Puzzles, posts, news and general word-chat.

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 55 (Speaking Live)

3 December, 2012

If you reach this post in time, you may catch my natter with Natasha Mitchell on Radio National’s Life Matters, around 915am, give or take.

Tomorrow evening, going from studio to auditorium, I’ll be presenting a comical crash-course in how to survive a close encounter of the cryptic kind at the Fitzroy Reading Room. Happy to report this free gig is booked out, which may inspire the City of Yarra to sponsor a sequel some time soon.

The whole hoopla is tied to the new title, Puzzles and Words, where I talk about the Fregoli Delusion, soyccinos and the whoa-boy trench of Far North Queensland. Buy the book if that makes no sense. While here’s the place to go huh if the week’s Times or Guardian puzzles make no sense.

And last up a puzzle: if SEPARATE shares its even letters – in matching slots – with DELAWARE, what American state shares its even letters with the well-known major city of another state? [And feel free to offer more odd/even state challenges, with byline and number in the Comments.]

Have fun out there.

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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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