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Diabolically Arcane

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Kangaroosters

31 May, 2016

Dogs seem to hog the limelight when it comes to fancy hybrid names, from pugaliers to collipoos, from labradoodles to dobernauzers.

Enough ruff stuff. Let's devote this Storm to our own cross-breeding, splicing any two creatures (scaled, feathered, furred or spineless) by using their common cluster of letters. 

That will offer you an urchinchilla to clue, or a labradormouse, a gorillama or zebrat. As you can see, you can rely on anything from two letters upward, so long as the linking cluster appears at one end, and opens the other. 

Invent your animal and then create the clue. Let's see who can imagine the finest mongrel, as well as craft the sleekest clue. Here's an appetiser or two:

MARMOTH - Hurt speaker losing heart [MAR + MOuTH]

CAMELAND - Manacled deviant

ASPANIEL - Like Alpine ranges

Over to you, and your zoo. Show working if the clue is intricate, and enjoy your animal cocktails.

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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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101 Weird Words (and 3 Fakes)

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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