The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

20.3 Review Raffle- Trishhartuk's Task: Wordplay

I always enjoy a good word game, and this seems a good season for them. Pick one of the following options and read a book for that option.

Required: State the option

Option 1: Tongue twisters. Read a book with a title (ignore subtitles) where at least three words start with the same letter (excluding A, An or The). Examples: Full Fathom Five, A Tale of Two Tabbies.

Option 2: Lowest form of wit. Some genres, especially cozy mysteries, seem to specialise in playing with words in the titles. Read a book with a title including a bit of wordplay or a pun.
Examples: Gilt by Association (antiques), A Midwinter’s Tail (a cat saves the day), A Killer Read (murder mystery with books), Ghoul Interrupted (after Girl Interrupted), The Silence of the Flans (instead of The Silence of the Lambs), Baking Bad (cozy mystery with dragons and baking).

Required: State the original word or phrase that is a pun.

Option 3: Word maths. Read a book which fits one of the following word “equations”.

a) Read a book with a title of at least two words where the total number of letters in the title can be averaged by the number of words, to get a whole number.
E.g. this works: Dickens at Christmas (18 letters, divided by 3 words = 6)
This doesn’t: Death on Demand (13 letters, divided by 3 words = 4.33)
OR
b) Read a book with a title of at least two words where number of words in the title (not subtitle) equals the number of letters in the first word.
E.g. this works: Read It and Weep (four letters in the first word/four words in the title), In Ascension (two letters in the first word/two words in the title)
This doesn’t: The Red Thumb Mark (three letters in the first word/four words in the title).
Required: : State the option and show the equation.

Prize winners.

Option 1

Option 2

Baking Spirits Bright
Shelf-Made Man
Demon Copperhead

Option 3a

Lancashire Hotpot Peril (21 letters in the title divided by 3 words is 7).
Looking for Smoke - 15 letters/3 words = 5
Trunk Music - 10 letters/2 words = 5
¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons - 10 letters/2 words = 5

Option 3b

Death of a Yorkshire Pudding (5 letters in the first word/5 words in the title)
Set on You - 3 letters in first word of title; 3 words in title

Wooden spoons.

Option 2
Old Demon and the Sea Witch - not really punny enough.

For the Lowest form of wit Option does Death of a Yorkshire Pudding OR Lancashire Hotpot Perilseries title is Albert Smith's culinary capers

Not that I can see from the description (unless the murder victim in the first one could be described as a "pudding")

But Death of a Yorkshire Pudding would work for 3b (five letters in the first word/five words in the title), and Lancashire Hotpot Peril would work for 3a (21 letters in the title divided by 3 words is 7).

I've not come across the series before. Is it worth a read?

Trish wrote: "Not that I can see from the description (unless the murder victim in the first one could be described as a "pudding")

But Death of a Yorkshire Pudding would work for 3b (five letters in the first ..."

Thanks Trish - I am enjoying the series its on kindle unlimited. It can't be defined as literature but escapist fun

I think that's the point of cozy mysteries!

For the wordplay options - I have 2 potentials (I think)

Looking for Smoke - 15 letters/3 words = 5

Set on You - 3 letters in first word of title; 3 words in title

I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly.

Would Trunk Music work for option 2?

The phrase it plays on could be "trunk show" (an event where items are displayed for sale, often tied to fashion or music industries) or the literal idea of "music from a trunk" (like a car's trunk, as mentioned earlier). The setting of this is LA, where there is a rich music scene.

Thanks for your feedback!

Dee wrote: "For the wordplay options - I have 2 potentials (I think)

Looking for Smoke - 15 letters/3 words = 5

Set on You - 3 letters in first word of title; 3 words in title"

Both of those work

Josh wrote: "I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly.

Would Trunk Music work for option 2?

The phrase it plays on could be "trunk show" (an event where items are displayed for sale, ..."

I wouldn't say it quite works for Option 2: if "trunk music" is a stated term for a mafia hit then there's no pun involved.

It does work for Option 3a: 10 letters in the title, divided by 2 words, is 5.

Trish wrote: "Josh wrote: "I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly.

Would Trunk Music work for option 2?

The phrase it plays on could be "trunk show" (an event where items are display..."

I noticed this after I made my post. Whoops!

Thanks for the feedback!

Would Baking Spirits Bright work for Option 2?
"Making spirits bright" is a line in the song Jingle Bells.

Hi, can I get approval for option 2? Shelf-Made Man (pun of self-made man)

Julia wrote: "Would Baking Spirits Bright work for Option 2?
"Making spirits bright" is a line in the song Jingle Bells."

That works.

Jessica wrote: "Hi, can I get approval for option 2? Shelf-Made Man (pun of self-made man)"

That works too.

Would Old Demon and the Sea Witch work for Option 2 as a play on the title The Old Man and the Sea?

For option 3a, does it matter if there are also symbols in the title? I am thinking of ¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons (8 letters, divided by 2 words, is 4), but I wasn't sure if the ! would make it not eligible.

Thanks!

Shelby wrote: "Would Old Demon and the Sea Witch work for Option 2 as a play on the title The Old Man and the Sea?"

That one seems a bit of a stretch. My mind didn't automatically go to The Old Man and the Sea until you explained it.

Jessica wrote: "For option 3a, does it matter if there are also symbols in the title? I am thinking of ¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons (8 letters, divid..."

I had to go to the FAQs for this one! If I read it right, then the Symbol is part of the word - the specific example is contractions such as don't.

Using that logic for ¡Hola Papi!, I think that would make it two five-letter words, which still divides by two to get a whole number (10/2 = 5). I would suggest that you link to this message when you post, so the mods can see my logic.

Would Demon Copperhead count for option 2? (Demon Copperhead, David Copperfield)

Cindie wrote: "Would Demon Copperhead count for option 2? (Demon Copperhead, David Copperfield)"

I wondered if someone would come up with that one! Knowing it's a version of David Copperfield, I'll go with yes.

Trish wrote: "Cindie wrote: "Would Demon Copperhead count for option 2? (Demon Copperhead, David Copperfield)"

I wondered if someone would come up with that one! Knowing it's a version of David ..."

thank you!!!

For Option 3 - So any title that is The +2 words would work, such as The Dearly Beloved, The Limehouse Text, The Lambing Season: Stories of Life on an Irish Family Farm - 3 letters in The, 3 words in title. Is that correct?

Robin P wrote: "For Option 3 - So any title that is The +2 words would work, such as The Dearly Beloved, The Limehouse Text, [book:The Lambing Season: Stories of Life on an Irish Fam..."

Yes. All those work.

Thanks, I was overthinking the description of the task.

Just wanted to document this here in case there's a question.

For 3a, Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty - 28 letters divided by 4 words = 7.

From the rules:

7. What if a task calls for a specific number of characters/letters in a title or author name?
If the task calls for a specific number of letters, only A-Z count. If the task calls for a specific number of characters, then count A-Z, plus punctuation such as hyphens, apostrophes, etc.

Creative task!

I hadn't even thought about punctuation, but I'd agree with your reasoning. I did say letters.