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David Astle is the crossword compiler and Wordplay columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a broadcaster on ABC Radio Melbourne.

The slurs you’ve been using without even knowing it
Opinion
WordPlay

The slurs you’ve been using without even knowing it

Most rude words are obvious, but some are hiding in plain sight.

  • by David Astle

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What’s the most versatile word we have? Mate, that’s easy
Opinion
WordPlay

What’s the most versatile word we have? Mate, that’s easy

Americans have friends, the French have amis, and what we have depends on your tone.

  • by David Astle
What this Pixar film gets so right about the human condition
Opinion
WordPlay

What this Pixar film gets so right about the human condition

Is this boredom I’m feeling, or ennui?

  • by David Astle
The real urban dictionary: How fluent are you in street talk?
Opinion
WordPlay

The real urban dictionary: How fluent are you in street talk?

Avenues, roads, stroads? We need to decipher the spin of today’s city planners.

  • by David Astle
Hundreds of words have been added to the dictionary this year. Which ones will last?
Opinion
WordPlay

Hundreds of words have been added to the dictionary this year. Which ones will last?

Enshittification, this is your moment.

  • by David Astle
At what age does an elder become elderly?
Opinion
WordPlay

At what age does an elder become elderly?

Aside from Donald Trump, most of us feel for Joe Biden, getting the tap that signals the twilight has gathered.

  • by David Astle
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The English language is full of surprises. Here are my three favourites
Opinion
WordPlay

The English language is full of surprises. Here are my three favourites

English, I thought I knew you.

  • by David Astle
You might not know it, but you’re probably a ‘citizen scientist’
Opinion
WordPlay

You might not know it, but you’re probably a ‘citizen scientist’

The term might be controversial, but the practice has become vital to most research fields.

  • by David Astle
An Australian mystery – the pie with no source
WordPlay

An Australian mystery – the pie with no source

A pastry named after Ned Kelly is just one of the local linguistic enigmas investigated this week.

  • by David Astle
I watched it for research. So was I unsatisfied or dissatisfied with The Fall Guy?
Opinion
WordPlay

I watched it for research. So was I unsatisfied or dissatisfied with The Fall Guy?

Who says you can’t have fun with words at the multiplex?

  • by David Astle
Umm-ahh! Whatever happened to this popular childhood taunt?
Opinion
WordPlay

Umm-ahh! Whatever happened to this popular childhood taunt?

Once a playground staple, the story behind the uniquely Australian gibe remains a mystery.

  • by David Astle

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/by/david-astle-p4yw3m