SEMANTIC ENIGMAS



Is "bookkeeping" the only word in the English language to contain three pairs of double-letters in consecutive order? John McLeod, Rodley, England Well committee nearly has. Liz Ekstein, Leeds, UK It's disputed, but one who gets a tattoo can be said to be a "tattooee". Garrick Alder, London One of Martin Gardner's books mentions the bookkeeper's assistant or subbookkeeper, and the incompetent boobbookkeeper. Pelham Barton, Birmingham, UK Does the assistant to the bookeeper engage in sub-bookkeeping? Yes, okay, the hyphen is cheating. Quentin Langley, Woking, UK A dam has something called a flooddoor. The controls for the flooddoor are in the flooddoorroom. someone who attends a meeting in this room would be called a flooddoorroommeetinggoer. Brian Harrison, Basingstoke, UK What about "double U - double O - double L - E - N" (woollen)! Gish, Paris France No Bookkeeper does too Guido, Mt. Vernon US The state of Mississippi also has three pairs of double letters. Sandra Hickey, Winnipeg, Canada



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