This book is about language designed to mean what it does not seem to mean. Codes protect secrets. Symbol and magic hide meanings to imperil or delight. Languages made to confuse let insiders talk openly without being understood by others. Barry Blake looks in depth at these and many more and illuminates the most arcane and curious uses of language.

1. On Being Mysterious 2. From Anagrams to Cryptic Crosswords 3. Talking in Riddles 4. Ciphers and Codes 5. Biblical Secrets 6. Words of Power 7. Words to Avoid 8. Jargon, Slang, and 'Secret Languages' 9. The Everyday oblique 10. Elusive Allusions 11. Finale Appendix Select Bibliography Index

Barry J. Blake , La Trobe University