The Word Play Almanac

by O.V. Michaelsen

Dip into the most intriguing collection of word wit, wisdom, and amusement ever--served up by a former puzzle columnist for the Mensa International Journal. Language lovers will find plenty of entertainment in these riddles and rhymes, unusual names and titles, oxymorons, anagrams, palindromes, and other sly linguistic games. See what happens when good words "go awry" and turn into puns and malaproprisms--like "pair off in groups of threes" (from former Florida State football coach Bill Peterson) and film mogul Samuel Goldwyn's "When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you." Try to figure out which of the contradictory proverbs to Should you "look before you leap" or "go full speed ahead" because "he who hesitates is lost"? Compare Brit- and Amerispeak, try out some words we should coin, and do a "spellcheck." Laugh at some delicious trivia, too, like a man called Luther Knox who ran for office in Louisiana after legally changing his name to "None of the Above"!

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2002