Tyrannosaurus Lex author Rod Evans | Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune

Stevens reviews a new book, Tyrannosaurus Lex: The Marvelous Book of Palindromes, Anagrams and Other Delightful And Outrageous Wordplay, by Rod Evans.

She describes it is "Evans' latest — and possibly wittiest — celebration of the English language."

Quoting Evans:

I consider the book, to some extent, an exuberant excess. It's the Lady Gaga of wordplay books. ... I don't get upset about people playing with language. I wish people would play with it more. ... Wordplay is democratic. You don't have to have a doctorate to enjoy it.

Stevens highlights several sections of the book, such as two that appealed to me as a music lover and occasional musician:

"Piano Words," words whose letters can all be played as notes on an instrument: baggage, defaced, beaded, caged.

"Musical Mondegreens," in which Evans lists commonly misunderstood song lyrics: Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" sounds like "Slow-talking Walter, the fire-engine guy." It's actually "Smoke on the water and fire in the sky." Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" sounds like "Hold me closer Tony Danza." It's actually "Hold me closer tiny dancer." Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" sound like "Silence like a casserole." It's actually "Silence like a cancer grows."

Sounds like a fun book to get for tickling my punny bone.

If you like this type of writing, check out Garbl's Word Play Links. It has more fun word sites for your amusement and, perhaps, enlightenment.