The Chronicles of Onnicles

I have just been introduced to a stimulating new concept in word puzzles called Onnicles. According to the creator, Sameer Kamat, Onnicles or Onamographic Articles, " creatively incorporate proper nouns (celebrity names, company names etc) in regular English sentences." The term "Onamography" was coined by Kamat as "a conjunction of the Greek words onuma (‘name’) and graphe (‘writing’)."


The object of an Onnicle is to find the names that are embedded in an article. The names often start in one word and end in an another. Onnicles begin with a clue that reveals a category of names for which you will be searching; for example, a recent Onnicle clue was "10 of the greatest guitarists of all time (according to Rolling Stone Magazine)." The clue is then followed by an article which will include the names.

I think the best way to describe Onnicles is that they are a cross between a word search puzzle, Scrabble and Jeopardy; so if you like any or all of these games give an Onnicle a try. You can learn more about Onnicles, as well as solve and create Onnicles at Onamography.

Puzzle image courtesy of http://www.englishonline.org

Ditloid = Language Equation

Last week on Jeopardy there was a category titled "DITLOIDS." Having never previously heard this word, I did not know what to expect. Once the clues in the category were revealed, my initial thought was that a ditloid is an acronym that includes letters and numbers. Upon doing a bit of research I discovered that a ditloid is a fairly common type of word puzzle. I love word puzzles (crossword puzzles, jumbles, etc.) and I can't believe I have never encountered a ditloid, especially since another name for ditloid is language equation. The object of a ditloit is to figure out a phrase or quote from the numbers and abbreviated letters in the clue. Most ditloids are written as mathematical equations, though the Jeopardy ditloids were not.

3 = B.M. (S.H.T.R.!) (3 = Blind Mice [See How They Run!])
200 = D. for P.G. in M. (200 Dollars for Passing Go in Monopoly)
1,001 = A.N. (1,001 = Arabian Nights)
7 = W. of the A.W. (7 = Wonders of the Ancient World)
18 = H. on a G.C. (18 = Holes on a Golf Course)