MUTATIS – Challenge No. 7

INTRODUCTION:

Note: You may skip this introduction if you are already familiar with the rules.

Mutatis is a word-chain exercise game. Given the first and last word in the chain, you are
challenged to fill in "mutant" words according to the following rules:

From the second word on, each word comprises the letters of the word that precedes it
except for one letter that is changed. The order of the letters may also be changed.


You may fill in only standard English words and loanwords (words "borrowed" from
other languages that have become standard usage). Slang or colloquial words as well
as proper nouns (that require capitalization, such as names of people, places, nations,
languages etc.) are not allowed.

Example:

Given the words start and begin, the following chain demonstrates a possible solution to the
exercise:

start>trait>train>grain>reign>begin

NOW FOR YOUR WEEKLY EXERCISES

Given the following head and tail word couples, fill in the missing words to obtain appropriate Mutatis word-chains according to the rules described above.

 

Important note:

All the following examples were checked to insure they can be solved in standard American vocabulary and spelling according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary.

 

1. foot>…> hand.

2. hand>…> foot.  Don't use any of the words that you used in ex. 1!

3. logic>…> sense.

4. sense>…> logic.  Don't use any of the words that you used in ex. 3!

5. bedlam>…> ruckus.

6. ruckus>…>bedlam.  Don't use any of the words that you used in ex. 5!

Mutatis ex 1-2

 

Mutatis ex 3-4

Mutatis ex 5-6

Solution

SOLUTION OF LAST WEEK'S CHALLENGE

1. Answer to ex. 1 herd>hero> sore>oars>oats>goat.

2. Answer to ex. 2: goat>gate>rate>read>herd.

3. Answer to ex. 3:  mocha>charm>reach>cedar>reads>rides>rinds>drink.

4. Answer to ex. 4:  drink>drank>crank>ranch>march>mocha.

5. Answer to ex. 5: brother>bothers>bolster>blister>glister>tingles> listing>sibling.

6. Answer to ex.6:  sibling>goblins>obliges>boilers>lobster>brothel> brother.

BY THE WAY
If you wonder why I chose the name Mutatis for this game, it is short for the Latin

expression Mutatis Mutandis which approximately means "changed as was

necessary". It also appears to hint that the game entails the evolution of one given

word into another through "mutant" words.