Crosswordese

Crosswordese refers to those obscure words (usually between three and five letters) often found in crossword puzzles but not commonly used in everyday conversation. Here is a list of commonly used crosswordese. From the Wikipedia posting here

Alai – as in jai alai, a game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket
Alee - in seaman’s language, toward the side opposite the wind
Asta - film dog of the 1930s
Asti - a city of Italy known for its sparkling wines
Elia – as in Elia Kazan, Greek-born American film and theater director
Enos - first-born son of Seth
Epee - a modern version of a duelling sword
Erle – as in Erle Stanley Gardner, an American lawyer and author of detective stories
Ete - summer in French
Ewer - a decorative pitcher
Olio - a miscellaneous mixture of elements, especially artistic works, musical pieces, writing, or food

Scented bookmarks

Scented bookmarks available for purchase at The Bookmark Shop

Waterfall Splash (£2.95)
Freshly Baked Bread (£2.95)
Tropical Beach (£2.95)
Orchard Harvest (£2.95)
Lavender Fields (£2.95)
Spring Blossom (£2.95)
Riverside Stroll (£2.95)
Rose Petals (£2.95)
Late Summer Vineyard (£2.95)
Home Sweet Home (£2.95)

Steepest Streets in Dunedin

Dunedin City Council lists all streets in Dunedin whose gradients are steeper than 1:6. The website states: "These gradients are ratios, and are not measured in any particular unit eg. metres or feet. E.g. to describe the gradient of Baldwin Street (1:2.9) for every 2.9 units in, it goes 1 unit up; whereas for Pacific Street (1:5.9), for every 5.9 units in, it goes 1 unit up."

Baldwin Street is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's steepest street (though the Council notes that there is some dispute over the record as only 6m out of the total street length of 30m is at the steepest gradient)

1:2.9 Baldwin Street Top End
1:3.3 Lauder Street Above Hinkley Street
1:3.4 Kenilworth Street Glengyle St - Shandon Street
1:3.6 Arnold Street Manapouri Street - Radnor Street
1:3.6 Jessie Street Rotoiti Street - Manapouri Street
1:3.7 Dalmeny Street Upper Half
1:4.0 Kellas Street Above Gorman Street
1:4.0 Maitland Street High Street - Stafford Street
1:4.1 Tekapo Street At Ravensbourne Road
1:4.4 View Street Moray Place - Tennyson Street
1:4.5 Goodall Street Above Barnes Drive
1:4.5 Howard Street Lower Half
1:4.5 Seddon Street Above Totara Street
1:4.5 Torr Street Lower Half
1:4.8 Cole Street Main South Road - Sidey Street
1:4.8 Rainton Street Easter Cres - Bangor Tce
1:4.9 Osbourne Street Carson Street - Glen Road
1:4.9 Ramsay Street Below Gladstone Road
1:5.0 Athol Place Manapouri Street - Totara Street
1:5.1 St. David Street Forth Street - Harbour Tce
1:5.2 Asgog Street Manapouri Street - Totara Street
1:5.2 Challis Street Lower Half
1:5.3 Birchfield Avenue Above Pleasant Place
1:5.3 Falcon Street Kaikorai Valley Road - Oates Street
1:5.3 Filleul Street Hanover Street - London Street
1:5.3 Montague Street Upper Half
1:5.4 Calder Avenue Above Primrose Bank
1:5.4 Gorman Street Above Kellas Street
1:5.4 Opoho Road Hatfield Street - Signal Hill Road
1:5.6 Blacks Road Main North Road - Evans Street
1:5.6 William Street High Street - Serpentine Road
1:5.7 Brunel Street Mailer Street - Laurie Street
1:5.7 Porterfield Street Above Kellas Street
1:5.9 Pacific Street Upper Half

Rules of Judging: World Beard and Moustache Championships

A list of the rules of judging for the 2007 World Beard and Moustache Championships (which have just taken place). For more info, including descriptions of beard and moustache categories, see the website here

1. In the morning of the competition, each competitor will attend a 'pre-judging' where the intended category is confirmed.

2. The participants of each class will be presented in a group, then individually to the jury which consists of seven persons who will give their votes in secret.

3. Each jury member will give a score of between 5 and 10 points to each entrant. Half points are possible.

4. The points 10, 9.5 and 9 can only be given once by each judge in each class.

5. The highest and lowest points for each entrant will not be included in the total score.

6. The positions first, second and third must be decided clearly. In the event of equal scores, a second vote will be conducted.

7. Protest of any decisions of the judges will incur disqualification from the competition.

8. Every participant receives a diploma. The three winners of each class will receive a prize.