Wordburger (David Astle, A&U)

Best known (by kids) as the dictionary man on TV’s ‘Letters and Numbers’ and (by adults) as the chief crossword creator for Fairfax publications, David Astle is a self-confessed full-time ‘word nerd’. This book is full of snack-sized information to inspire and train a new generation of word-wranglers and to grab their interest in the rather tricky literary game of crossword-solving. From the outset Astle’s enthusiasm for his subject is palpable. He races through an astonishing range of brainteasers including homophones (seas, sees and seize), foreign tongue-twisters, palindromes and spoonerisms. Ostensibly written for late primary school and upwards, it’s also a good refresher for adults: you may think you know about anagrams but what about pangrams or lipograms? And did you know that ‘the budgerigar’ is an antigram of ‘great huge bird’ (which, when you scramble and re-form the words, become precisely what they aren’t)? Along the way there are samples for budding wordsmiths to test their wits, and the final chapter includes small crosswords to put into practice all the lessons learnt thus far. Wordburger requires time and patience. It’s not a book to race through but a resource to dip into. There is a lot to chew on (pun fully intended).

Thuy On is a reviewer and books editor of the Big Issue

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews