Did you know that it’s been over one hundred years since the first crossword was created? Arthur Wynne, a Liverpudlian working in New York, was playing around with a puzzle for the Sunday edition of the New York World. He came up with a diamond-shaped puzzle with clues and squares in which to fill [more…]
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In all traditional measuring systems, humans used their bodies as measuring standards, which is why some units are still based on the dimensions of the human body.
The inch represents the width of a thumb, which is why, in many languages, the same word is used for both ‘inch’ and ‘thumb’. In Dutch, duim means [more…]
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The Greek alphabet was first used in the 8th century BC and is still used today. It has a set of 24 letters which you might see as mathematical symbols or the names of stars.
Our own alphabet is named after the first two Greek letters, Alpha and Beta, and you may have noticed that [more…]
The history of some of our colloquial or idiomatic phrases is often the subject of debate, as is the case with the expression ‘How’s your father?’ To a non-British person, it might sound like an innocent enquiry after the health of a parent, but there’s much more to it.
Music hall comedian Harry Tate used [more…]
The Baffler, page 41
The clue ‘Ecuador’s largest city’ is incorrect, it should have read ‘Ecuador’s capital’.
Thanks to M Allen from NSW for reporting this gremlin.
Select puzzles to view solutions:
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What is it about cryptic clues that makes them so addictive? We humans are programmed to relish a challenge, whether physical or mental, stretching our muscles or our thinking powers.
And what better mind challenge than solving a cryptic crossword? Like a whodunnit detective novel, the details are there but they need to be unravelled. [more…]
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In Australia, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May. Families often come together for special meals, whether it’s a hearty brunch, a picnic in the park, or a relaxed barbecue in the backyard. Many Australians also take the opportunity to pamper their mothers with thoughtful gifts, such as flowers, chocolates, or handmade [more…]
