A = first of all	N = center of attention
B = fifth of bourbon	O = second in command
C = first in command	P = front of the pack
D = end of the world	Q = front of the queue
E = beginning of the end	R = center of inertia
F = first in flight	S = start of something
G = middle of the night	T = middle of the century
H = middle of nowhere	U = fourth of January
I = fifth of tequila	V = center of gravity
J = first of January	W = end of the rainbow
K = back of the pack	X = a wax finish
L = first in line	Y = fourth of July (George Sicherman)
M = first of many	Z = led zeppelin

Can you improve any of these? What common English phrases can be used to describe the 26² different letter pairs? If you are not a native English speaker, perhaps you would prefer to find phrases in your language for each single letter.

A	B	C
AA = both sides of America (Carl Ginnow)	BA = leader of the band (Margie Hale)	CA = two fifths of a carat
AB = middle of the United Arab Emirates	BB = in the middle of squabbling	CB = heads of central banks (Richard Sabey)
AC = middle of the pack	BC = in the belly of a bobcat (Stephen Perry)	CC = Catholic church leaders (Richard Sabey)
AD = end of the road	BD = both sides of Baghdad	CD = both sides of Chad
AE = achievable ends (Carl Ginnow)	BE = beginning of a beutiful friendship (Bryce Herdt)	CE = end of the race
AF = beginning of the affair	BF = sides of beef (Clinton Weaver)	CF = both sides of Cardiff (Stephen Perry)
AG = middle of the page (Carl Ginnow)	BG = both sides of Beijing	CG = end of campaigning (Stephen Perry)
AH = middle of Oklahoma (Carl Ginnow)	BH = both sides of Bangladesh	CH = end of March
AI = inside straight (Bryce Herdt)	BI = both sides of Brunei	CI = beginning of civilization
AJ = middle of Baja (Carl Ginnow)	BJ = tops of Bell Jars (Toby Gottfried)	CJ = ?
AK = starting and ending an attack (Carl Ginnow)	BK = book ends	CK = back of the pack
AL = first of all	BL = start of the blizzard	CL = starting the clock
AM = end of the program	BM = both sides of Belgium	CM = ends of capitalism (Stephen Perry)
AN = middle of Arkansas	BN = both sides of Berlin	CN = both sides of Cameroon
AO = middle of Laos	BO = middle of Cambodia	CO = first in command
AP = beginning of April	BP = leaders of both parties (Richard Sabey)	CP = camp outside (Stephen Perry)
AQ = end of war in Iraq	BQ = end of the BBQ (Stephen Perry)	CQ = ?
AR = second and third of March	BR = half bred (Richard Sabey)	CR = some of the crowd
AS = couple of aspirin	BS = both sides of Belarus	CS = both sides of Cyprus
AT = both sides of the argument	BT = both ends of the boat	CT = second and third of October
AU = beginning of August	BU = third of a bushel	CU = two-thirds of a cup
AV = beginning of aviation	BV = start of a bon voyage (Bryan Boswell)	CV = ?
AW = finishing a jigsaw	BW = in the middle of barbwire (Stephen Perry)	CW = both ends of the cow (Andrew Bayly)
AX = a wax finish	BX = both ends of a box	CX = on the outside of a callbox (Stephen Perry)
AY = end of May	BY = end of the lullaby	CY = both sides of the country
AZ = middle of Brazil	BZ = surrounding buzz (Bryan Boswell)	CZ = beginning of the Czech Republic (Stephen Perry)

D	E	F
DA = start of the day	EA = middle of the year	FA = beginning of the fall
DB = tallest in Dubai (Clinton Weaver)	EB = second and third of February	FB = leads off first base (Clinton Weaver)
DC = both sides of the Dominican Republic	EC = Center for Disease Control (Clinton Weaver)	FC = heads of financial companies (Richard Sabey)
DD = dead ends (Bryce Herdt)	ED = middle of Sweden	FD = both sides of Finland
DE = beginning of December	EE = middle of the week	FE = beginning of February
DF = both sides of Dusseldorf	EF = starting efficiently	FF = duplication of effort
DG = both sides of Danzig (Stephen Perry)	EG = middle of Oregon	FG = top and bottom of a figurine
DH = both sides of Dartmouth (Stephen Perry)	EH = ends of the earth	FH = edges of the footpath
DI = middle of Maldives	EI = a third of eighty	FI = start of the film
DJ = ?	EJ = ?	FJ = ?
DK = both sides of Denmark	EK = end of the week	FK = high points of the fireworks
DL = in the middle of cuddling	EL = a third of eleven	FL = first in flight
DM = both sides of a diagram (Stephen Perry)	EM = middle of November	FM = start and end of the film
DN = middle of Sydney	EN = beginning of the end	FN = ?
DO = half done	EO = endless neon (Dave Jones)	FO = middle of California
DP = Democratic party leaders (Richard Sabey)	EP = sheep tails (Richard Sabey)	FP = French political leaders (Richard Sabey)
DQ = ?	EQ = left side of the equation	FQ = ?
DR = middle of Madrid	ER = end of September	FR = start of a friendship (Clinton Weaver)
DS = both sides of Dallas	ES = end of the movies	FS = ending tariffs (Clinton Weaver)
DT = both sides of Detroit	ET = middle of Cape Town	FT = both sides of Frankfurt
DU = middle of Honduras	EU = third and fourth in the queue	FU = two sevenths of a furlong
DV = in the belly of an aardvark	EV = start of the event	FV = ?
DW = ends in a draw (Clinton Weaver)	EW = end of the review	FW = leaders of the free world (David Shenk)
DX = ?	EX = end of the index	FX = ?
DY = end of the brandy	EY = end of the journey	FY = first and eighth of February (Clinton Weaver)
DZ = ?	EZ = in the middle of freezing	FZ = ?

G	H	I
GA = middle of Bulgaria	HA = middle of Chad	IA = both sides of Iowa
GB = Great Britain's leaders (Michael Rios)	HB = center of a wishbone (Clinton Weaver)	IB = end of the crib
GC = ?	HC = ?	IC = tip of the iceberg (Michael Rios)
GD = middle of Bangdung	HD = ?	ID = both sides of Iceland
GE = both sides of Greece	HE = left half of the head	IE = end of the movie
GF = ?	HF = middle of a flash flood (Clinton Weaver)	IF = if and only if
GG = bottom of the gauge (Clinton Weaver)	HG = both sides of Hong Kong	IG = rear of a pig (Clinton Weaver)
GH = rough finish	HH = ?	IH = ?
GI = middle of Virginia	HI = middle of Ohio	II = in the middle of skiing
GJ = ?	HJ = ?	IJ = middle of Fiji
GK = middle of Hong Kong	HK = middle of North Korea	IK = ?
GL = starts to get lucky (Richard Sabey)	HL = in the middle of marshlands (Toby Gottfried)	IL = end of April
GM = starts to get mad (Richard Sabey)	HM = Her Majesty's crowns (Michael Rios)	IM = middle of Lima
GN = both sides of Gabon	HN = both sides of Houston	IN = half inch (Richard Sabey)
GO = middle of Angola	HO = half hour (Richard Sabey)	IO = middle of Ethiopia
GP = Green party leaders (Richard Sabey)	HP = ?	IP = end of the quip
GQ = grotesque bottom	HQ = ?	IQ = both sides of Iraq
GR = half a gram	HR = middle of Tehran	IR = middle of West Virginia
GS = end of the songs	HS = both sides of Honduras	IS = middle of Pakistan
GT = ?	HT = end of the fortnight	IT = all of it
GU = middle of August	HU = beginning of the hurricane	IU = ?
GV = ?	HV = ?	IV = four out of five (Andrew Bayly)
GW = starts to get wild (Richard Sabey)	HW = ?	IW = middle of Taiwan
GX = ?	HX = ?	IX = end of the phoenix
GY = end of the eulogy (Dave Jones)	HY = both sides of Hungary	IY = ?
GZ = in the middle of a zigzag	HZ = ?	IZ = end of the quiz

J	K	L
JA = beginning of January	KA = middle of Ankara	LA = middle of Poland
JB = ?	KB = ?	LB = ?
JC = ?	KC = ?	LC = in the middle of Roll Call (Toby Gottfried)
JD = ?	KD = high points of skydiving	LD = end of the world
JE = front of the jet	KE = last half of a cake (Clinton Weaver)	LE = loose ends (Clinton Weaver)
JF = ?	KF = ?	LF = finishes itself (Dave Jones)
JG = low parts of the jungle	KG = ?	LG = both sides of Luxembourg
JH = ?	KH = middle of Kazakhstan	LH = hollow laugh (Kathryn Friedlander)
JI = ?	KI = two of a kind (Bryce Herdt)	LI = half-life (Richard Sabey)
JJ = ?	KJ = ?	LJ = ?
JK = ?	KK = high points of karaoke	LK = last of the milk (Dave Jones)
JL = ?	KL = highest part of an ankle	LL = end of the fall
JM = ?	KM = ?	LM = end of the film
JN = both ends of Japan	KN = heart of darkness	LN = both sides of London
JO = start of the job	KO = both sides of Kosovo	LO = half a loaf (Bryce Herdt)
JP = Jewish political leaders (Richard Sabey)	KP = ?	LP = Labour party leaders (Richard Sabey)
JQ = ?	KQ = ?	LQ = ?
JR = first and sixth of January (Clinton Weaver)	KR = ?	LR = in the belly of a walrus
JS = ?	KS = both sides of Kansas	LS = both sides of Los Angeles
JT = both ends of the jet	KT = both sides of Kuwait	LT = first and last on the list
JU = beginning of June	KU = ?	LU = beginning of a lump
JV = ?	KV = ?	LV = middle of El Salvador
JW = ?	KW = ?	LW = ?
JX = ?	KX = ?	LX = ?
JY = lowest forms of jealousy	KY = both sides of Kentucky	LY = end of July
JZ = ?	KZ = ?	LZ = ?

M	N	O
MA = first of many (Kevin Stone)	NA = middle of Panama	OA = middle of the road
MB = middle of Luxembourg	NB = ?	OB = fourth and fifth of October
MC = ?	NC = North Carolina primaries (Richard Sabey)	OC = beginning of October
MD = both sides of Maryland	ND = middle of London	OD = end of childhood
ME = end of time	NE = end of the line	OE = ?
MF = middle of Stamford (Toby Gottfried)	NF = ?	OF = soft center (Dave Jones)
MG = ?	NG = heart of the jungle	OG = middle of Togo
MH = beginning and ending of the month (Toby Gottfried)	NH = New Hampshire primaries (Richard Sabey)	OH = middle of Yokohama
MI = half a mile	NI = middle of the Solomon Islands	OI = a few seconds of your time (Bryce Herdt)
MJ = ?	NJ = New Jersey primaries (Richard Sabey)	OJ = ?
MK = ?	NK = both sides of New York	OK = end of the book
ML = both sides of Montreal	NL = ?	OL = heart of gold (Bryce Herdt)
MM = third and fourth in command	NM = New Mexico primaries	OM = middle of Colombia
MN = both sides of Michigan	NN = tennis doubles	ON = no turning back (Andrew Bayly)
MO = beginning of the month	NO = beginning of November	OO = middle of the room
MP = middle of New Hampshire	NP = Nationalist party leaders (Richard Sabey)	OP = start of the opera
MQ = ?	NQ = ?	OQ = ?
MR = both ends of Madagascar	NR = both ends of Niger	OR = middle of Colorado
MS = both sides of Massachusetts	NS = last of the Mohicans	OS = ?
MT = ?	NT = end of the event	OT = end of the foot
MU = start of the music	NU = third and fourth of January	OU = two fifths of an ounce
MV = the odds of a Move (Toby Gottfried)	NV = first and third of November (Clinton Weaver)	OV = second and third of November
MW = both sides of Moscow	NW = ?	OW = end of the rainbow
MX = heartless minx (Dave Jones)	NX = ?	OX = fox's tail (George Sicherman)
MY = both sides of Mexico City	NY = a shiny finish	OY = ?
MZ = ?	NZ = leaders of New Zealand (Clinton Weaver)	OZ = ?

P	Q	R
PA = beginning of the party	QA = first and third quarters (Richard Sabey)	RA = start of the race
PB = ?	QB = tallest in Quebec (Clinton Weaver)	RB = middle of Serbia
PC = Protestant church leaders (Richard Sabey)	QC = both sides of Quebec (Richard Sabey)	RC = Roman catholic leaders (Richard Sabey)
PD = both sides of Poland	QD = both sides of the quicksand	RD = end of the blizzard
PE = some of the people (Mensanator)	QE = first and last in the queue	RE = middle of the screen
PF = ?	QF = ?	RF = end of the scarf (Dave Jones)
PG = picking sides (Clinton Weaver)	QG = squirming bottom	RG = end of the iceberg (Bryan Boswell)
PH = start of a phase	QH = ?	RH = both sides of Riyadh
PI = half a pint (Richard Heathfield)	QI = ?	RI = Rhode Island primaries (Richard Sabey)
PJ = lowest points of the projectile	QJ = ?	RJ = leads in Romeo and Juliet (Clinton Weaver)
PK = both ends of a pitchfork	QK = ?	RK = middle of Turkey
PL = both sides of Portugal	QL = ?	RL = middle of Berlin
PM = leaders of political movements	QM = ?	RM = end of the arm
PN = both sides of Pakistan	QN = both sides of the question	RN = in the middle of the afternoons
PO = two fifths of a pound	QO = ?	RO = beginning of the road
PP = leaders of political parties (Richard Sabey)	QP = ?	RP = sharp end (Andrew Bayly)
PQ = ?	QQ = ?	RQ = ?
PR = beginning of the program	QR = both sides of Qatar	RR = mirror double (Bryce Herdt)
PS = both sides of Paris	QS = both sides of the quilts	RS = end of the glaciers
PT = outer layer of paint (Bryce Herdt)	QT = around a quart (Clinton Weaver)	RT = end of the concert
PU = beginning of puberty	QU = beginning of the queue	RU = middle of February
PV = ?	QV = ?	RV = the heart of the central nervous system (Toby Gottfried)
PW = ?	QW = ?	RW = middle of Norway
PX = ?	QX = ?	RX = ?
PY = happy ending (Clinton Weaver)	QY = bottom of the quarry	RY = end of January
PZ = ?	QZ = ?	RZ = ?

S	T	U
SA = both sides of Serbia	TA = middle of Utah	UA = middle of Guam
SB = ?	TB = middle of the textbook	UB = middle of Cuba
SC = middle of Moscow	TC = center of the postcard	UC = faucet in the middle
SD = South Dakota primaries	TD = both ends of Thailand	UD = end of a feud
SE = end of the universe	TE = end note (Bryce Herdt)	UE = last in the queue
SF = ?	TF = center of the platform	UF = university faculty heads (Richard Sabey)
SG = in the middle of Thanksgiving (Toby Gottfried)	TG = leaders of the government (Richard Sabey)	UG = second and third of August
SH = start of the show	TH = end of the earth	UH = both sides of Utah
SI = two thirds of six	TI = half-time (Richard Sabey)	UI = ?
SJ = ?	TJ = inside a straitjacket	UJ = ?
SK = end of the desk	TK = the high points of waterskiing	UK = the middle of Hanukkah (Toby Gottfried)
SL = both sides of Senegal	TL = middle of Saint Lucia	UL = middle of July
SM = start of a smile	TM = ?	UM = both sides of the United Kingdom
SN = both sides of Spain	TN = both sides of town	UN = middle of June
SO = start of something	TO = photo finish (John Hood)	UO = ?
SP = beginning of spring	TP = leads in the play (Clinton Weaver)	UP = start of the upheaval
SQ = a fifth of a square mile	TQ = ?	UQ = ?
SR = both ends of Salvador	TR = start of a trip (Clinton Weaver)	UR = end of the hour
SS = business end (Bryce Herdt)	TS = both sides of Texas	US = back of the bus (Clinton Weaver)
ST = split ends	TT = heart of the matter (Bryce Herdt)	UT = middle of Bhutan
SU = beginning of summer	TU = middle of Kentucky	UU = W (Richard Sabey)
SV = ?	TV = middle of Latvia	UV = ?
SW = middle of Botswana	TW = a third of twelve	UW = ?
SX = ?	TX = ?	UX = ?
SY = both sides of the story	TY = end of eternity	UY = both sides of Uruguay
SZ = odd size (Bryan Boswell)	TZ = end of a blitz (Clinton Weaver)	UZ = ?

V	W	X
VA = middle of Slovakia	WA = middle of Hawaii	XA = in the middle of the exam
VB = Verb endings (Toby Gottfried)	WB = strawberry filling (Dave Jones)	XB = ?
VC = ?	WC = ?	XC = ?
VD = ?	WD = around the world (Jean-Charles Meyrignac)	XD = ?
VE = middle of Slovenia	WE = beginning of the week	XE = ?
VF = ?	WF = the head and tail of a wolf (Toby Gottfried)	XF = ?
VG = ?	WG = both sides of Wyoming	XG = ?
VH = ?	WH = left side of the whiteboard	XH = ?
VI = start of the video	WI = beginning of winter	XI = middle of Mexico
VJ = ?	WJ = ?	XJ = ?
VK = ?	WK = beginning and ending of the week	XK = ?
VL = ?	WL = edges of the wheel	XL = ?
VM = both ends of Vietnam	WM = both ends of a worm	XM = ?
VN = start and end of the vacation	WN = both sides of Washington	XN = ?
VO = start of the voyage	WO = women without men (Andrew Bayly)	XO = turning an ox around
VP = ?	WP = ?	XP = ?
VQ = ?	WQ = ?	XQ = ?
VR = ?	WR = start of the wreck	XR = ?
VS = empty vessels (John Hood)	WS = ?	XS = ?
VT = both sides of Vermont	WT = ?	XT = end of the text
VU = both sides of Vanuatu	WU = ?	XU = ?
VV = ?	WV = West Virginia primaries	XV = ?
VW = view outside	WW = both sides of the window	XW = ?
VX = ?	WX = ?	XX = Xerox copies
VY = both sides of Vatican City	WY = showy finish (Dave Jones)	XY = waxy finish
VZ = ?	WZ = ?	XZ = ?

Y	Z
YA = middle of Guyana	ZA = middle of Tanzania
YB = ?	ZB = ?
YC = middle of the Ivory Coast	ZC = ?
YD = ?	ZD = ?
YE = half year (Richard Sabey)	ZE = led zeppelin
YF = ?	ZF = ?
YG = low points of flying	ZG = ?
YH = ?	ZH = ?
YI = ?	ZI = beginning of a zit
YJ = ?	ZJ = ?
YK = ?	ZK = ?
YL = middle of Maryland	ZL = ?
YM = ?	ZM = ?
YN = both sides of Yemen	ZN = ?
YO = beginning of youth	ZO = start of zoology
YP = bottom of the crypt	ZP = ?
YQ = ?	ZQ = ?
YR = the beginning and ending of the year (Toby Gottfried)	ZR = ?
YS = end of days (Dave Jones)	ZS = ?
YT = ?	ZT = ?
YU = ?	ZU = ?
YV = ?	ZV = ?
YW = ?	ZW = ?
YX = ?	ZX = ?
YY = bottom of the mystery	ZY = ending up crazy
YZ = middle of Kyrgyzstan	ZZ = in the middle of a blizzard

If you can extend any of these results, please e-mail me. Click here to go back to Math Magic. Last updated 1/6/11.