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National Puzzle Day

National Puzzle Day falls on 29 January. And what’s not to love about puzzles? They enhance alertness and focus, can provide social interaction, and once successfully completed bestow a warming sense of achievement. A recent book was even subtitled Life Lessons from Jigsaw Puzzles. But where the word… Read More
woman on laptop with houseplant next to her

Houseplant Week

This week is #houseplantweek. What a glorious thing to celebrate and counter that potential post-Christmas psychological slump. When so little plant life stirs outside, it’s time to turn our horticultural gaze indoors. But what exactly constitutes a ‘house plant’? The Collins definition is broad: ‘a plant that can be grown… Read More

9 new words in Collins Dictionary

Here is a selection of the latest words added to Collins English Dictionary online. A few of the additions in the latest update are associated with the realms of human imagination and storytelling. ‘Worldbuilding’ is the development of a coherent environment in which to set your stories, while the James… Read More
illustration people thinking of crossword

Crossword Puzzle Day: a tribute to Anne Bradford

December 21st is Crossword Puzzle Day, and there could not be a more fitting occasion to celebrate the life of Anne R Bradford, cruciverbalist extraordinaire and author of the inimitable Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary, who died in October at the age of 90. It is not an overstatement that crosswords… Read More
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