Long Words, Excellent Words (I can hear them now)

[anarchist_nomad]

Gentle readers,

More than one of you has recently hinted[*] that I need to give y'all more of an opportunity to win those points that maybe redeemable for fabulous prizes!

As I am a benevolent Nomad, I am happy to comply with this request. This morning, as I was cycling to work, I found myself musing on monosyllabic[**] words. Tomorrow, I will be working at Queen Mary University with RT. I noted that "queen" has five letters but is only one syllable... whilst "Mary" is one letter shorter yet one syllable longer.

Thus, I pose the question to you, my dear friends: What is the longest monosyllabic word that you can think of? Two hundred points will be awarded to the person who can come up with the longest such word![***]

Whilst on the topic of points, I should congratulate theentwife! She scored the most votes in the poll to determine who had come up with the funniest title to this entry. Congratulations -- your two hundred points are winging their way to you right now!

Meanwhile, the game is on to find the longest monosyllabic word! Godspeed and good luck!

---

[*] Or stated explicitly!

[**] It always amuses me that "monosyllabic" isn't.

[***] The Fine Print: Words must be in standard English, which shall be defined by the Oxford English Dictionary. On the hono(u)r system, contestants are trusted to come up with words on their own without the aid of Internet tools (such as a search engine).

Comments

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

probably something like "strength" (8 letters, plenty of composit sounds)

[maellenkleth]

In that case, "strength"

[maellenkleth]

crikey, great minds think alike, ^_^

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

If this word wins, you both get credit, as it is the same answer posted to LJ at the very same minute!

Let the games continue...

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

scratched? that's 9

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Damn, you're good! *grin*

At the moment, you are both in the lead and tied for runner-up!

Colour me impressed, Sweetheart, that you could think of two excellent examples so quickly!

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

your rules look open to people looking up obsolete words on the internet.

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

I remember being set a similar challenge for homework once (albeit about 26 years ago)

I can't remember what the winner was though :-/

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Hurm. That's a point. All my contests are run on the honor code that people think up their answers on their own. There's no challenge in typing "longest one syllable word" into Google!

I can make it more explicit in the rules, though...

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

I vote for:

1. strengthed
2. schmaltzed

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm guessing you stand a good shot at the crown. Although I am not a contender, eight is my limit thus far... which I can come up with more than once (launched, crunched, bleached).

Let's see if anyone can hit ten letters!

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, ten letter words here!

You may be in the lead, my friend, if those words check out. However, I am on a bus right now and -- as such -- without access to the OED. Will confirm later.

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

I'm sure if you can have crunched you can also have scrunched.

[darkfloweruk.livejournal.com]

How about...

Aaaarggrhhh!!!!

Eleven letters, one silly-bull.

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

I can only find schmaltzed in internet conversations where it's being dismissed as not a word (but your google-fu is stronger than mine)

"strengthed" is a word, but it is obsolete. You would need to check when it has been obsolete since and check with Cheshcat whether it would therefore have been pronounced as one syllable or two.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

*giggles*

Right! You might not get confirmed by Mr. OED on this one... but you've won a great big hug and a cuddle -- payable on Saturday! That was quite a brilliant entry!

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

I claim the statutory reward/punishment for cleverness, regardless of the outcome of the points competition :-D

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a point -- bringing another nine letter word into your corner.

I'm still stuck at eight right now -- adding "wrenched" and "clenched" and "quenched" to my pile. (Again, I can't win the points anyway; I'm just playing along for fun)

Alas, "wenched" may sound like gangs of fun... but is only seven letters. ;-D

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

That's a fair claim, seeing as how you have indeed been quite clever here.

Prepare yourself for the standard penalty, which shall be delivered to you on Thursday. And maybe again on Friday, if you are clever enough!

[jadesfire55.livejournal.com]

*giggle* All I could come up with was "yacht", but I love seeing what others have dredged up.

Nevermind - dredged! Not long enough to win, but I thought of it literally as I typed, so I'm happy. :)

[bunnypip.livejournal.com]

stretched is also 9

[thehalibutkid.livejournal.com]

Miles.

Only 5 letters but very long.

[simple-epiphany.livejournal.com]

I have 'strengths' at nine. I was trying to think of Gaelic loanwords: they're usually good for lots of silent or quasisilent letters.

[mattp.livejournal.com]

I originally though of the variant "strengths" but I'm neither the first with this word stem nor a 9 letter contender.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Not even bothering with Google on this one, as the defining dictionary has been defined as the OED. Will check from home then consult with the resident expert in Old and Middle English if it has been, as you say, obsolete long enough for the pronunciation to have changed...

We all await the results with baited breath (and, where applicable, heaving bosoms), I'm sure!