Writers\u27 Link-O-Grams

In the February 1980 issue of Word Ways, Boris Randolph presented an article entitled Biographical Link-O-Grams , in which common words were found that linked the first and last names of famous persons. Since writers are associated with words, it seems appropriate to consider Link-O-Grams based solely on the names of famous authors

Mary Had a Univocalic Lamb

According to Tony Augarde\u27s Oxford Guide to Word Games, univocalics are writings that make use of only one vowel. This is apparently an old form of word play, as Augarde gives several examples from the nineteenth century, including one that dates back to 1824

Zesty Zeugmas

The zeugma has wordplay potential that, to the best of my knowledge, has not been previously explored in Word Ways. A grammatically correct zeugma has a certain charm that has inspired me to collect these literary constructions. And, in the same vein, the beauty of the well-constructed zeugma has inspired me to create my own

Creative Chronograms

Chronogram? What\u27s that? A new digital watch? Not quite. It\u27s an intriguing form of word play, more popular several centuries ago than it is today. If you like tinkering with words and enjoy a creative challenge, then chronograms are for you. But a note of caution is in order: chronograms can be addicting

Phobia and Counterphobia

Two wrongs are rumored to make things right, but do two phobias cancel each other out? For example, if a claustrophobe (one who fears closed spaces) were to become agoraphobic (fear of open spaces), would he be cured? Or would he simply have no place to go? Perhaps this is a fool\u27s question, but the point is that a lot of phobias have direct opposites. (Not all phobias, however, have a counterpart. Many of us have ballistophobia - fear of being shot, but do you know anyone with a fear of not being shot?

Manifestly Manifolded Manias

Here we have a listing of manifestly manifolded manias, which is to say that the following collection of mania-words is obviously diverse. And diverse it is: nearly three hundred manias are identified and named herein. They range from the relatively benign DOROMANIAC (someone who compulsively gives presents) to the downright murderous ANDROPHONOMANIAC (someone with homicidal tendencies). In between these extremes, there are undoubtedly manias which will strike responsive chords in all of us

-Omancy Fancy: A Divination Guide

In Gregory Benford\u27s novel, In the Ocean of Night, one of the characters asks her husband for the daily horoscope. The husband, apparently bored with the daily horoscope routine, offers to nip out for a small goat, put him to the knife and give ... a prognosis . Such, he believes, is a more gutsy form of fortune-telling. Ineed

Pick a Government

Living in a democracy, we are periodically cursed (blessed?) with election year mania. Occasionally, it all seems to amount to naught, and people have been heard to ask: Isn\u27t there another way? Of couse there is. Different types of government abound. More than eighty varieties are presented below. As you read through them, perhaps you\u27ll find one that sounds a little better than democracy. On the other hand, a look at these alternatives might be enough to renew everyone\u27s faith in the electoral process