The Logophile: Winter Wonder Words

1. Which of the following does not mean “cold”?

a. algid
b. boigid
c. frigid
d. gelid

2. According to the Bible story, what gifts did the three wise men bring for baby Jesus?

a. gold, frankencense, and murrh
b. gold, frankencense, and myrrh
c. gold, frankincense, and murrh
d. gold, frankincense, and myrrh

3. By changing only one letter at a time, and forming a real word that isn’t a proper name with each change, how quickly can you transform YULE into GIFT? (We did it in only five changes.)

Answers

1. b. boigid — The boigids are members of what was once the Boigidae family, rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes. Members of this family have since been reclassified into other snake orders, genera, and species.
2. d. gold, frankincense, and myrrh — Frankincense is a tree resin used in incense; the frank part is from a word that can mean “pure” or “noble.” Myrrh is another type of tree resin, which has long been used as a food spice but but also has some medical and medicinal benefits.
3. YULE, RULE,  RILE, RIFE,RIFT, GIFT

—Andy Hollandbeck is the Post’s copy editor and managing editor.

This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.