Earlier today I wrote about ambigrams, a type of writing that is designed to be read in more than one way. Typically, an ambigram is a word or phrase that has left-right mirror symmetry, or reads the same upside down. (To read the article click here.)
I set the following challenge – scroll down to see designs by ambigram author (and public intellectual) Douglas Hofstadter and by readers of this column.
Flipping words
Design an ambigram for the following words:
1. DAVE
2. OHIO
3. UTAH
4. RED
5. Your own name
First, here are Hofstadter’s designs, taken from his latest book, Ambigrammia.
1.
And another Dave:
2.
3.
4.is above the headline, and here is his name:
Thanks to all the readers who sent it examples. Here are my favourites:
Ambigrammia by Douglas Hofstadter, with an introduction by Scott Kim, is out now on Yale University Press.
I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me.
