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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Your Listening Pleasure

30 October, 2013

Testing, 1…2… Hope your sound systems are sound this week, as you can catch your blog host flapping his jaw across several wavelengths (as per usual).

In two ticks, around 12:30 today (Wednesday), I’ll be confessing my verbaholic ways to Alicia Sometimes on Triple R’s Aural Text. If you can’t grab a radio, or PC, then tab the show for a Listen On Demand.

Likewise, if you have an idle 30 minutes, then I can recommend the yak I had with Tim Cox on ABC Brisbane. Here’s the podcast. You’ll hear the chat is less on Cluetopia, and more about cryptic pitfalls, but the quality of the listeners' calls keeps the topic pulsing.

Meantime, if you want your chance to win Cluetopia, then get your text and tweet fingers flexed for my Adam Spencer #daplay this Friday. Our game has been delayed by Sydney’s chronic fires, which have thankfully eased. Meaning Adam and I can spark up with wordplay, as can you.

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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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