Take a second look at the cover of this book—this time, turn it upside down. The title, Wordplay, is an ambigram, which means you will be able to read it both right side up and upside down. You may be familiar with the John Langdon’s ambigrams from Dan Brown’s bestseller Angels & Demons (see pages 186 and 188 of Wordplay), but if this is your first experience with the art of the ambigram, prepare to be dazzled! This lovely updated edition of the classic collection of ambigrams features a section of full-color ambigrams and dozens of stunning, mind-bending examples of this cryptic art form. Each strikingly beautiful and arresting illustration is accompanied by a short essay—sometimes serious, sometimes witty—to delight your brain as much as your eyes. Taken together, the art and the essays show how the very shape of letters can change our idea of words and their meanings. As Dan Brown says in the Foreword of this revised edition, John Langdon brilliantly rearranges the familiar, casting it in a new light. Both playful and profound, Wordplay will challenge you to take a second look at your world.

In the funny, smart mold of The Day the Crayons Quit, this sneaky lesson about the parts of speech is also a delightful story about playground competition and new friends. When the parts of speech gather on the playground, Verb is always the star. She can climb! She can frolic! She can DO anything! Her friends Adjective, Adverb, and Interjection all watch admiringly. ("WOW!" says Interjection.)Then Noun comes along -- and Noun can BE anything. A person! A place! Even a thing! ("PRETTY!" says Interjection.) The other parts of speech are fascinated by this new kid, and Verb doesn't like it one bit.

A true pioneer in the field of recreational mathematics, Martin Gardner has been wrangling words for decades, and his latest opus is nothing short of extraordinary. From amazing anagrams and silly spoonerisms to alphamagic squares and cryptarithms, this mind-bending compendium is chock-full of whimsical forms of wordplay that are sure to have sesquipedalian scholars and limber-minded logophiles racking their brains in delight.

Why do certain words make us blush or wince? Why do men and women really speak different languages? Why do nursery rhymes in vastly different societies possess similar rhyme and rhythm patterns? What do slang, riddles and puns secretly have in common? This erudite yet irresistibly readable book examines the game of language: its players, strategies, and hidden rules. Drawing on the most fascinating linguistic studies—and touching on everything from the Marx Brothers to linguistic sexism, from the phenomenon of glossolalia to Apache names for automobile parts—Word Play shows what really happens when people talk, no matter what language they happen to be using.

Wordplay involving several linguistic codes is an important modality of ludic language. This volume offers a multidisciplinary approach to the topic, discussing examples from different epochs, genres, and communicative situations. The contributions illustrate the multi-dimensionality, linguistic make-up, and the special interactive potential of wordplay across linguistic and cultural boundaries, including the challenging practice of translation.

This volume focuses on realisations of wordplay in different cultures and social and historical contexts, and brings together various research traditions of approaching wordplay. Together with the volume DWP 7, it assembles selected papers presented at the interdisciplinary conference The Dynamics of Wordplay / La dynamique du jeu de mots (Trier, 2016) and stresses the inherent dynamicity of wordplay and wordplay research.

Which words are hardest to rhyme? What word is longer than any other...or shorter? Do you know what a tautonym is or a "head 'n' tail"? if you never thought that language could provide hours of entertainment, these "games" will definitely change your mind -- and sharpen your brain!

Robert Eddison, a national journalist and playwright, has recorded every original thought he has had since June 1997. They now run to many thousand and take the form of witty, and often profound, one-line observations on an awesome variety of (150) different subjects, ranging from childbirth to political correctness. Publications in which they have most recently appeared include the Week and the London Times. Well known around the world for his witty one-liners, Robert has amassed a huge following on social media including more than 33,000 Twitter followers and 14,000 Instagram followers.. His first book, volume one, contains a selection of his finest aphorisms to entertain and amuse the masses.

`Professor Mahood's book has established itself as a classic in the field, not so much because of the ingenuity with which she reads Shakespeare's quibbles, but because her elucidation of pun and wordplay is intelligently related both to textual readings and dramatic significance.' - Revue des Langues Vivantes

Think Inside the Box! Solve Puzzles from the Hit Movie, Learn to Construct Your Own Crosswords, and Much More "Irresistible...punsters, linguists, and crossword puzzle fanatics everywhere couldn't ask for a more bracing tribute.... Buoyant and exhilaratingly brainy." ---Variety on the movie Wordplay Are you a crossword fan? Or have you always wondered about the appeal of these puzzles but never tried them yourself? With the premiere of Wordplay, a documentary about crossword puzzles, legendary New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz, and the legions of solvers who devour his creations, here's your chance to become a part of the puzzle craze! • Featuring some of the greatest puzzles from The New York Times and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament • With an introduction by Will Shortz; the story of how he created the famous "Wordplay" crossword from constructor Merl Reagle; the inside crossword dope from Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, and others; and the inside story of the movie's creation from producer Christine O'Malley and director Patrick Creadon • Learn how to create your own crossword; read what Bill Clinton and Bob Dole thought of the famous 1996 "Election Day" crossword; try the only New York Times crossword that can't be solved completely with a regular pen or pencil (hint: it features the Indigo Girls), and much more! "Wordplay [has] potential to capture the commercial audience that made hits out of documentaries such as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom." ---Associated Press