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wordplay

Essays tagged “wordplay”. Follow an idea across the archive.

Essays on wordplay

12 essays

Feb 2, 2021ACX

Riddle Of The Sphinx II: Sustained Release Riddlin'

Scott engages in a battle of wits with a Sphinx, exchanging clever riddles and culminating in an unexpected answer to the classic Sphinx riddle.

3 min read 336 words

Jan 5, 2020SSC

Hardball Questions For The Next Debate (2020)

Scott Alexander presents satirical and absurd 'hardball questions' for 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, showcasing clever wordplay and humorous connections.

7 min read 1,013 words

2020 US election creative writing debate

May 2, 2019SSC

Little Known Types Of Eclipse

Scott Alexander humorously invents various absurd types of 'eclipses', ranging from astronomical to metaphorical and apocalyptic.

2 min read 232 words

astronomy creative writing cultural references

Feb 13, 2019SSC

The Proverbial Murder Mystery

Fiction by Scott Alexander

48 min read 7,424 words

creative writing fiction language

Oct 17, 2016SSC

The Moral Of The Story

Scott presents a series of short stories, each concluding with a pun-based moral, demonstrating his wit and love for wordplay.

8 min read 1,238 words

creative writing cultural references fairy tales

Oct 2, 2015SSC

Swifties 3: The Race Is Not To The Swifty

Scott Alexander presents 50 new 'Tom Swifties', a form of wordplay combining quotes with punning adverbs, in his third collection of these jokes.

6 min read 896 words

blog series community engagement creative writing

Jun 15, 2015SSC

Fifty (More) Swifties

The post presents 50 'Tom Swifties', a form of wordplay involving quotes and related adverbs, demonstrating the author's wit and knowledge across various fields.

5 min read 699 words

creative writing cultural references humor

Jan 25, 2015SSC