Palindromes and Anagrams: Difference between revisions
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'''''Palindromes and Anagrams''''' is a 1973 non-fiction book on [[wordplay]] by [[Howard W. Bergerson]]. |
'''''Palindromes and Anagrams''''' is a 1973 non-fiction book on [[wordplay]] by [[Howard W. Bergerson]]. |
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== Content == |
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Over a third of the book is devoted to the study and collection of [[anagrams]]. Of the 1169 anagrams Bergerson lists, most are sourced to the files of the [[National Puzzlers' League]], and some had been previously printed in [[Dmitri Borgmann]]'s ''[[Language on Vacation]]''.<ref name="jezebel" /> |
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| ⚫ | ''Palindromes and Anagrams'' was a modest success when first published, selling over 13,000 copies by 1979.<ref name="eckler" /> It was favourably reviewed in ''[[Word Ways]]'', the journal of [[recreational linguistics]] which Bergerson formerly edited; fellow ex-editor |
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| ⚫ | Other sections of the book cover [[palindrome]]s of various forms, including palindromic poetry by [[J. A. Lindon]], Graham Reynolds, and Bergerson himself.<ref name="jezebel" /> Among these is Bergerson's "Edna Waterfall", a 1039-letter poem which was for some time listed by the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the longest palindrome in English.<ref name="eckler" /><ref name="friedman" /> |
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Besides the titular forms of wordplay, the books devotes chapters to [[vocabularyclept poetry]] and written [[charade]]s. |
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== Reception == |
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| ⚫ | ''Palindromes and Anagrams'' was a modest success when first published, selling over 13,000 copies by 1979.<ref name="eckler" /> It was favourably reviewed in ''[[Word Ways]]'', the journal of [[recreational linguistics]] which Bergerson formerly edited; fellow ex-editor Borgmann wrote that the book succeeds in "impart[ing] to palindromes and anagrams a status, a dignity, and a future they have not heretofore possessed", and concluded that it was therefore "a ''sine qua non'' for all serious [[logologist]]s, as well as for all laymen interested in verbal curiosities".<ref name="jezebel" /> The book has since come to be regarded as groundbreaking and influential, and is said to be the greatest and most complete work on [[palindromes]] and [[anagrams]] up to the time of its publication.<ref name="palindromist3" /><ref name="house" /><ref name="evans" /><ref name="chism" /><ref name="morice" /> It is a particular favourite of comedian [[Alex Horne]], who wrote that as a child it showed him how to "play with language like a toy".<ref name="horne" /> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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Revision as of 20:48, 16 October 2014
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| Author | Howard W. Bergerson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 1973 |
| Publication place | USA |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-486-20664-5 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
Palindromes and Anagrams is a 1973 non-fiction book on wordplay by Howard W. Bergerson.
Content
Over a third of the book is devoted to the study and collection of anagrams. Of the 1169 anagrams Bergerson lists, most are sourced to the files of the National Puzzlers' League, and some had been previously printed in Dmitri Borgmann's Language on Vacation.[1]
Other sections of the book cover palindromes of various forms, including palindromic poetry by J. A. Lindon, Graham Reynolds, and Bergerson himself.[1] Among these is Bergerson's "Edna Waterfall", a 1039-letter poem which was for some time listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest palindrome in English.[2][3]
Besides the titular forms of wordplay, the books devotes chapters to vocabularyclept poetry and written charades.
Reception
Palindromes and Anagrams was a modest success when first published, selling over 13,000 copies by 1979.[2] It was favourably reviewed in Word Ways, the journal of recreational linguistics which Bergerson formerly edited; fellow ex-editor Borgmann wrote that the book succeeds in "impart[ing] to palindromes and anagrams a status, a dignity, and a future they have not heretofore possessed", and concluded that it was therefore "a sine qua non for all serious logologists, as well as for all laymen interested in verbal curiosities".[1] The book has since come to be regarded as groundbreaking and influential, and is said to be the greatest and most complete work on palindromes and anagrams up to the time of its publication.[4][5][6][7][8] It is a particular favourite of comedian Alex Horne, who wrote that as a child it showed him how to "play with language like a toy".[9]
References
- ^ a b c XIXX, Jezebel Q. (November 1973). "Palindromes and Anagrams". Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics. 6 (4): 195–197.
- ^ a b Eckler, Jr., A. Ross (May 2010). "Howard Bergerson". Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics. 43 (2): 82–88.
- ^ Friedman, Neil S. (February 21, 2002). "This Week's Attitude". Canarsie Courier. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^ The Palindromist (3).
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ House, Kelly (March 14, 2012). "Portland's Mark Saltveit to battle for title of world's best palindromist". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ Evans, Rod L. (June 2012). Tyrannosaurus Lex: The Marvelous Book of Palindromes, Anagrams, and Other Delightful and Outrageous Wordplay. New York, NY, USA: Penguin. ISBN 978-1-101-58863-5.
- ^ Chism, Stephen J. (1992). From A to Zotamorf: The Dictionary of Palindromes. Word Ways Press. p. i.
- ^ Morice, Dave (2001). The Dictionary of Wordplay. Teachers & Writers Collaborative. ISBN 978-0-915924974.
- ^ Horne, Alex (2010). Wordwatching: One Man's Quest for Linguistic Immortality. Virgin Books. p. 4–7. ISBN 978-0-753515754.