numeronyms.py

from string import ascii_lowercase
import argparse
import random

LINUX_SYSTEM_DICT = '/usr/share/dict/american-english'
MAC_SYSTEM_DICT = '/usr/share/dict/words'
BIG_WORDLIST = 'words.txt'

# wordlist = LINUX_SYSTEM_DICT
wordlist = MAC_SYSTEM_DICT
# wordlist = BIG_WORDLIST


with open(wordlist) as f:
    WORDS = {
        word.lower().strip()
        for word in f
        if all(c.lower() in ascii_lowercase for c in word.strip())
    }

def encode(word: str) -> str:
    n = len(word) - 2
    return f"{word[0]}{n}{word[-1]}"

def decode(numeronym: str) -> str:
    a, *b, c = numeronym
    b = int(''.join(b))
    return {
        word
        for word in WORDS
        if len(word) == b + 2 
        and word[0] == a
        and word[-1] == c
    }

def main(args):
    if args.encode is not None:
        print(encode(args.encode))
    if args.decode is not None:
        words = decode(args.decode)
        if len(words) == 0:
            print("No words found")
        if args.lucky:
            print(random.choice(list(words)))
        else:
            for word in words:
                print(word)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument('-e', '--encode', type=str)
    parser.add_argument('-d', '--decode', type=str)
    parser.add_argument('-l', '--lucky', action='store_true')
    args = parser.parse_args()
    main(args)

Have you read about k8s, a11y, i18n, l10n, m17n, c14n and v12n - but no idea what people are talking about? It's not because you're stupid - it's because they're obtusely using numeronyms! Numeronyms are a cryptographically (c15y) secure way to compress long words using a one-way hash, meaning they cannot usually be decrypted.

Want to try to decrypt a numeronym you just read about? Good luck:

$ python numeronyms.py -d i18n             
intercrystallization
interdifferentiation
internationalization
institutionalization

Are you feeling lucky?

$ python numeronyms.py -d a11y --lucky
aboriginality

Yeah I think that's what that tweet was about.

You can even use this program to make your own numeronym!

Want to turn a long word into a numeronym?

$ python numeronyms.py -e numeronym
n7m

Want to turn a short word into a numeronym?

$ python numeronyms.py -e test
t2t

Want to turn a shorter word into a numeronym?

$ python numeronyms.py -e bin
b1n

Want to turn an even shorter word into a numeronym?

$ python numeronyms.py -e ha
h0a

Want to turn an even shorter word into a numeronym?

$ python numeronyms.py -e x
x-1x

Ok I'll stop now.

good work!