Change A Letter

If you haven’t read the Washington Post’s Style Invitational, their weekly humor/wordplay contest, check it out online. The content varies but always embodies smart and surprising creativity from subscribers. This list comes from when they challenged readers to take any word in the dictionary and alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter—and to supply a definition for the new word. Some winners:

Intaxication—Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to begin with.

Reintarnation—Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Giraffiti—Vandalism spray painted very, very high.

Tatyr—A lecherous Mr. Potato Head.

Sarchasm—The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the recipient who doesn’t get it.

Hipatitis—Terminal coolness.

Osteopornosis—A degenerate disease.

Karmageddon—It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like a serious bummer.

Glibido—All talk and no action.