iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

I haven’t been sharing my quiz and column in The Observer as regularly as I promised, but I had a lot of fun with this one, so share it now… Quiz answers can be found on the link below: shortlink.uk/1rMUU

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

I've written a Substack about the naming of military operations, and why Epic Fury is Something New. shorturl.at/LHCIY

shorturl.at

Epic Fury and the branding of war

The story of how military operations are named, and why it matters

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

If you get @thetimes.com, and are into your crosswords, I have exciting news... The Times Puzzles section has selected League of the Lexicon as their new crossword prize on Saturdays & Sundays. If crosswords are your jam, I guarantee you'll like League of the Lexicon. Bon chance!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

The New York Review of Books just gave League of the Lexicon, the game I invented and dedicated the last four years of my life to, a most glorious mention: "…this original quiz game is hilarious and erudite, wildly entertaining and learned, zany and academic... ” The New York Review of Books! 🤗

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

A fun column and quiz in today’s Observer, for those who don’t have access to it. This week: On Flatulence. Answers to the quiz here: tinyurl.com/2ajeu3s8

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

For anyone who missed my quiz and column in yesterday's Observer, here it is... Inspired by more scandalous headlines about the Epstein papers. Answers here: tinyurl.com/5xape4es

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

My quiz and column from today’s Observer… I hope you enjoy! Quiz answers here: tinyurl.com/4byc2rbt

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Dear American Printers, Publishers and Designers, Enough with the inches. Throw off the Imperial yoke and go metric already. Yours sincerely The Rest of the World cc. Liberia and Myanmar

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

A very nice review of The Language-Lover's Lexipedia from @newtownbooks.bsky.social. It's really lovely when a reviewer really 'gets' what you were trying to do. <glows with pride>

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Many years ago, I saw a sticker at the Warwick Avenue Underground Station ticketbooth saying: “CAUTION: Strong winds may blow money away.” I found it very moving. This Nintendo ‘quit screen’ message is similarly beautiful.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I’ve been researching units of time and have been delighted by my discovery of the microfortnight (~1.21 seconds), nanocentury (~31.56 seconds) and gigasecond (~31.7 years). My treat was the Clock of the Long Now, that will tick once a year and is designed to keep time for the next ten millennia.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

For years, the only crime I could think of named after a criminal was 'ponzi'. But now I’ve got another: Burke (v) - 'To murder, in the same manner or for the same purpose as Burke did; to kill secretly by suffocation or strangulation, or for the purpose of selling the victim's body for dissection.'

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Since not everyone has a chance to see my weekly column and quiz for The Observer, I’ve decided to start sharing it here… (Quiz answers here: tinyurl.com/46vtr8y8)

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

As the end of the month looms and a flood of 'Monthly Emails' arrive in your inbox, I've written something about my most hated word: Unsubscribe. You can read it here - shorturl.at/B7PR6

shorturl.at

'UNSUBSCRIBE'

Thoughts on my most hated word

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

After my book came out last year, I made a note that it would be great to have a language quiz or column in a national newspaper. So it's lovely to have *both* in The Observer. They've been online for a while, but now appear in print too. This week, a quiz about beginnings and a column about diets.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

The new Lexipedia quiz for @theobserveruk.bsky.social ... This week's word quiz: On drinking. Try your hand here: shorturl.at/JRpGI Also, my language column, on the origin of the word cocktail. Read here: shorturl.at/T79Ux I hope you enjoy!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

The new Lexipedia quiz for @theobserveruk.bsky.social ... This week's word quiz: On cats and dogs. Try your hand here: shorturl.at/yYwbK Also, my language column, on the subject of ice tennis and other obsolete sports. Read here: shorturl.at/uKbIT I hope you enjoy!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

And here's the Lexicon game and Lexipedia book together in perfect harmony at @waterstones.bsky.social Piccadilly. It's amazing to see two things you've worked so hard on side-by-side in the UK's largest bookstore. And they look amazing. @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Lovely to be in @hatchards.bsky.social on Piccadilly yesterday and to have an opportunity to sign copies of The Language-Lover's Lexipedia. I know I shouldn't have favourites, but Hatchards is surely one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

The new Lexipedia quiz for The Observer... This week: wordy questions with wintery theme. Try your hand here: shorturl.at/EVZiN Also, my language column, on the origins of Black Friday. Read here: shorturl.at/k0TN9 hope you enjoy!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

The new Lexipedia quiz for @theobserveruk.bsky.social... This week: wordy questions on the subject of Trump. Try your hand here: shorturl.at/jMYXj Also, my language column, on the subject of Unparliamentary Language. Read here: shorturl.at/dVhg3 I hope you enjoy!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

As Black Friday looms, I’ve done a deep dive into the origin of this curious name for my latest Substack. Have a look-see. shorturl.at/Uhxvf

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

A 'five emerald' review for League of the Lexicon from Game Industry News... Thank you @gameindustrynews.bsky.social Read it here: shorturl.at/Zyw9v

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

The latest Lexipedia Quiz is live on The Observer... This week, a quiz about memes. See how you do. shorturl.at/wmwC9

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Have a gander at the new post on The Lexipedian Substack… encompassing the origin of keyboards, costly printing mistakes and the mystery of Lorem Ipsum. l1nq.com/csL5C

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

This week's Lexipedia Quiz is waiting for you at The Observer. Good luck! shorturl.at/XL8ZM

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Breaking news! I'm writing a regular quiz, and language column, for The Observer. Dull technical issues mean you can only read it by subscribing to their Puzzles newsletter, but it will soon be on the website. This Sunday: the language of bonfire night and a word about scams. www.observer.co.uk

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Reposted by Joshua Blackburn

Linguistic Discovery @linguisticdiscovery.com · 14/10/2025

From the creator of the bestselling game League of the Lexicon @LeagueOfTheLexicon.bsky.social comes a new book for language enthusiasts: “The language-lover’s lexipedia: An A–Z of linguistic curiosities”:

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

This week saw the arrival of the new League of the Lexicon in Waterstones. Seeing my book, The Language-Lover's Lexipedia, alongside the newly designed and updated League of the Lexicon is quite something. It's been quite the year!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Delighted to see The Language-Lover's Lexipedia in @thespectator1828.bsky.social ... "The year's outstanding language book" no less! I'm biased, of course... but I *do* think it's pretty special. If you haven't checked it out already, please do.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Just spotted a nice bit of micro gardening on our street. ‘Thank you’, mystery gardener.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Lovely share from my good friend Dorian... thanks!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Oooh! Lovely to see The Language-Lover's Lexipedia sitting in this glorious pile!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia is now on sale in the UK. It’s pretty sweet seeing something that has consumed so much of your life sitting in Waterstones like it’s always belonged there… Thank you @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social. If words are your jam, it’ll make you happy. shorturl.at/5TwQI

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

I wrote a fun post for the Waterstones blog about five interesting words and phrases... You can catch it here: shorturl.at/c4PlX

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

I just wrote a Substack about the origin of League of the Lexicon. If you're interested to find out how a lockdown hobby became the biggest word game in Kickstarter history, take a look. shorturl.at/5ezag

open.substack.com

COVID-19, screentime and the biggest word game in Kickstarter history

How League of the Lexicon became one of the bestselling word games of the decade

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

I just received the first copy of The Language-Lover's Lexipedia and I'm lost for words. It's a thing of beauty. It's been a labour of love writing it, but I couldn't be prouder. For all the word lovers out there, this book should be a bringer of joy. Out later this month (UK): shorturl.at/gjp9o

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Here’s another… They’re harder than you might think to devise! (If you have any suggestions, please let me know.)

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

As a dad who’s into language, it was only a matter of time before i started posting linguistic dad-jokes. So let’s get cracking with this beaut. More to come on my new Lexipedian Substack: substack.com/@joshuablack...

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

"If you can't say anything nice, say it in French." Anon Moule à merde!

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Perfect! h/t Jacob Andrews, who nailed it.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Starting my audiobook recording tomorrow... Particularly concerned about these doozies... Ablanathanalba Sisopetron Discumgalligumfricated Llanbedrycennin Sjörapport Tyrosemiophilist Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia Zyzzyxdonta ZZXJOANW Cicadellidae

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Please help!! I'm recording the audiobook for The Language-Lover's Lexipedia next week which includes this 100-letter word from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk! any thoughts??

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

This is Dr Johnson's desk... the very one on which he wrote A Dictionary of the English Language. It's hard to imagine how such a huge achievement was accomplished on something so small. It can't be much more than a metre wide. But it's a wonderful thing to see.

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Joshua Blackburn @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

I've spent the last few weeks being a tourist in my own city, which has been a wonder. One highlight was my visit to Dr Johnson's house in Gough Square. Having written an entry about Johnson in The Language-Lover's Lexipedia (plug!) I found it more astonishing than I expected.

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