  - {AU,SY} = TOP
  • Subtract letters from the middle of a word: STROP – R = STOP
  • Subtract specific letters from any position: e.g. TEARDROP – {EAR DR} = TOP

Here is a sample set of indicators that go with each type of deletion.

Delete The Head
AFTER COMMENCEMENT
BEGINNING TO GO
BEHEADED
BEHEADING
DECAPITATED
FIRST OFF
HEADLESS
HEAD OFF
INITIALLY LACKING
LEADERLESS
LOSING OPENER
MISSING THE FIRST
NEEDING NO INTRODUCTION
NOT BEGINNING
NOT COMMENCING
NOT STARTING
START OFF
START TO GO
SCRATCH THE HEAD
STRIKE THE HEAD
UNINITIATED
UNSTARTED
WITHOUT ORIGIN

Delete The Tail
ABRIDGED
ALMOST
BACK OFF
CLIPPED
CURTAILED
CUT SHORT
DETAILED
EARLY CLOSING
ENDLESS
FALLING SHORT
FINISH OFF
FOR THE MOST PART
INCOMPLETE
INTERMINABLE
LACKING FINISH
MISSING THE LAST
MOST
MOSTLY
NEARLY
NOT COMPLETELY
NOT FULLY
NOT QUITE
SHORT
SHORTENING
TAILLESS
UNENDING
UNFINISHED
WITHOUT END

Delete Both Ends
EDGES AWAY
LACKING WINGS
LIMITLESS
LOSING MARGINS
SHELLED
SIDES SPLITTING
TRIMMED
UNLIMITED
WINGLESS
WITHOUT LIMITS

Delete The Middle
CORED
DISHEARTENED
EMPTIED
EMPTY
EVACUATED
FILLETED
GUTTED
HEARTLESS
HOLLOW
LOSING HEART
UNCENTERED

Delete Specific Words/Letters
CUTTING
ERASED
GOES OUT OF
LEAVES
MISSING
NO
NOT
REMOVED
SHORT OF
STRUCK
WITHOUT

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2 comments

Srividya said...

Suchi, just in case i have not yet said it.. your blog is absolutely wonderful and very helpful .. thank you :)

Shuchi said...

Happy to hear that, Srividya :-) Thank you.