How about we post our lists of t-shirt phrases and what word we expect to be in the possible matches list to help each other test our solutions.  Here's mine:

    expectations = {
      %w[e scent shells] => 'essentials',
      %w[q all if i] => 'qualify',
      %w[fan task tick] => 'fantastic',
      %w[b you tea full] => 'beautiful',
      %w[fun duh mint all] => 'fundamental',
      %w[s cape] => 'escape',
      %w[pan z] => 'pansy',
      %w[n gauge] => 'engage',
      %w[cap tin] => 'captain',
      %w[g rate full] => 'grateful',
      %w[re late shun ship] => 'relationship',
      %w[con grad yeul 8] => 'congratulate',
      %w[2 burr q low sis] => 'tuberculosis',
    }


- steve