Posted in History & Literature

Kangaroo Word

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?

  1. Astound
  2. Banish
  3. Capsule
  4. Departed
  5. Exist
  6. Feast
  7. Gigantic
  8. Honourable
  9. Illuminated
  10. Latest
  11. Myself
  12. Nourished
  13. Observe
  14. Plagiarist
  15. Rampage
  16. Supervisor

Answers:

  1. Stun
  2. Ban
  3. Case
  4. Dead
  5. Is
  6. Eat
  7. Giant
  8. Boble
  9. Lit
  10. Last
  11. Me
  12. Nursed
  13. See
  14. Liar
  15. Rage
  16. Superior

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