Episode 38 Notes

Happy New Year!
Leave a comment.....

CHRISMAL: CHRISM a consecrated oil

GAD(S) (DAG) to roam about restlessly EGAD(S) mild oath GADI a footstool

DHOOLY DOOLEE DOOLIE DOOLY a stretcher for the sick or wounded

EVZONE a Greek soldier

SCAPEGRACE a ne'er-do-well


XEROXING to copy on a xerographic copier
YERKING to beat vigorously (RYKE- to reach)
ZINC(K)ING to coat with zinc


NIOBOUS NIOBIUM a metallic element
GJETOST a hard brown cheese

ideas for next year?

Episode 37 notes

This weeks poll: What word is a phony that you think should be good? ROOBOIS* is my nomination. Not sure why this type of tea isn't good. Is it capitalized?

(ed. note: listener Matt clued me in that it should be ROOIBOS#- it's good in SOWPODS!)

HAVIOR behavior
PAVIOR a paver
SAVIOR one that saves
(-IOUR)

-ING words:
UNBEING to cease to have being
VATTING to put into a vat
WANKING not sure (but not in the OSPD) (ed. note #2: never mind! I know what it means now!)

HAJ RAJ TAJ
HADJ
SVARAJ self govt. in british india
SWARAJ (alt spelling) (ed. note #3:Listener Matt also pointed out that this can be extended into SWARAJISM and SWARAJIST!)

OSE an ESKER /ESKAR (narrow ridge of gravel and sand)(anagram: OES)

extension: CHAWBACON

KWACHAS $ of malawi and zambia
CYANIDE
ARMHOLE

Episode 35

Episode 35 notes... leave a comment!

OVERING to leap above and to the other side of
PONGING to stink
QUIRING to arrange sheets of paper in sets of 24

BEDIZEN(S) to dress gaudily DIZEN to dress in fine clothes

OVARIOLE one of the tubes of which the ovaries of most insects are composed

word list: ending with V
PERV pervert
SHIV a knife
SPIV a petty criminal
GANEV a thief (alt spelling GANEF)
SCHAV a chilled soup (russian gazpacho?)
IMPROV improvisation
MAGLEV a train using magnets to move about the tracks (magnetic levitation)
MOSHAV a cooperative settlment of small farms in Israel MOSHAVIM

Episode 34 notes

Thanks for listening! These are show notes to The Weekly Scrabbler, in case you've stumbled across the site.


LIMNING to depict by painting or drawing
LIMNER
LIMNETIC/LIMNIC pertaining to the open water of a lake or pond

MOGGING to move away

NURLING to KNURL (K front hook) to make grooves or ridges in

MIRZA a persian title of honor

MONGO MONGOE MUNGO(S)(ES) a low quality wool

WIRRA used to express sorrow

BATTU BATT a sheet of cotton BATTU pertaining to a ballet movement (no s)
CENTU/ CENTAI pl of CENTAS monetary unit of lithuania
CORNU hornlike bone formation CORNUA pl. CORNUAL
FONDU a dish of melted cheese
HAIKU HAIK an outer garment worn by arabs
PAREU a polynesian garment
TENDU an asian ebony tree
VERTU VIRTU a love or taste for the fine arts


CILICES a coarse cloth
PEMPHIX a skin disease

Episode 33 notes

This week's polls:
1. Send in your 'winning out-play puzzles' for posting on the blog
2. What word you've learned on this podcast you've played...

bonus list:
words that start/ end with OVER
BACKOUT/ OUTBACK
BURNOUT/OUTBURN
COOKOUT/OUTCOOK
DROPOUT/ OUTDROP
FALLOUT/OUTFALL
LOOKOUT/OUTLOOK
PULLOUT/OUTPULL
READOUT/ OUTREAD
ROLLOUT/OUTROLL
SELLOUT/ OUTSELL
TAKEOUT/OUTTAKE
TURNOUT/OUTTURN
WALKOUT/ OUTWALK
WASHOUT/OUTWASH
WORKOUT/ OUTWORK


ing words
HYPOING to inject with a hypodermic needle
IRISING to give the form of a rainbow to (front hook to RISING!)
JAUKING (jawk) to dawdle
KLUGING (klooj) to kludge- to put together from ill-fitting components KLUDGY KLUDGEY not sowpods

DIRNDLS type of dress

also: 15 OUT-/-OUT words

currency of the week: CONTO portuguese money of account

GARDYLOO used as a warning cry
CALLALOO a crabmeat soup
WATERLOO a decisive defeat
VINDALOO a curried dish made with meat, garlic, and wine

Episode 32 notes

this weeks words....

DAUB to smear
DAUBE a braised meat stew
DAUBER one that daubs
DAUBERY a bad or inexpert painting

CHTHONIC pertaining to the gods of the underworld

TEL ancient mound in the middle east

DYSTOCIA difficult labor and delivery in childbirth
DYSTONIA a condition of disordered tonicity of muscle tissue
DYSTOPIA a wretched place

ZAPTIAH a turkish policeman
ZEPTIAH

OXYACID an acid that contains oxygen
OXYPHIL(E) an organism that thrives in a relatively acid environment
OXYSALT a salt of an oxyacid
OXYSOME a structural unit of cellular cristae
OXYTONE a word having heavy stress on the last syllable

GROSZ(E) GROSZY polish coin

WYCH a european elm

Episode 31 notes..

Hey, if you stumble across this page and aren't a listener to the podcast, let me know how you found in a comment... I'm curious!

GOBSHITE a contemptible person

COOF/ CUIF a dolt
CUIF FUCI pl. of FUCUS any of a genus of brown algae
COIF to style the hair, FOCI pl. of FOCUS, FICO something of little worth

DADOING to set into a groove
EANLING a YEANLING young of a sheep or goat, YEALING person of the same age anagram of ANELING
FIDGING to fidget
GIRTING to gird.... anagram:

RINGGIT malaysian currency

JQXZ words:
BOOJUM a spiny desert tree *not good in SOWPODS
KANJI a system of japanese writing

BILBOES a finely tempered sword

Episode 30(!) notes

This week's poll question: Is there a one syllable bingo that stumps you? Leave a comment.

definitions from the podcast:

ANTIAIR directed against attacking aircraft (no -S)
ANTIAR an arrow poison
ARENITE (are-ah-nite) rock made up chiefly of sand grains
NITERIE (NITERY) a nightclub

other high probability bingos:
INERTIA, ORATION, RETINAE, TAENIAE, TEENIER, TRAINEE

JQXZ words:

DIXIT a statement
FIXIT involved with fixing things (takes Y) also, FIXT
JEZAIL type of firearm

-ING words (you may not know):

ANELING from ANELE to anoint
BORKING to attack a candidate in the media
CLEPING from CLEPE to call by a name (Y)CLEPED

FORINT a monetary unit of hungary

CIS having certain atoms on the same side of the molecule
COS a variety of lettuce -ES
DIS to insult or criticize
JUS a legal right JURA
KOS a land measurement in India
RAS an Ethiopian prince -ES
VAS an anatomical duct VASA
VIS force or power VIRES
WIS to know WIST....also takes an I front hook for IWIS!

Episode 29

Poll this week: What's your favorite word that looks like hasn't been unscrambled? I recently found this word mentioned in a blog: DUUMVIR(I) (a magistrate of ancient Rome).. when I mentioned it in chat to a podcast listener, he glanced at it and thought it was in alphagram form! I don't blame him! Leave your answer in a comment.



FEEZE to faze
HEEZE to hoist


ALFAQUI(N) ALFAKI a teacher of muslim law

PARDI(E) PARDY PERDIE used as a mild oath
PARD leopard

HOWE a valley
HOWF(F) a place frequently visited
HOWK to dig
HOWS pl. a method of doing something
DHOW an arabian sailing vessel

BUMF paperwork

$ TOLAR(JEV) TOLARS monetary unit of Slovenia (not SOWPODS)


3 three letter words that take a front and back Y hook:

AWN YAWN AWNY a bristle like appendage of certain grasses (adj.)
EGG EGGY YEGG a burglar
ILL ILLY YILL ale

Episode 28 Notes

Hey, if you're actually reading this and haven't ever left a note, please do so! Thanks!

RATATAT a quick, sharp rapping sound

FOR
FORB an herb other than grass
FORBY
FORBYE prep.- close by
also FOREBY, FOREBYE

ALBEIT although
SOBEIT provided that
HOWBEIT nevertheless

ANT APE ASS BAT BEE CAT DOG EEL FOX HEN OWL RAT -LIKE

FLORIN former gold coin of europe
FLORID ruddy
FLORUIT period of flourishing

FLUOR
FLUORIC
FLUORID(E)
FLUORIN(E)
FLUORITE
FLUORENE

SPINY
SPINNY, SPINNEY a thicket
PINY covered with pine trees
PINNY a pinafore


ALAE pl. of ALA- wing or winglike part
BLAE bluish black
BRAE a hillside
FRAE from
SPAE to foretell
THAE these; those
TWAE two

GYTTJAS (twl only) an organically rich mud

STYGIAN gloomy

Episode 27 notes

This week's poll: a word that you thought for sure was a phony, but wasn't. Also, leave your least favorite 2 letter combination.

OLYMPIAD: good, OLYMPIC is not.

QUILLAI (also QUILLAIA QUILLAJA) an evergreen tree

HRYVNIA monetary unit of ukraine

PLATINA platinum alloy


VAVS hebrew letter (also VAU VAW WAW)
VIVA or VIVE

CACA excrement
CECA pl. of cecum- a body cavity with one opening
COCA a south american shrub
COCO a tall palm tree
.. also CHIC CROC

ALIYA(H) immigration of jews to israel ah-lee-ah
RIYAL monetary unit of saudi arabia
TYIYN (TYIN) monetary unit of kyrgyzstan

SNOOLED to yield meekly

Episode 26 Notes

ULU an Eskimo knife

front hooks of the week:
UDON a Japanese noodle made with wheat flour
UPAS an asian tree

BUTUT a monetary unit of Gambia

GRUGRU a palm tree

MUTUEL system of betting on races
MUTULE an ornamental block

TAMARAU a small buffalo of the Phillipines
TAMARAO
TIMARAU

bonus animal: TIGLON (tie-glun) also TIGON

Let me know of any other 6 letter words you know made of two 3 letter sequences.. (e.g. GRUGRU)

episode 25 notes

alt spelling:
WADMAL WADMEL WADMOL WADMOLL WADMAAL a thick woolen fabric

interesting interjection..(joining the ranks of SLAINTE, QUOTHA, BEGORRA)

WAESUCK(S) (way-sucks) express pity

3 letter word: PHT PHTPHT expression of mild anger or annoyance


word on the street: ALBUMIN (a simple protein) found at a dialysis center
also, ALBUMEN is the white of an egg

word list:
ALLSEED
ANISEED
BUGSEED
BURSEED
HAYSEED
LINSEED
OILSEED

JQXZ word: SLOJD SLOID SLOYD swedish system of manual training

VELCRO KLEENEX FEDEX Leave a comment if you know any other 'brand name' words!

Episode 24 Notes

CAMPI pl. of CAMPO, level grassy plain

LOOIE and LOOEY a lieutenant

CAD an ungentlemanly man


CAVY short tailed rodent
DAVY a safety lamp
JIVY (JIVEY) jazzy, lively
TIVY with great speed

DEXY tablet of dex (a sulfate)
DOXY a doctrine
NIXY undeliverable mail
PIXY fairy
POXY afflicted with a pox
.. all take IE except POXY (adj.)


SOCKMAN SOCMAN SOKEMAN (plurals: -MEN)
def: a SOCAGER a tenant by SOCAGE
def: a form of feudal land tenure

Episode 23 notes

FILMI music composed for indian films
HOURI beautiful maiden in muslim belief
POORI a light flat wheat cake
TEMPI pl. of tempo
VOLTI used to direct musicians to turn the page
post script: CAMPI pl of CAMPO an open space in town

E dumps:
EMEER emir (an arab chieftan or prince)
ETWEE etui (a case for holding small articles)
FEEZE to faze
HEEZE to hoist
GELEE a cosmetic gel
REEVE to fasten by passing through or around

$: SENITI monetary unit of tonga

Episode 22 Notes

FATHER anagrammed:
HAFTER one that hafts (supply with a handle)
TREFAH (TREF)- unfit for use according to jewish law


TEFF cereal grass
TIFF to quarrel
TOFF a dandy
TUFF a volcanic rock

CHLAMYS a garment worn in ancient greece
here's a link if you want to hear it pronounced right:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chlamys

similar words...

SOBA a japanese noodle
SOCA blend of soul & calypso
SODA
SOFA
SOJA the soybean
SOLA pl. of SOLUM- a soil layer
SOMA body of an organism
SORA a marsh bird
SOYA soy

$ of the week RIAL: monetary unit of Iran
anagrams to
ARIL outer covering of certain seeds
LAIR
LARI monetary unit of Maldives! I missed another currency!
LIAR
LIRA
RAIL

LIRA can be pluralized to LIRAS LIRE LIRI LIROTH LIROT

the most versatile 4 letters:
AEST: ATES EAST EATS ETAS SATE SEAT SETA TEAS

spot the phony quiz answers:


TEFF cereal grass
TIFF to quarrel
TOFF a dandy
TUFF a volcanic rock

Episode 21 Notes

Here's a brief list of words and their definitions from the latest episode..

YCLEPT/ YCLEPED called; named

RAKEE/ RAKI a turkish liqueur

RAGEE / RAGI east indian cereal grass

also, AJEE, ALEE, AWEE are all good.

BLOOIE/ BLOOEY being out of order
FLOOIE/ FLOOEY awry

CUIF COOF a dolt

NERTS/ NERTZ used to express defiance. (or in place of nuts)

Holy Crap..

...I went a whole month without posting. Oh well.

Thought I'd show you a pic of one of my infamous 'play-by-myself-on-my-lunch-break' games.

learned words this game:

BUNDIST- a member of a bund (political association)
FROGLETS- a young frog (I had FORGETS and just wondered if this might be a word)
TELIA- pl. of TELIUM, a sorus on the host plant of a rust fungus. Wow! I can't believe I didn't know such a common word!

By the way, the score was 470-408. I won.

COOKIE

Ok, I don't even need to write a definition in here. 'Duh, COOKIE?', you're saying...

Well the real reason I put this in here is:
A. I really like cookies.
2. Because I didn't know that COOKEY and COOKY are good words. Just looks like bad spelling to me.

FEUAR

n. pl. -S one granted land under Scottish feudal law

I knew FEU was a word, but I guess I never looked at the extensions of it. Also good are FEUED and FEUING.

Speaking of granted land, I'm trying to nail down a family vacation in VA. And let me say that dealing with landlords, deposits, and contracts via email is not fun.

NIGELLA

n. pl. -S an annual herb

I found this one on the NSA word of the day page, where today's word was GALLEIN.
NIGELLA is an anagram, and also happens to be a British chef (ironically) who has a couple of cookbooks lining our kitchen shelf. My wife also just let me know that she already knew it was an herb. Guess I'm not as sharp as I thought.

CODON

n. pl. -S a triplet of nucleotides (basic components of DNA)

found: on the cover of Nature magazine or something I was delivering today..

I feel like I should know this word, but it's been a long time since high school biology. This is also the first time I've seen the Scrabble dictionary actually explain a word in the definition- maybe because you can't look up 'nucleotides' elsewhere in it?

EUTAXY

n. pl. -IES good order

I ought to memorize more words that start with EU. There are some really good ones. EUGENIA, EULOGIA, EUPNOEA and EUCAINE come to mind, because I've memorized most of the 7 letter vowel dumps, but I don't know many shorter ones.

PHILTRUM

n. pl. -TRA the indentation between the upper lip and the mouth

OK, a bit of a story behind this one.. Whenever my son Zeke gets a runny nose, the area below his nose gets all red and chapped and requires nightly applications of Vaseline (or 'gasoline, as he calls it). So this morning when I noticed the redness was gone, I said 'Zeke, your lip isn't red anymore', he said 'Dad, that's not my lip'. I acknowledged that he was right, and we decided to use the power of the almighty internet to look it up. Voile. PHILTRUM.

And no, this isn't a picture of my son.

Another word of interest that I have read in passing in the scrabble dictionary is PHILTER, (alt. spelling PHILTRE), which means 'to put under the spell of a love potion.

ROCOCO

n. pl. -COS a style of architecture and decoration

See below...
Two C's and three O's. Nice.

ANNULUS

n. pl. -LUSES or -LI a ring or ringlike part
ANNULOSE adj.

OK, let's see how many entries I can squish in under March.... I just read my latest mindless paperback- Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and found this word, as well as the one above this.

ELODEA

n. pl. -S an aquatic herb

You know, you don't realize how many bingos you miss until you go back afterwards and use an anagram generator.... how I found ELODEAS and ELOINER. The thing is these words look like they should form bingos when you line the letters up on your rack: ADEELOS and EEILNOR.. but if you don't know those two words, you're out of luck. I've been making a practice of adding these types of words to the growing flashcard pile. I still miss ordinary ones... like this: ABENOSY

Got it?

BOLIDES

n. pl. -S an exploding meteor

Found this one using an anagram generator after staring at my rack for a long time. I needed something ending in an S. Ever look at the letters and say 'I'll bet there's a word in there.' Well, there was. I just didn't know it. I saw BOILED, of course.

HAPAX

n. pl. -ES a word that occurs only once

Holy crap, I'm going to have to change the name of this blog to The Weekly Scrabbler.

Added this word, because 1. It contains an X, and 2. because the definition is so cool.

PAKEHA

n. pl. -S a person who is not of Maori descent

found: in a Scrabulous game I'm currently playing. Other words I've learned in this game: ARGUFY, RIOJA, NENE. I'm actually suspicious that the person is using an anagram generator because their strategic game is pretty bad. I don't really care though, it's not like I'm trying to get a great Scrabulous rating or something. I see it as a good way to learn new words. That, and I'm winning. :)

GANEF

n. pl. -S a theif

So, I'm reading the book 'Word Freak' by Stefan Gatsis, which I'm finding is popular among scrabble players, and in some cases is even the inspiration for them taking the game seriously. There's a part of the book where he mentions this word, and that it has 8 alternate spellings. Here they are.

GANEF
GANEV
GANOF
GONEF
GONIF
GONIFF
GONOF
GONOPH

FINICKY

adj. -ICKIER ICKIEST difficult to please

notes: I'm not listing this word because it's new to me, but rather because the following alternative expressions of the same word are new to me: FINICAL, FINICKIN, FINIKIN, FINIKING, FINNICKY Pretty crazy.

NABIS

n. pl. NABIS a group of French artists

found: in my latest paperback read- or listen, rather. It's on CD.

also: anagrams are BASIN and SABIN. Interesting when the plural of a word is the same as singular.

POSTIE

n. pl. -TIES a letter carrier

found: when one of my coworkers brought in this article.

also: anagram of POTSIE, SOPITE

notes: a mailman on a motorcycle? I'm moving to Australia.

ABOHM

n. pl. -S a unit of electrical resistance

found: browsing the OSPD... again.

also: OK, so if you're reading a blog about SCRABBLE words, you're probably familiar with most of the three letter words, but if not, both OHM and MHO are valid words. I had heard of OHM, but not the other, which, as you can tell, is just OHM spelled backwards. Apparently because it is some sort of opposite. Pretty cool. Our language would definitely be more interesting if all opposite words were just reverse-spelled. But I digress. ABOHM and ABMHO are also words.

KAON

n. pl. -S a type of meson KAONIC adj.

found: actually, I meant to use the word KOAN.. read it in a paperback. FYI, it's a paradox meditated on by Buddhist monks. Oh, and MESON is a subatomic particle. Love it when I have to look up the definition of a definition.

also: KAOLIN is also a valid word.. found that one because it was a last name of someone I delivered mail to and for some reason I looked it up.

TORPOR

02.16.08 12:24 AM

n. pl. -S mental or physical inactivity

found: um, I was playing 'hunt the bear' with my son, which I think turned into being a bear and hibernating. Turns out bears don't even truly hibernate. Hey, if it's on Wikipedia, it must be true. While you're at it, check out this YouTube video of a bear hunting salmon. (that was our next activity.)

GLIOMA

n. pl. -MAS or -MATA a type of tumor

found: in an apocalyptic paperback novel

also: add an N to the mix, and you have LOAMING. I'm always hoping for an -ing, but nice to know a words that uses just the i and g...

notes: I've come to realize something about my literary taste- I'm shallow. I have a hard time reading something if I'm not intrigued about what's going to happen next. This is why I couldn't make it through the first chapter of Moby Dick, even on CD (enough about water, already!), yet I will blow through a book about a top secret U.S. government project to build a computer that imports people's intelligence through advanced MRI's of their brains. And only one man can stop them...

EDUCE

v. EDUCED EDUCING EDUCES to draw forth or bring out EDUCIBLE

found: while looking up the meaning of ILLICIT and ELICIT..

notes: since I like words that use up c's and i's, I thought of these two words. funny thing- the definition of ELICIT was 'to EDUCE', which I thought was a more obscure word. usually definitions are simplified...

GOBO

n. pl. -BOS or -BOES a device used to shield a microphone from extraneous sounds

found: browsing the SCRABBLE dictionary

notes: I like this better than that annoying made up retailing word- bogo (buy one get one).. stay tuned, I may make a list of _O_O words.

IN and EN

At the request of a reader (Olivia in Rochester, NY), I'm listing all words here that can take both the prefix EN- and IN-.... though some aren't words until you put the prefix on. (DORSE, TRANT, URE)

Some are just alternated spellings of each other, and some have completely different meanings. Here they are:

-ACTIVE -CAGE -CASE -CLASP -CLOSE -CRUST -CUMBER -DORSE -DOW -DUE -FLAME -FOLD -GRAFT -GRAIN -GULF -LACE -MESH -QUIRE -SCROLL -SHEATH -SHRINE -SNARE -SOUL -SPHERE -SURE -SWATHE
-THRALL -THRONE -TITLE -TOMB -TRANT -TREAT -TRENCH -TRUST
-TWINE -TWIST -URE -WIND -WRAP

In an effort to make this blog more interactive....

Hey there, readers. As exciting as it is to type in words and wonder if anyone is reading, I'd be thrilled to have you, the obsessed SCRABBLE player, contribute.

Have a question about word lists? Have a favorite word? A link to a well-played game? Other ideas? Submit a comment or email me at scrabblepodcast@gmail.com

I should also mention here that WORD UP: a scrabble podcast can be found on iTunes if you're interested.

OLIVARY

adj. shaped like an olive

found: looking up the name 'olivia' (I have a habit of looking up acquaintances names as a means of learning new words. Don't worry Olivia, I'm not a crazed stalker.)

also: OLIVINE sounds more like an adjective, but it's actually a mineral. OLIVINIC would be the adj. form of it.

VIZSLA

n. pl. -S a Hungarian breed of dog

found: while trying to learn some new vi- words (v & i are two of my least favorite letters)

also: SILVA is the best possible anagram from this

notes: my other two least favorite letters are c & u.

ELHI

adj. pertaining to school grades 1 through 12

found: not sure... I think I was looking up a word that started with e-l-i-?

also: anagram of HEIL

notes: this has to be one of the more bizarre short words I've come across... especially since it isn't foreign (I would have guessed it was a Hebrew term for something). my guess: it combines the words elementary and high (school)... wait, I just googled it. Yep, I'm right.

IMPRESA

02.07.08 04:25 PM

n. a type of emblem

found: while following a Subaru Impreza.

also: can be spelled IMPRESE; plus IMPREST is a valid word.

notes: I just made some pear ginger sunflower muffins. mmm. but on a more related note, the closest SCRABBLE word to Subaru is SUBAH or SUBARID.

FUGU

02.07.08 11:24 PM

n. pl. -S a toxin-containing fish

found: delivering mail to a business called fugu group, inc.

also: reminds me of another fish-related word I've come across- ZANDER

notes: when I asked the business owner if there was meaning behind the business name, he said, 'well, it's a type of sushi'. was that supposed to answer my question?

FUGGY

02.02.08 11:45 PM

adj. stuffy and odorous

found: also in the book on CD 'Closed Circle' by Robert Goddard. (see SHIRTY) I'm telling you, these British novels are a goldmine.

also: root word is FUG. As often is the case with strange words, I like to see what other 'rhyming words' are out there. BUGGY, MUGGY, PUGGY, and VUGGY all pass the test.

notes: speaking of rhyming, my kids are in the habit of showing their rhyming skills- for example, we'll past a stoplight and they'll declare 'stoplight, boplight, koplight!' Haven't quite grasped the concept that the words rhymed are supposed to be real ones. Though if they'd said 'buggy, fuggy, vuggy' a few months ago, I would have given them the same (falsely) knowing parental smile.

DAIKON

02.01.08 11:44 PM

n. a Japanese radish

found: at a discount produce store.. went to three different grocery places to try and save money. Probably made up the difference in gas.

FANO

01.31.08 6:59 PM

n. a cape worn by the pope

found: while trying to find a hook for 'fan' in a non-challenge scrabulous game (i get to try words and see if they work)

also: is an alternate spelling of FANON

notes: I love surprise hooks. Send me any good ones you have.

KALEWIFE

01.30.08 3:33 PM

n. a female vegetable vendor

found: after seeing an eatmorekale.com bumpersticker

notes: This word reminded me of a T stop (public transportation) in Boston, which I looked up- ALEWIFE. No, it's not a female beer vendor. It's a marine fish. Makes for a good hook. That was a pun.

SHIRTY

01.30.08 11:25 PM

adj. angry

found: While listening to an book-on-CD by Robert Goddard. I think it's a British word?

also: Nice to know that 'shirt' can become an adjective.

QUINSY

Yes! Another page that randomly gets a lot of visits because, apparently, no one else has a webpage or blog post devoted to the word QUINSY. Well, you're welcome.

01.28.07 9:55 PM

n. an inflammation of the tonsils

found: on the National SCRABBLE Association website. They have a 'word of the day' feature.

also: I can't add anything that the NSA website hasn't already covered. Blana-grams? Whoa.

notes: Gotta love those Q words. Good to know quins has a hook.

(ed. note: I just discovered, nearly 3 years later, that QUINSIED is the adjective form of this word.)

STOURIE

If you googled STOURIE, you probably ended up on this page. Congratulations! Hopefully you also enjoy competitive scrabble, because that's what this blog is really about.

01.28.08 5:08 PM




adj. dusty

found: flipping through the OSPD 4. Words that are at the tops of the pages denoting the alphabetical span of words catch my eye.

also: alternate spellings: STOURY... root word is STOUR/ STOURE. plus, it can be an extension of OURIE (adj. shivering with cold)

notes: I like this word because a. it's 7 letters, and b. because it sort of looks like the word 'story'.. I'm hoping that will help me remember it.

KERMES

01.25.08 11:44 AM

n. a red dye

found: on a poster. see STYRAX.

also: plural is also KERMES. similar words, all with the same meaning: KERMES, KERMESSE, KERMIS (n. a festival)

notes: apparently there's a tree called the kermes oak. go Israel for having cool plant names! if you ever are staring at your rack and think 'kermit', this is the closest word group to that name. (which, by the way, is a way I learn new words- think of a name and look it up to see what it's close to.) but kermit is green. kermes is red.

GERMANE

01.24.08 4:35 PM

adj. relevant

also: similar words: GERMAN an elaborate dance, GERMEN something that serves as an origin

found: while reading a paperback... I feel like I should know this word, but have to confess that I didn't. As a bonus, I learned three new words at once.

notes: I find that learning words in groups (that is, alternate spellings of the same word, or similar words) is an easy way to learn more than one word at a time....

ICTIC

01.24.08 9:04 AM

adj. pertaining to a recurring stress or beat in a poetical form

also: from the word ICTUS

found: while studying a list of words with two i's at work. what, don't you study word lists?

notes: two c's and two i's? I'm sold. Couldn't find a pic for this one.

STYRAX

01.23.08 12:48 PM

n. a fragrant resin (from the styrax plant?)

also: spelled STORAX

found: while delivering mail to a jewish school; posters of Israeli plants on the door...

notes: I love words that: a. have only one vowel, and b. contain the letter x. Also of interest: both STY and RAX are valid words. Reminds me of the word SMILAX. Which I used to think was just something from a Batman movie.

OIDIOID

01.23.08 1:50 AM

adj. pertaining to a type of fungus

from: OIDIUM (plural- OIDIA)

found: While feeding my 6 month old daughter in the middle of the night and simultaneously observing a high-ranked game on isc.ro. Apparently it's the hip thing to choose a username that's an obscure/ unusual word.

notes: This has to be the coolest word I've encountered so far- I mean, it uses up three I's! I think if I'm ever able to play this in a game, I'll pee my pants.

Let's get started....

What is this that I'm doing? Well, I have a podcast, 'WORD UP: a scrabble podcast', that can be found on iTunes. This blog is a more frequent posting of words that I've learned that no normal person would use. However, SCRABBLE players will find them useful, and hopefully in a slightly entertaining setting. Stay tuned.