I Spy Something Beginning With ST Quiz

Answer: Stamen

Amen means 'so be it' and adding this to ST creates the new word 'stamen'. The word 'amen' was originally Hebrew and has passed into English via Greek, Latin and Old English. It is said at the end of prayers to signify 'truth' or 'agreement'. The stamen is the part of a flower which bears pollen. The word is derived from Latin, and means to stand upright.

Answer: Straddle

Raddle is used to describe a red pigment and adding it to ST creates the new word of 'straddle'. Red ochre is also know as reddle and ruddle. Thomas Hardy has a character called the reddleman in his novel 'The Return of the Native' who sells this product to sheep farmers to mark their flocks. To straddle something means to sit astride it, as on a bicycle.

Answer: Stripe

Ripe means to be fully mature and creates the new word 'stripe' when added to ST. Ripe can be used literally, as in fruit or other crops ready for harvesting, or figuratively such as the expression 'ripe for redevelopment'. A stripe is a line, like those found on the coat of a zebra or on the arm of a corporal or sergeant in the army. 'To earn one's stripes' means to achieve success.

Answer: Stutter

To speak aloud is to 'utter' and adding this to ST creates the word 'stutter'. Utter can also mean 'complete' or 'entire' - 'the utter end', for example. Stuttering is an inability to articulate words, particularly at the beginning, leading to a repetition of the first sound. Some letters are more likely to cause problems, including s, p and t.

Answer: Struck

A ruck is a rugby expression which, when added to ST, makes the word 'struck'. In rugby, a ruck occurs when the ball is on the ground and players from the opposing teams are both trying to gain possession of it - legally. Struck is the past tense of the word 'strike' meaning to forcibly hit someone or something.

Answer: Steel

The fish which resembles a snake is an eel and putting ST in front of it creates the word 'steel'. Eels can be found in both fresh and sea water, although the majority live in salt water. Young eels are called elvers. Steel is an alloy consisting mainly of iron but with carbon added to improve its strength. Examples of the alloy have been found dating back to 1800 BC.

Answer: Straw

ST with raw added creates the word 'straw'. Raw can be used for food which hasn't been cooked and is also used for someone who is untrained ('raw talent') or to describe a sore on the body - 'her shoes rubbed her heel raw'. Straw can refer to dried crops or mean a hollow tube used to suck up liquid when drinking.

Answer: Stranger

A ranger can be someone looking after a park and adding this to ST creates the word 'stranger'. As well as working in parks, rangers can look after larger areas such as national parks or forests. In the military, rangers can be members of small groups trained to carry out secret missions. Some police groups use the same name, like the Texas Rangers. A stranger is someone unknown to you.

Answer: Stoat

The small grain is an oat, which becomes a 'stoat' when added to ST. Other small grains can be millet or rice. A stoat is a small weasel and is sometimes called a short-tailed weasel. Its fur was used to provided trimming for the cloaks worn by members of the nobility - the name for this is 'ermine' as the fur is taken when the stoats are in their white winter coats when they are known by the name of ermine.

Answer: Stale

Ale is the alcohol in the question and adding the word to ST creates the new word 'stale'. Ale is a form of beer, and the word is sometimes used as a substitute for the name of beer. Something which is stale is no longer fresh, so bread can be stale. In the sense of musty, stale refers to rooms which have been left shut up with no moving air and maybe a hint of dampness.