nixies
Germanic water fairies
Nixies are pieces of mail that cannot be delivered as addressed—wrong address, illegible writing, insufficient postage.
Postal workers sort nixies for correction or return.
The term comes from postal service jargon, where such mail gets "nixed" from normal delivery.
Separately, nixies are water spirits in Germanic folklore, often depicted as shapeshifters who lure people into lakes or rivers.
Cannot be sent
- misaddressedSent to wrong recipient
- unclaimedNot yet taken
- misdirectedSent the wrong way
- stampsPostal payment adhesives
mailbag · postman · envelope · sorting · mailbox · address · letter · postcard
Arrange letters correctly
- charmAttractive personal quality
- glamourFascinating, elegant attractiveness
- bewitchmentMagical influence over someone
- magicSupernatural or illusory power
incantation · sorcery · illusion · mesmerizing · captivating · alluring · beguiling · entrancing
Half-woman, half-fish beings
- sirensEmergency vehicle noisemakers
- selkiesSeal-to-human transformers
- kelpiesScottish lake spirits
- naiadsFreshwater spirits of myth
ocean · river · lake · pond · stream · waterfall · underwater · swimming
Tiny supernatural beings
- faeOtherworldly Celtic beings
- pixiesTiny folklore troublemakers
- faeryMythical sprite, archaically
- elvesMythical small beings
gnomes · dryads · brownies · pucks · kobolds · legends · mythology · folktales
Deliberate deception or fraud
- pranksPlayful mischievous acts
- playfulnessLighthearted, frisky spirit
- impishnessPlayful mischievous quality
- mischievousPlayfully causing trouble
devilry · slyness · roguery · antics · teasing · luring · bewitching · beguiling
undeliverable
Cannot be sent
- misaddressedSent to wrong recipient
- unclaimedNot yet taken
- misdirectedSent the wrong way
stamps · mailbag · postman · envelope · sorting · mailbox · address · letter · postcard · USPS
spell
Arrange letters correctly
- charmAttractive personal quality
- glamourFascinating, elegant attractiveness
- bewitchmentMagical influence over someone
magic · incantation · sorcery · illusion · mesmerizing · captivating · alluring · beguiling · entrancing · hypnotic
mermaids
Half-woman, half-fish beings
naiads · ocean · river · lake · pond · stream · waterfall · underwater · swimming · luring
sprites
Tiny supernatural beings
elves · gnomes · dryads · brownies · pucks · kobolds · legends · mythology · folktales · superstitions
trickery
Deliberate deception or fraud
- pranksPlayful mischievous acts
- playfulnessLighthearted, frisky spirit
- impishnessPlayful mischievous quality
mischievous · devilry · slyness · roguery · antics · teasing · luring · bewitching · beguiling · deception
nixiessalamanders
Tailed amphibians, often aquatic
fire spirits · djinn · sylphs · gnomes · earth spirits