This week marks our last round of Secret Word Wednesday as we go on hiatus for the summer. It’s been fun tweeting clues and hints, as well as reading everyone’s guesses. We’ve had some nail-biting rounds!

Here to date are all the past Secret Word winners (by Twitter handle):

March 24, 2010 –  justkristin
March 31, 2010 – TCarterRoss
April 7, 2010 – a_wordnik
April 21, 2010 – specgram
June 9, 2010 – 4ndyman
June 16, 2010 – TIE: Sara_GG_TGC and xascha
June 23, 2010 – TIE: mdcclv and ecormany
June 30, 2010 – TIE: StanCarey and observacious
July 7, 2010 –  justkristin
July 14, 2010 – specgram
July 14, 2010 – telofy
July 21, 2010 – specgram
July 28, 2010 – davidseawell
August 4, 2010 – MariaHench
August 4, 2010 – hallowdmachine
August 11, 2010 – NextMoon
August 18, 2010 – specgram
August 25, 2010 – bgzimmer
September 1, 2010 – melanie_seibert
September 8, 2010 – bgzimmer
September 15, 2010 – bgzimmer
September 22, 2010 – bgzimmer
September 28, 2010 – melanie_seibert
October 6, 2010 – fuyunoakegata
October 13, 2010 – melanie_seibert
October 20, 2010 – justkristin
October 27, 2010 – TIE: specgram and camillaisa
November 3, 2010 – telofy
November 10, 2010 – telofy
November 17, 2010 – melanie_seibert
December 1, 2010 – melanie_seibert
December 8, 2010 – LawanaFL
December 15, 2010 – theroseinbloom
January 5, 2011 – 4ndyman
January 12, 2011 – bgzimmer
January 19, 2011 – 4ndyman
January 26, 2011 – williecostello
February 2, 2011 – Doc_Harding
February 9, 2011 – justkristin
February 16, 2011 – marissamakes
February 23, 2011 – telofy
March 2, 2011 – telofy
March 9, 2011 – inventrix
March 16, 2011 – TankHughes
March 23, 2011 – ecormany
March 30, 2011 – 4ndyman
April 6, 2011 – melanie_seibert
April 13, 2011 – MariaHench
April 20, 2011 – wrdnrd
April 27, 2011 – ecormany
May 4, 2011 – ecormany
May 11, 2011 – northboundlane
May 18, 2011 – northboundlane
May 25, 2011 – TIE: melanie_seibert and bananagrammer
June 1, 2011 – bananagrammer
June 8, 2011 – bgzimmer

Great job everyone!

But just because we’re not hosting Secret Word Wednesday doesn’t mean you can’t play. Pick a word and tweet some clues! All you’ll be missing is Pee-wee.

This also doesn’t mean we’ll be Twitter-game-free. We’ll be launching some more tweeting interaction (tweeteraction?) soon, but if there are any Twitter games that you particularly enjoy, please let us know.

In you’ve been following us on Twitter, you know that every Wednesday we play a secret word guessing game. The rules are simple. Read the clues, tweet your guesses, then check the pronunciation in the upper right hand corner of the word page for Pee-wee Herman‘s enthusiastic proclamation to see if you’re right. If multiple players guess the correct word, the fastest tweet wins. The prize is a bit of Wordnik swag and bragging rights.

Today’s secret word was tramontane:

1. Coming from the far side of the mountains, especially the Alps as viewed from Italy.
2. Coming from the other side of the mountains: as, tramontane wind.
3. One who lives beyond the mountains; hence, a stranger; a barbarian.
4. The north wind.

Today’s first clue was Conan, maybe.  Did we mean Coco, or the former governator?  Everyone knew we meant Ah-nuld and his iconic character, Conan the Barbarian, and guessed barbarian and cimmeria, which may refer to Conan’s fictional homeland (cimmerian, by the way, means “perpetually dark and gloomy”). Both were close, but no cigar.

The second clue was Gary Larson might like to hike it here.  Gary Larson is the creator of The Far Side cartoons, and “hike” is meant to imply “mountain.” Therefore, we were referring to the definition, “Coming from the far side of the mountains.”

The third clue, may be found beneath Bette’s wings, referred to “the north wind,” and with that, last week’s winner @bananagrammer got tramontane!  Other “windy” guesses included boreas and zephyr, but only tramontane also means “barbarian” and “coming from the far side of the mountains.”

In case you’re curious, the bonus clue would have been a “Roman” may hide in a “tent” to avoid this, with quotes indicating an anagram.  The letters in “Roman” and “tent” can be rearranged to form the secret word, tramontane, and the sentence refers to the “north wind” meaning of the word.

Congrats again to @bananagrammer and thanks to everyone for playing!  Remember, you have a chance to win Secret Word Wednesday every week!  Just follow us on Twitter.

In you’ve been following us on Twitter, you know that every Wednesday we play a secret word guessing game. The rules are simple. Read the clues, tweet your guesses, then check the pronunciation in the upper right hand corner of the word page for Pee-wee Herman‘s enthusiastic proclamation to see if you’re right. If multiple players guess the correct word, the fastest tweet wins. The prize is a bit of Wordnik swag and bragging rights.

Today’s secret word was coquille:

1. A part of the guard of a sword-hilt.
2. A shell, or a dish in the form of a shell, in which preparations of fish, etc., are served.
3. A mistake in printing, in which one letter is substituted for another.
4. The left side of the heart, which contains arterial blood.
5. The right half of the heart, which contains venous blood.
6. A form of ruching used as a dress trimming or for neckwear, and named from the manner in which it is gathered or fulled.

The first clue today was to the hilt, referring to the meaning, “A part of the guard of a sword-hilt.” Players guessed tang, “a long and slender projecting strip, tongue, or prong. . .made solid with the blade of a sword, knife, chisel, or other implement, its use being to secure the handle firmly to the blade,” a very appropriate guess.

The second clue was Jacques loves this dish, referring to “coquille St. Jacques,” a scallop dish and itself a reference to the shell of St. James (“Jacques” is the French form of “James).  And we were no match for repeat winner @melanie_seibert, with close second @bananagrammer!  Congrats!

We didn’t need a third or bonus clues but here they are!  The third clue was ring around the collar, referring to a “form of ruching used as a dress trimming or for neckwear.” The first bonus clue was if the Tin Man had this, he’d be halfway there, referring to “the right half of the heart.” The second bonus clue was copyeditor’s worst fear? referring to “a mistake in printing, in which one letter is substituted for another.”

And with a word so chock full of meanings, we were chock full of clues too! The third bonus clue was spoiled insides of this will make you “ill” in the middle, referring to the “ill” in the middle of coquille, and the idea that a spoiled fish dish will surely give you a stomachache.

Congrats again to @melanie_seibert and @bananagrammer!  Remember, you have a chance to win Secret Word Wednesday every week!  Just follow us on Twitter.

In you’ve been following us on Twitter, you know that every Wednesday we play a secret word guessing game. The rules are simple. Read the clues, tweet your guesses, then check the pronunciation in the upper right hand corner of the word page for Pee-wee Herman‘s enthusiastic proclamation to see if you’re right. If multiple players guess the correct word, the fastest tweet wins. The prize is a bit of Wordnik swag and bragging rights.

Today’s secret word was fascicle:

1. A bundle; a small collection or connected group; a cluster. Specifically— In bot.: A close cluster, as of leaves, flowers, etc.: sometimes limited in use to a condensed cyme.
2. In mosses, the tissue of elongated cells taking the place of fibrovascular bundles in the nerves, etc.
3. In zoology and anatomy, a fasciculus.
4. A part of a printed work: a small number of printed or written sheets bound together.

The first clue today was a newlywed may throw one, referring to the meaning, “a close cluster. . .of flowers.” Of course we were purposefully ambiguous.  Which newlywed?  Bride or groom?  And players guessed appropriately with hissy fit, garter, penny, bash, charivari (terrific word!) and the closest guess, bouquet.

The second clue was some extra reading, referring to the definition, “a small number of printed or written sheets bound together.”  @linguajinks guessed appendix, which fits this clue but not the first, though of course she qualified, “I’m sure lots of newlyweds throw away one of those. It’s not like they really need them anyway, right?” A new wedding tradition?

The third clue was a bundle of nerves, which we meant literally – a fasciculus is a bundle of nervous tissue – and not figuratively: “A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.” And with that clue, last week’s winner @northboundlane got fascicle! “A good spelling bee word,” she quipped. We agree.

Bonus clues weren’t needed today, but we wrote them so here they are.  Today’s first bonus clue was the Belle of Amherst had 40, the “Belle of Amherst” referring to Emily Dickinson (also known as the Nun of Amherst) and “40” referring to her 40 fascicles, or small booklets, of poetry. The second bonus clue was a pinched this in your “calf” may require “ices.” By now you know that quotes indicate an anagram, in this case “calf” and “ices” rearranged to spell fascicle.  In addition, the sentence itself refers to the “bundle of nerves” meaning of the word.

Congrats again to repeat winner @northboundlane!  Remember, you have a chance to win Secret Word Wednesday every week!  Just follow us on Twitter.

In you’ve been following us on Twitter, you know that every Wednesday we play a secret word guessing game. The rules are simple. Read the clues, tweet your guesses, then check the pronunciation in the upper right hand corner of the word page for Pee-wee Herman‘s enthusiastic proclamation to see if you’re right. If multiple players guess the correct word, the fastest tweet wins. The prize is a bit of Wordnik swag and bragging rights.

Today’s secret word was the noun, setout:

1. A beginning; an outset.
2. Preparations, as for beginning a journey.
3. Company; set; clique.
4. A display, as of plate, or china, or elaborate dishes and wines at table; dress and accessories; equipage; turn-out.

The first clue today was rampant among high schoolers, referring to the “company, set, clique” meaning of setout. Players had a lot of great (and, arguably, true) guesses, such materialism, braggadocio, acne, and (ahem) erections.

The second clue was the most popular place at a party? While we were referring to the definition “a display, as of plate, or china, or elaborate dishes and wines at table; dress and accessories; equipage; turn-out,” @The_Word_Nerd actually came very close by guessing another sense, clique.

The third clue was you can’t have a middle or end without it referring to the “beginning, outset” meaning of setout.  A couple of more good guesses, but order and pregnancy weren’t today’s secret word.

Finally, the bonus clue was “Tote us” to the party, this would say if it could talk. If you’ve played Secret Word Wednesday before, you’ll know that quotes indicate an anagram. The letters in “tote” and “us” can be rearranged to spell setout (as well as outset, a synonym). In addition, the sentence itself demonstrates a meaning of the word, in this case “a display, as of elaborate dishes.”

And it was Amy Goldstein, aka @northboundlane, who got today’s secret word!  Congrats!

Remember, you have a chance to win Secret Word Wednesday every week!  Just follow us on Twitter.

In you’ve been following us on Twitter, you know that every Wednesday we play a secret word guessing game. The rules are simple. Read the three or four clues (sometimes more, sometimes fewer), then tweet your guesses. How do you know if you’re right (aside from us saying so)? Check the pronunciation in the upper right hand corner of the word page for Pee-wee Herman‘s enthusiastic proclamation. If multiple players guess the correct word, the fastest tweet wins.  The prize is a bit of Wordnik swag and bragging rights.

Afterward, we like to explain the clues on Twitter, but sometimes 140 characters (or even 280) just aren’t enough. So we thought we’d offer instead a lengthier and more in-depth Secret Word Wednesday Explained, as well as provide some tips for guessing these elusive words.

Today’s secret word was wincey:

A strong and durable cloth, plain or twilled, composed of a cotton warp and a woolen weft. Heavy winceys have been much worn as skirtings, and a lighter kind is used for men’s shirts. They are sometimes made entirely of wool.

Wincey is also known as linsey-woolsey – think part linen, part wool – and may be an alteration of the word (the “w” of woolsey combined with the “insey” of linsey).

The first clue today was skirts the issue, referring to the “skirt” meaning of the wincey. Understandably players inferred the figurative meaning of skirt, “to evade,” and posed such guesses as dodge, equivocate, and burke. Someone also guessed purlieus, or “outskirts.” Good try but no cigar!

The second clue was sounds flinchy but is actually strong, referring to the “wince” sound of the word, and the meaning, “a strong and durable cloth.” Players had some strong skirt-like guesses (kilt, tartan), but it was repeat-winner @ecormany who guessed correctly!

In case you’re curious, the third clue would have been mixed materials, as wincey is “composed of a cotton warp and a woolen weft,” while the bonus clue was Abigail was glad she wore her “new” this against the “icy” wind. TIP: If you’ve played Secret Word Wednesday before, you’ll know that quotes indicate an anagram, “a transposition of the letters of a word or sentence, to form a new word or sentence.” The letters in “icy” and “wind” can be rearranged to spell wincey. In addition, the sentence itself demonstrates the meaning of the word.

Congrats again to @ecormany who, for the record, was generous enough to donate his prize to @linguajinks who apparently has been “dying” to get some Wordnik swag. 🙂

If you didn’t win this time, don’t fret – you have a chance to win every single week! Be sure to follow us on Twitter to play, and tell all your word-puzzle-loving friends.