LANAI /luh.NIE/ n. a living area, such as a roofed patio, porch or veranda, built onto the side of a house, especially in Hawaii
Today’s word should be pretty easy to spot in your favorite newspaper puzzle, with clues like…
- Roofed patio
- Lounging terrace
- Maui veranda
- Patio off the tiki room
- Breezy room in Hawaii
- Hilo porch
That is assuming, of course, that you’re up to speed on Hawaiian geography (not Word Buff territory I’m sorry!), and in particular that you know the names of the main Hawaiian islands.
And speaking of Hawaiian islands, I should also mention in passing that Lanai (with a capital this time) actually is one!
This Lanai is often better known as The Pineapple Island.
You might also occasionally encounter a clue like [Florida room], and wonder what this has to do with Hawaii. Nothing. This clue relates to the fact that in some parts of southern US, especially Florida, a lanai refers to “a screened-in enclosure that is attached to the back of a house and very often includes a swimming pool”. Like this one…
But personally, I’d much prefer to chill out in the Hawaiian version.
