Word ladder madness

[plonq]

My on-line Mensa calendar has done it again. I wonder if the calendar's creators are really this inattentive/stupid, or if they do this on purpose to make the end user feel smart and empowered? Hey, look, I found another error on this so-called genius test.

Make your way from TALL to MINI in only six steps, changing one letter at a time to make a good English word at each step.

TALL
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
M I N I


ANSWER: TALL, MALL, MILL, MILE, MINE, MIND, MINI (You may find other ways.)

The emphasis is mine -- these guys are just made of stupid some days. I haven't managed to (legitimately) crack it in 4 moves yet, but I can do it in 5 moves without even slowing to think:

TALL
TALE
MALE
MILE
MINE
MINI

I can do it in 4 if I employ a proper name:

TALL
MALL
MILL
MILI
MINI

Comments

[felinaeus.livejournal.com]

My brain did the exact same way as yours.
Not sure why they askfor 6.

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

A four-step solution requires each letter to be changed once, therefore the penultimate word could only be TINI, MANI, MILI, or MINL. Mani is in the dictionary, but it too is a proper name.

[branwyn.livejournal.com]

Someone's a smart cookie, my exact thoughts. :)

If anyone cares, my 5-step process was:

TALL
TILL (in retrospect, TALE would work here)
TILE
TINE (or MILE, actually)
MINE
MINI

I like this one better though

TALL
TALE
MALE
MANE
MINE
MINI

Much more lion-y. :) If I could have worked in TAIL I would have, but it would involve using more than 5 steps. :)

B.

[nrasser.livejournal.com]

I got

TALL
MALL
MILL
MILT
MINT
MINI

[branwyn.livejournal.com]

There's something fishy about "MILT". ;)

Maybe the "MINT" will hide the smell. :)

B.

[nrasser.livejournal.com]

I was wondering if anyone would comment on the after-milt mint. :)

[branwyn.livejournal.com]

*bows* It's compulsive, I can't help myself. There's no cure. Thankfully, it's amusing. :)

B.