Third line down says LIVESIHCODRUM (read it backwards) as puzzlemaster has a laugh at paymaster's expense

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

It is Australia’s largest-selling newspaper, which brashly called on the public to “kick out” the last government and whose support, in the true image of a Murdoch tabloid, can win you an election.

But last week’s Sunday Telegraph carried a line that is sure to draw the ire of its proprietor.

On page 79 in Harry the Dog’s weekly kids’ word search (this Sunday the theme was the “amazing animals” of Indonesia, from Sumatran tigers to Komodo dragons) the puzzlemaster was clearly having a laugh at the paymaster’s expense. Third line down, first on the left reads: “LIVESIHCODRUM,” or, in reverse, “MURDOCHISEVIL.”

It took reporters in Australia two days to spot the apparent swipe, which sparked joy among many observers on Twitter.

The Sunday Telegraph refused to comment. It remains unclear if Rupert Murdoch completed the quiz himself.