Wordplay

We are both really enjoying Endeavour on Sunday evenings

It is an extremely clever ‘prequel’ to Morse. The sets are brilliant and strike us both as accurate to the period [being of a certain age, we both remember the 1960s!] I loved the fact that Abigail Thaw [John’s daughter] was in the last episode [playing the Editor of the Oxford Mail] It has been made with the co-operation of Morse’s creator, Colin Dexter.

The young Endeavour has so many of the traits we were familiar with in the later incarnation – a love of classical music and crosswords have featured very highly in the episodes so far [there are two more to come] I was surprised it took him so long to spot the “Bodleian Library” anagram though. Especially when it was presented in two different ways. I was yelling the answer at the screen. “It’s television, Ang, they have to leave time, so he will spot it at the ‘right’ moment” said Bob. Morse’s love of words is one of the things that have always endeared me to the character [Dexter is also a fan of “The Archers” – another point in his favour] Barrington Pheloung’s background music is excellent too, with the repetitive ‘Morse’ ostinato.

Years ago I was collecting the girls from Primary School when a teacher took me aside and said “I love having your daughter in my class – she is teaching me so many new words.” [Mum grins proudly*]

Apparently they had been doing word puzzles like this, and my girl had piped up "Miss, this is a rebus”

rebus 1. a puzzle consisting of pictures representing syllables and words; in such a puzzle the word hear might be represented by H followed by a picture of an ear

2. [Heraldry] a heraldic emblem or device that is a pictorial representation of or pun on the name of the bearer [from French rébus, from the Latin rēbus by things]

Here’s a couple more for you to try…

…one of my other favourite crime writers, Ian Rankin, chose ‘Rebus’ as the surname of his detective. Wordplay features in these plots too.  I have the whole set on my bookshelf, and happily re-read them from time to time. It is 6 years since “Exit Music” – the final case before Rebus retired.

Rankin is a man of integrity, and didn’t write any more, once the man had retired. Then the law regarding police retirement changed. He brought him back, working on “Cold Cases” Liz gave me the book for my birthday.

I just read it –and found it excellent, I ignored housework to find out whoddunnit! [what’s new?]

 

Well written, Rankin puts us right back into the world of the scruffy, drink fuelled detective, with his complex relationship with Siobhan, Fox and the others. I am not sure how well this one would translate to the TV screen – but if you liked the earlier ones I think you will enjoy this.*****

[LIke Thaw/Morse, and Suchet/Poirot, Ken Stott is my Rebus. ]

*I ought to say that I wasn’t quite so sure about the fact that a few weeks later, my 10 year old also explained to her teacher who Lysistrata was!