==> language/english/spelling/operations.on.words/deletion.s <==
   longest beheadable word  P(REDETERMINATION) (16/15)
    longest for each letter (6-88,181,198,213,13-159,14-219,15-155,16-96,220,
     17-85) APATHETICALLY, BLITHESOME, CHASTENING, DEMULSIFICATION,
     EMOTIONLESSNESS, FUTILITARIANISM, GASTRONOMICALLY, HEDRIOPHTHALMA,
     IDENTIFICATION, JUNCTIONAL, KINAESTHETIC, LIMITABLENESS, METHYLACETYLENE,
     NEOPALEOZOIC, OENANTHALDEHYDE, PREDETERMINATION, QUINTA, REVOLUTIONARILY,
     SELECTIVENESS, TREASONABLENESS, UPRAISER, VINDICATION, WHENCEFORWARD,
     XANTHOPHYLLITE, YOURSELVES, ZOOSPORIFEROUS
    longest beheadable down to a single letter  PRESTATE (8)
   longest curtailable word (not a plural)  (COUNTERMAN)D, (UNDERCOVER)T (11)
    longest curtailable down to a single letter  LAMBASTES
   longest alternately beheadable and curtailable word  ASHAMED (7)
   longest arbitrarily beheadable and curtailable (all subsequences words)
     SHADES (6)
   longest terminal ellision word  D(EPILATION)S (11)
   longest letter subtraction down to a single letter  STRANGLING,
    STRANGING, STANGING, STAGING, SAGING, AGING, GING, GIN, IN, I 
   longest charitable word (subtract letter anywhere) 
    PLEATS: LEATS,PEATS,PLATS,PLEAS,PLEAT 
   shortest stingy word (no deletion possible)  PRY (3)
****
Unless noted otherwise, all words occur in Webster's Third New International
Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA, 1961.