Nine-Letter Word, Common as Air
A nine-letter word, common as air,
When each letter’s cut, a new word to pare,
Take a letter each round and continue to one.
Name the word and the path and then you’ll be done.
Surprisingly, there are several nine-letter words that can have one letter removed in each round to make a new word all the way to one letter, which must be ‘a’ or ‘i’. Startling is the most common answer, but I’ve included the other words I’m aware of. I don’t include plural words, like cleansers, drownings, splatters, starvings, trappings and wrappings because it’s kind of cheating.
startling
Remove the l to make starting (or remove the t to make starling)
Remove the t to make staring
Remove the a to make string
Remove the r to make sting
Remove the t to make sing
Remove the g to make sin
Remove the s to make in
Remove the n to make I
splitting
Remove the l to make spitting
Remove the p to make sitting
Remove a t to make siting
Remove the first i to make sting
Remove the s to make ting
Remove the g to make tin
Remove the t to make in
Remove the n to make I
stringier
Remove the r to make stingier
Remove the i to make stinger
Remove the t to make singer
Remove the r to make singe
Remove the g to make sine
Remove the e to make sin
Remove the s to make in
Remove the n to make I
strapping
Remove the s to make trapping
Remove the t to make rapping
Remove the p to make raping
Remove the r to make aping
Remove the a to make ping
Remove the g to make pin
Remove the p to make in
Remove the n to make I
The Pet That Stays on the Floor
What kind of pet always stays on the floor?
A carpet.
Dancing All The Time
Moving to and fro,
Dancing all the time.
Only to be moved by others
To allow them to pass by.
What am I?
A door.
Three Lives Have I
Three lives have I.
Gentle enough to soothe the skin,
Light enough to caress the sky,
Hard enough to crack rocks.
Water.
The Dead Bring Forth the Living
I saw the dead bring forth the living. I saw the living bring forth the dead. Who or what did I see?
A funeral. Someone’s death caused the living to come to the funeral, and during the funeral the living carry the casket of the deceased.
Area, Death, Kick
What word can be added before or after these words to make a new word or phrase?
Area, Death, Kick
Penalty. Penalty area, Death penalty, Penalty kick.
I Have Four Pairs of Letters
I have four pairs of letters,
Leaving two to stand alone.
You’re often doing the opposite,
When playing on your phone.
I help you get things done,
With one big caveat,
If taken to extremes,
I could make you fat.
What am I?
Efficiency. Being efficient helps you get things done, but if you’re extremely efficient with your tasks you get less exercise.
Wake Up With No Electricity
I can wake you in the morning but I require no electricity or winding.
I can also provide you with a meal, but only once.
What am I?
A rooster. If you did use electricity on your rooster, you would no longer be woken up, but it could provide a finger lickin’ last meal.
Has Wings But Cannot Fly
What has wings but can not fly.
Is enclosed, but can outside also lie.
Can open itself up or close itself away.
Is the place of kings and queens,
And doggerel of every means.
What is it upon which I stand,
Which can lead us to different lands?
A stage.