September 2006

The Puzzle Corner

This month we challenge you to get your rhyming ear tuned up for a round of Stinky Pinky. What's a stinky pinky? According to Master of Wordplay Willard Espy, it's no more than a noun modified by a rhyming adjective. According to the Unabridged Dictionary, a stinky pinky is "a puzzle that consists in the defining of one phrase with another made up of words that rhyme." Here's how to play.

Given the challenge to define a duplicate of a computer disk you might come up with floppy copy (that is, if you are a computer user of a certain age), while the phrase "an elderly nag" would net old scold and "foolish horse" would be silly filly.

Ready to try your hand at a few more?

A melancholy father . . . an unhappy pappy (or sad dad)

An audacious upper lip . . . a brash mustache

A stylish hairdo . . . a hip flip

Once you've gotten the hang of those, why not make up a few of your own and send them to us? We'll include a few of the best in an upcoming newsletter.


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