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Diabolically Arcane

Bingo. You’ve reached David Astle dot com, a carnival of words, puzzles and more words. Welcome aboard, and have fun.

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Salon 14

8 April, 2013

Victorian based Dabblers may like to know about a puzzle lunch on Saturday May 25. I’m hosting the event, helping you solve a crossword as we guzzle Yarra Valley wine and food. More here.

Sydney Dabblers – your chance is twofold, with my double gig at the Sydney Writers Festival on Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24. Can’t divulge full details yet, but I’d suggest you keep your mouse fingers busy here.

Time for a game. Chinese web-users distort vulgarities and political leaders to escape retribution. This habit has forged the intriguing Beasts of Baidu (their word for the internet). So what say we feign an equally punitve regime, and wangle our pollies (and other VIPs) into similar forms:

Jewel Galoise (Julia G)
Tawny Habit (Tony A)
Joke Hokey (guess)
Tinea Please-Be-Sick (Tanya P)
Tennis Nap-time (Dennis Napthine)
Tender Bayleaf (Ted Baillieu)
Genial Rhinestone (Gina R)
Knickers SoCrazy (of France)

Feel free to distort other writ-happy leaders and demagogues, supplying their true IDs if the distortion is a leap. The best ones will invite an image, like those Chinese beasts. (And naturally, here is the home for Brit-puzzle discussion, like Paul’s gem of a PEARL DIVER on Saturday: Criminal prevailed before ending in slammer, one going down for a long time.)

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Rewording The Brain

Focus & memory, lateral leaps & logic - every aspect of cognitive health is lit in Rewording The Brain, a book revelling in how puzzles boost your brain. Part 2 equips your brain to conquer any twisty clue, plus the wild crossword finale. Pop science meets neural gameplay, Rewording is rewarding, and out now.

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Rewording The Brain

Care to renew your noodle? Rewording The Brain explores the latest neural studies, seeing how puzzles (and twisty clues) boost your neurons. Part 2 helps you crack such clues, and prep the grey matter for the crossword showcase to finish. More here

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From Ambidextrous to Zugwang, this mini-dictionary teems with rare or alluring words, plus bonus riddles, puzzles and fun word-facts. Dictionary detective will also nab the collection's three fakes. Ideal for late primary schoolers, or word-nuts in general.

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Gargantuan Book of Words

Sneeze words. Fake pasta. Viking slang. Gargantuan is a jumbo jumble of puzzles & games, mazes & quizzes, tailor-made for that wordy wonderkid in your life. Or anyone in love with letters, secret codes, puns, rhymes, emoji & all things languagey. More here 

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Recent Comments

Riddledom Rave

If you missed my riddle chat with Richard Fidler, then feel free to slurp the podcast at http://ab.co/1I9t1x5

Text-speak is creeping into Scrabble. Where do you sit?
OBVS I'm fine with it
Entrenched stuff - like LOL and OMG - but no more.
Words With Friends, maybe. Scrabble, no
Let the 'real' dictionaries decide first
Just the handy stuff, like FAQ and EUW
I mean, WTF?! No way
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