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Diabolically Arcane

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Coldplay Wordplay

26 March, 2013

You asked – and you shall receive. This week we play with band names (and musicians) to create three rockin' clues, but with a few Kinks. Rather than clue a band (or muso), your clue must include the musical act as part of the story.

For example:

Blur tour acquires gym performers = TROU+PE
Measly agent protects INXS? = SP(OTT)Y

Using stage names, players are invited to join the clue jam. To give you full leeway, feel free to treat the band name as either the group (like Garbage, or Nirvana), or as a common word.

By Thursday 7pm, please submit your three best clues, one for each of the categories: Australian act (past or present); offshore act (past or present); double act (where two bands/musos are in the one clue). Or indeed, we could see a band name in the clue, with another musical act as answer.

File your three best, and then lodge votes by Friday 7pm, with 3/1 points (trying a new tally system) for your favourite two in each set. And despite the music biz being narcissistic – you can’t vote for your own. No prizes, but your cool cachet will soar among your peers, not to mention your despairing kids. Let’s twist.

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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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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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