"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Friday 24 April 2009

Trebly

Sometimes the crossword compliers get really desperate. The other day we had a six letter answer to find for the clue ‘Three times’. Perhaps not surprisingly we tried ‘Thrice’. when that didn’t fit in with other prospective answers we eventually realised the word was supposed to be trebly.

Have you ever heard anyone use the word trebly? I certainly haven’t.

2 comments:

  1. I think that's cheating! Making up a word to fit a crossword! Hmph!

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  2. Not for years, since I was in boarding school. A teacher Miss Hervey used to stir our interest in words and reading, by using the odd strange one in class. Then she tested us as to what they meant. She used in the sense of three, but I believe it can mean something musical.
    Woe betide us if we hadn't looked it up and learnt it!
    Ah Happy days!
    Love Granny

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