Word Ways articles

Recent articles from Word Ways

Colloquy.
May 1, 2009... Don Hauptman wrote the New York Times: To the Editor, "Pun for the Ages" by Joseph Tartakovsky (Op-ed, March 28) is an entertaining and informative review of the positive and negative aspects of wordplay, and well-timed in its proximity to April Fool's Day. But he doesn't...

Riding with Mom.(A POEM)(Poem)
May 1, 2009... This is an excerpt from Gardner's 1969 book Never Make Fun Of A Turtle, My Son (Simon and Schuster, illustrated by John Alcom). Riding with Mom When Mom takes you out For an afternoon ride And allows you to sit On the seat by her side, Try not to...

Exchanging antonyms.(List)
May 1, 2009... Antonyms have long been favourites of the readers of Word Ways, either as themselves (ODD-EVEN) or in disguise. In the latter case, they may be hidden in other word pairs such as in FATE-THINE, SHIN-SHOUT and BANDED-BORED where they occur at the beginnings, ends and in the middles of the word...

Prefix meals: more media bloopers with waggish comebacks.
May 1, 2009... Below, a fresh batch of entertaining mistakes and anomalies followed by witty ripostes--assembled for my book in progress, the working title of which is To "Er... " is Human. Contributions, to the above address, are welcome. The New York Times, restaurant review, March 8, 2009: The...

Punk whiz 7.
May 1, 2009... Yet another misdefinition pun quiz. Numbers in parentheses are the letters in the answer; (4|5) is a charade, a nine letter word that splits into a four plus five letter pun. My answers are out back. 1. pretend expertise--eg, the fake dentist with such bad teeth he can't show his face on...