I'd like to get better sensitivity at reading for puns/wordplay. For example, noticing that "proper tea" sounds like "property" ... any tips/tricks for developing this sensitivity?
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Used to do the Times of India one in college. Recently did the NYT one for a while, but it's only occasionally and partially cryptic. Is there a good brit one you recommend? Medium hard/not too UK-centric, and preferably free?
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Also, I think this is the primary appeal of writers like Pratchett. It's like he went to perverse lengths in service of really shallow wordplay, but sometimes it puts you in bizarre map-territory weirdness states.
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Semi related - a century hence I believe people will still be reading Pratchett. Suspect the same will not be true of Harry Potter.
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If you started an FB group for the appreciation of superior puns and wordplay, I'd join. So I don't miss any good ones you post.
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Ha I had a sense that the cryptic crossword would find a home in the Indian imagination - much like Woodhouse. The guardian has its cryptic crosswords available free online
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Yeah the style is similar, but the content is Indian. See for eg. And yeah, Wodehouse is really popular, along with Christie, but I suspect that had more to do with books being expensive and the few being widely circulated/shared. sparthasarathy.biz/crosswords/tim
This general pattern of going to ridiculous lengths in support of some extremely 'childish' goal seems to occur over and over with great writers. I feel like much of Wodehouse's writing style is explained by this.
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