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It's fun to think about reverse word pairs. For example, STRESSED spelled backward yields DESSERTS. Or, my personal favorite: EVIAN spelled backward is NAIVE!

Reverse pairs have a long history and are well documented. Let's explore a more sophisticated reversal mechanism.

We are going to reverse words in sections:

1.  Take a word

2.  Break the word into sections

3.  Reverse each section

4.  Recombine the sections to form a new word

For example, PARROT can become RAPTOR:

1.  PARROT

2.  PAR ROT

3.  RAP TOR

4.  RAPTOR

I'm calling these "Venetian blinds" word pairs because all the sections flipping over simultaneously reminds me of Venetian blinds being turned. Or perhaps a Jacob's ladder toy. Maybe you can come up with a better analogy.

There's no reason to restrict the sections to having the same number of letters. Allowing for sections of different sizes gives us new possibilities. For example, OCELOTS can become COOLEST:

1.  OCELOTS

2.  OC ELO TS

3.  CO OLE ST

4.  COOLEST

Some word pairs behave in surprising ways. For example, NAMELESS can become MANELESS:

1.  NAMELESS

2.  NAM ELE SS

3.  MAN ELE SS

4.  MANELESS

Other words contain enough internal palindromes to yield themselves again, given the appropriate sectioning. For example, DIFFIDENTNESS:

1.  DIFFIDENTNESS

2.  DIFFID ENTNE SS

3.  DIFFID ENTNE SS

4.  DIFFIDENTNESS

In order to keep it fun, here are the rules:

• There must be more than one section


• Each section must have more than one letter


• Each section must participate in the reversal

Word pairs involving long and common words are preferred over word pairs involving short or obscure words.

There are many such "Venetian blinds" word pairs. To get you started, below are some whimsical hints pointing you to one or both words in a pair.
(Mouse over the section below to make it visible.)

Your _____ in judgment was bad, but _____ in comparison to his!



These little flies are giving me anxiety!



Who has ____ to wait in the checkout line when you only have one ____?



Topmost space in a house



Name of one of your fingers



What does an active volcano do?



The elements of music



What does Archie Bunker shout at Edith?



The driveway was paved a while ago, but it needed it again



It's unlikely that anyone feels this strongly about their supervisors!

Answers to the sentences in the spoiler text:

1. lapse --> lap se --> pal es --> pales (Your lapse in judgment was bad, but pales in comparison to his!)

2. time --> ti me --> it em --> item (Who has time to wait in the checkout line when you only have one item?)

Rest of the spoiler text, besides what @ExcitedRaichu already filled in:

These little flies are giving me anxiety! GNATS -> ANGST

Topmost space in a house: ATTIC -> TACIT

Name of one of your fingers: INDEX -> NIXED

What does an active volcano do? ERUPTS -> PUREST

The elements of music: NOTES -> ONSET

What does Archie Bunker shout at Edith? STIFLE -> ITSELF

The driveway was paved a while ago, but it needed it again: REPAVED -> PERVADE

It's unlikely that anyone feels this strongly about their supervisors! BOSSES -> OBSESS

That was a fun puzzle by itself! For the challenge of coming up with the longest/least obscure Venetian Blind, I'll leave it to someone smarter :-)