TONY Augarde, who has died aged 80, was a lexicographer, word game expert and columnist for The Oxford Times who played in jazz bands across the county.

Mr Augarde was Arts Editor at the paper for ten years and wrote a 'Wordplay' column right until his death last month.

He worked in the Oxford University Press dictionary department compiling a number of works including The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations.

He had a passion for words, word games, jokes and puns and regularly appeared on BBC Radio 4 and at literary festivals.

Tony Augarde was born on April 10, 1936 in Tunbridge Wells, to parents Josephine and Brian Augarde, who worked for Union Corporation in London and later worked as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.

He was the middle of three brothers, growing up with Edward and Alan, and went to Skinner's Company School

On passing his eleven plus exams he was given a drum kit and played as a self-taught jazz drummer for more than 50 years, including in many groups around the Oxfordshire jazz scene.

After leaving school he worked briefly for accountants Deloitte Plender & Griffiths before studying English Language and Literature at St Peter's Hall, Oxford where he strengthened his enthusiasm for words, word games, jokes and puns.

He had met his future wife, Fleur Whitwell, on the day they left school in 1957 and married in Acton, West London on September 30, 1961 before moving to Oxford.

The couple had two children, Charles and Katharine, settling in the city.

When he graduated in 1960 and immediately joined Oxford University Press where he worked in the Dictionary department.

Over the next 31 years he rose up the ranks and compiled dictionaries such as the Oxford Intermediate Dictionary, Oxford School Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations.

As a freelance writer he produced five books on word games including The Oxford Guide to Word Games and was also the freelance Arts Editor of The Oxford Times for ten years, reviewing music, art and theatre across the city.

His On the Box television feature was regularly followed by readers every week for many years.

Mr Augarde appeared on BBC Radio 4's Wordly Wise and Word of Mouth series and gave talks at literary festivals across the country.

He retired from OUP in 1991 and after two years at the Peace Pledge Union London office - an organisation he had joined in the early 1970s - he worked at home on writing projects and continued playing in jazz bands.

Up until his death last month he was still writing a monthly 'Wordplay' column for The Oxford Times.

He died of cancer on February 24 and is survived by his wife Fleur, his brother Alan, his two children Charles and Katharine, and four granddaughters.

His funeral will take place on Tuesday, March 28, at 11am at Oxford Crematorium, all are welcome.