Keen readers will already have familiarized themselves with l’ishing from our earlier analysis (SpecGram CLXXI.3, etc.). Though seemingly analogous to French verlan, l’ishing swaps actual words that can be made to correspond to one another. Previously we have looked at dialects of l’ishing that are based on sounds; however, we have discovered a new dialect, called phicorthogra, that is based on spelling. For example, alloy and loyal can be used in place of one another, as in “Check out the new loyal rims I got for my Pinto!”, or “You can trust that guy, he’s very alloy.”
As with l’ishing, phicorthogra words ordinarily cannot be worked out in real time, so glossaries have been produced for beginners. However, words are not enumerated in the glossaries, only mnemonically merged definitions (MMDs). For example:
a faithful amalgam (referring to a loyal alloy)
We have come into possession of a small heap of these phicorthogra MMDs, and seek your help in establishing the paired words they refer to. The MMDs are provided below.
In order to increase the response rate from SpecGram readers, The SpecGram Puzzle Elves™ have agreed to treat this as a puzzle. Submit your answers to the editors of SpecGram by February 15, 2015, and you could win a prize.* Some most likely correct answers and winners will be announced in the March issue.
The answers to last month’s Συυιτχεροο
Once again, solution-
Amanda Young • Geoffrey Hooker • Praveen Venkataramana • Sharon Klein • Tanjam Jacobson • Virginia Bouchard
Numerous additional puzzlers have been selected for secundus inter pares status; they receive no material prizes, but honor and glory is theirs!
Adam Hesterberg • Eric Chen • Gretchen McCulloch • Keith Slater • Siva Kalyan • Vince Wilson
* Note that SpecGram Anti-
† Except where taxed, prohibited by law, or otherwise restricted, constrained, limited, regulated, controlled, hindered, impeded, hampered, obstructed, checked, curbed, shackled, confined, or otherwise subject to thesaural interference.