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Front Cover, Publication Information
Front Cover, Publication Information
Word Ways
Front Cover, Publication Information, Table of Contents
Extraterrestrial Linguistics, Solomon W. Golomb
Extraterrestrial Linguistics, Solomon W. Golomb
Word Ways
There are two questions involved in communication with Extraterrestrials. One is the mechanical issue of discovering a mutually acceptable channel. The other is the more philosophical problem (semantic, ethic, and metaphysical) of the proper subject matter for discourse. In simpler terms, we first require a common language, and then we must think of something clever to say.
The National Philosophy Test - Iv, Temple G. Porter
The National Philosophy Test - Iv, Temple G. Porter
Word Ways
Our National Philosophy Tests might convey the notion that we are committing against philosophy what sacrilege is to religion. On the contrary, we are in the mainstream of true philosophy through these tests: "To ridicule philosophy: that is to be a real philosopher." The words are those of Blaise Pascal, a philosopher of respectable achievements. We were about to base this test on Descartes when we realized that we hadn't yet covered Aristotle; that would have been putting Descartes before the horse!
An Exercise In Heteronymy, Walter G. Leight
An Exercise In Heteronymy, Walter G. Leight
Word Ways
To be read aloud for maximum effect ... but not too loud!
Word Groups With Mathematical Structure, A. Ross Eckler
Word Groups With Mathematical Structure, A. Ross Eckler
Word Ways
Logophiles have extensively studied interesting properties of isolated words: palindromes, anagrams and antigrams, multiple transposals, words with successive doubled letters, and so forth. Somewhat less effort has been expended upon an equally interesting and potentially far richer field: the construction of groups of words which conform to certain rules. Perhaps the best-known examples of these are word ladders (less, loss, lose, lore, more) and word squares.
In Search Of A Name, Dmitri A. Borgmann
In Search Of A Name, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
In our August issue, we considered the merits and the drawbacks of DYNAX as a possible marketing name for one of the principal products of a large industrial corporation, operating internationally, and identified in the public mind with fuels. Let us now analyze another potential marketing name: QUESTA.
La Belle France Et La Bete Noire, Leonard R. N. Ashley
La Belle France Et La Bete Noire, Leonard R. N. Ashley
Word Ways
Pity the poor tourist faced for the first time with a French menu! Well, actually, menu means "small, fine, slender, or thin," so perhaps we'd better call it the carte du jour.
The Francis Xavier O'Brien Problem, A. Ross Eckler
The Francis Xavier O'Brien Problem, A. Ross Eckler
Word Ways
You are standing in the baggage room at the airport, waiting for your luggage to catch up with you. Idly, you notice the various initials on the other suitcases, trying to reconstruct the names of their owners. There's E.E.E. - could that be Elizabeth Eugenia Everett? Or Ebenezer Edgar Esterhazy? And J.F.K.? Surely that couldn't be -?
Azuriel Crossword No. 1
Word Ways
The name AZURIEL conceals a syndicate of puzzlers who operate from Holland Park, London.
Word Chess With A Vengeance, Jean C. Sabine
Word Chess With A Vengeance, Jean C. Sabine
Word Ways
Depicted here is an innocent-looking letter square. The square was devised by Dr. Jean C. Sabine, of Belmont, California. Dr. Sabine's square presents our readers with a remarkable problem in "word chess," an exercise that has previously appeared in the "Simplicissimi" section of WORD WAYS.
Answers And Solutions
Word Ways
Answers and solutions to puzzles contained in this and previous issues.
Instructions To Contributors
Word Ways
Instructions for those interested in contributing to the publication.
Initial Whimseys, Walter Shedlofsky
Initial Whimseys, Walter Shedlofsky
Word Ways
NONSENSE
Nodule nine thrags of war to one smidge of mirth;
Outrig seven garths of futility;
Nuance the evil mals with nobility
Saturate life's relays with sorrow's breath;
Excess the coils with draps of hate and death;
Nebulate the whole in cyclotrons of chance-
Should it not disintegrate from dissonance,
Entropy and term and useles bauble - Earth.
Y U O I E A, Alan L. Wachtel
Y U O I E A, Alan L. Wachtel
Word Ways
Down through the years, logologists have sought the elusive word attaining one of the many goals of verbal perfection: displaying all six of the vowels (A, E, I, O, U, and Y) in precisely the reverse of their alphabetical order. Until recently, the problem remained unsolved, except for a coined word of inferior quality - BY-QUODLIBETAL, defined as "quodlibetal, or purely academic, in a derived or accidental manner."
Super-Quiz No. 4, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Super-Quiz No. 4, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
The most reliable characteristic of our Super-Quizzes is their unpredictability. The first three were spelling tests. This one, by contrast, is going to measure your knowledge of word meanings.
Real Word Squares, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Real Word Squares, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
In a book published a few years ago, we presented the first genuine word square ever constructed in English - a square consisting of words instead of letters, with all words in the square using the same number of letters (five). That unique square is reproduced here.
Of Connor And Cottonwood, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Of Connor And Cottonwood, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
Readers who joined us in exploring The South Cape Mystery in May and The Net Lake Enigma in August are in excellent shape to investigate with us a more advanced problem along the same lines: The Connor-Cottonwood Conundrum.
Bible Letters, Edward L. Lee
Bible Letters, Edward L. Lee
Word Ways
For devotees of the Double-Crostic and similar word games, we present a little problem involving the identification of a verse taken from the King James Version (Authorized Version) of the Holy Bible.
Book Reviews, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Book Reviews, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
The purpose of this section is to acquaint readers with books of recent vintage, currently in print, and holding special interest for word lovers. All books will be reviewed from the special standpoint of recreational linguistics.
The 8800 Puzzle, Dmitri A. Borgmann
The 8800 Puzzle, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
Here is a problem intended for those crossword enthusiasts who find solving puzzles too easy or too routine.
Simplicissimi
Word Ways
Generally, the problems posed in other sections of our Journal are for the seasoned veteran of the word wars. In this section, we are featuring considerably easier puzzles and quizzes, as an encouragement to neophytes, those fearless souls just entering upon the Way of the Word.
The Periodic Table Of The Alphabet, Solomon W. Golomb
The Periodic Table Of The Alphabet, Solomon W. Golomb
Word Ways
If that bearded nineteenth-century Russian, Dmitri Mendelev, had turned his attention to the Science of Linguistics, instead of to the pseudo-scientific cult of Alchemy, then rather than merely discovering the Periodic Table of the Elements, he might have been led to invent the following "Periodic Table of the Alphabet."
The Assination Of English, Temple G. Porter
The Assination Of English, Temple G. Porter
Word Ways
If a college student of English were to hand you a paper purporting to demonstrate his grasp of his English professor's teaching, and the paper included sentences such as, "The President was assinated on TV before our veery eyes," or "Hubert is the Greek sin of pride," what, besides a loud guffaw, would your reaction be?
A Time For All, Dmitri A. Borgmann
A Time For All, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
Mastery of language implies the ability to distinguish between words and the ideas they represent. Most of us use words, but confuse them with the underlying reality. Our thesis may conveniently be illustrated by examining the time problem.
Super-Quiz No. 3, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Super-Quiz No. 3, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
Here comes our third spelling quiz. Like its predecessors, it is probably so difficult that even a university professor of English couldn't get a perfect score on it. This, however, is where the resemblance ends.
Animals In Disarray, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Animals In Disarray, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
For the true logophile (word lover), one of the joys of life is rearranging the letters of a word or name to form some other word or name. Let us assume that the logophile picks up a daily paper, turns to the society column, and comes upon a sentence such as this:
"Daniel C. Conley, sprucy Englander, rumbaed erect." What does he see in that sentence?
The Net Lake Enigma, Dmitri A. Borgmann
The Net Lake Enigma, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
After discussing the South Cape Mystery in our previous issue, we asked readers to attempt solving another enigma of similar complexity.
The Faded Bloomers Rhapsody, Howard W. Bergerson
The Faded Bloomers Rhapsody, Howard W. Bergerson
Word Ways
The poem that follows, by rare but happy accident, is a perfect palindrome, reading the same backward as it does forward. It is distinguished for using 16 words of 7 or more letters, including one of 13 letters and one of 16. In all, it is 450 letters long - an astonishing achievement.
The National Philosophy Test - Iii, Temple G. Porter
The National Philosophy Test - Iii, Temple G. Porter
Word Ways
What did we learn from the pomposities and incomprehensible musings of the existentialists and of Plato in our first two National Philosophy Tests? Two things, basically. First, we saw how a difficult passage, taken out of context, can be made to appear ludicrous. Second, we could not help but notice how even the most revered, emulated, and lofty thinkers of mankind were at times inclined, in their profundity, to the most blatant errors and laughable entrapment within their own wordiness. Immanual Kant, as our third National Philossophy Test will amply demonstrate, was no exception.
How Not To Name A Product, Dmitri A. Borgmann
How Not To Name A Product, Dmitri A. Borgmann
Word Ways
In our previous issue, we considered the requirements of a large industrial corporation, identified in the public mind with fuels, seeking a new marketing name for one of its principal products. We shall now examine a name actually proposed as a solution, in the light of the corporation's requirements, extracting from it whatever virtues and vices we can detect.