{"product_id":"language-lovers-puzzle-book-perple_ing-le_ical-patterns-to-unmi_-and-ve_ing-synta_-to-outfo_","title":"Language Lover's Puzzle Book: Perple_ing Le_ical Patterns to Unmi_ and Ve_ing Synta_ to Outfo_","description":"\u003cb\u003e100 wonder-filled word puzzles that thrill and tantalize with the beauty, magic, and weirdness of world language\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Whether you're a crossword solver, cryptogram fan, Scrabble addict, or Sudoku savant, \u003ci\u003eThe Language Lover's Puzzle Book\u003c\/i\u003e is guaranteed to tease your brain and twist your tongue. Puzzle master Alex Bellos begins in Japan, where we can observe some curious counting: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eboru niko\u003c\/i\u003e = two balls \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003etsuna nihon\u003c\/i\u003e = two ropes \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003euma nito\u003c\/i\u003e = two horses \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ekami nimai\u003c\/i\u003e = two sheets of paper \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eashi gohon\u003c\/i\u003e = five legs \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eringo goko\u003c\/i\u003e = five apples \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003esara gomai\u003c\/i\u003e = five plates \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ekaba goto\u003c\/i\u003e = five hippos \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Now, how do the Japanese say \"nine cucumbers\"?* \u003cbr\u003e a) \u003ci\u003ekyuri kyuhon \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e b) \u003ci\u003ekyuri kyuko \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e c) \u003ci\u003ekyuri kyuhiki \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e d) \u003ci\u003ekyuri kyuto\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Bellos finds the intrigue--and the human element--in a dizzying array of ancient, modern, and even invented tongues, from hieroglyphs to Blissymbolics, Danish to Dothraki. Filled with unusual alphabets, fascinating characters, and intriguing local customs for time-telling, naming children, and more, this is a bravura book of brainteasers and \u003ci\u003ebeyond\u003c\/i\u003e--it's a globe-trotting, time-traveling celebration of language. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e*The word endings depend on shape: Flat things end in -mai and spherical things end in -ko. Cucumbers are long things (like ropes and legs), so they end in -hon. The answer is (a)!","brand":"Alex Bellos","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42034879693027,"sku":"9781615198047","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0356\/3906\/6759\/products\/9781615198047-us.jpg?v=1636644176","url":"https:\/\/littleprofessorbookshop.com\/products\/language-lovers-puzzle-book-perple_ing-le_ical-patterns-to-unmi_-and-ve_ing-synta_-to-outfo_","provider":"Little Professor","version":"1.0","type":"link"}