David Astle

101 Weird Words (and Three Fakes) is a mini-dictionary jam-packed with unusual or interesting words, followed by a fun and descriptive definition for each one. Filled with silly pictures and strange wordy facts, this book sweeps the reader through the alphabet from AMBIDEXTROUS (no repeated letters) to ZUGZWANG (not a place you want to visit), with a generous sprinkling of...

Recent ground-breaking and exciting studies have shown that cryptic crosswords are among the most effective ways to boost the power and agility of your brain. Why? The answer lies in the art of teasing out a clue, a discipline that calls for logic, interpretation, intuition, and deduction as well as the ability to filter nuance and connotation. All these challenges...

Many a puzzle solver has battled against the devilish mind of long-time crossword maker and wordaholic David Astle, known to many as DA. In Puzzled he holds out a helping hand to the lost and perplexed, taking us on a personal tour into the secret life of words. Clue by clue, chapter by chapter, we step through a central puzzle,...