An example of a word game is the concept of kangaroo words. Kangaroos are famous for carrying their babies (joeys) in their pouch. Similarly, a kangaroo word contains another word within itself that is a synonym (a word meaning the same thing). The joey word can be whole (such as [sign]al, where “signal” and “sign” are synonyms), or more typically (and interestingly), it can be split, such as in [ma]scu[l]in[e], where “male” is hidden amongst “masculine”. In this case, the word must be in the right order from left-to-right.
Variations of kangaroo words include anti-kangaroo words – where the word carries an antonym (opposite), such as “animosity” carrying “amity”) – or grand-kangaroo words – where the joey word itself is a kangaroo word, such as “alone” carrying “lone”, which carries “one”.
Try the following puzzle – can you find what the joey word is in each of these kangaroo words?
- Astound
- Banish
- Capsule
- Departed
- Exist
- Feast
- Gigantic
- Honourable
- Illuminated
- Latest
- Myself
- Nourished
- Observe
- Plagiarist
- Rampage
- Supervisor
Answers:
- Stun
- Ban
- Case
- Dead
- Is
- Eat
- Giant
- Boble
- Lit
- Last
- Me
- Nursed
- See
- Liar
- Rage
- Superior
