Word substitution
A word or phrase (ONE) contains a shorter one (TWO) within it; when this is removed and another (THREE) is substituted, a new word or phrase is formed (FOUR). Example: ONE = wander, TWO = and, THREE = is, FOUR = wiser. To save space on the solution page, this may appear as “w(and/is)er”. Other examples: ONE = Pandora, TWO = and/or, THREE = ark, FOUR = parka; ONE = consultant, TWO = sultan, THREE = sign-men, FOUR = consignment. The enumeration of all parts is given.
If the smaller parts to be substituted are at the beginnings of the words, the puzzle is an initial-word substitution. For example: ONE = pungent, TWO = pun, THREE = deter, FOUR = detergent.
If the smaller parts to be substituted are at the ends of the words, the puzzle is a final-word substitution. For example: ONE = Cleveland, TWO = land, THREE = rest, FOUR = cleverest.
In an extended-word substitution, the shorter word is replaced more than once to form new words. For example: ONE = list, TWO = is, THREE = en, FOUR = lent, FIVE = of, SIX = loft. Note that the first pair appears in the order (longer, shorter); all others are (shorter, longer).
In a palindrome substitution, a word or phrase becomes another when an internal palindromic string of three or more letters is replaced by another palindrome of at least three letters. Examples: h(emme)r, h(ono)r; and L(umu)mba, L(a Ba)mba. If the substitution is at the beginning, it’s an initial palindrome substitution: (Ede)n, (eve)n. If the substitution is at the end, it’s a final palindrome substitution: b(elle), b(anana); and can(did), Can(ada).
The word substitution was invented by Alf.