Puzzles, posts, news and general word-chat.

Diabolically Arcane

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Salon 47

25 November, 2013

Fish crates scattered on boat in profile (9,6)

That’s just one clue in today’s Times, a true catch among crosswords, after the blast of Saturday’s Sunday Times, if that makes sense. Share the joy and quandaries of the Brit business here.

Brisbane dabblers, you get a double dram of DA banter this week. On Tuesday,around 4.30 AEDST, I’m chatting about Puzzles and Words 2 with Tim Cox. And then on Wednesday, it’s a Cluetopia rap with Sky Kirkham on the 4ZZZ Book Club around 11am AEDST.

Meanwhile Melburnians are welcome to join me for a soiree next Tuesday, at My Bookshop in Hawksburn for a 6.30 event. Corrie Perkin will be chatting with me about strange clues and landmark puzzles. Which leads us into a barnstorm of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie that same week. Check out details.

As for Sydneysiders, wheels are turning. Early whisper I know, but at this stage, keep Tuesday, January 28 free for the biggest circus yet. More details as they are confirmed.

Enough plugola. Time for a puzzle: what word can change its initial to an H in order to reveal its own male equivalent?

And your challenge, care of Column 8: craft a sentence of 25 words or less that would be incomprehensible in 1983. The best examples, ahem, win Cluetopia.

Have a wordy week.

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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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