weekend, pitchblende, bin end, stipend, godsend, hornblende, boyfriend, bookend, U-bend, * parascend, apprehend, recommend, reprehend, bitter end, dividend, on the mend, comprehend, condescend, round the bend, overspend, underspend, * superintend, overextend, misapprehend
Hopeless hope hopes on and meets no end,
Wastes without springs and homes without a friend.
JOHN CLARE
9.36 ginseng, Kaifeng, Boateng, * Mafikeng, * nasi goreng
9.37 length, strength, * wavelength, calf-length, knee-length
9.38 henge, Penge, * avenge, revenge, Stonehenge
9.39 cense, dense, fence, flense, hence, pence, sense, Spence, tense, thence, whence, cents, dents, gents, scents, tents, vents, * suspense, condense, offence, commence, laments, dispense, expense, pretence, intense, defence, events, ring-fence, immense, incense, Hortense, * frankincense, recompense, recommence, self-defence, common sense
Immodest words admit of no defence,
For want of decency is want of sense.
WENTWORTH DILLON
9.40 fenced, tensed, * against, condensed, unfenced, commenced, dispensed, ring-fenced, incensed, * recompensed, recommenced
9.41 bent, Brent, cent, dent, gent, Ghent, Gwent, Kent, leant, lent, Lent, meant, pent, rent, scent, sent, spent, stent, tent, Trent, vent, went, * unbent, unspent, content, ferment, lament, unmeant, ascent, assent, per cent, consent, Tashkent, fragment, absent, accent, hellbent, segment, frequent, repent, misspent, indent, intent, extent, event, prevent, invent, relent, cement, descent, dissent, present, resent, forewent, forwent, torment, augment, foment, * advent, Advent, ferment, indent, content, Broadbent, portent, torment, * malcontent, Steradent®, heaven-sent, regiment, represent, circumvent, reinvent, represent, discontent, implement, nonevent, complement, compliment, document, ornament, orient, overspent, Stoke-on-Trent, underspent, underwent, supplement, * experiment, misrepresent, reorient, disorient
And sigh that one thing only has been lent
To youth and age in common – discontent.
MATTHEW ARNOLD
9.42 nth, tenth
9.43 Ben’s, Benz, cleanse, Fens, gens, glens, Gwen’s, hens, Ken’s, lens, pens, TENS, Wrens, * impatiens, Mercedes-Benz, vas deferens, * Homo sapiens, * delirium tremens, etc.
9.44 cep, Depp, hep, pep, PEP, prep, rep, schlep, step, steppe, yep, * unstep, Dieppe, * quickstep, instep, sidestep, doorstep, footstep, goosestep, * step-by-step, overstep
9.45 ceps, crêpes, reps, Schweppes®, steps, Steppes, * sidesteps, biceps, triceps, forceps, footsteps, * quadriceps, etc.
My mother groaned, my father wept.
Into the dangerous world I leapt.
WILLIAM BLAKE
9.46 crept, kept, leapt, sept, slept, stepped, swept, wept, * adept, unstepped, unwept, unswept, accept, backswept, well-kept, yclept, inept, except, * transept, percept, precept, windswept, sidestepped, concept, goosestepped, * intercept, overslept, overstepped
9.47 Bess, bless, cess, chess, cress, dress, guess, Hess, Hesse, Jess, less, mess, ness, press, S, stress, Tess, tress, yes, * profess, confess, unless, caress, oppress, suppress, compress, aggress, progress, address, undress, assess, process, obsess, success, possess, chapess, bad press, transgress, largesse, heiress, mayoress, Caithness, Skegness, SS, peeress, Sheerness, PS, priestess, re-dress, depress, repress, impress, express, regress, distress, redress, liquesce, finesse, recess, excess, princess, digress, stop press, Loch Ness, duress, fluoresce, Foulness, hostess, noblesse, US, Jewess, * abbess, abscess, access, headdress, excess, egress, Negress, recess, prioress, winepress, tigress, nightdress, goddess, compress, congress, Congress, laundress, prowess, countess, ogress, progress, process, sundress, * battledress, baroness, acquiesce, marchioness, patroness, second-guess, shepherdess, effervesce, effloresce, letterpress, retrogress, SAS, NHS, deliquesce, SOS, murderess, bouillabaisse, decompress, readdress, deaconess, evanesce, reassess, prepossess, repossess, Inverness, dispossess, incandesce, minidress, intumesce, lioness, Lyonnesse, pythoness, convalesce, obsolesce, phosphoresce, prophetess, politesse, authoress, sorceress, watercress, trouser press, coalesce, opalesce, overdress, poetess, nonetheless, governess, Dungeness, stewardess, luminesce, * nevertheless, manageress, couldn’t-care-less, Shoeburyness
9.48 desk, * burlesque, grotesque, * Kafkaesque, arabesque, statuesque, picaresque, picturesque, Romanesque, humoresque, Junoesque, Pythonesque
9.49 best, blessed, blest, breast, Brest, chest, crest, dressed, fest, guessed, guest, hest, jest, lest, messed, nest, pest, pressed, quest, rest, stressed, test, vest, west, wrest, zest, * attest, protest, contest, professed, confessed, molest, unblessed, arrest, caressed, abreast, oppressed, suppressed, compressed, progressed, addressed, undressed, unstressed, unrest, obsessed, possessed, suggest, congest, NatWest, hard-pressed, Mae West, well-dressed, Trieste, retest, prestressed, egest, id est, detest, infest, invest, behest, celeste, depressed, repressed, impressed, distressed, bequest, liquesced, request, Midwest, ingest, divest, digest, George Best, northwest, southwest, * gabfest, backrest, armrest, redbreast, headrest, retest, bitchfest, inquest, incest, digest, contest, songfest, conquest, house guest, protest, road test, goldcrest, processed, love nest, footrest, * acquiesced, manifest, Sackville-West, palimpsest, paying guest, second-best, self-confessed, effervesced, self-possessed, readdressed, repossessed, reinvest, rinderpest, interest, disinfest, disinvest, chimney breast, coalesced, overdressed, undervest, unaddressed, underdressed, Sunday best, unimpressed, unexpressed, Bucharest, Budapest, * Haverfordwest, chanson de geste, Marie Celeste, etc.
One flew east and one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.
NURSERY RHYME
9.50 crèche, flesh, fresh, mesh, nesh, thresh, * afresh, crème fraîche, refresh, enmesh, * horseflesh, gooseflesh, * Marrakech, Bangladesh, Gilgamesh, synchromesh, * Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
9.51 ate, bet, Brett, debt, fret, get, het, jet, let, Lett, met, net, pet, Rhett, set, sett, stet, sweat, threat, vet, wet, whet, yet, * abet, forget, cadet, Chevette®, Colette, sublet, arête, barrette, Debrett, Annette, Jeanette, Nanette, cassette, upset, gazette, Capet, hackette, banquette, baguette, ladette, toilette, noisette, aigrette, layette, septet, sextet, curvet, Burnett, revet, preset, reset, Tibet, pipette, briquette, piquet, diskette, beget, quintet, nymphet, Yvette, Gillette, regret, vignette, Lynette, spinet, Wynette, beset, dinette, coquette, croquette, moquette, octet, nonet, offset, brochette, Claudette, quartet, corvette, Paulette, laundrette, lorgnette, courgette, georgette, Georgette, curette, Tourette, Odette, motet, rosette, duet, Phuket, roulette, brunette, Suzette, couchette, * dragnet, handset, Fastnet, hairnet, headset, tea set, inlet, kismet, fishnet, quickset, thickset, film set, inset, twinset, typeset, mind-set, offset, onset, outset, subset, upset, sunset, * alphabet, parapet, baronet, flannelette, avocet, Antoinette, satinet, clarinet, bassinet, statuette, marmoset, martinet, Lafayette, majorette, bayonet, maisonette, crêpe suzette, leatherette, epaulette, Letraset®, etiquette, netiquette, epithet, Exocet®, Bernadette, serviette, turbojet, cigarette, minaret, spinneret, Internet, intranet, winceyette, vinaigrette, kitchenette, silhouette, pirouette, minuet, cyberpet, scilicet, novelette, stockinet, overate, photoset, usherette, Mummerset, Somerset, suffragette, Juliet, oubliette, * marionette, eau de toilette
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!
RUDYARD KIPLING
9.52