WELCOME...


Sitting in my little cottage (hidden in the deepest, darkest woods, where wild wolves roam, cawing rooks roost and little bats go 'pit-a-pat' against my window panes at night)I decided it was time that I, Cynthia Syntax, Word Witch, shared some of the word-magic I have been collecting over many centuries (for I am a little older than I look!)

And so I am poking my pointy hat into the twenty first century to become a blogger. After all, the internet is a kind of magic itself, is it not? How else but by magic could the words I type on my screen here, in my web-strewn, book-lined study be - in the blink of a howlet's eye- flashed across the globe to appear on your own monitor? No, mere technology cannot explain it!

Here then, there shall be (in due course) much word-magic for those who wish to follow in my (red shiny patent-leather) footsteps. Come back soon: you never know what you might find...

Thursday, 6 May 2010

Found Alphabets

Apologies for my long absence from this blog. I had serious connection issues of an internet kind. I suspect Apostrophe may have put a hex on the router, or maybe it was the fault of that wonderfully named Icelandic volcano. Anyway, after some pleading, whining and much threatening my computer has given in and allowed me back on line. There's lots of wasted time to make up, so let's start at once!
FOUND ALPHABETS are something I've just 'found' on the web and they're fantastic. In fact, I might just go out this weekend with my camera and start my own collection.
Basically a 'found' alphabet is made up of letters discovered in strange places - from road signs, graffitti etc - or created from objects or the spaces around them. Have a look at these:
And then have a look at www.alphabetphotos.com for some ideas of places where you might 'find' letters around you.
I'm starting my 'found' alphabet today and I'll post whatever I take!

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Fancy a go at 'Mad Libbing'?


Got some time on your hands? Then why not try Mad Libbing? This is an American invention, created in the 1950s by two word wizards, Roger Price and Leonard Stern and it can be played by any number of people.

A 'mad lib' is basically a story with certain words missed out. Instead, there's a blank space indicated by a line and the name of the type of word that's missing: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, people's names, numbers etc. One person is chosen to be the reader. They first call out the part of speech needed. The other players take turns to choose the words, which the reader notes down in the blanks provided. Finally, the reader reads the whole text - including the random words - and the result is often hilarious.

Traditionally mad libs are published in little books, but now there are websites which allow you to fill in words online, which means you can mad-lib by yourself if you want to and then print off your bit of silliness or email it to a friend.
Some sites are better than others - it's hard to write a good mad lib - but I've had fun with the following: http://www.itsamadlibsworld.com/(we loved the Pirate ones and the aircraft pilot announcement!) and http://www.madlibs.org/ (where you can play around with Hamlet's 'To Be or Not to Be' speech.)


Rib tickling fun! Even Apostrophe (my sullen Cheshire cat) raised a smile at this one:
To be, or not to swim, -- that is the ostrich;Whether 'tis nobler in the teapot to sufferThe slings and apples of crunchy fortune,Or to take dahlias against a sea of sheep,And by dancing end them. To die, -- to scribble, -- No more; and by a scribble to say we end The banana and the 50001 natural shocks That flesh is sister to,-- 'tis a porridge slowly to be wish'd. To die, --- to scribble,-- To scribble! perchance to grin! ay, there's the jellyfish; For in that scribble of death what light bulbs may come When we have skated off this purple coil, Must give us cauliflower....
Well, it's certainly different...