Word Mutants

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational had asked its readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. I thought that was fun, so here's my attempt:

With a letter added

• prayfer: a prayer for the appearance of a specific object in the Christmas stocking


• compunter: a computer that helps you place bets on software-offshoring companies in yet-to-be-developing nations


• sufferling: a child of insufferable parents


• abstinthe: to abstain from drinking absinthe while reading Wodehouse


• extravagrant: to stay out of suitcases in the presidential suites of grand hotels


• celeberate: when clueless celebrities gather in a TV studio to berate the policies of the government

With a letter deleted

• banstand: a covered outdoor platform, across the busiest crossing of a city, where crowds gather for lighting candles to fight terrorism


• univerity: a college that preaches universal truths


• faceboo: to join a Facebook group created for taking potshots at a person, an object, or an idea

With a letter changed

• inferface: a biometric interface that has sensors to figure out if your face has the characteristics of a jihadi killer


• singelton: a gay singer


• designame: to create self-explanatory designations from proper nouns. For example, Chief Satyam Officer


• conpetition: a pre-judged competition on a TV reality show


• euphomia: the feeling of intense happiness experienced by a megalomoaniac