New Pastimes

Cruciverbalist is a lovely word, coined to describe crossword fans. Many more pastimes and activities are appearing in dictionaries nowadays, and here's a description of some of them. Parkour is the discipline of moving rapidly and freely over or around obstacles presented by an environment, usually urban. Techniques involve vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping. People who indulge in this activity are known as traceurs, and they say that railings, walls, stairs, benches, bollards and concrete structures are all there to be conquered. Personally, I'd say that these objects are all to be avoided, with the possible exception of benches.

For those whose preference is water-based, participation in wild swimming could be just the ticket, swapping the local municipal lido for natural waters, typically rivers and lakes. For the more adventurous, there's cage diving, allowing people to get up close and personal with sharks and other creatures, best seen from the inside of a wire structure lowered into the ocean. Really?

Or perhaps you are more of a mathlete? This is an American term for children who take part in mathematics competitions. That sounds like a sedentary pastime, right up my street.