alliteration
the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases – as in ‘dangerous dragon’s den’.
anagram
rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to make another word or phrase. So for example EVIL is an anagram of VILE .
biometrics
refers to the identification of humans by their (biological) characteristics, such as a fingerprint or retina scan. It’s often used as a way of controlling access to places.
enigma
a person, a thing or an event that is puzzling or hard to explain.
figurative language
using words to describe something in a way that goes beyond their ordinary meaning. It can include, but isn’t limited to, hyperbole, similes and metaphors.
hyperbole
exaggerating something to make a point (for example ‘I’m so tired I could sleep for a year’).
irony
saying something when it is obvious that you mean the opposite – for example ‘Oh great! My watch has broken’.
metaphor
comparing two different things that are not alike, but which nevertheless have something in common. For example, ‘Life is a rollercoaster’.
palindrome
a word or phrase that reads the same in either direction. For example, NEVER ODD OR EVEN.
paraskevidekatriaphobia
a fear of the day/date Friday 13th.
prime number
a whole number greater than 1 that can only be divided by 1 and itself (giving a whole-number answer). Thirteen is an example of prime number
– as it can only be divided by itself and 1.
rhetorical question
a figure of speech where a question is asked, but the person is asking the question to make a point, without expecting an answer. For example ‘Are you crazy?’.
simile
a figure of speech comparing two different things, using a word such as ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example: ‘He is sleeping like a log’.