What's That Flat?

Beheadment

A word or phrase becomes another when its first letter is removed. Examples: factor ; or usable . If the parts of the solution are all single words, the length of only the longest is given; if any part is a phrase, all parts are enumerated.

BEHEADMENT (6)

I wonder if this SHORTER stole,
Though slightly tattered, still is WHOLE.

=Wabbit

The solution: WHOLE usable SHORTER sable

Beheadments occasionally include more than two words. A famous example is aspirate, spirate, pirate, irate, rate, ate .

In a bigram beheadment, a word or phrase becomes another when its first two letters are removed: delivery .

In a phonetic beheadment, a word or phrase becomes another when its first sound is removed. All parts are enumerated. Example: basalt assault . For discussion of what constitutes a single sound, see phonetic flats.

In a reversed beheadment, after beheading the first word, reverse it to get the second. Example: petal late .