On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
"Sussus Amogus" technically counts

On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts

That looks like two words to me.

I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
non-contrivedness.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1@dont-email.me>,
Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
>On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts

>That looks like two words to me.
>
>I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
>time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
>definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
>non-contrivedness.

"squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.

-- Richard

On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> >On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> >> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> >>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> >>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> >>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> >>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> >> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
>
> >That looks like two words to me.
> >
> >I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
> >time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
> >definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
> >non-contrivedness.
> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
>
> -- Richard

The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
L. Flynn

On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
>> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
>> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
>>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
>>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
>>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
>>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
>>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
>>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
>>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
>>
>>> That looks like two words to me.
>>>
>>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
>>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
>>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
>>> non-contrivedness.
>> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
>>
>> -- Richard
>
> The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
> L. Flynn

Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 4:05:41 PM UTC-4, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> >> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> >> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> >>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> >>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> >>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> >>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> >>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> >>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> >>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
> >>
> >>> That looks like two words to me.
> >>>
> >>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
> >>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
> >>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
> >>> non-contrivedness.
> >> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
> >>
> >> -- Richard
> >
> > The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
> > L. Flynn
> Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!
> --
> Richard Heathfield
> Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
> "Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
> Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

And no help even from the Welsh...
Why you could look through almost the entire dictionary before finding it.
L. Flynn

On Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 12:49:49 PM UTC-4, leflynn wrote:
> On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 4:05:41 PM UTC-4, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> > On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> > > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> > >> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> > >> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> > >>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> > >>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> > >>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> > >>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> > >>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> > >>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> > >>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
> > >>
> > >>> That looks like two words to me.
> > >>>
> > >>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
> > >>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
> > >>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
> > >>> non-contrivedness.
> > >> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
> > >>
> > >> -- Richard
> > >
> > > The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
> > > L. Flynn
> > Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!
> > --
> > Richard Heathfield
> > Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
> > "Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
> > Sig line 4 vacant - apply within
> And no help even from the Welsh...
> Why you could look through almost the entire dictionary before finding it..
> L. Flynn
For the even letters, some resources give ​"brrr" as a word.
I was thinking of "zzz" . There is also "nth".
L. Flynn

Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> writes:
> On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
>> On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
>>> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
>>> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
>>>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
>>>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
>>>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
>>>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was
>>>>>> ``successes.''
>>>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
>>>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
>>>
>>>> That looks like two words to me.
>>>>
>>>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at
>>>> the
>>>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course
>>>> isn't
>>>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of
>>>> reassurance of
>>>> non-contrivedness.
>>> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
>>
>> The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the
>> alphabet is only three letters long.
>
> Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!

Pfft! When's that stopped a rec.puzzler from cheating.
Nonwords do come to the rescue. "Brr" is probably just
on the right side of the line to count. "Blvd." almost
certainly isn't. But that doesn't matter, as I obviously
have a better 4.

Phil

--
We are no longer hunters and nomads. No longer awed and frightened, as we have
gained some understanding of the world in which we live. As such, we can cast
aside childish remnants from the dawn of our civilization.
-- NotSanguine on SoylentNews, after Eugen Weber in /The Western Tradition/

On Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 4:39:27 AM UTC-4, Phil Carmody wrote:
> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> writes:
> > On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> >> On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> >>> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> >>> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> >>>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> >>>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> >>>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> >>>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was
> >>>>>> ``successes.''
> >>>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> >>>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
> >>>
> >>>> That looks like two words to me.
> >>>>
> >>>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at
> >>>> the
> >>>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course
> >>>> isn't
> >>>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of
> >>>> reassurance of
> >>>> non-contrivedness.
> >>> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
> >>
> >> The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the
> >> alphabet is only three letters long.
> >
> > Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!
> Pfft! When's that stopped a rec.puzzler from cheating.
> Nonwords do come to the rescue. "Brr" is probably just
> on the right side of the line to count. "Blvd." almost
> certainly isn't. But that doesn't matter, as I obviously
> have a better 4.
>
> Phil
>
> --
> We are no longer hunters and nomads. No longer awed and frightened, as we have
> gained some understanding of the world in which we live. As such, we can cast
> aside childish remnants from the dawn of our civilization.
> -- NotSanguine on SoylentNews, after Eugen Weber in /The Western Tradition/

Well "Phpht!" to all of us for using such words.
L. Flynn

Re: longest word using a, c, e, g, ...

On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 7:35:36 AM UTC-7, leflynn wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 12:49:49 PM UTC-4, leflynn wrote:
> > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 4:05:41 PM UTC-4, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> > > On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> > > > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> > > >> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> > > >> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> > > >>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> > > >>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> > > >>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> > > >>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet..
> > > >>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> > > >>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> > > >>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
> > > >>
> > > >>> That looks like two words to me.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
> > > >>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
> > > >>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
> > > >>> non-contrivedness.
> > > >> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
> > > >>
> > > >> -- Richard
> > > >
> > > > The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
> > > > L. Flynn
> > > Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!
> > > --
> > > Richard Heathfield
> > > Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
> > > "Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
> > > Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

> > And no help even from the Welsh...
> > Why you could look through almost the entire dictionary before finding it.
> > L. Flynn

> For the even letters, some resources give ​"brrr" as a word.
> I was thinking of "zzz" . There is also "nth".
> L. Flynn

i see... we can't use M

otherwise, we could 've (maybe) picked words in ending in WM

BWM, cwm, DWM, GWM, PWM, SWM, BWWM

oh... BWWM is only an acroynym.

On Monday, May 23, 2022 at 1:25:06 AM UTC-4, henh...@gmail.com wrote:
> Re: longest word using a, c, e, g, ...
> On Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 7:35:36 AM UTC-7, leflynn wrote:
> > On Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 12:49:49 PM UTC-4, leflynn wrote:
> > > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 4:05:41 PM UTC-4, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> > > > On 20/07/2021 19:27, leflynn wrote:
> > > > > On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 5:55:03 AM UTC-4, Richard Tobin wrote:
> > > > >> In article <sd4pmr$jpp$1...@dont-email.me>,
> > > > >> Richard Heathfield <r...@cpax.org.uk> wrote:
> > > > >>> On 19/07/2021 16:49, Alex MacDonald wrote:
> > > > >>>> On Monday, June 28, 1993 at 10:38:25 PM UTC-7, Charles Blair wrote:
> > > > >>>>> Last week NPR's puzzle feature asked what the longest non-
> > > > >>>>> contrived word was using only alternate letters of the alphabet.
> > > > >>>>> I missed the answer. The best I could come up with was ``successes.''
> > > > >>>>> PS I know this can be done using unix tools, but I'm lazy.
> > > > >>>> "Sussus Amogus" technically counts
> > > > >>
> > > > >>> That looks like two words to me.
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> I offer: "gammacismus", for 11 letters. Unlike your offerings, at the
> > > > >>> time of writing it has its own Wiktionary page, which of course isn't
> > > > >>> definitive but does at least provide a certain amount of reassurance of
> > > > >>> non-contrivedness.
> > > > >> "squamaceous" is a perfectly cromulent word.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> -- Richard
> > > > >
> > > > > The longest word that I find using only the even elements of the alphabet is only three letters long.
> > > > > L. Flynn
> > > > Vowels are mighty scarce, sir - *mighty* scarce!
> > > > --
> > > > Richard Heathfield
> > > > Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
> > > > "Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
> > > > Sig line 4 vacant - apply within
>
> > > And no help even from the Welsh...
> > > Why you could look through almost the entire dictionary before finding it.
> > > L. Flynn
>
> > For the even letters, some resources give ​"brrr" as a word.
> > I was thinking of "zzz" . There is also "nth".
> > L. Flynn
> i see... we can't use M
>
> otherwise, we could 've (maybe) picked words in ending in WM
Not unless you think that 23 is even.
Proof 23 is even:
13 is even.
23 - 13 = 10
10 is a multiple of 2.
QED: 23 is even.
As I said,
> > > And no help even from the Welsh...

>
> BWM, cwm, DWM, GWM, PWM, SWM, BWWM
>
> oh... BWWM is only an acroynym.