0:04

This is the Illusionist, in which

0:06

I, Helen Zaltzman, shake up language

0:08

until it coagulates into a smooth

0:10

emulsion. Here we are, still

0:12

cavorting in the Word Play series. It's been

0:14

really lovely to hear from so many of

0:17

you who enjoyed listening to all the crossword

0:19

constructors last episode. This episode

0:22

is about what happens when crossword

0:24

constructors really go

0:26

big on making a cryptic puzzle

0:28

that can take months, even

0:31

years, to solve. Next

0:33

episode, if all goes according to plan, I'll

0:35

be reporting to you from the script's spelling

0:37

bee. For real time bee

0:40

reports, follow me on the socials

0:42

at Illusionist Show. But

0:44

members of the Illusionverse will be getting

0:46

pretty much running commentary while I'm there,

0:48

so head to theillusionist.org. Start to donate

0:50

if you would like that too. On

0:53

with the show. Hello,

1:02

I'm John Pinnamill. I'm a

1:05

writer, a comedian and an actor. I

1:07

write mostly comedy, mostly for radio, but

1:09

also TV and film. And

1:11

I have just written a thing

1:14

that's extremely hard to categorise. It's not really a

1:16

book. It's a puzzle. It's

1:19

also a murder mystery. And it comes

1:21

in the form of a box of 100 picture

1:24

postcards with text on one side

1:26

and pictures on the other. I mean,

1:28

now you describe it like that, it is quite hard to

1:30

categorise. Yes. People are

1:32

always saying, what's the new thing you're working on? Okay,

1:35

sit down. In 1934. All

1:38

right, yeah. Let's

1:40

start in 1934. In 1934? Yes.

1:43

In 1934, a man

1:45

called Edward Powis Mathes, who

1:47

was better known at the time by his

1:50

pseudonym of Tor Camarda, as in

1:52

the Spanish Inquisitor. He was

1:54

the crossword editor of the Observer

1:56

and he more or less invented

1:59

the a British style

2:01

cryptic crossword where you have a definition

2:03

part of the clue and then a wordplay part to

2:06

the clue. There's a clue in

2:08

the clue as to how to approach the clue.

2:10

We Brits love not saying what we

2:13

mean directly. Born in

2:15

1892 in England, Edward

2:17

Powis Mathes didn't invent cryptic crossword clues,

2:19

but he was a pioneer in using

2:21

only cryptic clues in his crosswords, and

2:25

making the clues double-thinkier. He

2:28

published more than 600 of his

2:30

challenging word puzzles and reviewed detective

2:32

fiction on the side, but then in 1934

2:34

he published a gigantic puzzle combining

2:38

both interests in The Torquemada

2:40

Puzzle Book, a miscellany of

2:43

original crosswords, across six anagrams,

2:45

verbal pastimes and problems, etc

2:47

etc, and Kane's Jawbone, a

2:49

Torquemada mystery novel, long

2:52

titles, but that is just to

2:54

warm you up for the endeavours contained within.

2:57

The first half was his crosswords and other word

2:59

games, and the second half

3:01

was, well it was a hundred

3:03

page novella, but the

3:06

pages were printed in a random

3:08

order, and the aim of

3:11

the puzzle, what the puzzler had to do was first

3:13

work out what the correct order of

3:15

the pages was, and then when

3:17

you do that it remains a

3:19

very cryptic elusive fixed, and

3:22

they then had to work out the details

3:24

of six murders told in that story who'd

3:26

killed who. Unusual for a book

3:29

to come with pages that you're meant to take

3:31

out and rearrange. It was a very unusual book,

3:33

I've got a copy of the original here that

3:35

I can show you, so

3:37

it starts with the

3:40

crosswords, then you have the

3:42

crossword answers, then you have the various other

3:44

word games, then this

3:46

is the page that explains the rules,

3:49

then you have the hundred pages you're supposed to

3:51

cut out and rearrange with a section for notes,

3:54

and then what I particularly enjoy

3:56

about it is at the end

3:58

he included some transparent paper

4:00

which you were meant to cut out and

4:02

use so that more than one person could

4:04

do the crosswords. That's

4:07

so considerate thinking about

4:09

future generations. Is that an original copy?

4:12

Yes it is. It's in lovely condition and

4:14

no one has taken the pages out of

4:16

that one and rearranged it. No,

4:18

people have done a few

4:21

of the crosswords but no one seems

4:23

to have attempted the puzzle. This

4:25

100 page cryptic puzzle

4:27

slash murder mystery novella Kane's

4:29

Jawbone came with a cash prize

4:31

back in 1934 for the first

4:34

person who sent the publishers

4:36

the correct solution date, which in

4:38

1935 three people did and two

4:40

Mr. Saxon Arnold Sydney Turner and

4:42

Mr. William Kennedy received prize money

4:45

of 25 pounds each because

4:47

their letters containing the solution arrived on the

4:49

same day and it seems unfair to award

4:52

the prize to the person who happened to

4:54

have their letter open first. But

4:56

the solution remained a secret. It

4:58

was never published. Then Edward Powis

5:01

Mathes died a few years later in 1939 and Kane's Jawbone was

5:05

largely forgotten about until

5:07

2019. A

5:10

copy of the Torquemada puzzle book had made

5:12

its way to Shandy Hall, the museum in

5:14

the North Yorkshire house that had been

5:16

occupied in the 1760s by Lawrence

5:18

Stern, the author of the quixotic

5:20

novel Tristram Shandy. Shandy

5:23

Hall's curator Patrick Wildgust decided

5:25

to try to solve Kane's Jawbone and

5:28

even managed to track down the original

5:30

solution in a letter Edward Powis Mathes

5:32

had sent in response to someone who

5:35

had submitted their not quite correct answer

5:37

to the puzzle. In

5:39

collaboration with the publisher Unbound Kane's

5:42

Jawbone was republished in September 2019

5:45

in the form of a box of 100 postcards,

5:47

which is how John Finnimore got a hold of it. Really

6:00

have that idea and the response films me

6:02

and I certainly didn't have the time to

6:04

give it a proper consideration is it would

6:06

late. Even though Unbound was offering

6:08

the price of one thousand pounds to

6:10

the first person to send in the

6:12

correct solution, but getting that takes a

6:14

lot of application. Shall. I

6:17

read you a short piece. take your own.

6:19

love it. He my My Ds or the

6:21

As what we're talking about a week at

6:24

a flashed through my mind that the place

6:26

between Iraq and the Queen's whole have been

6:28

horribly changed since open painted it in nineteen

6:30

twelve or so that even if I took

6:33

the warnings of the main and got their

6:35

instantaneously my modest Munich would have to brackets

6:37

at my expense with Island's more commonly known

6:40

as if after. So

6:42

it's that's what is nonsense. and then

6:44

you have to work out all of

6:46

those references and then work out how

6:48

they fit together to form a narrative

6:50

and then walk out a meditate. A

6:52

bad example. with that, Google says ten Easy

6:55

to look at The surface nice. Between Eros

6:57

in Queens whole, the Open fainted in nineteen

6:59

twelve is at a restaurant called the Cafe

7:01

Royale in London. But what you can't look

7:03

up is the warnings of the main because

7:05

that doesn't mean anything You have to work

7:07

out that this narrator uses. Spooner isn't said

7:10

lot of the time and what they mean

7:12

as the wings at the morning I don't

7:14

know, I know and the wings of the

7:16

Morning or is A at a biblical Frys

7:18

one of the psalms? that means instantly says

7:20

she sang even if I got that instantly.

7:23

My modest Munich would have to beckett at

7:25

my expense with island's more common in an

7:27

end as a thought a that mean are

7:29

modest Munich is a swing say a lotta

7:31

com and I would have to bucket these

7:34

islands commonly known as as the Sandwich Islands.

7:36

So what she sang as even as she

7:38

got to the Catholic Room Royal Mail she

7:40

would still have to buy sandwiches to go

7:42

with have beer And in order to understand

7:44

that you need to my that in the

7:46

thirties the licensing laws in London meant that

7:48

different areas of London have different rules about

7:50

when you combine drink and when you can.

7:53

Ah and. In this case the cafe around was

7:55

in a part of London. That meant that at ten

7:57

o'clock you can only buy beer if you will settle

7:59

something to. They. Say that

8:01

tells us that this page must be

8:03

written up going on ten o'clock wow

8:06

Which helps you to to deal with

8:08

the other pages that a written that

8:10

day and the thing with the spinners

8:12

and tells you who is perfectly speaking

8:15

sense as. To. What's going on? But

8:17

as under pages as and that was a idea that

8:19

was only a quarter of a page. Okay

8:22

to four hundred of that in day. Really getting

8:25

some west the up. And. Do

8:27

a lot of it is quotations and he

8:29

doesn't always tell you he's quoting as part

8:31

of the puzzle as you've got to recognize.

8:33

Oh, that's Browning's that must be the captain

8:35

likes Browning, I'm which. He. Now

8:37

again, google you can put in something that

8:39

looks suspiciously poetic and go oh right, Walt

8:42

Whitman. But then he would just have had

8:44

to have known. I suppose you just have

8:46

have to be so well read that he

8:48

could spot Whitman or Browning to scold reading

8:51

it. So I'm. In order to three

8:53

steeply to say without kick off. But

8:56

then again, what they had by Bally's

8:58

were living in the fancy say the

9:00

topic or references to licensing nozzle tennis

9:02

players on things like that, They had

9:04

a small advantage that I'd still rather

9:06

be something it post internet and ninety

9:08

pitiful. When. He first got his

9:10

copy of Can Still Bone in late twenty nineteen.

9:13

Don't. Didn't spend very long trying to solve

9:15

the puzzle. I. Had a look. Read.

9:17

Something like that, sort of. I don't know. maybe

9:19

if I had all the time in the world,

9:22

but I don't have all the time in the

9:24

world than there was a pandemic and I had

9:26

always. I'm in the was ha s so I

9:28

have yet was My little Uptown project has been

9:30

out on a bed and would potter up in

9:33

the evening and just sort of sync with a

9:35

few pages. Wow. So while the rest of us

9:37

are going spring onions and Stubbs. Use.

9:40

Ah he who is serving hundred page

9:42

cryptic other assert that was a really

9:44

enjoyable thing to do. What? What's

9:47

fun about it? I. Sat slow release

9:49

of not understanding something for ages, none essentially

9:51

coming having to come at it from a

9:53

different direction, all putting other pages together. that

9:55

than for our lights on the thing that

9:58

you've been chewing ever for ever. Answer.

10:00

It's got that delayed gratification

10:02

and death constant it all.

10:04

Serotonin from all way through.

10:07

I think the full story when I say i

10:09

love stance on that's too hot to me is

10:11

I looked at it and I thought well as

10:13

I'm still very hard and I don't trust whether.

10:16

It is doable after all this time and

10:19

I don't know have to trust doesn't make

10:21

epic is because it's customers are because he

10:23

kind of more less invented them there a

10:25

lot looser and way it as an and

10:28

I thought if he's playing has fast and

10:30

loose with this as he does with his

10:32

customers and I probably won't be able to

10:34

solve it until this time or and fact

10:36

I was wrong it's really well constructed puzzle

10:39

and ah as with most were constructed puzzles

10:41

the terrorism. There's a

10:43

moment when when there are few sort

10:45

of sets of revelation, but there's one

10:47

in particular has realization you make. That.

10:50

Makes you say. I. See, I don't

10:52

know the answer but I can see how

10:54

I'm supposed to do this now now know

10:56

what to do next and then when you

10:59

done that bit again as as as well

11:01

as a snuff. ah oh I see south

11:03

seen as instance in that paycheck to stadium.

11:07

Every page in that section has a reference to

11:09

the hours a day, however cryptic. Okay, so I

11:12

know those patches or know I order because I

11:14

decrypted or the most consistent and I was

11:16

and how they sit and and it's also hard

11:18

to spend an hour on it would on making

11:20

some progress. So. You don't see frustrated by

11:23

it because even if you've only saw

11:25

the order to pages or what's how

11:27

someone surname he failed that time you'll

11:29

times been well spent. And. After

11:31

six months and with that being

11:33

tons of means, possible combinations of

11:35

these one hundred pages. John.

11:37

Thought he had found be one to

11:39

let solution. How did you feel

11:41

When he got to the solution? we saw that

11:44

not with the one. I.

11:46

Was mostly sure. By the end I

11:48

was pretty sure that I got it

11:50

except for setting three pages as one

11:52

page. I just wasn't sure of anti

11:55

pages that could I felt could go

11:57

in either older with their section as.

12:00

Realized why when I was missing about the

12:02

to I was unsure about by the way

12:04

he says in his introduction to it not

12:06

to Beta should be reassured that there is

12:09

only one possible order and he's right that

12:11

doesn't make sense and because it's a scaffold

12:13

construction I was confident night I'd what have

12:15

the story as pretty consensus the patriotic but

12:18

there was there was room for doubt that

12:20

you know it Eventually I when I lucked

12:22

out and it's and our I was anyone

12:24

he did it without like complete vexation see

12:27

task prize yes he wanted to spend on.

12:29

A piano Zoffany on the South. A piano. ah

12:31

I thought when I want to spend that all

12:34

on one things I can look at Afghan Allentown

12:36

Alia as from out. Stranger.

12:38

Effects of that pandemic in the

12:40

Tens job and. Thing. That can

12:42

as well as this they land on out. There.

12:45

Like let his immigrants. Do

12:47

what you want month and gonna figure out how to

12:49

use me. As to sort

12:51

of the opposite of as job and. So.

12:54

Did that and then I sort of forgot about it. But.

12:56

The team still than. Revival was about

12:58

to really take off in Twenty

13:00

Twenty one on published more copies

13:02

in paperback book full and in

13:04

San Francisco one of them was

13:06

bought by Sarah Scandal. He. Covered

13:09

her bedroom walls with the pages and posted

13:11

on take talk about her purpose, but the

13:13

puzzle. And like countless dances

13:15

and poaching chicken in Ny, quill

13:17

Tic Toc spawned a trend. And.

13:20

Said a book. Really? Took off and

13:22

so very well in America and them but

13:24

because of that have done so well. Find.

13:27

Publishes were interested in it. But.

13:29

The trouble was. The. Original publisher.

13:32

They neither I order. But.

13:34

They didn't know what is the publishers.

13:37

Ah, You know how to solve the

13:39

puzzle themselves. So when the translator was asking

13:41

how to translate that stuff about it I

13:43

mean Acorn from which is whatever they couldn't

13:45

tell from Amazon has made you to kid

13:47

with me. So I've had a way of

13:49

job of being sort of consultants or translators

13:51

where they would see more. Email me long

13:53

list of questions about what I was going

13:55

on. I do my best to pass it

13:57

for them. The seems like a really difficult.

14:00

This and job. Because. Cryptic

14:02

clues. He. Can't necessarily translate

14:04

them directly because the glasses and might

14:06

not carry. Surprisingly, Festival has an ode

14:08

as his job and what it was

14:10

famous for. There aren't that many. Cryptic.

14:13

Crossword style pieces of what play

14:15

in it, but there's all sorts

14:17

of out of what play and

14:19

also slang references and in our

14:21

ambitions. but nineteen thirties and vicious

14:23

and his or American essence. I

14:25

can't imagine how to deploy translators

14:27

up to that, but they did.

14:30

Once. You've solved it. Does it work as a

14:32

novella? And. Out of order. How does it

14:34

work as a novella? If

14:36

you just beat it served. In

14:39

the printed random order and it.

14:41

It. Just seems like it's impossible that

14:44

this could mean and A or it

14:46

makes no sense. To honest it's so

14:48

strange and elusive and as offered so

14:50

many tangents and around the last distinguishable

14:53

characters and Mrs I had couple of

14:55

months. As Annabella when

14:57

the right or that just if the story of

14:59

is retired in and by language I i i

15:01

them to eat Quite say that it works but

15:03

it it. Does work under under it's

15:06

own terms. It's ridiculous. Complicated thing

15:08

is, transit while he succeeds in mating.

15:10

Meanwhile I was such as wishing I had

15:12

another one to do because he never have

15:15

a hustle and that for my again because

15:17

of expensive the crept across what and the

15:19

can still buy an mismatched of novel puzzle

15:21

and a roads hundreds of fast and one

15:23

of the seconds save no one's ever done

15:25

it since as though I was typing how

15:27

as and well written one I fall tighter

15:29

I'm I'm lucky he didn't He didn't utterly

15:32

you He tried and you did not item

15:34

and I failed and then I kept on

15:36

trying and then eventually East added it. Was.

15:40

Just going to take with fake to

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am absolutely delighted to be

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Was. Such. A lovely

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retail experience altogether unlike all the

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burrow something of my past which

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was like being hugged non consensual.

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want to get to T Am. I on

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thus I learned. That I've

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revelation and then more of a

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revelation. Was just so comfy. Their

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running your own website. Now thinking

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is. If you were to

18:24

construct a very. Complex cryptic story

18:26

puzzle mystery tell you to do

18:28

that in the form of or

18:30

square space. Website: What is

18:32

this To me? Do. The foods listed

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18:37

other meaning. What's. This hyperlink to

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a hidden page. Oh.

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And here's a password protected area.

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we have to go back to

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the as a passphrase. I think

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this could be rather nifty, but

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I need you to do it

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because of the imagination for this

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stuff. My whole thing is making

18:58

things more clear and more obvious

19:00

unless incomprehensible. So I am terrible

19:02

at making and with cryptic law,

19:04

really intrigued by the possibilities of

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19:20

Cena more. Who has written his

19:23

own one hundred part murder mystery

19:25

puzzle? Or yes, it's

19:27

called the Researchers First Murder Serve

19:29

as. Sequels. Plant! Ah

19:31

now perfect match. It was incredibly

19:33

hard to break or find writing

19:35

very difficult, but I do prefer

19:38

touching for fun as it as

19:40

relaxation as if to come from

19:42

a different. Part of my mind

19:44

for thought. oh maybe it comes from a part

19:46

of it. Turns out it does. It was much

19:48

more enjoyable to write. Than. Most

19:50

of what I write it was just were

19:52

pretty difficult. At the moment I knew I

19:55

wanted to do it was when I have

19:57

the idea of this time making them postcards.

20:00

If Cain's Drillburn, if there's anything wrong

20:02

with it, it's that apparent unscalability

20:04

when you look at it. It seems

20:06

utterly impenetrable and you don't know where to start. I've

20:10

met a lot of people who bought the book and then

20:12

just haven't really got anywhere with it and that seems a

20:14

bit of a shame. So I thought with the postcards, I

20:17

can have exactly the same format on the text

20:19

side. 100 pages out of

20:21

order, put them together, tell a story,

20:24

tell me who murdered. I've done 10 murders this time,

20:26

so who murders who? 10 times over. I've done 10

20:28

murders. I've done 10 murders. Very

20:31

incriminating. I'm just going to take that

20:34

out of context and say, police. But

20:39

on the other side, I've got these pictures.

20:41

They fall very obviously into 10 sets

20:43

of 10. And they are standalone puzzles

20:45

that have their own answer. And the

20:47

answers feed into the main narrative, but

20:49

you can just do them entirely separately.

20:53

My ideal is that everyone will get somewhere

20:55

and very few people will solve absolutely everything,

20:57

i.e. the whole text side correctly and all

20:59

10 of the puzzles. The thing

21:01

about the picture puzzle is just the first puzzle is always you

21:03

have to kind of work out how on earth this is the

21:06

puzzle. It appears to me 10 pictures

21:08

of various statues and artworks or

21:10

stained glass windows with animals

21:13

holding shields with letters on. What

21:15

am I supposed to do with this? What am I supposed to

21:17

do now? I find that kind of thing fun, so I hope

21:19

others will too. And I

21:22

try to make them as different types

21:24

of puzzles as I can. So whatever

21:27

kind of puzzle you like or the kind of strength you

21:29

have, there'll be one that's up your street, at least one.

21:32

What I want to do is replicate that feeling I

21:34

had when I got the break through I was

21:36

talking about of going, Oh, I'm in safe hands.

21:38

This person knows what they're doing. I can spend

21:40

more time on this and I won't be disappointed,

21:43

even if I can't solve it. Did you feel like

21:45

you had to internet proof it to some extent? Because

21:48

I know people were trying to use algorithms to

21:50

solve the old one and it actually didn't work.

21:54

No, I don't think you could use an algorithm to solve mine.

21:56

Yes, the internet existing changes

21:59

it. Now, my puzzle

22:02

has all sorts of strange obscure stuff in

22:04

it. I couldn't have written it without the

22:06

internet and I don't imagine that it's solvable

22:08

without it either. So anyone who does have

22:11

a go at it is encouraged to search

22:13

for stuff early and often because that's

22:15

part of the way to solve it. But everything,

22:18

however obscure, it's always available from at least two

22:20

sources in a way that I think will always

22:22

be available and you don't need to know beforehand,

22:24

you just need to be clever about working out

22:27

where to find it. And then there are other

22:29

things, I don't use spoon

22:31

reasons for instance, but that wings of

22:33

the morning, warnings of the Ming is a good example

22:35

of something that isn't Googleable. I mean,

22:37

it might be now because I

22:40

think a few people have put solutions up, but when

22:42

I was doing it, there was no

22:44

way to work out what that meant except the

22:46

way he intended. There are a few tricks I

22:48

played like that. So it's not internet

22:50

proof. Indeed, as I say, it kind of encourages us

22:53

all to use the internet, but I don't think you

22:55

can do it just with the internet. I think you

22:57

do also have to have a human intelligence there

23:00

as well. As someone who sets

23:02

and solves puzzles, what to you makes

23:05

a particularly satisfying puzzle? Well it's the same

23:07

as what makes a satisfying web of mystery,

23:09

I think. The ideal is that when you

23:12

finally get it, stroke, are told

23:14

it by the detective or look up the solution,

23:16

the reaction should be,

23:18

oh yes, I should have got that.

23:20

I say, well that makes perfect sense.

23:22

It's inevitable and right and

23:24

well constructed and I was nearly there,

23:26

but prior I got there first. Even

23:29

the good crossword clue is that when you

23:31

finally manage to forget about the surface, by

23:33

which I mean what the cryptic

23:35

clue appears to mean, it can

23:38

be so hard to divorce yourself from that and

23:40

then when you realise the

23:42

answer you should go, oh yes of course. It

23:45

seems challenging to find the balance between

23:47

it being hard enough

23:49

to solve that it's intriguing but not so hard

23:51

that people give up straight away because it sounds

23:53

like a lot of people were turned off Kane's

23:55

jawbone because it was so daunting. Yes,

23:58

exactly. And it's very hard to turn off. To

24:00

measure were how hard a puzzle is. My

24:02

puzzles each the harder than I think it's

24:04

runs out by space and cause of as

24:06

as I said. I think once you

24:09

work it out can only go in one order.

24:11

I hope is more than infections. Had to show

24:13

this more than one way to go about it

24:15

but I need. To

24:17

make sure that there's his at least one

24:19

and I know how I expected to be

24:21

self said I was a lot of the

24:24

welcome a lot of the phone was was

24:26

was creating after to was ordering them that

24:28

I expect people to follow and then I'm

24:30

hoping that when people actually start to do

24:32

it they'll do it in my that completely

24:35

surprised me. I won't know until is published.

24:37

Yeah. What would make you happier? Is

24:39

and Nobody souls that with lots of people

24:42

sold it. A lot of people without question.

24:44

I I hope it's not to the Opa.

24:46

Any puzzle has failed if nobody Celtic. Somebody.

24:48

Sent about Christmas and a half a battle

24:50

that the says his name should be to

24:52

least battles etc. Once and infuriated. frustrated but

24:54

ultimately successful. Solvent. That's what I want with

24:56

as to swap pot if exist or for

24:59

a proud of it's and I want people

25:01

to see the whole thing as that was

25:03

not feeling. Actually there were times I was

25:05

thinking of putting all this effort into this

25:07

how many people are ever gets news actually

25:09

understands what display dreams it But I spent

25:11

all this time and. And. At

25:13

least once a. We. Might get thousands

25:15

right entries with. A Be surprised

25:17

if we didn't get any. that will be

25:19

awful, but I don't think that will happen.

25:22

And as a thousand pound prize says something

25:24

there, it's yes. Definitely solve the resets, assess

25:26

murder, and stop the resets. It. Doing.

25:28

Another one. And

25:31

that's right, Do you have the solution?

25:33

Somewhere Heavily? Guarded. Ah yes, I ne only

25:35

I have it at the moment. I have it

25:37

in the program that. I wrote it

25:39

in his in the publisher doesn't have it yet

25:41

because they they don't need it. Or

25:44

have you got a backup. Ah

25:46

oh that's a good point. I'm not

25:49

sure I have asked as I have

25:51

another month device. This is Susan Simpson

25:53

case in a. Device

25:56

Bricks. The. Up. We'll. Talk about

25:58

how hard it was to translate. Can. Burn

26:00

this to various reasons. With.

26:02

The. I. Think impossible

26:04

to translate in it's current home.

26:06

So what I'm doing now is

26:08

working on a version of it

26:10

that's not exactly the same story

26:12

that his translator both and say

26:14

that will be published in some

26:17

countries. I think near the a

26:19

lighter. Same. Solution: Different. Any.

26:21

Different solutions but same idea. So it's

26:24

not like it's a new book but

26:26

I have changed the solutions. Otherwise,

26:28

either one would be a trip to

26:30

the other. If you haven't speak two

26:32

languages, why said polygon. To got multiple

26:34

puzzles to solve. Lucky then. Left.

26:36

The I will say that one will I am.

26:39

Just come out as an old paperback. I

26:41

was a they have a scout because one

26:43

of the things that would be very hard

26:45

to translate if not impossible and some of

26:47

the picture puzzles. Do you have a

26:50

warning to people? Not exactly a warning

26:52

that a recluse like when you see

26:54

the mouse trap and they'll ski not

26:56

tell people. See. A new

26:58

moon to have anything like that. To.

27:00

Stop People! Just a budding. Am.

27:04

Know. I suppose I have. the people don't. Actually

27:07

people were very good about thanks job and I

27:09

think he was a long time before him and

27:11

people have now that solution is up and up

27:13

on the that night but it took a long

27:15

time for that to happen on. I don't think

27:17

any of the fast friends people didn't give it

27:19

away and his the published as as dismissed me

27:22

not thing so I play that so it will

27:24

take his time as well but it went us

27:26

rep after the on the internet. Eventually people. Should

27:28

enjoy the journey. Nonsense. To

27:30

destinies. And. Whoop! I mean, I've been giving

27:32

some giveaways obviously in this chap, but

27:35

that's because the solutions been breached the

27:37

so long and also because I've just

27:39

picked a couple of things from came

27:41

Spoiled Esto much so much left on

27:43

spoiled because I think it might say

27:45

people maybe ten minutes rather than Rustin

27:47

T synthesiser down immediately. That. Little

27:49

bit of I passed for your it's not got to

27:51

have giveaway all thing and they were really help anyone

27:53

who hasn't made quite a lot of headway. As

27:56

the first twenty first century silver of

27:58

tends to obtain I believe. We're entitled

28:00

to be in a Cane shopping club

28:02

and to go to the Canes Jawbone

28:05

Conference. Did. You put his thing any

28:07

do those things are they? It's yes. know it.

28:09

it's an hour. I don't know about the club

28:11

and to lox home till I got the have

28:13

a guest and the one who'd committed to correct

28:15

solution pies last summer was invited to have shown

28:17

the whole and we have a lovely day in

28:19

the sunshine and it was. Probably

28:22

me to people why you could say just

28:24

what the hell was a story that with tunnel

28:26

told in Trafalgar Square what's that got to

28:28

do with at a thing? As anyone like that

28:30

because I still pets obtain I don't understand.

28:32

not not all that many now but our little

28:34

course of pages which don't stop keep putting the

28:37

menorah order or nine who did watch that

28:39

I still haven't cracked. Satisfying. Think

28:41

the in ninety as time people. Could be

28:43

gathering. At the at the

28:45

sets says murder Ha conference at.

28:47

What love is. Don't send him or think. Well,

28:50

I'm really looking forward to it locking on

28:52

the boards and because news is simple, set

28:55

up a lot of boats trying to collaboratively

28:57

so can still phone or not. I will

28:59

absolutely be there. were the seeds and I'm

29:01

not saying and a thing also a lot

29:04

helping but I think I will enjoy watching

29:06

that. Priceless. A lot. If. They're

29:08

getting that he quickly. we were. Throwing.

29:10

The second derailed. I read a

29:13

spike. A big giveaway? Maybe I

29:15

well, the sister. John.

29:18

Cinema is a comedian. Actor: writer

29:20

and cross legged instructor. And the

29:22

author of the upcoming puzzle murder mystery

29:24

book box of Hundred Cards think is

29:27

where it is difficult to describe but

29:29

it's cold. The researchers first murder and

29:31

new Kings job. And puzzle and you

29:33

can pre order it now and unbalanced.com.

29:36

Also. The annual new episode of

29:38

his and Bbc Radio Four Comedy So

29:41

John Cena most souvenir Program has just

29:43

landed. Ethan. Listen to it

29:45

on Bbc Sounds. Speaking.

29:49

on cbc sounds fled the illusionist

29:51

also resides you can listen to

29:53

the fun formative podcast crowd science

29:55

the so where they make it

29:58

their mission to answer your questions

30:00

yes your questions about science, with

30:02

the help of the best, most expert,

30:05

brain boxes people from all around the

30:07

world to help find the answers. There

30:09

are big questions like, is maths real?

30:14

And why do we lie? Why

30:17

do I lie? I don't actually

30:19

lie very often, but I

30:22

do always have a lie ready

30:24

to go in all situations, even

30:27

though I never use it. So why am I

30:29

doing that with my brain? It's weird. Maybe crowd

30:31

science can make me understand, but many of their

30:33

questions are a bit less nibbling at

30:35

the seams of my very psyche, whilst

30:37

still being thoroughly intriguing.

30:39

Like, why aren't we all

30:42

ambidextrous? And what are

30:44

ostriches for? What

30:46

are ostriches for? Ah,

30:48

that one is dangerously close to unraveling the

30:51

entire world for me again. Listen

30:54

to Crowd Science on BBC Sounds.

30:59

I like to keep track with what Alumjianists are

31:02

doing, and here is an update from Lily

31:04

Sloan, who appeared on the Mind My Mind

31:06

episode a couple of years ago, talking about

31:08

mental health words that have been incorporated

31:10

into everyday vocabulary. I heard

31:13

from so many of you after that episode.

31:15

You loved Lily. And she

31:17

is a real multi-talent. Not only is

31:19

she a therapist and a podcaster, she

31:21

is also a musician and

31:23

sound artist, and she and

31:25

Zara Zimbardo have just released a

31:27

new, musically soundscape-y project called

31:30

Marsification. It's about how

31:32

the destructive rituals say stuff like, ugh,

31:35

Earth's looking like a bit of a mess,

31:37

there's no fixing that, I'm gonna go and colonise

31:39

Mars instead. That, but make

31:42

it beautiful, strange, funny

31:44

sound art slash music.

31:47

Ooh, and there's a lot of

31:49

language content in there as well. Find

31:52

Marsification at marsification.com

31:54

and on Bandcamp's Out The

32:00

most seemingly selected word from the dictionary today is... ...Femulus,

32:06

noun, historical, and

32:09

assistant or servant, especially one working for

32:11

a magician or scholar. Try

32:14

using FEMULUS in an email today. This

32:17

episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltman,

32:19

on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territory

32:22

of the Musqueam Squamish and Slower-Toothed

32:24

Nations. The music is

32:26

by Martin Alstwick of palebirdmusic.com,

32:29

and the podcast's neutrino watch and song

32:31

by song. Our

32:35

ad partner is Multitude, if you want to

32:37

advertise on this show, and hear me talk about

32:39

your product in as winning a way as I

32:41

can cook off. Contact

32:43

Multitude at multitude.production.com I

32:47

am on my way to the script spelling bee,

32:49

so if it all works out and I

32:51

don't accidentally drop all my recordings into a pool of

32:53

wet cement, next episode will be

32:56

all about the bee. But

32:58

for updates while I'm there, follow Allusionist

33:00

Show on the social networks, and

33:02

you can get even more scoop by signing

33:04

up to be a member of the

33:06

Allusionverse at theallusionist.org. And

33:10

you can hear or read every episode.

33:13

Get links to all the guests you heard from and

33:15

their work, read more information about

33:17

the topics we've talked about, see the

33:19

full dictionary entries for the randomly selected

33:21

words, find links to any events I've got coming

33:23

up. Thanks to everyone who

33:25

came out to the Vancouver Meetup last weekend, it was

33:28

really lovely to hang out with you in the drizzle. So,

33:30

all your Allusionist information and news, and

33:32

most importantly the podcast, live

33:35

at the shows forever home,

33:37

theallusionist.org.