Can you help out with some (easy) wordplay?

February 23, 2009 1:44 PM

Can you help out with some (easy) wordplay?

We're working on a new ad campaign for a client over here (small, local, not Big Business or anything) and we need some groupthink help: I'm looking for words that I can modify with the letter W. For example, I could substitute a W to make 'sin' into 'win'. Or I could add a W to make 'here' into 'where'. Ponder/Wonder, Binding/Winding, and so forth. The quirkier the better! Also, the W can be flipped, so things where we sub or add 'M' are just as helpful.

Please note, I'm not trying to avoid doing work - we've got a bunch too, but they all seem kind of obvious (as my weak examples suggest) and this seems like the kind of problem where the more minds, the better. And you guys are always clever at this kinda stuff. So if you have suggestions, please help! Thanks!

posted by BorgLove to writing & language (30 comments total)

What kind of business does the client do? seems like that would help us find relevant words, no?

Also: hey, No/Now. If they provide a service, that sounds shiny to me.
posted by Night_owl at 1:52 PM on February 23

SOS = WOW
brain = brawn
crop = crow
posted by adamrice at 1:52 PM on February 23

jiggle = wiggle
posted by box at 2:10 PM on February 23

DORK->WORK
FEATHER->WEATHER
THAT->WHAT
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:13 PM on February 23

RhymeZone is your friend. Just type in words that start with "w" and find rhymes with similar spellings.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:15 PM on February 23

chat = what
posted by box at 2:18 PM on February 23

knot --> know
be --> me, we
sell --> well

Yeah, it would definitely help to know more about the context...
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:18 PM on February 23

A Doublet Solver will make the computer do the work.
posted by 517 at 2:21 PM on February 23 [1 favorite]

Hole -> Whole

As generic as I can get.
posted by Someone has just shot your horse! at 2:21 PM on February 23

Never mind, it doesn't work the way I thought it did.
posted by 517 at 2:28 PM on February 23

Mild --> Wild?
posted by Someone has just shot your horse! at 2:46 PM on February 23

sink -- wink
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:49 PM on February 23

Then - When
Hill - Will
Has - Was
posted by lucidium at 2:49 PM on February 23

Hm, this is fun.

Croon - Crown
Stay - Sway
Loner - Lower
Jam - Jaw
Man - Maw
Flamed - Flawed
Clap - Claw
Plot - Plow

And some M ones:
Laze - Maze
Boob - Bomb
Lax - Max
Fountain - Mountain
Lost - Most
Fate - Fame
Shade - Shame
posted by lucidium at 2:59 PM on February 23

shine >> whine
groan >> grown

what do you mean by quirky? do you mean obscure words or pairs of words that are funny together, or something else?
posted by skaye at 3:11 PM on February 23

hotel = motel
posted by box at 3:28 PM on February 23

wine = mine
maui = waui
Mario = Wario
posted by box at 3:28 PM on February 23

Millie Ways = Willie Mays
posted by box at 3:31 PM on February 23

FISTFUL
WISTFUL

WONDER
YONDER

HYSTERICALLY
WHY STERICALLY?

HYMEN
WHY MEN?

WISHES
FISHES
BITCH
WITCH

WHORTLEBERRY
WHORTLE
WHORT
CHORTLE

WHEAT
CHEAT

ALLOW
ALLOT

I was trying to think of words with good mid-word substitution, but that was difficult. Not enough time. At work. :\
posted by intelligentless at 3:31 PM on February 23

addition:
Layer into lawyer
age into wage


substitution:
age into awe
oil into owl
vine into wine
health into wealth (or healthy into wealthy)
rise into wise
Dinner into winner
height into weight
posted by gryftir at 3:46 PM on February 23

Here's a text file with all ~14k words that match your criteria (drawn from SOWPODS). You're bound to find something you'll like!
posted by aparrish at 3:57 PM on February 23 [1 favorite]

Chore -> Whore

err... I second Mild -> Wild
posted by clearly at 4:30 PM on February 23

i was going to suggest a scrabble dictionary, but i was beaten to it. aparrish FTW!
posted by kidsleepy at 4:30 PM on February 23

Merriam-Webster = Werriam-Mebster
posted by box at 4:59 PM on February 23

Hey all, sorry for the delay in response (network issues), but just to clarify, it's a small local brewery; the campaign is for beer, if that context helps, even though by now I know it's a bit after the fact.

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions! It's very much appreciated.
posted by BorgLove at 5:17 PM on February 23

lager -> wager
ale -> awe
posted by eritain at 6:21 PM on February 23

ale = male
wort = mort
pilsner = Wilmer
malt = Walt
barley = Marley
hops = mops, wops, hows, wows, mows, moms, etc.
posted by box at 7:12 PM on February 23

FUN > SUN

NIGHT > LIGHT

HERE > THERE

HEART > EARTH
posted by artdrectr at 12:09 AM on February 24

hole +w = whole
posted by attercoppe at 5:22 PM on February 24

hose -- whose
m/s/heat -- wheat
sing -- wing
pork -- work
posted by inconsequentialist at 3:34 AM on February 27