Metagrobology

Metagrobology is the study of puzzles. Thus a metagrobolist is one who practices or makes puzzles. Famous metagrobologists include Nob Yoshigahara and David Singmaster.

The word was coined by Rick Irby^[1] in the early 1970s on the basis of an old French word, metagrobolise, which means to baffle, confuse or puzzle,^[2] and which he found in an article in the New York Times. Rick Irby has been a puzzle designer, maker and seller of wire disentanglement puzzles for more than 30 years and coined the word metagrobologist for himself as one who puzzles people. He also coined metagrobolizers for the objects he makes and sells and metagrobology for the science of it all.

References

1. ^ http://www.allwords.com/word-metagrobology.html
2. ^ World Wide Words E-Magazine 722: Saturday 5 February 2011