Cryptic crosswords: A puzzling British obsession
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Are these the ultimate brain teasers? Norman Miller explores the appeal of cryptic crosswords – containing mind-bending clues that offer unique Eureka moments.
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Let's begin a playful language journey with a dip into the mind of John Halpern, whose brain-teasing puzzles grace the UK's top newspapers under various pseudonyms. Halpern tells me about the day he met his wife. "When she told me her name, the first thing I thought was it's an anagram of 'entail' – though I didn't tell her that!" he reveals. "Instead I asked where the name came from. She told me 'Armenia'. Most normal people would immediately think: 'Interesting – tell me something about Armenia'. Instead, my first thought was 'It's the word 'men' inside the word 'aria'. I see wordplay patterns in the street, on the bus, at parties."